GB2245014A

GB2245014A - Means for filling a void

Info

Publication number: GB2245014A
Application number: GB9112597A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alan Geoffrey Swallow
Original assignee: AMCO PLASTICS Ltd
Current assignee: AMCO PLASTICS Ltd
Priority date: 1990-06-13
Filing date: 1991-06-12
Publication date: 1991-12-18
Anticipated expiration: 2011-06-12
Also published as: GB9013218D0; GB2245014B; GB9112597D0

Abstract

A method of and means for forming a permanent support, block or seal in a void without the need for discrete external shuttering or support means consists in using a closed bag (2) having one or more restraining means (14) passing through the bag and from one side of the bag to the other so as to limit the amount of lateral expansion of the bag when filled with a filling medium so as to assume the shape of the void. Various types of restraining means are described. <IMAGE>

Description

Method of and Means for Filling a Void This invention relates to a method of and means for filling a void, the invention having particular but ot exclusive application in mining and civil engineering.

Large volume bags are used widely in mining and civil engineering to contain grout materials, concrete mixes and the like until these set to form permanent supports, blocks, seals etc. One form of this so-called shutterless concreting technique is the system of GATESIDE monolithic packing employed, for example, by British Coal.

Hitherto, some form of support consisting of steel props and wire mesh or specially designed steel cages hve been necessary to contain and support the bags until the filling medium, i.e. the grout material, concrete mix and the like, has set.

The provision of steel props and wire mesh or specially designed cages is expensive both in material costs and manufacture, and the time-consuming installation of the support in the required position, and the present invention seeks to provide an improved method of and means for filling a void which will obviate the disadvantages of the known means.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of forming a permanent support, block or seal in a void without the need for discrete external shuttering or support means, the method comprising the steps of suspending a closed bag or the like having expansion restraining means passing through the bag and from one side of the bag to the other within a void to be filled, filling said bag or the like with a filling medium so as to expand the bag to assume the shape of the void, and allowing said filling medium to set so that the bag or the like containing said filling medium forms the permanent support, block or seal in said void.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided means for forming a permanent support, block or seal in a void comprising a closed bag or the like adapted to be filled with a filling medium, said bag having one or more restraining means passing through said bag and from one side of the bag to the other so as to limit the amount of lateral expansion of the bag or the like when filled with said filling medium.

Preferably there will be a plurality of restraining means located at predetermined positions on the bag or the like, each being of a material capable of withstanding the pressure generated or created whilst filling the bag and passing through the bag or the like from one side thereof to the other, the ends of the said restraining means passing through disks or other load-spreading devices bearing on outside surfaces of the said bag or the like.

Each of said restraining means may include a tube carried internally of the bag or the like and through which passes the said restraining means, said tube being secured to sleeves located externally of and at each end of the tube.

Each of said restraining means will preferably carry ferrules located internally of the tube and adjacent the sleeves so as to form with said sleeves a water-tight joint at each end of the tube and at each side of the bag or the like.

Said restraining means may each include opposed members located internally of and fixedly secured to said bag or the like and through which an associated rope passes, said members being composed of flexible material which is deformable by the filling medium so as to move said members into embracing proximity to its associated rope so as to thereby form water-tight joints at opposed sides of the bag or the like.

Said restraining means will preferably consist of steel wire ropes. Said bag or the like will preferably be composed of a polymeric coated fabric and will preferably be provide with a steel or other material tube so as to afford passage through the support, block or seal.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a pictorial illustration of means in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a section through part of the means shown in Figure 1 and according to a first embodiment of said means; Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing an alternative embodiment of the means in accordance with the invention; Figure 4 shows a detail of a further alternative embodiment of the means in accordance with the invention; and Figure 5 shows a detail of yet another alternative embodiment of the means in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the drawings and firstly to Figure 1, there is illustrated a self-supporting bag 2 including side side walls 4 and 6, bottom wall 8, and top and end walls indicated by reference numeral 10. A plurality of bag suspension tags 12 are provided externally of the bag whereby the bag may be suspended in a void to be filled.

The bag is provided with a through-aperture 2A.

The bag will be composed of a polymeric coated fabric such as that sold under the trade mark VITAPRUF, although it will be appreciated that other suitable materials may be used if preferred.

As will be seen from Figure 1, the bag carries a plurality of restraining means, indicated generally by reference numerals 14, which are provided to limit the amount of lateral expansion of the bag when the latter is filled with a filling medium such as grout material, concrete mix or the like through a filling aperture 16.

Referring to Figure 2 wherein can be seen one of the restraining means 14, the restraining means comprises a steel wire rope 18 which passes from one side wall 4 to the other side wall 6 of the bag, the ends of the steel wire rope passing through wooden or other material disks 20 and 22 located externally of and bearing on the outside surfaces of the bag. In the illustrated embodiment, one end 24 of the steel wire rope is formed with a loop which engages its associated disk 20, whilst the other end 26 of the steel wire rope, also in the form of a loop, passes through its associated disk 22 and is then engaged by a toggle 28, the loop being rotated through 90 degrees so as to lock it off and secure the steel wire rope in position.

Referring now to Figure 3, the restraining means shown therein, whilst embodying all of the features described with reference to Figure 2, also includes an internally located tube 30 which is formed of a semi-rigid plastics material such as PVC. Located internally of the tube 30 and at the ends thereof are steel ferrules 32 and 34, and located externally of the tube 30 adjacent the ends of the tube are sleeves 36 and 38 which are high-frequency welded at points indicated at 40 to the inside surfaces of the bag and secured to the tube 30 by Jubilee clips 42 and 44 or by other suitable means. The tube 30, sleeves 36 and 38, and ferrules 32 and 34 together form watertight joints at each end of the restraining means The restraining means of Figure 3 is suitable for use with heavy duty filling media, whilst the restraining means of Figure 2 is suitable for use with light foaming filling media - these filling media ranging from 8.0 N/mm2 to 0.1 N/mm2.

Figure 4 illustrates a modification to the ends of the restraining means. Located internally of the bag or the like 2, and at opposed sides thereof., is a tapering member 42 which is fixedly secured - as by high-frequency welding - to the internal surface of the bag or the like.

Each member is formed of the same material as the bag or the like and is such that when the filling medium is inserted into the bag, the material of the members 42 will be'distorted and moved into embracing proximity to the steel wire rope 18 so as to form a water-tight joint between the rope and the bag or the like. Each rope 18 will, it will be appreciated, have two such members - one at each end.

Yet another modification is shown in Figure 5, wherein a 'patch' 44 is fixedly secured - again by high-frequency welding - to the outside surface of the bag, at each end of the restraining means, the 'patches' enclosing the disks and thus providing a water-tight joint at each end of each restraining means.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the toggles on the ends of the steel wire ropes may be replaced by steel plates secured to the ends of the ropes.

In use, the bag is suspended in the void to be filled by means of the suspension tags 12 on the bag - the bag having a steel or other material tube 46 located in the through-aperture 2A so that access from one side of the bag to the other may be had - whereafter the bag is filled with a filling medium such as the grout material, concrete mix and the like previously referred to.

As the bag continues to fill with the filling medium, the bag will assume the shape of the void being filled, lateral expansion of the bag being limited by the several restraining means 14. The steel wire ropes 18 of the restraining means limit the spread of the bag, whilst the bag is prevented from bursting by the support given to it by the wooden or other material disks held in place by the ropes. The bag is filled to the top so that the bag expands to its full size so as to fill the void being dealt with.

Access tubes - such as that shown at 46 in Figure 1 - are or may be provided, along with monitoring tubes, these being fitted prior to filling of the bag and becoming permanent features once the bag is filled.

The access and monitoring tubes could later be filled by the use of cavity bags of the correct dimensions, these bags being placed in the tubes and filled with a medium.

Where appropriate, the bag or the like may be provided with openings such as for doorways etc., suitable timber framing being provided on or in the bag - prior to the filling thereof - so as to provide such openings.

Means in accordance with the invention have primarily been designed for use underground as a ventilation seal/ stopping, but the means in accordance with the invention could be used where it is desired to eliminate the need to build a temporary shutter to determine the shape of the finished filler.

It will be seen that with a method and means according to the invention, an effective way of filling a void is provided without the necessity for any discrete external steel props and/or wire mesh or specially designed steel cages, resulting in a less costly way of filling the void.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A method of forming a permanent support, block or seal in a void without the need for discrete external shuttering or support means, the method comprising the steps of suspending a closed bag or the like having expansion restraining means passing through the bag and from one side of the bag to the other within a void to be filled, filling said bag or the like with a filling medium so as to expand the bag to assume the shape of the void, and allowing said filling medium to set so that the bag or the like containing said filling medium forms the permanent support, block or seal in said void.

2. A method of forming a permanent support, block or seal in a void without the need for discrete external shuttering or support means substantially as herein described.

3. Means for forming a permanent support, block or seal in a void without the need for discrete external shuttering or support means, said means comprising a closed bag or the like adapted to be filled with a filling medium, said bag having one or more restraining means passing through said bag and from one side of the bag to the other so as to limit the amount of lateral expansion of the bag when filled with said medium.

4. Means in accordance with Claim 3, wherein said bag or the like includes a plurality of said restraining means located at predetermined positions on said bag or the like.

5. Means in accordance with Claim 3 or Claim 4, wherein said restraining means is each in the form of a rope which extends through the bag or the like from one side thereof to the other.

6. Means in accordance with Claim 5, wherein said ropes are steel wire ropes.

7. Means in accordance with Claim 5 or Claim 6, wherein said ropes pass through disks or other loadspreading devices bearing on opposed outside surfaces of the bag or the like.

8. Means in accordance with Claim 7, wherein one end of each of said ropes bears directly on an associated disk, the opposite ends of the ropes bearing on opposed disks through the intermediary of a toggle or the like.

9. Means in accordance with any of Claims 5 to 8, wherein each said restraining means includes a tube carried internally of the bag or the like and through which passes the rope of said restraining means, said tube being secured to sleeves located externally of and at each end of the tube.

10. Means in accordance with Claim 9, wherein each of said ropes carries ferrules located internally of the tube and adjacent the sleeves so as to form with said sleeves a water-tight joint at each end of the tube and at each side of the bag or the like,

11. Means in accordance with any of Claims 5 to 8, wherein said restraining mrans each includes opposed members located internally of and fixedly secured to said bag or the like and through which an associated rope passes, said members being composed of flexible material which is deformable by the filling medium so as to move said members into embracing proximity to its associated rope so as to thereby form water-tight joints at opposed sides of the bag or the like.

12. Means in accordance with any of Claims 5 to 8, wherein a patch is welded or otherwise secured on the outside of the bag or the like at each end of each restraining means, said patches enclosing the disks of said restraining means so as to form water-tight joints at opposed sides of the bag or the like.

13. Means in accordance with any of Claims 3 to 12, wherein said bag is composed of a polymeric coated fabric.

14. Means in accordance with any of Claims 3 to 13, wherein said bag or the like is provided with a steel or other material tube so as to afford passage from one side to the other of the support, block or seal.

15. Means for forming a permanent support, block or seal in a void without the need for discrete external shuttering or support means constructed and adapted to operate substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, or Figures 1 and 2 as modified by Figure 3 or Figure 4 or Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.

16. Gleans for forming a permanent support, block or seal in a void without the need for discrete external shuttering or support means substantially as herein described.