GB2523305A

GB2523305A - Installation

Info

Publication number: GB2523305A
Application number: GB1401475.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Neil Bennett; Richard Maddy
Original assignee: Fibergrate Composite Structures Ltd
Current assignee: Fibergrate Composite Structures Ltd
Priority date: 2014-01-29
Filing date: 2014-01-29
Publication date: 2015-08-26
Anticipated expiration: 2034-01-29
Also published as: GB2523305B; GB201401475D0

Abstract

The present invention relates to a subterranean access installation 1 comprising preformed glass reinforced polymer walls 2 a & b, the walls having a foot (fig. 2; 3a & 6) , shoulder (fig. 2; 3b) and mid longitudinal platforms (fig. 2; 15) reinforced by gusset plates (fig. 2; 7) or struts running from the foot to the shoulder, the walls arranged to define a compartment 8 with the shoulders forming an aperture at terrain level, the shoulders arranged to support a dismountable apertured lid 9. There may be a floor 10 seated on the medial platforms of the wall the floor and walls defining the compartment. The floor maybe removable.

Description

Installation The present invention relates to a subterranean access installation.

Glass reinforced polymer is a lightweight, strong and robust material which is relatively inexpensive. It is an increasingly popular material for fabricating moulded products and is widely used in (for example) the construction industry for a variety of applications above and below ground.

In the power generation and distribution market, glass reinforced polymer has been used to fabricate access ducting which is straightforward to install rapidly and has advantages over traditional pre-cast concrete trenches. However this conventional access ducting has a number of disadvantages including a tendency to bellow on installation in concrete.

The present invention seeks to improve subterranean access installations composed of glass reinforced polymer (eq glass reinforced polyester).

Thus viewed from a first aspect the present invention provides a subterranean access installation which is composed at least partly of glass reinforced polymer and which comprises: a pair of subterranean fixtures, wherein each subterranean fixture comprises: a planar elongate wall extending upright from a foot end which extends laterally to form a lateral platform and medially to form a medial platform to a head end which extends laterally into a lateral shoulder and a plurality of spaced apart gusset plates extending upright between the lateral platform and the lateral shoulder, wherein in use the pair of subterranean fixtures are supported subterraneously in an opposed spaced apart relationship such that the planar elongate walls bound a compartment and the lateral shoulders are substantially at terrain-level; and an apertured lid for the compartment mounted on the lateral shoulders of the pair of subterranean fixtures in a dismountable manner so as to permit subterranean access to the compartment.

The subterranean access installation of the invention is lightweight and capable of rapid installation at low cost. The plurality of spaced apart gusset plates contributes to stability and strength when the subterranean access installation is installed in concrete and (for example) reduces any tendency towards bellowing.

In use, the pair of subterranean fixtures is typically supported subterraneously in a parallel and opposed, spaced apart relationship.

In a preferred embodiment, the subterranean access installation further comprises: a substantially planar floor seated on the medial platforms of the pair of subterranean fixtures, wherein the substantially planar floor and the planar elongate walls of the pair of subterranean fixtures bound the compartment.

Preferably the substantially planar floor is mounted on the medial platforms of the pair of subterranean fixtures in a dismountable manner.

The substantially planar floor may be substantially rectangular.

In a preferred embodiment, the subterranean access installation further comprises: one or more end plates, wherein the one or more end plates and the planar elongate walls of the pair of subterranean fixtures bound the compartment.

Preferably the lateral platform is laterally tapered. The lateral taper may be a shallow taper.

The lateral platform may be laterally tapered by an angle in the range 5 to 20°.

The lateral shoulder may have a substantially L-shaped section.

Preferably the lateral shoulder is laterally tapered. The lateral taper may be a shallow taper.

The lateral shoulder may be laterally tapered by an angle in the range 5 to 20°.

Each gusset plate may extend upright between the lateral platform and the lateral shoulder substantially perpendicular to the planar elongate wall.

Each gusset plate may be substantially triangular, rhomboidal or trapezoidal. Preferably each gusset plate is substantially trapezoidal, The gusset plates may be spaced apart substantially equidistantly. The gusset plates may be spaced apart substantially in parallel.

Preferably a pair of the plurality of spaced apart gusset plates extends upright between the ends of the lateral platform and lateral shoulder.

Preferably each gusset plate is laterally tapered. The lateral taper may be a shallow taper.

The gusset plates may be laterally tapered by an angle in the range 5 to 200.

Preferably the gusset plates have substantially collinear apertures. Particularly preferably the gusset plates have a pair of substantially collinear apertures. The pair of substantially collinear apertures may be vertically spaced apart.

Preferably each subterranean fixture further comprises: an elongate rigid member which passes through and beyond the substantially collinear apertures.

The elongate rigid member advantageously facilitates the alignment and connection of adjacent compartments.

The elongate rigid member may be a reinforcing bar (rebar).

Typically in use the planar elongate walls of the pair of subterranean fixtures are in parallel spaced apart relationship. The compartment may be box-like (eg cuboidal or cubic). The compartment may be exteriorly ribbed.

In a preferred embodiment, the planar elongate wall is equipped on the exterior with one or more elongate strengthening ribs (eg a single strengthening rib). The elongate strengthening rib contributes to stability and strength when the subterranean access installation is installed in concrete.

The elongate strengthening rib may be substantially midway between the lateral platform and the lateral shoulder. The elongate strengthening rib may be substantially perpendicular to the plurality of gusset plates.

The elongate strengthening rib may be substantially rectangular. The elongate strengthening rib may be laterally tapered.

The apertured lid may be a grating, grid or mesh.

The apertured lid may be removable, rotatable, liftable, dislocatable or displaceable to permit subterranean access to the compartment.

The apertured lid may be freely mounted on the lateral shoulders of the pair of subterranean fixtures. Alternatively the apertured lid may be fastened (eg selectively fastened) mechanically to a planar elongate wall. The apertured lid may be hinged to the planar elongate wall.

the apertured lid may be mounted snugly on the lateral shoulders of the pair of subterranean fixtures. The apertured lid may be mounted on the lateral shoulders of the pair of subterranean fixtures substantially at terrain-level.

The apertured lid may be substantially rectangular.

The pair of subterranean fixtures in use may be ground-bearing or supported on a prepared bed or floor (eg a concrete floor).

The compartment may be singular. Alternatively the compartment may be one module of a subterranean access installation which is modular. Adjacent modules in a modular subterranean access installation may be substantially collinear or non-linear to form an angular junction (eg perpendIcular to form a T-junction).

Adjacent modules may be butted together. Alternatively adjacent modules may be bonded or mechanically fastened together to form the modular subterranean access installation (eg using a mechanical fastener).

Typically each of the pair of subterranean fixtures is composed wholly of glass reinforced polymer. Preferably each of the pair of subterranean fixtures is one-piece moulded.

The subterranean access installation of the invention may be subterranean access ducting or a subterranean access chamber.

In a preferred embodiment, the subterranean access installation is subterranean access ducting. The subterranean access ducting maybe a service channel for services such as power cables, communication cables (eg telecommunication cables) or pipes (eg feeder pipes) carrying liquids (eg oils) or gases.

Viewed from a further aspect the present invention provides a subterranean fixture as hereinbefore defined.

The present invention will now be described in a non-limitative sense with reference to the accompanying Figures in which: Figure 1 illustrates an embodiment of the subterranean access installation of the invention; and Figure 2 illustrates a mock-up of one of the pair of subterranean fixtures of the subterranean access installation shown in Figure 1.

Illustrated in Figure 1 is an embodiment of the subterranean access installation of the invention designated generally by reference numeral 1. The subterranean access installation 1 is composed almost entirely of glass reinforced polymer and comprises a pair of subterranean fixtures 2a and 2b. Each of the pair of subterranean fixtures 2a and 2b is one-piece moulded. Figure 2 shows a mock-up of subterranean fixture 2a in isolation. In practice, the pair of subterranean fixtures 2a and 2b is a sheet mould composite produced by hot pressing in a mould.

Each subterranean fixture 2a, 2b comprises a planar elongate wall 3 extending upright from a foot end 3a to a head end 3b. The head end 3b extends laterally into a lateral shoulder 4 which has a substantially L-shaped section and which in use is substantially at terrain-level.

The foot end 3a extends laterally to form a lateral platform 5 and medially to form a medial platform 6. A plurality of equidistantly spaced apart, parallel gusset plates 7 extends upright between the lateral platform 5 and the lateral shoulder 4 substantially perpendicular to the planar elongate wall 3. Each gusset plate 7 is substantially trapezoidal.

In use, the pair of subterranean fixtures 2a, 2b is oppositely supported subterraneously in parallel. A substantially planar floor lOis seated on the medial platforms 6 of the pair of subterranean fixtures 2a, 2b. The subterranean access installation 1 further comprises an end plate 11 such that the end plate 11, the substantially planar floor 10 and the planar elongate walls 3 of the pair of subterranean fixtures 2a, 2b bound a compartmentS which is box-like. A grating lid 9 for the compartmentS is mounted snugly and freely on the lateral shoulders 4 of the pair of subterranean fixtures 2a, 2b. The grating lid 9 is readily dismounted to permit subterranean access to the compartment 8.

The planar elongate wall 3 is equipped on the exterior with an elongate strengthening rib 15 midway between the lateral platform 5 and the lateral shoulder 4 and perpendicular to the plurality of gusset plates 7.

Each of the lateral platforms, lateral shoulder 4, elongate strengthening rib 15 and gusset plates 7 is laterally tapered. The lateral taper is shallow. The gusset plates 7 have a pair of substantially collinear apertures 12a, 12b which are vertically spaced apart. A reinforcing bar 13 passes through and beyond the substantially collinear apertures 12a, 12b to facilitate the alignment and connection of adjacent compartments 8.

Example -Installation This Example briefly outlines a typical method for the installation of a subterranean access installation of the invention in the form of subterranean access ducting for cable management. The subterranean access installation is described above.

A trench is excavated using a conventional mechanical excavator. A semi-dry concrete mix is used to prepare a level bed in the trench at a thickness of about 50mm. The pair of subterranean fixtures of a module of the subterranean access ducting is cut on site with a diamond tipped blade of a circular saw and adapted in situ to suit the nature and conditions of the trench. The pair of subterranean fixtures is lowered manually into the trench and spaced apart in parallel on the bed. Additional modules may be introduced alongside and aligned and connected using reinforcing bars which pass through the pair of collinear apertures in the gusset plates. The installation is back-filled with concrete which is allowed to set. A volume of concrete is added to support the installation tightly up to the underside of the lateral shoulders. The constitution of the volume of concrete and its thickness is dependent on the intended load-bearing qualities of the installation (eg according to pedestrian or vehicle use). An aggregate is used to top the concrete up to the top edge of the lateral shoulder which is at terrain level.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A subterranean access installation which is composed at least partly of glass reinforced polymer and which comprises: a pair of subterranean fixtures, wherein each subterranean fixture comprises: a planar elongate wall extending upright from a foot end which extends laterally to form a lateral platform and medially to form a medial platform to a head end which extends laterally into a lateral shoulder and a plurality of spaced apart gusset plates extending upright between the lateral platform and the lateral shoulder, wherein in use the pair of subterranean fixtures are supported subterraneously in an opposed spaced apart relationship such that the planar elongate walls bound a compartment and the lateral shoulders are substantially at terrain-level; and an apertured lid for the compartment mounted on the lateral shoulders of the pair of subterranean fixtures in a dismountable manner so as to permit subterranean access to the compartment.
2. A subterranean access installation as claimed in claim 1 further comprising: a substantially planar floor seated on the medial platforms of the pair of subterranean fixtures, wherein the substantially planar floor and the planar elongate walls of the pair of subterranean fixtures bound the compartment.
3. A subterranean access installation as claimed in claim 2 wherein the substantially planar floor is mounted on the medial platforms of the pair of subterranean fixtures in adismountable manner.
4. A subterranean access installation as claimed in any preceding claim further comprising: one or more end plates, wherein the one or more end plates and the planar elongate walls of the pair of subterranean fixtures bound the compartment.
5. A subterranean access installation as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the lateral platform is laterally tapered.
6. A subterranean access installation as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the lateral shoulder is laterally tapered.
7. A subterranean access installation as claimed in any preceding claim wherein each gusset plate is substantially trapezoidal.
8. A subterranean access installation as claimed in any preceding claim wherein each gusset plate is laterally tapered.
9. A subterranean access installation as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the gusset plates have substantially collinear apertures.
10. A subterranean access installation as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the gusset plates have a pair of substantially collinear apertures.
11. A subterranean access installation as claimed in claim 9 or 10 wherein each subterranean fixture further comprises: an elongate rigid member which passes through and beyond the substantially collinear apertures.
12. A subterranean access installation as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the planar elongate wall is equipped on the exterior with one or more elongate strengthening ribs.
13. A subterranean fixture as defined in any preceding claim.
14. A subterranean access installation or subterranean fixture substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying Figures.