GB2526786A

GB2526786A - Improvements to tyre bale use as infill for gabion baskets

Info

Publication number: GB2526786A
Application number: GB1409442.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alan Lofthouse
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-05-28
Filing date: 2014-05-28
Publication date: 2015-12-09
Also published as: GB201409442D0

Abstract

A gabion basket designed for use with bales of discarded tyres. The gabion baskets may feature a partition 3E, which divides the container into two separate compartments. The first compartment 1E is of an appropriate size to accommodate tyre bales. The second compartment 2E is filled with a decorative secondary filler material which is more aesthetically pleasing. The second compartment may extend along one or two adjoining sides so that when multiple gabions are placed together, the second compartments create a facade covering and obscuring the inner fill material. A method of using the gabion basket for housing discarded tyres is also disclosed.

Description

PATENT APPLICATION

OF

ALAN LOFTHOUSE

FOR

IMPROVEMENTS TO TYRE BALE USE AS INFILL FOR GABION BASKETS

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the new use of EA approved PAS 108 tyre bales within gabion baskets as an infill therein.

Background

The use of gabion baskets filled with rubble or similar aggregate is known and is widely used throughout the world as a method for creating structural masses for land works and weather retainers. A gabion (from Italian gabbione meaning "big cage"; from Italian gabbia and Latin cavea meaning "cage") is a cage, cylinder, or box filled with rocks, concrete, or sometimes sand and soil for use in civil engineering, road building, and military applications. For erosion control, caged riprap is used. For dams or in foundation construction, cylindrical metal structires are used. In a military context, earth-or sand-filled gabions are used to protect artillery crews from enemy fire.

Leonardo da Vinci designed a type of gabion called a Cotheille Leonard ("Leonardo basket") for the foundations of the San Marco Castle in Milan. The most common civil engineering use of gabions is to stabilize shorelines, stream banks or slopes against erosion. Other uses include retaining walls, temporary floodwalls, silt filtration from runoff, for small or temporarylpermanent dams, river training, or channel lining. They may be used to direct the force of a flow of flood water around a vulnerable structure.

Gabions are also used as fish barriers on small streams.

A gabion wall is usually a retaining wall made of stacked stone-filled gabions tied together with wire. Gabion walls are usually battered (angled back towards the slope), or stepped back with the slope rather than stacked vertically. Gabion baskets have some advantages over loose riprap because of their modularity and ability to be stacked in various shapes; they are also resistant to being washed away by moving water. Gabions also have advantages over more rigid structures because they can conform to ground movement, dissipate energy from flowing water, and drain freely.

Their strength and effectiveness may increase with time in some cases, as silt and vegetation fill the interstitial voids and reinforce the structure. They are sometimes used to keep stones which may fall from a cutting or cliff from endangering traffic on a thoroughfare.

The life expectancy of gabions depends on the lifespan of the wire, not on the contents of the basket. The structure will fail when the wire fails. Galvanized steel wire is most common, but PVC-coated and stainless steel wire are also used. PVC-coated galvanized gabions have been estimated to survive for 60 years. Some gabion manufacturers guarantee a structural consistency of 50 years.

In the United States, gabion use within streams first began with projects completed from 1957-1 965 on North River, Virginia and Zealand River, NH. More than 150 grade-control structures, bank revetments and channel deflectors were constructed on the two U.S. Forest Service sites. Eventually, a large portion of the in stream structures failed due to undermining and lack of structural integrity of the baskets. In particular, corrosion and abrasion of wires by bed load movement compromised the structures, which then sagged and collapsed into the channels. Other gabions were toppled into channels as trees grew and enlarged on top of gabion revetments leveraging them towards the river channels.

Gabions have also been used in building, as in the Dominus Winery in Napa Valley, California by architects Herzog & de Meuron, constructed between 1995-97. The exterior is formed by modular wire mesh gabions containing locally quarried stone; this construction allows air movement through the building and creates an environment of moderate temperatures inside.

There are various special designs of gabions to meet particular functional requirements and some special terms for particular forms have come into use. For example: Bastion, a gabion lined internally with a membrane, typically of nonwoven geotextile to permit use of a granular soil fill instead of rock. Mattress: a form of gabion with relatively small height relative to the lateral dimensions; commonly very wide. For protecting surfaces from wave erosion and similar attack, rather than building or supporting high structures.

Trapion: a form of gabion with a trapezoidal cross section, designed for stacking to give a face that is sloping rather than stepped. The term is in wide usage, but in contexts related to gabions at least, appears to be a trademark registered by Beta fence Limited.

The present invention aims to change the infill of the gabion with the use mainly of worn or damaged tyres instead of the aforementioned materials. These tyres would have been baled or tied together under regulations and standards approved by EA PASIOS and adhere to this guide and regulation. These tyre filled gabion baskets may then be used with or without added aggregate or similar materials for all known projects currently or emerging. The invention herein will offer an alternate opportunity to recycle a discarded product, being a number of the estimated 46 million vehicle tyres thrown away annually in the UK. The lifetime of the tyre bale being extended to an expectancy of 50-100 years, dependent on basket construction variables. Subject to EU (European Union) and EA (Environment Agency) regulations the use of PAS 108 tyre bales on construction projects is the only legally authorized method of disposal of used vehicle tyres with the UK and Europe.

The use of this system would have a cost saving implication in areas such as fly tipping clearance costs, savings on tipping charges and tax and aggregate charges and taxation. It will also offer a new opportunity for the UK to deal with its own waste problems and reduce the amount exported to third world countries for their disposal.

Tyre bales allow approximately 60% free drainage of retained water so suitable uses would include area such as riverbank stabilisation, canal side stabilisation, ground stabilisation, sea defences, flood defences, semi-permanent access road sub-base structure.

Prior Art

Accordingly patent applications have been filed to provide general solutions, including the following: United States patent ref: US 5472297 (HESELDEN) Discloses a caging method for stone or similar irifihl that is of an angled form that may be connected together forming raised enclosures for aggregate infihl.

World Patent Publication ret WO 0040810 (HESELDEN) Discloses a structural method for use of aggregate, stones, sand, rocks, ballast to be housed within connected cage wall partition structures that are ground mounted to form temporary barriers or similar defence wall structures.

United States patent ref: US 5647695 (HILFIKER) Discloses a wire cage group of rectangular containers that may be soil filled and ground mounted to form a land retainers or planting housing for garden or similar land assemblies.

Summary of the invention

According to the present invention there is provided a gabion basket, having variations in size and format to provide solutions for their use in commercial land, structural, thoroughfare and marine environments, aé depicted in this descriptive presentation and accompanying elucidation.

The gabion baskets are made of adjoining panels and these vary to suit the purpose of the function to which they are being applied. The formed basket has means to be connected to the proceeding basket and so on. This invention relates broadly to the art of gabion systems. More particularly the invention relates to a gabion system incorporating wire grid works forming inter connected baskets. More particularly the invention relates to a series of gabion baskets having separator walls defining chambers which may be filled with flat elements to impart structure and improved appearance to the exterior walls of the gabion baskets. Gabion systems are containers or cages filled with ballast or similar but it is suggested that used vehicle tyres that are presented as bales may undertake all or most of the baskets infill.

They may have dividers or baffles or partitions to separate the area to be filled with hard durable material or ballast. Usually these cages are interconnected to retain earth and control soil erosion and floods. The common feature for most gabion systems is a basket filled with rocks. The basket serves to hold the rocks in place and the combination of the basket and rock serves as a means for preventing erosion or as a liner for various purposes. Gabion systems are substituted commonly for concrete facings and are superior in some respects because the gabion system acts as a natural filter as opposed to a barrier. Gabion systems may improve drainage and provide related benefits. Gabions may be made of steel wire (of square, rectangular, hexagonal or other shaped mesh. Different types of wire include galvanized steel, PVC coated, gallin steel and stainless steel wire. The baskets may also be made of plastic. The most common types of filler or ballast are crushed stone or gravel. Other materials are slag or broken concrete. The main property of ballast is that the material be of sufficient weight to act as ballast. Because of the great weight of the fill material or ballast, and the methods of dumping fill, the installer invariably deforms the gabion basket and creates unsightly and aesthetically displeasing appearances. In extreme cases this deformation can cause structural failure. Gabion installation is typically labour intensive compared to certain concrete construction.

Manufacture material will vary in size according to the internal and external loadings applied thereon to the full basket. We can however suggest averages of 4mm diameter for the wire based on a 75mm square mesh, as seen in the Figures. As in the traditional manner the differing baskets are of a cuboid variant form made up of meshed panels held together to form the finished shape using a lacing wire type or helicoil springs and have an opening section that allows infill to be inserted and housed. Corrosion is attended by moreover coating the wire with either fused PVC, Galvanising or Galfin coating, they may also be manufactured from a stainless steel or other known or emerging technology composite.

The mesh panels shall be constructed to form a box container basket with a free internal volume comprising of 1X base section, 4X side sections and a corresponding top section, although this may vary depending on required shapes for planned projects.

For example, a basket may be required with a protruding area to the portion that is visible externally to provide a step' onto which a decorative item could be placed externally and thus they would be stacked in a way to determine this. The top section is fitted after the basket has had the internal volume filled with a suitable infill of tyre bales and I or aggregate, including variations from sand to demolition debris to purpose crushed stone.

This invention relates to the use of PAS 108 tyre bales as the principle bulk infill material used inside gabion baskets. The aim is to use only approved tyre bales as guided by the EA (Environment Agency) regulation and reports. Being a PAS 108 full sized tyre bale and EA approved PAS 108 reduced size tyre bale. The internal dimensions may vary slightly but we can recommend that the gabion baskets to accommodate full size tyre bales should be as follows: Figure 1, Basket A would have dimensions of 1580 x 1429 x 905mm.

Figure 2, Basket B would have an additional compartment to one facing side to house decorative facing material with dimensions of 1429 x 1955 x 905mm. If required an internal mesh partition can be provided to offer extra support therein Figure 3, Basket C to accept a full size PAS 108 tyre bale with two adjacent compartments to accept decorative facing material on to adjacent side faces. Basket dimensions 1805 x 1955 x.905mm. If required two internal mesh partitions can be provided to offer extra support.

The internal dimensions of the gabion baskets to accommodate and house the PAS 108 reduced size tyre bales are as follows: Figure 4, Basket D would have dimensions of 1580 x 755 x 905mm.

Figure 5, Basket E would have an additional compartment to one facing side to house decorative facing material with dimensions of 1580 x 1205 x 755 mm. If required an internal mesh partition can be provided to offer extra support therein.

Figure 6, Basket F to accept a reduced size PAS 108 tyre bale with two adjacent compartments to accept decorative facing material on to adjacent side faces. Basket dimensions 1805 x 1205 x 755 mm. If required two internal mesh partitions can be provided to offer extra support.

The facing partition elements to these gabion designs are to allow tyres to contribute the majority of the infill and to provide a more acceptable visual look of stone or rock (if these are used) to the facing sides. This is provided for frontal and corner areas of constructions, as mentioned in the previous basket proposals.

As with known gabion baskets these can all be interconnected to form a required shape or size of supporting or retaining structure to suit a similar or disparity of constructed masses.

Brief description of figures

Figures 1 show a full size basic tyre bale gabion basket.

Figures 2 show a full size tyre bale gabion basket with a single decorative facing partition.

Figures 3 show a full size tyre bale with two decorative facing partitions.

Figures 4 show a reduced size basic tyre bale gabion basket.

Figures 5 show a reduced size tyre bale gabion basket with a single decorative facing partition.

Figure 6 show a reduced size tyre bale gabion basket with two decorative facing partitions.

Detailed description of figures.

A typical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Figure 1. The tyre infill gabion basket is structurally calculated and made of none-corrosive material from individual vertical and horizontal bars or strips of metal or similar composite, forming a connective lattice mesh of mostly proportionately equal sides, one of which opens to receive infill of tyres and I or facing materials.

Figure 1 shows a gabion basket to receive a standard size tyre bale, 1. Figure 2 shows a gabion basket to receive a standard size tyre bale lÀ, with a forward located partition 3A which provides an enclosure for facing material 2A.

Figure 3 shows a gabion basket to receive a standard size tyre bale I B, with a sectional positioned L' shaped partition 3B which provides an L' shaped or corner enclosure for facing material 2B. This partitioned enclosure section is of a portion of the entire internal capacity and its wall or divider is connectively assigned to the facing sides of the basket being of the exacting mesh derivative and is of interconnected vertical stance.

Figure 4 shows a gabion basket to receive a reduced size tyre bale IC.

Figure 5 shows a gabion basket to receive a reduced size tyre bale 1 D, with a forward located partition 3D which provides an enclosure for facing material 2D.

Figure 6 shows a gabion basket to receive a reduced size tyre bale 1E, with a sectional positioned 1' shaped partition 3E which provides an V shaped or corner enclosure for facing material 2E, such as rocks or aggregate types. This partitioned enclosure section is also a portion of the entire internal capacity and its wall or divider is connectively assigned to the facing sides of the basket being of the exacting mesh derivative and is of interconnected vertical stance.

These gabion baskets once filled with used tyre bales and facing material, where required, may be suitably arranged, stacked and linked together tQ form desired ensembles for ground or marine architectonics.

Claims

Claims 1. A gabion basket for tyre bales encloses discarded used tyres.
2. A gabion basket for tyre bales wherein used tyre bales are placed and enclosed within gabion baskets.
3. A gabion basket for tyre bales as claimed in claim 2 wherein tyre bales are enclosed within gabion baskets, multiples of which may be then linked or stacked to form ground or marine architectonics.
4. A gabion basket for tyre bales may house used tyre bales and aggregate or mineral materials together.
5. A gabion basket for tyre bales as claimed may, in more than one of its presentations, house used tyre bales and aggregate or mineral materials together, which are installed into separate partitions therein.
6. A gabion basket for tyre bales as claimed wherein, aggregate or more aesthetically pleasing material can be displayed in facing partitions within versions of the gabion baskets, with tyre bales being concealed from view by this.
7. A gabion basket for tyre bales as claimed in all previous claims is a method to house and use discarded tyres that have been baled together under regulation for their continued use in multiple numbers when stacked or linked together in advantageous environmental and industnal developments, whilst providing an option to conceal said bales from view once in place by way of partitions within the baskets that are filled with more aesthetically pleasing material.AMENDMENTS TO CLAIMS HAVE BEEN FILEDAS FOLLOWSClaims 1. A wire gabion basket manufactured to enclose tyre bales that are either full or reduced in size, via their compression to EA specification PAS1O8.2. A wire gabion basket wherein used compressed tyre bales are placed within gabion baskets to offer a longer operational service life.3. A wire gabion basket filled with compressed tyre bales as claimed in claim 2 wherein enclosed within wire gabion baskets, multiples of which may be then linked or stacked to form ground architectonics.4. A wire gabion basket filled with compressed tyre bales may contain both tyre bales and aggregate or other mineral materials together.5. A wire gabion basket filled with compressed tyre bales may in more than one of its presentations, house compressed tyre bales and aggregate or other mineral materials together, which are installed into separate partitions therein.6. A wire gabion basket filled with compressed tyre bales as claimed wherein forms of aggregate or a more aesthetically pleasing material can be displayed in facing partitions within versions of the gabion basket with compressed tyre bales being concealed from view by this.(\J 7. A wire gabion basket is filled with compressed tyre bales which adhere to EA PAS 108 specification will consist of typically 100 used vehicle tyres compressed to form the tyre bale, secured inside the gabion basket will require a considerable O greater number of used vehicle tyre than a similar size gabion basket filled with loose filled used tyres.
8. A wire gabion basket wherein the purpose of the manufactured gabion basket is to offer longer service life of the structure in the harsh environment the product will be used with the PAS 108 compressed tyre bale offering mass and stability.10. A wire gabion basket wherein the compressed tyre bale located inside the designed wire cage offers easier free surface water drainage from behind the assembled structure due to prevention from collapse due to the protective wire cage protection and restriction of drainage water flow, due to infill material blockages.11. A wire gabion basket for compressed tyre bales as claimed in all previous claims is a method to house and use discarded vehicle tyres that have been baled together under regulations for their continued usage in multiple numbers stacked or linked together in advantageous environmental and industrial developments, whilst providing an option to conceal the said compressed bales from view once in place by way of partitions within the baskets that are filled with more aesthetically pleasing material.