GB2568474A - Improved flood barrier - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an inflatable flood prevention and defense barrier made of water impermeable material e.g. polyvinylchloride. The barrier has water impermeable base wall 2, at least one substantially flexible water impermeable barrier wall 3 extending from the base wall and water impermeable end walls 6. The barrier further comprises at least one inlet 7 and at least one partial baffle 9 within the reservoir, wherein the baffle extends only partially through the reservoir resulting in a plurality of discrete or semi-partitioned fluid chambers within the reservoir. Later embodiments relate to a flood prevention and defense kit comprising a plurality of said barriers and a method of making said flood barrier.

Description

Improved flood barrier

The present invention relates to an inflatable flood prevention and defense barrier made of water impermeable material, having a substantially planar lower surface and containing a plurality of partial baffles along the length of the barrier which provide structural support whilst allowing the flow of substances along the length.

Due to continuous changes in environmental and manmade circumstances, many people face an increased risk of flooding affecting their personal safety, property and livelihoods. Recent events across the globe have indicated that lack of preparation for such events can prove detrimental. Notwithstanding the potential risk to life during flooding, the levels of property damage and economic impact is significant. Although the problem is not limited to the UK, it is estimated that 5.2 million properties in England alone are at risk of flooding. The problems caused by flooding were clearly seen during flooding events in the UK over the past few years, for example in Sheffield in 2007, Thames Valley in 2013/14 and Carlisle and Cumbria in 2015. One estimate of the cost of the Thames Valley floods was £14 billion and it is estimated that 40% of business effected by flood damage of this type do not re-open.

The problem of flooding is not going away. In fact, it is anticipated that flood issues will intensify as climate change results in more frequent storm events. Many regional agencies have preventative measures in place, however these are often not effective enough in diverting volumes of water away from vulnerable areas resulting in the occurrence of substantial damage. In addition to this, these defense systems are often permanent and inflexible structures requiring substantial investment. Whilst flood defences are being erected and improved, it should be expected that individuals and businesses will still have to deal with flooding.

In many cases when flooding is related to weather conditions the risk may be anticipated and people can take protective action to try to reduce the impact on their properties and belongings, although the time allowed for this is often short. Often efforts will be made, at the point where the floodwater may cause damage, to move belongings to upper floors and sandbags are used to block doorways and in some cases effectively shore up river banks in built up areas to try to prevent overflowing into areas with properties that may be damaged. Whilst sandbags, and variations on the sandbag product, can be very useful, they do have the problem that they are extremely labour intensive to fill, transport and position. Further, once the risk of flooding has subsisted, the contents of the barrier fill material then must be disposed of or stored. This is often, in the case of sandbags and the like, contaminated with sewage which is in the floodwater.

Several innovations have attempted to address the above problems: patent SK50292016 highlights a method and apparatus consisting of a hinged adjustable frame, formed by a horizontal anchoring arm with stabilising feet and an inclined support arm. Another patent, AU2014406459 outlines the use of a number of posts which are erected into permanent receivers embedded into the ground, these are then joined by a flexible textile or membrane. This design does not allow for flexibility in responding to floods and would require significant investment to fix the receivers for the posts. Further innovations include a self-activating system wherein patent MX201610362 describes a system which rises with the flood water in order to elevate a panel which levitates under pressure and locks into position at a maximum height. Although this system addresses the issue of time and resource in relation to deployment of defense systems, it still requires significant prior investment.

An alternative to sandbags has been developed and is sold as Protan® Flood Protection. This is essentially a long cylindrical tube, typically of 10 meters in length, which can be filled with water. Whilst this product is easier to store than an equivalent volume of sandbags, it lacks structural integrity which could result in damage or breakage when filled and requires the use of particularly strong, and thus costly materials. When placed on solid surfaces it also suffers from stability issues due to the cylindrical shape and curved lower surface which also makes it more likely to be moved, or breached at the lower surface, by floodwater.

The present invention aims to obviate or mitigate limitations associated with the prior art.

According to the present invention there is provided a flood barrier comprising; an inflatable reservoir comprising;

a substantially planar, water impermeable base wall, at least one substantially flexible, water impermeable barrier wall extending from said base wall and water impermeable first and second end walls at a respective first and second end of the reservoir;

at least one inlet;

at least one partial baffle within the water inflatable reservoir, wherein said partial baffle extends only partially through the reservoir resulting in a plurality of partially discrete or semipartitioned fluid chambers within the reservoir.

Advantageously, this provides a securely positionable, inflatable flood prevention and defense barrierwhich can be inflated when needed using floodwater to give a self-supporting, semi-rigid barrier once filled with the flood water and then deflated to be moved or stored. The one or more partial baffles are positioned along the length of the barrier providing structural support whilst still allowing the flow of water throughout the reservoir such that it can easily filled from a single source. The structure is further strengthened by having the planar base wall. Advantageously, as the barrier wall is flexible it can be filled with water to inflate it but can also be stored easily when not filled as the flexible walls can be rolled, compacted etc. Although the barrier wall is flexible it does not have significant elasticity.

Preferably the reservoir is a water inflatable reservoir.

Preferably the walls of the reservoir are all made from the same material.

Preferably the reservoir is formed from a single preformed sheet of material folded and sealed to form said reservoir.

Optionally the sealed section is provided as an overlap of the sheet at the base wall.

Typically, the barrier wall comprises plurality of wall portions.

More typically, the barrier wall comprises an upper wall defining the roof of the reservoir and a front and back wall, one of which forms the main barrier face against which any floodwater would abut.

Preferably the reservoir is trapezoidal in shape.

Advantageously this allows the center of gravity to remain at its lowest point so to improve the reservoir's stability when filled.

Preferably, the base wall is substantially rectangular in shape.

Preferably the at least one partial baffle is made from a flexible material.

Advantageously, this allows the partial baffles to fold down when the reservoir is not in use.

Although the baffle will act to deflect flow of water and thus dissipate some of the internal pressure placed on joints in the reservoir, in this case it is in fact also primarily acting as an internal strengthening tie or strut which provides additional resistance to the expansion pressure of water filing the reservoir.

Preferably the at least one partial baffle is affixed to part of the internal surface of the reservoir.

Most preferably at least part of the baffle does not extend fully to the inside surface of the base wall. This allows fluid flow throughout the reservoir and into each of the partially discrete or semi partitioned chambers.

Optionally the baffle comprises one or more apertures of sufficient size to allow water to flow therethrough.

Preferably the at least one partial baffle is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the reservoir.

Preferably there are a plurality of baffles. More preferably there are at least 12 baffles within the reservoir.

Preferably, the baffle is sealed to opposing side walls.

Optionally multiple baffles are joined together by a strip.

Preferably the water impermeable first and second end walls are made from a flexible material.

Preferably the base wall is made from a flexible material. This would allow it more to effectively contour to the surface on which it is placed.

Preferably the outer surface of the flood barrier is provided with a both affixing and receiving portions of connecting means for physically connecting said barrier to at least one additional barrier of the same type, said affixing and receiving portions being spatially separated.

Although each reservoir will have both fixing and receiving portions, these are for affixing to separate reservoirs of the same type and to not connect within the same reservoir. For example, an affixing portion positioned at the lower part of a first reservoir may connect to a corresponding receiving portion at the upper part of a second reservoir.

Effectively the barrier is a modular unit that can either be deployed as one individual module containing a plurality of baffles, or multiple such modules which can be connected together to give increased length and/or height.

Preferably the connecting means are positioned at, or proximal to a point at which the base wall and barrier wall meet and/or at, or proximal to a point at which the base wall and side wall meet and/or at, or proximal to a point at which the side wall and barrier wall meet

Optionally the affixing and receiving portions of connecting means comprise portions of a zipper.

Optionally the affixing and receiving portions of connecting means comprises male and female fixing means such as press studs.

Optionally the affixing and receiving portions of connecting means comprises the hook and loop portions of a hook and loop fastener respectively.

Preferably the reservoir comprises a sealing flange proximal to at least one of the fixing and receiving portions of the connecting means.

The sealing flange is a water impermeable flap of material, typically hingedly attached to the outer surface of the reservoir which covers the first connecting means. It can itself have additional securing means for securing the edge of the flange to another reservoir.

Preferably the inlet is positioned at an upper portion of the reservoir.

Preferably the inlet is a closable or sealable inlet.

Preferably the reservoir also comprises an outlet.

Preferably the outlet is positioned at a lower portion of the reservoir. Most preferably proximal to the base wall.

Optionally, the water impermeable material is polyvinylchloride (PVC).

Optionally, additional strengthening strips are adhered or bonded to the outer surface of the reservoir.

Preferably the strengthening strips are positioned to align with the one or more internal baffles.

The baffles are bonded or adhered to the inner surface whilst the strengthening strips are bonded or adhered to the outer surface at substantially the same position.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a flood prevention and defense kit comprising a plurality of the flood barriers described above.

Optionally the kit further comprises a pump and means for attaching said pump to the inlet of the flood barrier.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a method for making the flood barrier described above, comprising;

taking a precut sheet of water impermeable material, said sheet having a base section which is predominantly rectangular in shape, and two trapezoidal sections extending form two opposing sides;

forming the precut sheet into a sealed reservoir and sealing the edges.

Preferably the edges are sealed at an overlap portion of the base wall.

Optionally, the edges are heat sealed.

Alternatively, an adhesive is used to seal the edges.

Optionally, the trapezoidal sections are associated with baffle portions that are sealed to opposing walls.

In order to provide a better understanding of the present invention, an embodiment will be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the following figures in which;

Figure 1 is a drawing showing an isometric view of a flood barrier reservoir according to an embodiment the present invention;

Figure 2 is a drawing showing an alternative isometric view of a flood barrier reservoir according to an embodiment the present invention;

Figure 3 is a drawing showing the inside of a flood barrier reservoir according to an embodiment the present invention; and

Figure 4 is drawing showing a plurality of conjoined flood barrier reservoirs according to an embodiment the present invention; and

Figures 5a and 5b show a cross section view showing alternative positions for the reservoir to be sealed.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in Figures 1 and 2. There is depicted a flood barrier is a reservoir 1 formed from a water impermeable PVC material. The reservoir 1 has a trapezoidal shape with a substantially planar base wall 2, a front wall 3, a back wall 4, an upper wall 5 and two side walls 6 which together form a sealed reservoir capable of holding water. The trapezoidal shape allows the center of gravity of the flood barrier to remain at its lowest point so to improve its stability when filled. In use, the planar lower wall provides a secure base which is resistant to roll and the angled front wall reduces the likelihood of flood water getting under the barrier.

An inlet 7 is provided on the upper wall 5 (or at an upper portion of the side, front or back walls) which allows water to be pumped or poured into the reservoir to inflate it. The inlet in this embodiment is in the form of a valve connection point which allows a hosepipe or similar to be connected such that floodwater can be pumped into the reservoir 1 through the inlet 7.

A sealable or closable outlet 8 is provided towards the bottom of the reservoir 1. The outlet allows the reservoir to be emptied of water so that it can be stored when not in use. In this embodiment, it is provided on the back wall 4 near to or proximate the base wall 2 however it would be understood that it could also be on the side 6 or front walls 3, or even on the base wall 2 itself (although the base wall is slightly less preferable as the reservoir would need to be lifted to access it).

It is also possible that the inlet and outlet can be a single sealable or closable aperture, however this is generally not a preferred option as in order to effectively fill the reservoir the inlet is positioned towards the top of the reservoir and it would be necessary to maneuver the full reservoir in order to empty it, whereas if a separate outlet is placed towards the bottom of the reservoir it will simply empty under its own pressure once the outlet is opened.

As, in use, the reservoir 1 is required to have sufficient stability to withstand flood water, it must be filled with an appropriate amount of water. As the reservoir 1 is formed from a flexible material it will inflate when filled with liquid to provide a substantially rigid barrier. However, the pressure of the liquid against the inner walls can be significant, particularly in larger reservoirs. Therefore, the reservoir is provided with at least one internal baffle 9 or strengthening strut, as shown best in figure 3 where a plurality of baffles 9 are provided within the reservoir. The baffles 9 provide additional structural integrity to the reservoir 1. The baffles engage with the inner surfaces of the barrier wall, in this case they are affixed to the front wall 3 and back wall 4 to provide increased stability to the structure, however they do not extend fully down to the base wall 2 resulting in effectively partial compartments which are in full fluid communication with each other. As they do not extend down to the base wall this allows water to freely move throughout the reservoir and thus the reservoir can still be filled from a single inlet if required.

In order to provide further structural integrity to the flood barrier when it is full, there are embodiments of the invention where flexible strengthening strips are provided on the outer surface of the reservoir. They are positioned at or proximal to the points where the internal baffles are provided. In this embodiment, the strengthening strips are the same material as the walls. The strips extend fully around the circumference of the barrier to form a collar, but in other embodiments the strips may only extend partially around the circumference.

A particular benefit of this invention is that the flood barrier product is modular in nature so that complete assembled units can be connected one to another in order to create extended lengths of barrier as shown in Figure 4. Multiple units of the flood barrier may be used in order to divert flood water in order to re-route water away from areas under threat e.g. to rivers. This allows action to easily be taken upstream of where the potential problem may lie, at the source of the problem, ratherthan focusing only on the aftereffects i.e. the flood itself. For example, flood water or high rivers can be diverted to run off to flood plain areas, fields etc. or by deploying the invention at strategic headwaters a more controlled release of water can be obtained.

Should the need for using multiples of barrier arise, then the trapezoidal shape can be interlocked together to form additional barriers for the perceived threat. In this embodiment, each reservoir is manufactured in 5m lengths and, when a plurality are required to be deployed, they can be connected in a line to a form a complete barrier of over e.g. 50m in length. Each 5m barrier when full laden with flood water can weigh in excess of 2.4St allowing for a substantial barrier to be created. The reservoirs 1 are interconnected linearly by means of a connecting flange 10 or flap at the ends of each reservoir which connect to a receiving section 11 on neighboring reservoir 1. In the embodiment shown, the flanges 10 are fitted with a strip of hooks fasteners and the corresponding part of the reservoir is fitted with loop fasteners (which together form a hook and loop fastening) allowing for them to become connected quickly or disconnected whatever the need should be. It would however be understood that other connecting means such as impermeable zips etc. could be used in which case the connecting flange may not be present and the potion of the zip may itself act as the flange.

It is envisaged that the reservoirs could also be stacked if additional height was required. A first reservoir could be filled with water then a second placed on top and filled in situ. Similar, means for connecting the units could be employed.

The reservoir 1 is fitted with an overlap flange 12, along the longitudinal exterior face, with a plurality of eyelets or apertures. The eyelets 13 provide a location point for the insertion of a fixing bar at a fixed distance i.e. every 400mm. This fixing bar can be driven down into the surface to which the flood barrier is sited, in a preferred embodiment providing 12 ground anchor points per each 5m barrier. The eyelets 13 effectively provide anchorage points for extra stability in excessive flow. Additional anchorage loops or points could also be included proximate the base wall. It is envisaged that the overlap flange could also act as a connecting flange for connecting to a lower reservoir if required.

In use, it is preferred that the barrier is filled with the actual flood water causing a threat and this then acts as a ballast to prevent the barrier from moving and thus providing a temporary flood barrier. The barrier is filled with the flood water using a connected hose to the flood area. The flow into or out of the assembled barrier is via the valve connection point which is bonded to the side walls of the assembly. The water is pumped by a small diaphragm pump which can fill each unit quickly and either operates from a fixed source or portable pump. This allows the barrier to be assembled in a wide variety of locations without the need of specialised equipment. The barrier is emptied when no longer required by releasing the low point valves and allows the water to return or the pump flow can be reversed and pumped specifically to a nominated drainage point. Therefore, any water can be returned to the river from whence it came once the threat has passed and the barrier, now empty of water can simply be rolled up and stored away.

Manufacture

In one embodiment, the flood barrier is quickly assembled from a flat form sheet pre-cut in a suitable water proof membrane such as a pvc substrate. The sides are lifted first, such that they extend perpendicular to the base wall, and are connected to the opposing side by means of a connection strip that forms a baffle plate in various positions along the longitudinal axis. The front wall and back wall form an inclusive angle of 150 degrees with the base wall (most commonly the internal angle between the front wall and the base wall is 75 degrees and the internal angle between the back wall and the base wall is the same.

In one embodiment, there is baffle plate which is positioned at 300mm, 400mm or 500mm intervals and connected by means of bonding strip along the leading edge of the baffle. This results in partial baffles spaced equally along the length of the sides and connecting to one another by means of a bonding strip (the ends of which are then folded to form the reservoir). This baffle plate fits at a specified distance from the base wall and a specified distance from the top of the barrier hence allowing the water to flow between areas thus not forming a complete sealed compartment. The sides form a trapezoidal shape when lifted and are then secured into position by the attachment of the end sections. These are then secured in place by the use of the connection strips that overlap the end sections and are fixed in position and sealed together by means of a modified silicone hybrid bonding sealant with a material overlap no greater than 75mm. The overlapping sections are sealed together by means of applying heat to the pvc substrate to a pre-viscos state where the two pvc forms will fuse.

In another embodiment, the partial baffles are formed as part of a side wall and adhered to the other side wall during the manufacturing process.

In a preferred embodiment, the flat form sheet pre-cut membrane is produced such that, rather than the side walls being lifted and sealed at the top (as shown in fig 5b), when it is folded it overlaps at the base section as shown in figure 5a.

Strengthening strips of the same material are then adhered to the outer surface of the barrier.

It will be appreciated that features from one embodiment may be appropriately incorporated into another embodiment unless technically unfeasible to do so.

With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.

It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims are generally intended as open terms (e.g., the term including should be interpreted as including but not limited to, the term having should be interpreted as having at least, the term includes should be interpreted as includes but is not limited to, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases at least one and one or more to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles a or an limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to embodiments containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases one or more or at least one and indefinite articles such as a or an (e.g., a and/or an should be interpreted to mean at least one or one or more); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of two recitations, without other modifiers, means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations).

It will be appreciated that various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein for purposes of illustration, and that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.

Claims (27)

Claims

1. A flood barrier comprising;

an inflatable reservoir comprising;

a substantially planar, water impermeable base wall, at least one substantially flexible, water impermeable barrier wall extending from said base wall and water impermeable first and second end walls at a respective first and second end of the reservoir;

at least one inlet;

at least one partial baffle within the water inflatable reservoir, wherein said partial baffle extends only partially through the reservoir resulting in a plurality of partially discrete or semi-partitioned fluid chambers within the reservoir.

2. A flood barrier as in Claim 1 wherein the reservoir is a water inflatable reservoir.

3. A flood barrier as in any of the previous Claims wherein the walls of the reservoir are all made from the same material.

4. A flood barrier as in any of the previous Claims wherein the reservoir is formed from a single preformed sheet of material folded and sealed to form said reservoir.

5. A flood barrier as in any of the previous Claims wherein the barrier wall comprises an upper wall defining the roof of the reservoir and a front and back wall, one of which forms the main barrier face against which any floodwater would abut.

6. A flood barrier as in any of the previous Claims wherein the reservoir is trapezoidal in shape.

7. A flood barrier as in any of the previous Claims wherein the base wall is substantially rectangular in shape.

8. A flood barrier as in any of the previous Claims wherein the at least one partial baffle is made from a flexible material.

9. A flood barrier as in any of the previous Claims wherein the at least one partial baffle is affixed to part of the internal surface of the reservoir.

10. A flood barrier as in any of the previous Claims wherein at least part of the baffle does not extend fully to the inside surface of the base wall.

11. A flood barrier as in any of the previous Claims wherein the baffle comprises one or more apertures of sufficient size to allow water to flow therethrough.

12. A flood barrier as in any of the previous Claims wherein the at least one partial baffle is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the reservoir.

13. A flood barrier as in any of the previous Claims wherein there are a plurality of baffles.

14. A flood barrier as in Claims 13 wherein multiple baffles are joined together by a strip.

15. A flood barrier as in any of the previous Claims wherein the water impermeable first and second end walls are made from a flexible material.

16. A flood barrier as in any of the previous Claims wherein the outer surface of the flood barrier is provided with a both affixing and receiving portions of connecting means for physically connecting said barrier to at least one additional barrier of the same type, said affixing and receiving portions being spatially separated.

17. A flood barrier as in any of the previous Claims wherein the barrier is a modular unit that can either be deployed as one individual module containing a plurality of baffles, or multiple such modules which can be connected together to give increased length and/or height.

18. A flood barrier as in any of the previous Claims wherein the connecting means are positioned at, or proximal to a point at which the base wall and barrier wall meet and/or at, or proximal to a point at which the base wall and side wall meet and/or at, or proximal to a point at which the side wall and barrier wall meet

19. A flood barrier as in any of the previous Claims wherein the affixing and receiving portions of connecting means comprise portions of a zipper, male and female fixing means such as press studs and/or the hook and loop portions of a hook and loop fastener.

20. A flood barrier as in any of the previous Claims wherein the reservoir comprises a sealing flange proximal to at least one of the fixing and receiving portions of the connecting means.

21. A flood barrier as in any of the previous Claims wherein the inlet is positioned at an upper portion of the reservoir.

22. A flood barrier as in any of the previous Claims wherein the reservoir also comprises an outlet.

23. A flood barrier as in any of the previous Claims wherein the outlet is positioned at a lower portion of the reservoir.

24. A flood barrier as in any of the previous Claims wherein the water impermeable material is polyvinylchloride (PVC).

25. A flood prevention and defense kit comprising a plurality of the flood barriers as in Claims 1 to 24.

26. A flood prevention and defense kit as in Claim 25 further comprising a pump and means for attaching said pump to the inlet of the flood barrier.

27. A method for making the flood barrier of claims 1 to 24, comprising;

taking a precut sheet of water impermeable material, said sheet having a base section which is predominantly rectangular in shape, and two trapezoidal sections extending form two opposing sides;

forming the precut sheet into a sealed reservoir and sealing the edges.