JP2003041512A - Bridge for animal - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a bridge for animals that allows even large animals to cross it without making them cautious of it, and that harmonizes with the natural environment without impairing landscapes. SOLUTION: A soil layer 5 is formed on top of a bridge body 2 erected in an installation site, and plants 6 of the same kinds as plants in the installation site are arranged on top of the soil layer 5. A gravel layer 3 may be provided on top of the bridge body 2 to form a sand layer 4 on top of the gravel layer 3 and provide the soil layer 5 thereon. The gravel layer 3 and the sand layer 4 are constructed of lightweight gravel and lightweight sand and the soil layer 5 may contain lightweight grains.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an animal bridge used by animals for crossing roads and ditches.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, with the widespread use of automobiles, the number of cases where animals crossing roads encounter accidents has increased. In order to prevent such a situation, a corrugated pipe that serves as a passage for animals is buried underground.
Large animals such as deer and antelopes could not pass.
Also, a crossing bridge for animals to cross a gutter is disclosed in JP-A-5-28.
It is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 7794. However, since these things use the same material as the bridge for human beings, the color of the artificial material is strong from the viewpoint, and there is a concern that the animals will not hesitate to cross and damage the natural landscape. It was

[0003]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an animal bridge that does not evoke the alertness of animals, can cross large animals, and does not assimilate the natural environment and damage the landscape. This is an issue.

[0004]

In the animal bridge of the present invention, a soil layer is formed on the bridge body erected at the installation site, and a plant of the same species as the plant at the installation site is formed on the soil layer. It is arranged. Because the surface is covered with plants, there is no sense of incongruity due to the continuity with nature, and there is no need to worry about the animal's caution. It is also possible to provide a gravel layer on the bridge body, form a sand layer on the gravel layer, and further provide a soil layer on it. This reduces the overall weight,
Drains well and prevents root rot of plants.

It is also possible that the gravel layer and the sand layer are made of lightweight gravel and lightweight sand, respectively, and the lightweight particles are mixed in the soil layer. With this configuration, the weight is further reduced, and the increase in weight can be suppressed even if the thickness of the portion excluding the bridge body is increased. The bridge body may include an inclined portion and a flat portion, and the water retaining means may be provided on the upper surface of the bridge body in the inclined portion. As a result, even if there is a slope, the water in the soil layer does not flow down all at once and the water is not lost.

[0006]

1 and 2 show a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, an animal bridge 1 of the present invention is installed on a road A, a river, a gutter, and the like, and as shown in FIG. Gravel layer 3, and a sand layer 4 formed on the gravel layer 3,
Furthermore, the soil layer 5 formed on it and the plant 6 arrange | positioned on a soil layer are provided. The bridge main body 2 is made of metal, concrete, or the like, and side walls 7 each having a height of about 50 cm are erected on both sides of the upper surface so that each layer installed on the upper surface does not fall, and is formed into a substantially U-shaped cross section. ing.

[0007] The gravel layer 3 is formed by laying river gravel or mountain gravel for general civil engineering work on the bridge main body 2, but in order to reduce the weight, lightweight gravel such as volcanic gravel, pumice, and vermiculite is used. It can also be used. The sand layer 4 is formed by laying river sand or mountain sand on the gravel layer 3, but it is also possible to use lightweight sand such as volcanic sand. As the soil layer 5, it is desirable to use the soil of the place where the animal bridge 1 is installed. Further, lightweight particles such as sawdust and perlite may be mixed with this soil to reduce the weight. In addition,
The soil layer 5 is formed so as to cover the upper surface of the side wall 7 of the bridge body 2 so that the side wall 7 is not exposed.

The plants 6 are laid out so that moss, grass and the like of the same type as the place where the animal bridge 1 is installed are made into a block shape and rooted in a soil layer 5 using soil at the installation place. The plant 6 may be collected at the installation location of the animal bridge 1. In addition, it is desirable that the total thickness of the portion excluding the bridge body 2 is 50 cm or more so that the plant 6 can be firmly rooted. In addition, a car stop 8 composed of a plurality of natural rocks is installed near both ends of the animal bridge 1 so that a car cannot be entered.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show a second embodiment of the animal bridge 1 utilizing a dam such as a sabo dam. Bridge body 2
Is a dam such as a sabo dam, and as shown in FIG. 3, has an inclined portion 9 having an inclined upper surface and a horizontal flat portion 10. As shown in FIG. 4, on the upper surface of the bridge main body 2 in the inclined portion 9, a large number of water retention means including grooves 11 intersecting with the inclination direction are continuously provided. On the entire upper surface of the bridge body 2,
The gravel layer 3, the sand layer 4, the soil layer 5, and the plant 6 are sequentially stacked. By forming the groove 11 on the upper surface of the inclined portion 9 of the bridge body 2 in this way, it is possible to prevent water from flowing down at once and losing water from the soil layer 5 of the inclined portion 9. Since other configurations are almost the same as those of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the same portions, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 5 shows a third embodiment of the present invention.
On the upper surface of the bridge body 2 in the inclined portion 9, the coconut shell fiber 1
A plurality of water retaining means consisting of two are arranged along a direction intersecting the inclination direction. A gravel layer 3, a sand layer 4, a soil layer 5 and a plant 6 are sequentially laminated on the entire upper surface of the bridge body 2. Since other configurations are almost the same as those of the second embodiment, detailed description will be omitted.

Although a soil layer may be provided directly on the upper surface of the bridge body, as in the first to third embodiments described above, if the gravel layer 3 and the sand layer 4 are interposed, drainage is improved and the plant 6 is removed.
Is less likely to cause root rot. In addition, as in the first to third embodiments, it is more difficult for animals to be alert if the upper surface of the side wall 7 is covered with the soil layer 5 and the plants 6, but in the case of being installed in a river where water is likely to increase, It is also possible to make the side wall 7 higher than the height of the plant 6 to prevent the washout of each layer.

[0012]

According to the invention of claim 1, since the surface is covered with the same plant as that of the place of installation, it has continuity with the natural environment, and therefore the vigilance of animals There is no fear of damaging the landscape. Also, unlike tunnels, small animals such as squirrels and wildcats as well as large animals such as bears, deers and antelopes can pass.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the weight of the whole can be reduced, and the drainage can be improved to prevent root rot of the plant. According to the invention of claim 3, the weight can be further reduced, and an increase in the load applied to the bridge body can be suppressed even if the portion excluding the bridge body is thickened. According to the invention of claim 4, it is possible to prevent the water from flowing down at once in the inclined portion, and to prevent the loss of water from the soil layer in this portion.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an animal bridge showing a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the animal bridge showing the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an animal bridge showing a second embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the bridge body according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an animal bridge showing a third embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Animal bridge 2 bridge body 3 gravel layer 4 sand layers 5 soil layers 6 plants 7 Side wall 8 car stop 9 inclined part 10 Flat part 11 grooves 12 palm shell fiber A road

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An animal bridge characterized in that a soil layer is formed on a bridge body erected at an installation site, and a plant of the same species as the plant at the installation site is placed on the soil layer. 2. The animal bridge according to claim 1, wherein a gravel layer is provided on the bridge body, a sand layer is formed on the gravel layer, and the soil layer is further formed thereon. 3. The animal bridge according to claim 2, wherein the gravel layer and the sand layer are made of lightweight gravel and lightweight sand, respectively, and lightweight particles are mixed in the soil layer. 4. The animal bridge according to claim 1, wherein the bridge body has an inclined portion and a flat portion, and water retaining means is provided on an upper surface of the bridge body in the inclined portion.