NL1039945C2 - TALUDLESS SETTING LOW WEIGHT (RAIL) WEIGHT INCREASES AND EXTENSIONS OF EPS WITH VERTICAL SIDE (S). - Google Patents

Description

Applicant: Milan Duskov, Vlaardingen, the Netherlands

Brief indication: Low-tensile, low-weight, lightweight (rail) road embankments and widening of EPS with vertical side (s). 5 According to the current state of the art, (rail / tramway / fast) road constructions are applied to both an earth track and to structures, which can be installed without settling, usually by submerging. The vast majority of all tramway and (rail / fast) road constructions have been laid on an earth track. With the construction of new and with the extension of existing (rail / fast) roads on an earth track, relatively large initial settlements can occur, as a result of the extra load added by the construction, in the order of tens of centimeters. Therefore, in blocks sensitive to settling, the EPS blocks are regularly used as a lightweight raising material. It is in particular the settlement differences, which are usually proportional to the absolute settlements, that have a direct influence on the vertical elevation geometry. After 30 years, these geometric deviations should be limited to 10 to 20 cm for the tram tracks and / or roads and 5 to 10 mm (as a peak value in the wave band from 0 to 25 m) for the track. The initial settlements can in practice lead to a considerable extension of the laying time and require a substantially higher maintenance effort to keep the geometric deviations within the norms. To an even greater extent, these problems play a role in the transition from (based on piles and therefore settlement-free) artwork to 2® earth orbit.

The invention provides for the use of ramp-free lightweight embankments consisting of vertically stacked EPS blocks with one or both vertical sides without any structural horizontal support as has been the case until now. Up to now there has always been some lateral support by, for example, (retaining) wall-like constructions which inevitably resulted in local load concentration / settlements along the elevations. The invention means the considerably improved / more cost-effective way of using EPS rigid foam. The embankments are laid in accordance with this patent without slope (s) and therefore with vertical side (s) without further horizontal support. The lateral stresses caused by the own weight and the traffic load are absorbed by only the friction 3 © between the EPS blocks. There is no further empty space (except for inevitably narrow vertical joints) between the blocks. Due to a relatively high coefficient of friction, the friction between the EPS blocks is sufficient to ensure adequate cohesion of the slope-less EPS package in the final situation. Thanks to relatively high coefficient of friction (approx. 0.65) between the EPS blocks on the one hand and a low transverse contraction coefficient (Poisson ratio = approx. 0.1) on the other, no additional measure is needed. Not only on the side (s), but also between the EPS layers, no load-spreading or geometry-correcting intermediate layers are required. Immediately on top of the EPS is a bend-resistant cement-bonded plate for spreading the load of the upper pavement layers and / or tramway / track construction.

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Whatever covering material is applied on the outside (s) of the slope-free EPS package, there will be no constructive contribution. However, the covering material has a protective function in view of the sensitivity of the EPS to sunlight and vandalism. Often the cover material must be aesthetically acceptable and fit the environment.

5 Thanks to the EPS, a reduction of the total own weight (incl. Higher pavements and / or tramline / track construction) can be created such that the combined weight of the superstructure and substructure applied is almost equal to the weight of the excavated ground. As a result, the existing balance in the subsurface is maintained and therefore no substantial new or only acceptable settlements occur, whereby initial settlements and settlement differences with regard to new construction, (rail) road extensions, as well as transition constructions between the work of art and earth track can be limited. .

In general, the invention relates to the construction types according to figures 1 and 2: a (fast) widening of the road on a shortened slope and a lightweight elevation (with tramway constructions and a paved road / cycle path) on the ground level. In both cases, the bending-15 ve (concrete) plate can be seen on top of the EPS package with vertical side (s). The bend-resistant slab of, for example, (light) reinforced concrete aims at spreading the load and reducing the stresses in the lightweight material in such a way that no permanent stretching occurs under the use load. The plate thickness is in the order of 15 cm. Moreover, the bending-rigid plate is essential during the construction of the road pavement or the track for transport and support of working equipment.

The currently proven lightweight material is EPS. The volumic mass of EPS hard foam, whether it is relatively light EPS15 (p = 15 kg / m3) or the relatively heavy EPS45 (p = 45 kg / m3), is only a fraction of the volumic mass of compressible soil types. That is why it is almost always technically possible to achieve sufficient weight reduction. The optimum thickness of the EPS layer is of the order of 1.0 m (instead of about 0.5 m previously) to halve the contact surface. The smaller the contact surface, the better monolith behavior of the EPS package, the thickness of which can be more than 6 meters with high elevations.

The embankmentless EPS layer is here understood to mean a layer consisting of blocks of expanded polystyrene rigid foam. The main problem with the construction of new or widening existing (rail / tramway / fast) road constructions in areas with poor soil capacity is (uneven) settlements. In practice, various methods are applied such as applying (temporary) pre-loading with or without vertical drains, use of vacuum (eg IWCO method), various types of soil stabilization, foundations on piles to replace poorly supporting subsurface, which after settlement a (rail) road construction must prevent or at least minimize. For all mentioned methods, the implementation of low-setting lightweight tramway and / or (rail / road) elevations and widening with EPS layer can be an alternative for certain underground conditions. In particular, the alternative with EPS layer can offer an optimum solution in peat areas and at the location of connections with settlement-free (mostly pile-based) structures such as bridges and other structures. The use of EPS blocks can not only lead to cost savings but also make it possible to considerably reduce the required construction time.

The invention provides, thanks to the greatly improved manner of the slope-free application of S EPS hard foam without any side support and the associated substantial weight reduction, a fundamentally new solution for significant limitation or even elimination of settlements during the construction of new and broadening of existing tram tracks and (rail / fast) roads on compressible surfaces. The design solution with vertical side (s) without constructions for the side support according to this patent is applicable for all lightweight tram 10 lane and (track / fast) road ramps with EPS. Low maintenance costs (no or minimal settlement) and shorter construction time (no long-term pre-load) are the known advantages over traditional raising materials on poorly load-bearing soil. By now executing the embankments with EPS blocks with vertical sides, the following additional advantages arise: a) lower construction costs due to (up to 1/3) less lightweight raising material and less ground-cleaning; b) less use of space without slopes; c) shorter construction time due to less filling material and narrower cunet; d) no top load / settlement directly along the lightweight ramp; e) (rail / fast) road widening possible without a decrease in stability of the existing (shortened) slopes; f) no additional load on the underground infrastructure directly along the route; g) possible phased construction in the transverse direction.

2Θ The optimum thickness of an EPS layer of a slope-less EPS package is determined on the model calculations with interface elements. Such elements between EPS layers simulate the friction between the blocks. In this way, constructive behavior of such a (rail) road elevation under realistic, inter alia, traffic load is determined and the design life is determined. The optimum thickness of the EPS package is determined on the basis of the equilibrium calculations 25 and the calculation of the safety against driving up. The equilibrium calculation serves to determine the thickness of the slope-less EPS package that results in sufficient reduction or, if desired, even elimination of settlements. It must be taken into account here that float-up must not occur at any groundwater level. In the calculations against floatation the volumic mass of EPS in the dry state is used as input value. In addition, the safety coefficient preferably has a minimum value of 1.1. The thickness of the slope-free EPS layer is only important for the total weight of the embankment, but it also has a marginal influence on the structural behavior of the (railway construction: the stresses and racks in the superstructure construction are virtually independent of the thickness of the EPS -package.

If embankment-free lightweight (tramway / rail / fast) road construction according to the present invention is used, one can also work more economically in terms of long-term maintenance costs in areas with compressible surfaces. To date, (turn) wall-like constructions (intended for the lateral support) on the sides inevitably caused local load concentration / settlements along the embankments. As a result, it is possible not to (or hardly) disturb the original balance during construction. No substantial increase in grain stresses both under and along the EPS package means virtually eliminating residual settlements. As a result, future maintenance remains even more limited than in the case of tram 5 lanes or (rail / fast) roads built using a) lightweight ramps with traps / retaining walls or b) pre-loading or accelerated settlement methods. In the latter methods, (local) residual settlements practically always occur to some extent.

The long-term durability of the EPS rigid foam makes this material suitable for an up-z foundation material. Low temperatures, water absorption and exposure to 10 freeze / thaw cycles, individually or in combination, do not have a negative influence on the mechanical behavior of EPS. In other words, the mechanical properties of EPS are not affected by underground conditions. However, it is essential here that the EPS blocks, e.g. in construction phase, do not be overloaded. Overloading EPS over the elasticity limit has the consequence that the modulus of elasticity of this material is reduced. If (closed) cell structure of the EPS rigid foam is damaged, the maximum water uptake greatly increases.

The invention will be further elucidated below on the basis of two examples. Example 1

Lightweight (fast) road widening consisting of 5.5 m high vertically stacked EPS blocks 2Θ on a shortened slope (with the retaining wall) is illustrated in Figure 1.

Example 2

In Figure 2 is a slope-free tramway elevation (incl. A pavement) with a 6.5 m (of which 5.0 above ground level) high EPS package with the vertical sides.

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Claims (7)

1. Tiltless lightweight elevation with vertically stacked EPS blocks with vertical side edges) without any lateral support (for example by a longitudinal retaining wall structure), S comprising: Superstructure consisting of (fast) road pavement (1) and / or bicycle lane pavement (6) and / or tramway (5) and / or track construction; characterized in that the superstructure rests on a substructure arranged in the ground, comprising a slope-less lightweight (raising / foundation) layer, actually a package (2, 5) of the EPS whose specific mass is significantly lower than that of the bottom, as well as a load-spreading layer (3, 8) arranged above the slope-free lightweight (raising / foundation) layer. The most important innovation is the lack of any constructive horizontal / lateral support for the relevant slope-free elevation (4,9,10). 15 2. The use of slope-free lightweight embankments, consisting of vertically stacked EPS blocks (2, 5) with one or both vertical sides (4, 9, 10). This means the significantly improved / more cost-effective way of applying EPS rigid foam. The lightweight embankments with the EPS blocks are realized in accordance with this patent without slope (s) and without a structure for lateral support. Up to now there has always been a certain lateral support by, for example, adjoining (retaining) wall-like structures, which by its own weight inevitably resulted in local load concentration / settlements along the elevations (4, 9, 10). Thanks to the invention, discontinuity of the top load on the substrate disappears both below and along the embankment. The lateral stresses caused by the own weight and the traffic load can in fact be absorbed solely by the friction between the EPS blocks (2, 5). The friction between the EPS blocks is sufficient to ensure adequate coherence of the EPS package (2, 5) in the final situation. Thanks to relatively high coefficient of friction (0.65) between the EPS blocks on the one hand and a low transverse contraction coefficient (Poisson ratio = 0.1) on the other hand, no additional measure is required. No load-spreading or geometry-correcting intermediate layers are required between the EPS layers. Superstructure according to claim 1, wherein the slope-free lightweight EPS package is arranged at least in part in a cunet dug into the soil or an existing slope, and wherein the weight of the soil / slope material removed from the cunet is approximately equal to the weight of the road / cycle path hardening and / or track / tramway construction, the load-spreading layer and the slope-free lightweight (raising / foundation) layer, on the condition that the most unfavorable groundwater level does not cause float up and the grain stress on the interface between slope-free lightweight foundation layer / foundation and substrate is almost equal to the grain stress in the original situation for excavation. The superstructure according to claim 1, wherein the slope-less lightweight EPS package is arranged at least in part in a cunet dug into the soil or an existing slope, and wherein the weight of the soil / slope material removed from the cunet is approximately equal to the weight of the road / cycle path hardening and / or track / tramway construction, the load-spreading layer and the slope-free lightweight (raising / foundation) layer, on condition that the most unfavorable groundwater level does not cause float and the grain tension at the interface between slope-free EPS package and subsoil is only slightly larger than the grain stress in the original situation for excavation with acceptable small (residual) settlements as a result. Rail, tramway or (fast) road construction according to claims 1-4, wherein the slope-free light weight package comprises the EPS with a specific mass in the range of 10 to 50, preferably in the range of 15 to 35 kg / m1. The optimum thickness of an EPS layer (of the EPS package) is determined by means of the model calculations with interface elements. Such elements between the EPS layers simulate the friction between the blocks. 20 Rail, tramway or (fast) road construction as claimed in any of the claims 1-5, wherein the load-spreading layer is formed by a bending-rigid plate, for example of concrete and additional load-spreading (hardening) layers. The (cement-bonded) flexural rigid plate must also adequately spread horizontal components of the traffic loads. 25 Rail, tramway or (fast) road construction according to one of claims 1-6, wherein the load-spreading layer has such a thickness that, in cooperation with the superstructure (in the form of (unbound) paving layers or track / tramway construction) permanent deformation of the slope-free lightweight EPS package with vertical side (s) is avoided. 2 1039945 2 Whatever covering material is applied on the outside (s) of the slope-free EPS package, there will be no constructive contribution. However, the covering material has a protective function in view of the sensitivity of the EPS to sunlight and GM vandalism. Often the covering material must be aesthetically acceptable and must suit the environment.