SE2230102A1 - Path module - Google Patents

Abstract

A path module for forming a section a path, the path module comprising a plurality of timber supporting beam members, each supporting beam member having a length aligned parallel to a longitudinal direction of the path module. The path module further comprising a plurality of timber path elements forming the surface of the path module. A plurality of metallic plates is provided, where each plate is provided in fixed connection to a respective supporting beam member and at least one of the plurality of timber path elements, each metallic plate extending such as to cover the full length of a respective supporting beam member. A plurality of resilient interlayers are each provided between a respective metallic plate and the plurality of timber path elements and/or between a respective metallic plate and a respective supporting beam member.

Description

Field of the Invention The present disclosure relates to path modules. In particular it relates to path modules comprising a plurality of timber supporting beams and a plurality of timber path elements.

Background of the invention Paths for pedestrians, cyclists etc. are well-known. Most paths are asphalt, concrete, or other perrnanent constructions placed directly on the ground surface. Such paths have a substantial environmental impact and are both costly and time-consuming to install, modify or replace.

Timber paths and bridges are known, however, to-date most timber paths are built on-site which is costly and leads to variable path quality and performance.

Acceptable path sizes and performances with respect to durability and dynamic and static load response are often defined in national or regional regulations, which makes on-site timber paths difficult for municipalities to acquire as such characteristics are not known in advance of the construction of the path. Pedestrians, especially persons running on a path, apply significant dynamic point loads to a path resulting in harrnonic oscillations which in typical timber paths or bridges can be experienced as unsafe bouncing by the pedestrian.

Improved timber paths and bridges would be ideal.

Summary of the invention Accordingly, the present disclosure preferably seeks to mitigate, alleviate or eliminate one or more of the above-identified deficiencies in the art and disadvantages singly or in any combination and solves at least the above mentioned problems by providing a path module for forrning a section a path, the path module comprising a plurality of timber supporting beam members, each supporting beam member having a length aligned parallel to a longitudinal direction of the path module. The path module further comprising a plurality of timber path elements forrning the surface of the path module. A plurality of metallic plates is provided, where each plate is provided in fixed connection to a respective supporting beam member and at least one of the plurality of timber path elements, each metallic plate extending such as to cover the full length of a respective supporting beam member. A plurality of resilient interlayers are each provided between a respective metallic plate and the plurality of timber path elements and/or between a respective metallic plate and a respective supporting beam member. The path module comprising the metallic plates and resilient layers has increased load bearing capabilities, and improved dynamic load response, despite the metallic plates and resilient layer not acting as substantial load bearing members in and of themselves.

A shippable matrix of path modules is provided.

A timber path element is also provided.

Further advantageous embodiments are disclosed in the appended and dependent patent claims.

Brief description of the drawings These and other aspects, features and advantages of which the aspects of the disclosure is capable will be apparent and elucidated from the following description of aspects of the present invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is an isometric view of a section of a path module according to an aspect. The longitudinal axis of the path module is marked by the dashed line Y. The lateral axis of the path module is marked by the dashed line X.

Fig. 2 is an elevated front view of a path module to an aspect along the longitudinal axis.

Fig. 3 is a front detail view of a section of a path module according to an aspect showing, the interconnection between the supporting beam, metallic plate, resilient layer, and timber path element.

Fig. 4 is a side-view of a path module according to an aspect.

Fig. 5 is an isometric view of a section of a path element showing a plurality of grooves according to an aspect.

Fig. 6 is an isometric view of a section of a path element showing a plurality of arc-grooves according to aspect.

Fig. 7 is a side view of a shippable matrix according to an aspect.

Detailed description Figure 1 shows a path module 1. The path module 1 has a longitudinal direction def1ning the general direction of travel along each module 1. The direction of the longitudinal axis of the path module is shown by the dashed line Y in figure 1. The path module 1 comprises a plurality of timber supporting beam members 100. Each supporting beam member 100 has a length and is aligned parallel to the longitudinal direction of each module 1. The path module 1 further comprises a plurality of timber path elements 200 forrning the surface 201 of the path module 1. The path module 1 comprises a plurality of metallic plates 300. Each of the metallic plates 300 is provided in fixed connection to a respective supporting beam members 100. Each of the metallic plates 300 covers the full length of the respective supporting beam member 100. The metallic plates 300 are provided in fixed connection to at least one of the plurality of timber path elements 200. The path module 1 comprises a plurality of resilient interlayers 400. Each resilient interlayer 400 is provided between a respective metallic plate 300 and the plurality of timber path elements 200 and/or between a respective metallic plate 300 and the respective supporting beam 100.

The path module 1 shown in f1gure 1 comprises four supporting beam members 100, each of the supporting beam members 100 is aligned in the longitudinal direction of the path module 1. Each of the plurality of supporting beam members 100 are parallel to each other. The supporting beam 100 is the main load bearing element of the path module 1. As each supporting beam 100 traverses the full length of the path module 1, the length of the supporting beam 100 is related to the length of the path module 1. The path module 1 may have a length of greater than about 4 m, such as greater than about 6 m, such as greater than about 10 m, such as about 12 m. The length and load bearing qualities of the path module 1 enables the path module 1 to traverse culverts, Waterways etc. The supporting beam members 100 are constructed from timber, such as laminated timber beams, an in particular structurally certified laminated timber beams. Timber beam members are relatively light and can be sourced from sustainable timber production reducing the environmental impact of the path.

The supporting beams 100 may be placed directly on a ground surface, however generally the supporting beams 100 are secured to a regularly spaced foundation system made of for example ground anchors or concrete Walls. In an elevated arrangement the path module 1 may be provided to span across a culvert, depression, Waterway etc. In such an elevated arrangement a portion of the path module 1 may be provided in contact With a ground surface. If the elevated path module 1 is intended to span a larger length, such as greater than about 12 m, then a plurality of path modules 1 may be provided on a truss, the truss arranged to support each path module 1.

A plurality of path modules 1 may be connected, thus forrning a path comprising multiple path modules 1.

Each of the supporting beams 100 is connected to the timber path elements 200 via a respective metallic plate 300. The metallic plate 300 covers the full length of the supporting beam 100 to Which it is connected. In the path module 1 shoWn in figure 1 and 2, the path module 1 comprises four metallic plates 300. The path module 1 comprises an equal number of supporting beam members 100 and metallic plates 300. The metallic plates 300 generally extend laterally beyond the Width of a supporting beam 100. Each metallic plate 300 has a Width greater than the Width of the supporting beam 100 to Which it is fixed. As the metallic plate 300 covers the full length of the supporting beam 100 and extends laterally beyond the Width of the supporting beam 100 to Which it is attached, the metallic plates provide Weather protection to each supporting beam 100. The Weather protection provided by the metallic plate 300 enables substantially higher loads to be supported by each supporting beam 100. The provision of the metallic plate 300 to each supporting beam 100 results in an enclosed/protected beam 100 Which are rated to support higher loads for increased durations.

The metallic plate 300 may be from about 0.5 mm to about 1.5 mm thick. Such a thickness enables a relatively lightweight construction to substantially increase the capacity of the module 1. As Would be understood a metallic plate 300 of thickness in the above range does not act as a significant static load bearing member in comparison to the supporting beam 100.

In addition to the Weather protective aspects, the metallic plate 300 provides a load distribution advantage from each of the timber path elements 200 to a supporting beam 100. Dynamic loads are distributed from the timber path elements 200 to the supporting beam 100 via f1xtures 110, 120 through the metallic plate 300 and resilient layer 400.

Each supporting beam 100 is fixed to the metallic plate 300 via a plurality of first fixtures 110. The plurality of first fixtures 110 extend into the supporting beam 100 through the metallic plate 300. The plurality of first f1xtures 110 extend through the resilient layer 400.

The plurality of timber path elements 200 are fixed to the metallic plate 300 via a plurality of second f1xtures 120, 130. The plurality of timber path elements 200 are fixed to each of the metallic plates 300 in the path module 1. The plurality of second f1xtures 120, 130 may comprise two longitudinally extending roWs of f1xtures 120, 130. The second f1xtures 120, 130 are separate from the first f1xtures 110. That is, the timber path elements 200 are not fixed to the supporting beam 100 directly. The timber path elements 200 are fixed to the metallic plate 300 via the second fixtures 120, 130, and the metallic plate 300 is separately fixed to the supporting beam 100 via the first f1xtures 110. Such an arrangement has dynamic load response advantages that is, improved damping of the path module 1. The plurality of first f1xtures 110 do not extend through the timber path elements 200. The plurality of second fixtures 120, 130 do not extend through the supporting beam member 110.

The first and/or second fixtures 110, 120 may be bolts, Wood screWs or other secure f1xtures. The timber path elements 200 may additionally be glued to the resilient layer 400 and/or the metallic plate 300.

As described above, the supporting beam 100 is the main load bearing element of the path module 1, hoWever, as the timber path elements 200 are fixed to the metallic plate 300, and the metallic plate 300 is separately fixed to the supporting beam 100 the timber path elements 200 provide an essential contribution to the structural rigidity of the path module 1. The timber path elements 200 interconnect the plurality of supporting beams 100 to each other. The timber path elements 200 act as load bearing and load distribution members.

The second fixtures 120, 130 are provided in the lateral portions of the metallic plate 300. The second fixtures 120, 130 are non-coincidental to the supporting beam 100. A first longitudinal extending row of second fixtures 120 may be provided in a first lateral region of the metallic plate 300. A second longitudinal extending row of second fixtures 130 may be provided in a second lateral region of the metallic plate 300, the second lateral region being laterally opposed to the first region of the metallic plate 300.

As described, a resilient layer 400 is provided between a respective metallic plate 300 and the timber path elements 200. The path module 1 comprises an equal number of metallic plates 300 and resilient layers 400. The resilient layer 400 provides improved dynamic load characteristics to the path module 1. The resilient layer 400 provides a damping layer to the path module 1. The resilient layer 400 covers the full longitudinal length of the metallic plate 300. The resilient layer 400 therein covers the full length of a respective supporting beam 100. The resilient layer 400 generally covers the full width of the metallic plate 300 to which it is provided. The resilient layer 400 does not cover the full width of the path module 1. That is, the path module 1 is provided with a plurality of separate resilient layers 400. The resilient layer 400 provides increased weather protection to the path module 1 as it shields both the supporting beam 100 and metallic plate 300 from weather.

The resilient layer 400 may have a thickness from about 0.5 mm to about 5 mm. The resilient layer 400 may have a thickness greater than the thickness of the metallic plate 300. The resilient layer 400 is formed from a high energy dissipation material to improve damping of the path module 1. The resilient layer 400 may be a rubber, a polymer such as an elastomer, or other suitable material. The resilient layer 400 may be a recycled polymer or rubber which has advantageous environmental characteristics and has been shown to display sufficient energy dissipation, durability and weather protective characteristics in field tests and simulations.

The timber path elements 200 form the surface of the path module 1. The upper surface 201 of the timber path elements 200 may form the surface upon Which pedestrians etc. traverse the path module 1. An additional layer may be provided above the timber path elements 200 if necessary to improve for example durability. The timber path modules 200 are each aligned With the lateral axis of the path module 1. The length of each timber path module 200 is aligned With the lateral axis, the dashed line X in figure 1, of the path module 1. The timber path elements 200 are arranged perpendicular to the supporting beam members 100.

As described above, Weather protection to timber constructions is especially important for acceptable longevity. To this end the metallic plate 300 may be arranged to cover the ends of the supporting beam 100. The metallic plate 300 may has a first end 301 and a second end 302. Each of the plurality of supporting beams 100 has a first end 101 and a second end 102. The first end 301 of the metallic plate 300 may be adapted to cover the first end 101 of the supporting beam 100. The second end 302 of the metallic plate 300 may be adapted to cover the second end 302 of the supporting beam 300. In such an arrangement the ends 101, 102 of the supporting beam 100 are additionally protected from the ingress of Water. Each of the first 301 and second 302 ends of the metallic plate 300 may be hemmed, that is, the bottom edge of the first 301 and second 302 ends are bent inWard upon itself to further protect the supporting beam 100 from the ingress of Water. The outer lateral edges of the metallic plate 300 may also be hemmed to protect against the ingress of Water at the lateral regions of the supporting beam 100.

Figure 7 shows a shippable matrix 10 of path modules 1. A shippable matrix 10 of path modules 1 is advantageously formed from the presently described path module 1. The shippable matrix 10 may comprise a plurality, such as greater than 4, such as greater than 6, such as about 8 individual path modules 1. Each of the path modules 1 in the shippable matrix 10 are vertically stacked. The path modules 1 may be stacked directly upon each other, that is, the supporting beams 100 of an upper path module 1 may be placed directly on the timber path elements 200 of a lower path module 1. The respective ends of the shippable matrix may be supported by a frame construction 12. Each of the eight comers of the shippable matrix 10 is provided With a comer casting 11. The comer casting 11 enables standardized shipping and handling equipment to receive and transport the shippable matrix 10 of path modules 1. The shippable matrix 10 may measure about 40 ft (12.19 m) such that it matches standard shipping container dimensions. In such a shippable matrix 10, 80 m to 100 m of pre-prepared path length may be shipped in a single matrix 10. The comer castings 11 may be provided at the comers of the frame construction 12.

Figures 5 and 6 show a section of a timber path element 200. Each timber path element 200 may comprise an upper surface 201 provided with a series of grooves 210, at least a portion of the series of grooves 210 being non-aligned with both the longitudinal, labelled Y in Figure 4 & 5, and lateral, labelled X in Figure 5 & 6, axes of extension of the path element 200. The non-aligned portion of the grooves 210 are non-parallel and non-perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the path module 1. The portion of the grooves 210 are non-parallel and non-perpendicular to the longitudinal axis Y of the path element 200. The portion of the grooves are non-parallel and non-perpendicular to the lateral axis X of the path element 200. As shown in figure 5, the grooves 210 may be arranged at an angle from about 30° to 60°, such as about 45° to the longitudinal Y and lateral X axes of the path element 200. In some instances each, that is all, of the grooves 210 may be non-aligned with both the longitudinal and lateral axes of extension of the timber path element 200.

As shown in figure 6, the grooves may be arc-grooves 210 being non-straight line grooves.

The grooves 210 have been shown to display improved friction performance on the upper surface 201 of the path elements 200, and therein the path module 1. Such increased friction is especially important in paths to be used as cycle paths are the friction between a tire of a bicycle and the timber path element 200 has a substantial impact on the braking and tuming performance of the bicycle. The increased friction is also advantageous for pedestrians as it increases shoe-to-path friction to avoid slipping.

Each groove 210 may have a variable depth such that water received in each groove 210 tends to flow towards the edge of the timber path element 200. Each groove 210 may be provided with a deeper portion in the vicinity of the edges of the timber path element 200 such that water flows downward along the groove 210 in the vicinity of the edges of each path element 200. The slope may be from about 0.5% to about 10%, such as from about 0.5% to about 5%, downward toward the edge of each path element 200. The durability and safety performance of the timber path element 200 is thereby increased. Although, the present invention has been described above With reference to specific embodiments, it is not intended to be limited to the specific form set forth herein. Rather, the invention is limited only by the accompanying claims.

In the claims, the term "comprises/comprising" does not exclude the presence of other elements or steps. Additionally, although individual features may be included in different claims, these may possibly advantageously be combined, and the inclusion in different claims does not imply that a combination of features is not feasible and/or advantageous. In addition, singular references do not exclude a plurality. The terms "a", "an", "f1rst", "second" etc do not preclude a plurality. Reference signs in the claims are provided merely as a clarifying example and shall not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims in any Way.

Claims (1)

1.Claims A path module (1) for forrning a section of a path, the path module (1) comprising: -a plurality of timber supporting beam members (100), each supporting beam member (100) having a length aligned parallel to a longitudinal direction of the path module (1), -a plurality of timber path elements (200) forrning the surface of the path module (1), -a plurality of metallic plates (300), each plate (300) provided in fixed connection to a respective supporting beam member (100) and at least one of the plurality of timber path elements (200), each metallic plate (3 00) extending such as to cover the full length of a respective supporting beam member (100), and -a plurality of resilient interlayers (400) each provided, between a respective metallic plate (300) and the plurality of timber path elements (200) and/or between a respective metallic plate (300) and a respective supporting beam member (100). The path module (1) according to claim 1, Wherein each of the metallic plates (300) has a Width greater than a Width of the supporting beam member (100) to Which it is fixed. The path module (1) according to claim 1 or 2, Wherein each supporting beam (100) is fixed to the metallic plate (300) via a plurality of first fixtures (110), and Wherein the plurality of timber path elements (200) are fixed to the metallic plate (300) via plurality of separate second fixtures (120, 130). The path module (1) according to claim 3, Wherein the separate second fixtures (120, 130) are provided in lateral portion(s) of the metallic plate (300). The path module (1) according to any of claims 1 to 4, Wherein the metallic plates (300) are from about 0.5 mm to about 1.5 mm thick.The path module (1) according to any of claims 1 to 5, Wherein the resilient layer (400) is from about 0.5 mm to about 5 mm thick. The path module (1) according to any of claims 1 to 6, Wherein each of the metallic plates (300) has a first end (301) and a second end (302), and each of the plurality of supporting beams (100) has a first end (101) and a second end (102), and Wherein the first end (301) of each metallic plate (300) is adapted to cover the first end (101) of the supporting beam (100), and Wherein the second end (302) of the metallic plate (300) is adapted to cover the second end (302) of the supporting beam (300). The path module (1) according to any of claims 1 to 7, Wherein the upper surface (201) of each timber path element (200) is provided With a series of grooves (210), at least a portion of the series of grooves being non-aligned With both the longitudinal and lateral axes of the path element (200). The path module (1) according to any of claims 1 to 8, Wherein each of the supporting beams (100) has a length of greater than about 4 m, such as greater than about 6 m, such as greater than about 10 m. A shippable matrix (10) of path modules (1) according to claim any of claims 1 to 9, Wherein each of the path modules (1) are vertically stacked, and Wherein each comer of the matrix (10) is provided With a comer casting (11). A timber path element (200) comprising an upper surface (201) provided With a series of grooves (210), each of the grooves being non-aligned With both the longitudinal and lateral axis of extension of the path element (200). The timber path element (200) according to claim 11, Wherein each groove (210) has a variable depth such that Water received in each groove (210) tends to flow toWards the edge of the timber path element (200).