WO1998045538A1

WO1998045538A1 - Element for a simulated textured ground surface

Info

Publication number: WO1998045538A1
Application number: PCT/GB1998/001020
Authority: WO
Inventors: James Mcintosh
Original assignee: M.J. Highway Technology Limited
Priority date: 1997-04-08
Filing date: 1998-04-07
Publication date: 1998-10-15
Also published as: AU6928898A

Abstract

A simulated textured surface (2) can be formed by laying non-opaque non-bituminous resin on a foundation surface (3) by applying a previously textured tile or slab element (1) to the foundation surface (3). The non-opaque non-bituminous resin may include additives such as fillers or colouring agents.

Description

ELEMENT FOR A SIMULATED TEXTURED GROUND SURFACE

This invention relates to a method of laying a simulated textured ground surface, for example a simulated paved surface, and to an element for use in laying such a surface.

There has been increased use recently of attractively paved surfaces which may use differently coloured stone slabs or bricks for use as a walk-on or drive-on paved surface with an aesthetically pleasing appearance, in some cases areas of different coloured bricks or paving providing guidance for drivers of vehicles, for example in showing routes and individual parking areas in car parks. A difficulty with such paved surfaces is their expense, particularly where individual slabs, bricks or blocks are laid, since first a good foundation needs to be provided and then the paving needs to be carefully laid on that foundation with the need for the foundation and the blocks to be very stable and very firmly laid, in order to avoid the possibility of cracking the blocks under vehicle loading. It has been proposed to use a concrete simulated paved area in which concrete is laid and, while it is still soft, grooves are provided in its upper surface to simulate the spaces between individual paving stones. This concrete can be coloured to give the appearance of, for example, a brick laid area but generally this prior process has the disadvantage of the expense due to the need to excavate and provide a substantial foundation, with the concrete layer itself needing to be at least 150 mm thick if it is to be able to resist cracking and bear the load of vehicles passing thereover. Also, once the concrete surface is abraded any coloration deteriorates.

GB-A-2270532 proposes one way of producing such a surface, using a bitumastic material which includes a thermoplastic rubber copolymer material, filler and reinforcing fibres, and then the softened surface is mechanically imprinted with grooves to provide the simulated gaps between the slabs of paving.

We now propose to provide simulated textured surfaces which can be used for paving or other similar applications . The texturing is not necessarily intended to simulate paving stones. However, such a pattern can be an important aspect of the present invention.

Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention provides a method of laying a simulated textured surface comprising manufacturing a laminar element of a non-opaque non-bituminous resin at a first location with the use of softening heat, mechanically imprinting a simulated texture on a surface of said element at the first location while the element is still in a heat-softened state and allowing the element to cool to a form-stable configuration with its texturing on said surface thereof, transporting the thus textured element to a second location, and there applying the element to a foundation surface with the textured surface of the element exposed and with at least one edge of the element butted to an edge of a further similar element.

The present invention also provides the surface elements for use in the first aspect, and thus a second aspect of this invention provides a laminar element of non- opaque non-bituminous resin material having a surface with a mechanically imprinted texture to allow application of the element to a foundation surface with the textured surface exposed.

In order that the present invention may more readily be understood various specific embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which;

Figure 1A shows an example of an element according to the present invention;

Figure IB shows an example of an element according to the present invention after imprinting of a simulated texture; and Figure 1C shows such an element in place on a foundation surface.

In accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, the non-opaque non-bituminous resin, optionally mixed with any additives such as fillers and/or colouring agents, is then cast in the hot state to form laminar elements 1 which, in the manner of carpet tiles, can be laid butted against one another on a support surface 3, e.g. at a remote location. The texturing 2 is applied to the resin mixture at the manufacturing first location (e.g. factory) and the finished element is then transported to the site of laying (the second location) .

Where the additives include fillers these may, for example, be in the form of sand or small particles of stone, in order to provide a roughened body to the material forming the surface and to the exposed surface.

Any non-opaque resin may be used with the present invention provided it is capable of forming a stable hardened surface at the temperatures normally encountered during climatic variations in the geographical region where the surface is to be used. Preferably the resin is a petroleum hydrocarbon resin. In tropical regions the temperature range will be shifted upwardly as compared with the corresponding temperature range in temperate regions. Equally, the surface may be applied in a region where climatically the temperature is frequently sub-zero in which case the demands on the resin are less critical.

An example of the dimensions of the tile or slab element contemplated in accordance with the second aspect is of the order of 0.5 metres square. However, other shapes and other dimensions are possible.

The laying operation may involve the use of heat to soften the face of the laminar element which will contact the underlying substrate. For example, the heat may be applied by a gas torch which is played on the undersurface of the element or the gas torch may be used to apply the heat to a surface onto which the element is to be laid. In order to enhance adhesion, the element may be laid on a primer coat, for example of primer slurry or of bitumen, on the substrate. The tile or slab elements can be laid on either a new or existing substrate 3, for example concrete or macadam, then levelled and heated. Another possibility is first to heat the substrate, then to apply the primer e.g. bitumen to the substrate, and finally to lay the tile or slab elements on the primer and smooth them down, optionally with further heating at this stage. The primer coat may be a filled primer slurry.

After butting each of the elements against one another the interface between the adjacent elements is then heated with an "ironing" tool which melts and "welds" the edges of the elements together to form a seamless joint 5 between the elements. However, the mechanically imprinted patterning 2 of the elements, imparted during manufacture, will ideally be continuous across the butt joint between adjacent elements, when laid. The tensile strength of the resin is such that it is not normally necessary to include fibres to reinforce the elements, but the use of such fibres is not excluded from the scope of the present invention.

The tile or slab elements may be stored stacked flat on top of one another.

The softening temperature of the resin is expected to be somewhere in the region of from 100 to 200 °C so that no great heat input is required during the manufacturing of the laminar elements . The non-opaque non-bituminous resin is conventionally in the form of dry pellets and these may be mixed with desired additives such as stone aggregate, sand, wood chips, fibres and colouring. One example of such a resin is "ESCOREZ" (TM) obtainable from Exxon Chemicals. The resin may further include other polymer materials (e.g. ethylene vinyl accetate, EVA, available as POLYBILT 102 (TM) obtainable from Exxon Chemicals) , rubber powder (e.g. Styrene-Isoprene-Styrene rubber available as SOLT 190 from Enichem Elastomers of London or oil (e.g. Edelex (TM) available from Shell Chemical Company or BATPAR paraffinic oil) for improving flexibility of the resin binder.

The fact that the resin is in the form of small pellets at the start of the heating process considerably shortens the heating operation as compared with the time taken to melt 30 kilogram blocks of bitumen in the prior art of GB-A-2270532. Although, as indicated above, stone aggregate may be incorporated in the resin mixture, it is envisaged that the aggregate will remain within the structure of the resin body and that any additive exposed to the surface will be much finer in texture, for example in the form of sand. Although it is possible for the resin to be applied in non-coloured (substantially clear or translucent) form, the fact that any colouring agent is mixed intimately into the resin before heating in the process described above, results in coloration of the resin layer throughout its depth, so that after use of the surface on roadways or car parks there will be no change in coloration simply due to abrasion of resin as a result of traffic rolling on the textured surface.

As compared with any coloration of bitumastic material in the prior art, the use of a substantially colourless non- opaque resin which is then coloured as desired provides a much more efficient use of colouring agent as there is no requirement for excessive coloration to disguise the black or other dark colouring of bitumastic material.

With the invention the textures simulated can be of many different forms. One preferred form is for the texture to resemble a ribbon slate finish as a result of both mechanical texturing of the surface and appropriate coloration of the resin mixture.

An example of the application of the slab in accordance with the present invention is in the marking and construction of a walk-way for use on flat roofs or between the pitches of a roof . The surface elements can be laid on parts of the roof which are known to be structurally capable of supporting workmen walking thereon, and can be coloured so as to define quite clearly the extent of that structurally adequate part of the roof. For example a white pigment may be incorporated in the resin in order to contrast with a darker colour for the parts of the roof which are outside the walk-way and which may not be structurally adequate to support workmen on them.

Claims

C L A I M S

1. A method of laying a simulated textured surface comprising manufacturing a laminar element of a non-opaque non-bituminous resin at a first location with the use of softening heat, mechanically imprinting a simulated texture to a surface of said element at the first location while the element is still in a heat-softened state and allowing the element to cool to a form-stable configuration with its texturing on said surface thereof, transporting the thus textured element to a second location, and there applying the element to a foundation surface with the textured surface of the element exposed and with at least one edge of the element butted to an edge of a further similar element.

2. A method according to claim 1, including the step of mixing in additives with the non-opaque non-bituminous resin at the first location, before the texturing operation.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the step of applying the element to the foundation surface includes the application of a primer slurry to the application surface before the element is laid thereon.

4. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the step of applying the element to the foundation surface includes the application of heat to a second surface of the element either directly to that surface or indirectly by applying the heat to the foundation surface before the second element surface is laid thereon, and including also the application of heat to the butt joints of the said first and further element to weld the first and further element to one another at said butt joint.

5. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the resin is a petroleum hydrocarbon resin.

6. A laminar element of non-opaque non-bituminous resin material having a surface with a texture mechanically imprinted thereon whilst the resin material is in a heat- softened state, to allow application of the element to a foundation surface with the textured surface exposed.

7. An element according to claim 6, including additives mixed with said non-opaque non-bituminous resin.

8. An element according to either of claims 6 and 7, wherein said non-bituminous resin is a petroleum hydrocarbon resin.

9. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, or an element according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein said additive comprises stone aggregate and/or sand and/or fine fillers and/or colouring agent.

10. A method of laying a simulated textured surface according to claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described.

11. An element for use in laying a simulated textured surface, according to claim 6 and substantially as hereinbefore described.