U.S. patent application number 10/998114 was filed with the patent office on 2006-02-16 for temporary driveway.
Invention is credited to Mark E. Sanders.
Application Number | 20060034652 10/998114 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46321698 |
Filed Date | 2006-02-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060034652 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sanders; Mark E. |
February 16, 2006 |
Temporary driveway
Abstract
A temporary driveway for new home construction includes one or
more removable pre-cast planks. The pre-cast planks are constructed
of reinforced pre-cast concrete and are sized to accommodate the
passage of vehicles over their surface. The reinforcement is in the
form of a row of pre-stressed cables adjacent the top surface and
the bottom surface of the plank. Four lift inserts are recessed
into the top surface of the plank near each of the corners of the
plank to balance the load during lifting. The pre-cast planks are
lifted with a standard lifting rig such as a boom crane attached to
the lift inserts. The pre-cast planks are transported to a
construction site, lifted from the transport vehicle by a standard
lifting rig, and placed in a desired location at a new home
construction site. Several pre-cast planks are placed end-to-end to
form the temporary driveway. When the temporary driveway is no
longer needed, the pre-cast planks are lifted and transported away
from the construction site.
Inventors: |
Sanders; Mark E.;
(Zionsville, IN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MAGINOT, MOORE & BECK;BANK ONE CENTER/TOWER
1111 MONUMENT CIRCLE
INDIANAPOLIS
IN
46204
US
|
Family ID: |
46321698 |
Appl. No.: |
10/998114 |
Filed: |
November 24, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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10917969 |
Aug 13, 2004 |
|
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10998114 |
Nov 24, 2004 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
404/17 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E01C 5/10 20130101; E01C
9/086 20130101; E01C 5/08 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
404/017 |
International
Class: |
E01C 11/00 20060101
E01C011/00 |
Claims
1. A method for constructing a temporary driveway comprising the
steps of: preparing a location at a job site as a temporary
driveway location; transporting at least two pre-cast planks to the
location; successively positioning each plank adjacent each other
at the location to form a temporary driveway; and subsequently
removing the pre-cast planks substantially intact from the location
and transporting the removed pre-cast planks to another location
for a temporary driveway.
2. The method for constructing a temporary driveway of claim 1,
wherein the step of transporting includes loading the pre-cast
planks onto a hauling vehicle and unloading the planks from the
vehicle at the job site.
3. The method for constructing a temporary driveway of claim 1,
wherein the step of successively positioning each plank includes
lifting each plank with the plank substantially horizontal and
lowering the horizontally positioned plank onto the location.
4. The method for constructing a temporary driveway of claim 1,
wherein the step of preparing a location includes at least rough
grading the location to form a driveway.
5. The method for constructing a temporary driveway of claim 1 in
which each pre-cast plank has a plurality of lifting elements
embedded within the plank and the step of successively positioning
includes engaging the lifting elements.
6. The method for constructing a temporary driveway of claim 1,
wherein the pre-cast planks are formed of concrete.
7. The method for constructing a temporary driveway of claim 6,
wherein the concrete is portland cement concrete.
8. The method for constructing a temporary driveway of claim 6,
wherein the concrete is polymer concrete.
9-25. (canceled)
26. The method of claim 8, wherein the polymer concrete comprises a
polymer binder and a filler.
27. The method of claim 26, wherein said filler comprises at least
one recyclable material.
28. The method of claim 27, wherein said at least one recyclable
material comprises waste rubber particles.
29. The method of claim 26, wherein the polymer concrete is
reinforced with a fibrous material distributed throughout the
polymer concrete.
30. The method of claim 29, wherein said fibrous material is
fiberglass.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No.
10/917,969 filed on Aug. 13, 2004.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to the construction
of driveways and particularly to the construction of temporary
driveways used in new home construction.
[0003] The driveway provides access to the construction site and is
typically one of the first things constructed when a new home is
being built. One option that may be used for a driveway in new home
construction is to simply put the permanent driveway in place.
However, installation of a finished surface such as concrete or
blacktop prior to the construction is problematic because
construction vehicles such as concrete trucks, hauling trucks, and
other equipment can easily damage the finished surface of the
driveway. For instance, a finished concrete driveway is typically
only four inches thick. While this thickness is adequate for normal
traffic associated with residential property, it is likely not
sufficient for construction traffic.
[0004] Therefore, one form of temporary driveway used during
building construction is a gravel driveway. Large gravel is
typically poured from a dump truck and spread in a desired
location. However, there are problems commonly associated with this
form of driveway. One problem is that the placement of the gravel
can be time consuming. The gravel must first be poured in place and
then spread to form a relatively flat surface.
[0005] Another significant problem is water drainage. The surface
of a finished driveway is contoured to control water drainage.
However, a gravel drive cannot be similarly prepared. If water
drainage is not controlled, water that pools on the surface can
wash away gravel. Moreover, improper water runoff often creates
serious problems including flooding in areas that are not capable
of handling the excess water.
[0006] Another common problem of gravel driveways is keeping the
gravel in the temporary driveway during heavy construction traffic.
Traffic over the gravel can cause the gravel to disperse and spill
past the boundaries of the driveway into the yard. Keeping the
gravel in its intended location can be a time consuming and labor
intensive job. Gravel that has been displaced into the yard can
pose a hazard where gravel is buried when the lawn is prepared.
[0007] The removal of the gravel after it is no longer needed poses
another problem. Most homeowners prefer to replace the gravel
driveway with a finished concrete or blacktop driveway after
construction. In this case, some or all of the gravel will have to
be removed and the driveway re-graded to prepare for the new
concrete or asphalt driveway which adds time, labor, and expense to
the construction process.
[0008] Similar problems arise in other construction projects where
a temporary driving or parking surface is needed. For instance,
some larger construction projects, such as a housing subdivision,
include a central office with adjacent parking. Other construction
projects require a staging area for temporary retention of building
materials. In most cases, a temporary gravel surface is prepared,
which poses the problems mentioned above.
[0009] What is needed is a temporary driveway that eliminates the
problems associated with driveways that are traditionally used
during new home construction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] In order to address these needs, the present invention
contemplates a temporary driveway for use during new home
construction. The temporary driveway is placed on a new home lot at
the start of construction and is removed when construction is
completed. According to one embodiment of the invention, the
temporary driveway comprises one or more pre-cast planks
dimensioned to accommodate the passage of vehicles.
[0011] According to one form of the invention, the temporary
driveway is in the form of a pre-cast reinforced concrete panel or
plank. The concrete plank is formed in a casting bed which consists
of a pair of end abutments with a fixed flat surface between them
on which the concrete is poured, and with fixed side forms that
extend the full length of the flat surface to contain and shape the
concrete. In one embodiment, a continuous length of concrete is
cast and then cut to a desired length. For a typical driveway
plank, the pre-cast concrete plank is cut to a twelve foot
length.
[0012] In one embodiment, a concrete reinforcement is placed in
desired locations before the concrete is poured. In some
embodiments of the present invention, rebar can be used to
reinforce the concrete. Preferably, the concrete reinforcement
takes the form of pre-stressed cables. When using pre-stressed
cables, the end abutments are anchorages used to anchor the ends of
the cables. The cables are preferably 1/2'' diameter steel cables
stretched between the two anchorages to a predetermined tension. In
a specific embodiment, the cables are stressed to 31,000 psi.
[0013] In a most preferred embodiment, two rows of pre-stressed
cables are provided, one row adjacent the top and bottom surfaces
to prevent warping of the slab. With the cables under stress, the
concrete is poured, encasing the cables. After the concrete has
cured, the cables are released from the anchorages. As each length
of plank is cut, the cable tension pulls the plank into
compression, which increases the strength and durability of the
plank.
[0014] According to another form of the invention, the pre-cast
temporary driveway is in the form of a pre-cast polymer concrete
body. The polymer casting material consists of a polymer binder and
a filler. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the
filler is composed of recyclable materials such as waste rubber
particles, fiberglass, and/or plastic. The recyclable materials are
processed into pellets before being combined with the polymer
binder to form the casting material. Alternatively, other fillers
such as sand, crushed stone, gravel, and other aggregates may be
used. Generally, any dry, non-absorbent, solid material can be used
as a filler. The pre-cast polymer body can be reinforced with any
materials or methods as are known in the art.
[0015] In a further feature of the invention, the temporary
driveway is provided with a lifting system. The lifting system
facilitates transport and placement of the temporary driveway at
desired locations, without obstructing the top surface of the
temporary driveway. Preferably, the lifting system includes at
least two lifting points at a front portion of the pre-cast plank
and at least two lifting points at a rear portion of the body. In
this way, the temporary driveway can remain level and balanced as
it is lifted, transported, or lowered.
[0016] According to one form of the invention, the lifting system
takes the form of lift inserts recessed into the top surface of the
pre-cast plank. The lift inserts can be embedded in the casting
material or attached to the reinforcement. Preferably, the lift
inserts have an opening at one end allowing the pre-stressed
cables, rebar, or metal rods to be fed through. The lift inserts
are placed at desired lifting points and positioned so that the
lifting portions of the inserts are adjacent to or just below the
top surface of the pre-cast plank. A cap covers the lifting portion
of the insert. Once the casting material has been poured and set,
the cap is removed exposing the lifting portion of the insert.
Preferably, the lift inserts are dogbone inserts. Alternatively,
other forms of lift inserts may be used such as anchor, coil, or
plug type lifting inserts. In other embodiments, the lifting system
can be lifting rings embedded in the sides of the pre-cast plank or
threaded into embedded thread cores.
[0017] The present invention further contemplates a method for
constructing a temporary driveway for a new home construction site.
The method comprising the steps of: [0018] a. providing at least
one pre-cast plank [0019] b. preparing a desired location to
temporarily support the planks; [0020] b. transporting the planks
to the desired location; [0021] c. lowering the planks into
position to form the temporary driveway; and [0022] d. removing the
temporary driveway from the location once work is complete at the
location.
[0023] It can be appreciated that the present invention
contemplates a temporary driveway that can be used for new home
construction sites. The temporary driveway is reinforced to endure
the heavy traffic associated with new home construction. In
addition, the temporary driveway includes features that facilitate
transportation to and from a desired location. These features of
durability and portability allow the temporary driveway to be used,
stored, and reused as needed. This greatly simplifies and hastens
the process of constructing a driveway. When a new home is being
constructed, the temporary driveway can be transported and placed
at the construction site at the start of construction, and removed
when construction is completed.
[0024] It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to
provide a novel, efficient, and economical apparatus and method of
forming a temporary driveway. It is a further object of the present
invention to provide a temporary driveway that alleviates problems
associated with the driveways that are traditionally used in new
home construction. For instance, the temporary driveway eliminates
the hassles of a gravel driveway including: placing the gravel,
keeping the gravel in its intended location, and removing the
gravel after it is no longer needed.
[0025] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
temporary driveway that is sturdy enough to handle heavy equipment
and high traffic volume associated with new home construction. Yet
another object of the present invention is to provide a temporary
driveway that can be pre-cast off-site before construction begins
with the capability of being lifted and transported to and from a
construction site when needed.
[0026] These and other objects and benefits of the invention will
be readily discerned from the following written description, taken
together with the accompanying figures.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0027] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a temporary driveway in place at a
new home construction site.
[0028] FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the temporary driveway
shown in FIG. 1.
[0029] FIG. 3 is a top elevation view of a pre-cast plank for the
temporary driveway shown in FIG. 1.
[0030] FIG. 4 is an end elevation view of the pre-cast plank as
shown in FIG. 1.
[0031] FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the pre-cast plank shown
in FIG. 4 taken along section line 5-5 as viewed in the direction
of the arrows.
[0032] FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the pre-cast plank shown
in FIG. 3 taken along section line 6-6 as viewed in the direction
of the arrows.
[0033] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a casting bed used to form
pre-cast planks for the temporary driveway shown in FIG. 1.
[0034] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a pre-cast plank for a
temporary driveway being lifted by a lifting rig.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0035] For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the
principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the
embodiments illustrated in the drawings and described in the
following written specification. It is understood that no
limitation to the scope of the invention is thereby intended. It is
further understood that the present invention includes any
alterations and modifications to the illustrated embodiments and
includes further applications of the principles of the invention as
would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which this
invention pertains.
[0036] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the present invention
contemplates a temporary driveway 10 for placement on a new home
construction site 11. According to the preferred embodiment, the
temporary driveway 10 comprises one or more pre-cast planks 12
positioned to provide access to the new home site 11. The pre-cast
planks 12 are formed of a castable or extrudable material having
high surface hardness and high compressive strength. The material
also most preferably has a surface roughness conducive to use as a
vehicle driving surface. Concrete is the most preferred material
because it meets all of these material requirements and is
generally economical to produce. However, other suitable castable
or extrudable materials may be used that have the above properties
making the material suitable of use as a temporary driving surface.
For instance, a high strength polymer or resin concrete may be
used.
[0037] Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the preferred embodiment of
a pre-cast plank 12 for the temporary driveway 10 is shown. The
pre-cast plank 12 includes a top surface 13, a bottom surface 14, a
first and second ends 15 and 16, and first and second sides 17 and
18. The pre-cast plank 12 should have at least one dimension sized
to accommodate the passage of a vehicle on the top surface 13. In
the preferred embodiment, the pre-cast plank 12 has a dimension W
between the sides 17, 18 which is approximately ten feet, a
dimension L between ends 15, 16 which is approximately twelve feet,
and a thickness dimension T which is approximately nine inches.
These dimensions offer advantages for use as a temporary driveway.
For instance, the pre-cast plank 12 can still cover a substantial
area but is not too large to be transported by a standard lifting
rig. The ten foot width accommodates most construction vehicles.
The twelve foot length emulates a standard poured driveway
construction and is sized so that a wide range of useful driveway
lengths can be achieved. Finally, the thickness makes the pre-cast
plank 12 durable for withstanding a high volume of heavy equipment
traffic that is likely to be passing over the top surface 13 during
construction. The pre-cast plank 12 is thicker than a standard
poured drive because the temporary driveway is intended to endure
heavy vehicle loads. Moreover, since the pre-cast planks of the
present invention can be re-used at many job sites, the planks must
withstand many more vehicle miles traveled than a standard
residential drive.
[0038] In one embodiment, the pre-cast plank 12 is formed of
portland cement concrete. In order to increase the tensile strength
of the pre-cast portland cement concrete plank 12, reinforcements
are used. Referring to FIG. 5, the reinforcements are pre-stressed
cables 19. As shown in FIG. 4, the pre-stressed cables 19 are
arranged in an upper row 20 and a lower row 21 of cables. The upper
and lower cable rows 20, 21 span the entire length L of the
pre-cast plank 12 and are most preferably evenly spaced across the
width W. The upper row 21 of cables are embedded in the pre-cast
plank 12 near the top surface 13 while the lower row 21 of cables
are embedded in the pre-cast plank near the bottom surface 14.
Preferably the cable rows are embedded 1-2 inches beneath each
surface 13, 14. In an exemplary placement of the pre-stressed
cables, nine cables 19 are used in both rows, all spaced at about
one foot intervals. Two rows are preferred so that the plank is
uniformly loaded or pre-stressed across its entire cross-section.
This uniform loading prevents warping of the pre-cast concrete
planks. The number and diameter of the cables 19 can be varied
depending on the size of the pre-cast plank and the casting
material used.
[0039] It can be appreciated that the concrete reinforcements can
be rebar or other suitable materials or methods that are used to
reinforce concrete. However, pre-stressed cables are preferred
because they tend to place the concrete plank in compression along
its length. The pre-stressing improves the compression strength and
creep deformation properties of the concrete.
[0040] In another embodiment, the pre-cast plank 12 is formed of
polymer concrete. Polymer concrete has good mechanical properties,
such as high compression strength, and high durability in terms of
fatigue, corrosion and freeze-thaw resistance. Polymer concrete
consists of a polymer or resin binder component and a filler or
aggregate component. Typical resins used in polymer concretes are
polyester, epoxy, and acrylic thermoset resins. Preferably,
polyester resin is used, mainly for economic reasons.
[0041] In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the
aggregate or filler used in the polymer concrete consists of
recyclable materials such as waste rubber particles, fiberglass
and/or plastic. The waste rubber particles may be derived from
waste vehicle tires. Alternatively, other fillers such as sand,
crushed stone, gravel, and other aggregates may be used. Generally,
any dry, non-absorbent, solid material can be used as a filler. The
recyclable materials or other materials used for the filler are
preferably processed into pellets of a desired size before being
combined with the polymer binder to form the polymer concrete. The
size and quantity of the pellets can be readily determined by a
person of ordinary skill in the art based on the strength
requirements for a particular pre-cast plank construction.
[0042] In another embodiment of the invention, the polymer concrete
may also include fibrous reinforcement material to increase the
impact strength, modulus, and overall mechanical properties of the
polymer concrete. The most common types of fibers used are
fiberglass, aramid, and carbon. Preferably, the fibrous
reinforcement is fiberglass, chopped or milled. The fiber
reinforcement material is added to the mixture with the filler
material in a known manner.
[0043] Other forms of reinforcement may be used to increase the
tensile strength of the polymer concrete such as steel bars. In
general, polymer concrete may be reinforced using any conventional
concrete reinforcement method as are known in the art.
[0044] The polymer concrete compositions also preferably include at
least one catalyst as is known in the polymer art. Catalysts are
added to the binder before mixing with the filler, in order to
initiate the polymeric curing. Suitable catalysts include
conventional free radical polymerization initiators, such as
organic peroxides, hydroperoxides, and azo compounds. The polymer
concrete compositions also preferably include at least one promoter
or accelerator to modify (i.e., increase or decrease) the gel time,
cure time, cure rate, and/or cure temperature. A variety of other
additives may be used in the polymer concrete composition to
improve the material properties, aesthetics, manufacturing process,
and performance such as, for example, cross-linking agents,
coupling agents, initiators, solvents/heat dissipators,
surfactants, accelerators, and viscosity control compounds.
[0045] To produce the polymer concrete, the polymer binder and
catalyst are mixed with the filler and fibrous material. Mixing
conditions typically involve room temperature, a dry environment,
and standard concrete mixing equipment. The curing time and
temperatures can be adjusted to any length or temperature as
needed.
[0046] As shown in FIG. 3, the top surface 13 of the pre-cast plank
12 includes four lifting points 30. In the preferred embodiment, a
lifting point 30 is positioned near each corner of the top surface
13 so the pre-cast plank 12 can remain level and balanced as it is
lifted, transported, and lowered. For stability during transport,
the lifting points are arranged about 2-21/2 feet inboard from each
side of the plant.
[0047] A cross section of a lifting point 30 is shown in FIG. 6. In
the preferred embodiment, the lifting point 30 includes a dogbone
insert 22 recessed into the top surface 13 of the pre-cast plank
12. The lifting portion 23 of the dogbone insert 22 is exposed in
the recess 25 so that a lifting apparatus, such as a grappling
hook, can be attached to the lifting portion to lift the pre-cast
plank 12. Before the casting material is poured, a cap 29 (FIG. 7)
can be used to cover the lifting portion 23 of the lift insert 22.
Once the concrete has been poured and set, the cap is removed
exposing the lifting portion 23 of the insert 22 within the recess
25.
[0048] The dogbone insert 22 has an attachment portion 24 embedded
within the casting material. In one approach, the attachment
portion 24 defines an opening 24a sized to snugly receive a cable
19 from the upper row 20 of cables before the plank 12 is formed.
This method of attaching the lift insert 22 ensures that the lift
point 30 is capable of withstanding the weight of the pre-cast
plank as it is lifted. As an alternative, the attachment portion 24
can be configured in two pieces to allow attachment to the cable
after it has been pre-stressed. In other embodiments, the lift
insert 22 can be embedded without attachment to the reinforcements.
It can also be appreciated that other forms of lift inserts and
methods of lifting the planks as are known in the art may be used.
By way of non-limiting examples, anchor, coil, and plug type
inserts recessed into the top surface 13 or lifting rings embedded
into the sides of the pre-cast plank 12 may be used.
[0049] Referring now to FIG. 7, the pre-cast plank 12 can be formed
according to conventional concrete forming techniques, such as
extrusion or slip-forming. In one approach, the pre-cast plank 12
is formed in a casting bed 25 which consists of a pair of abutments
26 with a fixed flat surface 27 between them on which the concrete
is poured, and with fixed side forms 28 that extend the full length
of the flat surface 27 to contain and shape the concrete. In the
preferred embodiment, the casting bed 25 is approximately 400 feet
long with a concrete extruder 31 disposed in the bed 25 to dispense
the concrete.
[0050] The pre-stressed cables 19 are stretched between the two
abutments 26 and are anchored to the abutments to maintain their
tension. Preferably, the cables 19 are stressed to approximately
31,000 psi. It can be appreciated that as the cables 19 are
stretched across the casting bed 25, the cables 19 may be threaded
through the opening 24a in the lift inserts 22 at desired locations
for placement of the lifting points 30 for each pre-cast plank 12.
As mentioned above, a cap 29 covers the lifting portion of the
insert 22. The top of the cap (not shown) should be positioned so
as to be exposed after the concrete is poured. The cap can then be
removed after the concrete has set to provide access to the lift
insert 22 within the recess 25.
[0051] As mentioned above, the extruder 31 is disposed in the
casting bed. The extruder 31 is operable to traverse the length of
the bed between the abutments 26. In a preferred embodiment, the
extruder 31 is equipped with a guide plate to guide the movement of
the extruder 31 down the length of the bed 25. The guide plate has
holes through which the pre-stressed cables 19 are fed before the
cables 19 are anchored to the abutments 26. As is conventional in
the art, the extruder 31 is equipped with a trough that extends
from an opening at the top of the extruder to an area adjacent the
casting bed. The extruder moves along the length of the casting bed
along the pre-stressed cables as concrete is poured into the
trough. The concrete flows from the back of the extruder into the
casting bed in an even distribution across the width of the
bed.
[0052] Before the concrete has cured, the top surface 13 is
preferably provided with a surface treatment that can enhance the
frictional resistance of the surface. In the preferred embodiment,
the top surface 13 is given a brush-textured finish or broom
finish. Alternatively, other types of finishes and surface
treatments may be used as are known in the art such as a float or
trowel finish. The finish gives the top surface 13 a rough texture
that provides traction. Optionally, drainage grooves or other gross
features can be formed in the surface. It is understood that
similar features can be incorporated into a pre-cast polymer
plank.
[0053] After the concrete has cured, the cables 19 are released
from the abutments 26 and the cast length of concrete is cut into
planks of desired length. The pre-cast planks 12 are then removed
from the bed 25.
[0054] Prior to installation of the temporary driveway 10, the
driveway location is prepared in accordance with known construction
methods. For instance, the location is cleared and then graded and
compacted to provide a relatively smooth flat surface on which the
planks are laid.
[0055] As can be seen from FIG. 8, for installation of the
temporary driveway 10 a pre-cast plank 12 is lifted by a lifting
rig 50 engaged at the lifting points 30. The lifting rig 50 can be
of conventional construction to support and transport the pre-cast
plank 12, such as a boom crane or the like. The positioning of the
lifting points 30 allows the pre-cast plank 12 to be carried in a
balanced position so that the pre-cast plank 12 can be easily and
accurately lowered into the positions shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
Depending on the desired size of the driveway, one or more pre-cast
planks 12 may be installed end-to-end to complete the temporary
driveway 10. The position of the lifting points allow each plank to
be carried in a substantially level orientation, which facilitated
positioning a subsequent plank next to a pre-positioned plank. The
lifting rig can be easily manipulated to nestle the planks in
direct end-to-end contact. Since the drive way is temporary, there
is no need to fill the joint between the planks.
[0056] Once construction of the house or building is completed or
the temporary driveway is no longer needed, each pre-cast plank 12
can then be lifted by engaging the lifting points 30 again as shown
in FIG. 8. The planks are loaded onto a hauling truck and
transported to another construction site, a storage facility, or
any other desired location.
[0057] It is also contemplated that a pre-cast plank already in
position in a temporary driveway can be removed and replaced if the
plank becomes damaged. The placement of the lifting points for
access at the top surface of the plank allows any plank to be
removed without disturbing adjacent planks in the temporary
driveway.
[0058] As described above, the location for the temporary driveway
is preferably graded in preparation for receiving the planks. The
location can be graded as if in preparation for a standard poured
drive. However, one benefit of the pre-cast planks is that the
location need not be ideally graded and prepared. In other words,
the planks can be positioned over a rough graded location that may
not be entirely uniform. The weight of the planks will tend to
smooth out some of the roughness and unevenness of the rough grade.
However, the resulting driving surface does not need to be
residential grade since it will only be subject to construction
traffic while the house is being built.
[0059] While the invention has been illustrated and described in
detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same should
be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character. It
is understood that only the preferred embodiments have been
presented and that all changes, modifications and further
applications that come within the spirit of the invention are
desired to be protected.
[0060] Thus, while the present invention contemplates a temporary
driveway, other uses requiring a temporary surface capable of
supporting heavy loads and/or vehicle traffic are contemplated. By
way of non-limiting examples, the present invention can be used for
a temporary parking lot, a staging area, and load storage. In
addition, the size of the pre-cast planks can be altered for
particular uses. However, the overall dimensions of the planks are
preferably dictated by the impact on the transportability of the
planks. For instance, the present invention contemplates that the
planks can be easily transported using standard hauling vehicles,
such as a flat bed trailer. Moreover, it is contemplated that the
weight and inertia of the planks are amenable to be lifted by a
conventional crane used at a residential construction site.
* * * * *