U.S. patent application number 12/774332 was filed with the patent office on 2010-11-11 for water-filled building block for temporary levee.
Invention is credited to Galen L. Peterson, Ronald A. Peterson, Edward L. Schwarz.
Application Number | 20100284747 12/774332 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43062387 |
Filed Date | 2010-11-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100284747 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Peterson; Galen L. ; et
al. |
November 11, 2010 |
WATER-FILLED BUILDING BLOCK FOR TEMPORARY LEVEE
Abstract
A hollow block in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped when
filled with water, is joined with a plurality of similar
water-filled blocks to form a flood barrier. Two opposite sides of
each block have connection features that connect with features on
the first and third sides of adjacent blocks to form a wall of
connected blocks. Top and bottom walls of each block each have an
inter-tier connection feature that mates with a block in each
adjacent top or bottom wall. Each block includes on each of its top
and bottom walls, inter-tier connection features structured to mate
with an inter-tier connection feature of a similar block in the
adjacent tier.
Inventors: |
Peterson; Galen L.; (Coon
Rapids, MN) ; Peterson; Ronald A.; (Big Lake, MN)
; Schwarz; Edward L.; (Minneapolis, MN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
NAWROCKI, ROONEY & SIVERTSON;SUITE 401, BROADWAY PLACE EAST
3433 BROADWAY STREET NORTHEAST
MINNEAPOLIS
MN
554133009
US
|
Family ID: |
43062387 |
Appl. No.: |
12/774332 |
Filed: |
May 5, 2010 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61175582 |
May 5, 2009 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
405/114 ;
206/499 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E02B 3/108 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
405/114 ;
206/499 |
International
Class: |
E02B 7/08 20060101
E02B007/08; B65D 21/00 20060101 B65D021/00 |
Claims
1. A hollow block in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped to be
filled with water, for joining with a plurality of with similar
water-filled blocks to form a flood barrier, said block having
first through fourth sides, a top, and a bottom, wherein the first
and third sides have connection features that connect with features
on the first and third sides of adjacent blocks to form a wall of
connected blocks, and wherein the top and bottom of said block has
an inter-tier connection feature suitable for mating with an
inter-tier connection feature on the adjacent top or bottom of a
similar block.
2. The block of claim 1, including on its bottom, a plurality of
inter-tier connection features, and the inter-tier connection
feature in the block's top is structured to mate with an inter-tier
connection feature of a similar block in an adjacent upper tier of
a flood barrier.
3. The block of claim 2, wherein an inter-tier connection feature
of a block comprises a filler hole in the block's top.
4. The block of claim 2, wherein the position of an inter-tier
connection feature on a first block aligns with a similar adjacent
second block at a position producing overlap of the first and
second blocks that is greater than 50%.
5. The block of claim 4, including a pin fitting in an inter-tier
connection of each of the first and second blocks.
6. The block of claim 1, wherein the second and fourth sides
thereof have connection features that connect with features on the
second and fourth sides of adjacent blocks to allow forming a wall
of interlocked blocks comprising a plurality of rows of blocks.
7. A plurality of the blocks of claim 6 assembled into a wall, and
having a plurality of tiers, each tier having a plurality of rows
of blocks.
9. The block of claim 8, wherein the stiffening wall has an opening
providing communication between spaces defined by the stiffening
wall.
10. The block of claim 8, including a pair of internal stiffening
walls extending between opposite sidewalls and to the top and
bottom of the block.
11. The block of claim 1, wherein two opposing sides each have a
drain plug near the block bottom.
12. The block of claim 1, including an internal stiffening wall
extending between opposite sidewalls and to the top and bottom of
the block.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a regular application filed under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn.111(a) claiming priority, under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119(e)(1), of
provisional application Ser. No. 61/175,582, previously filed May
5, 2009 under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.111(b).
BACKGROUND
[0002] Flooding caused by melting snow and ice has become an
unfortunate fact of life for populations along northern rivers.
When the threat arises, the usual procedure is to emplace temporary
dikes or levees to restrain the rising rivers from flooding
valuable buildings.
[0003] Four current solutions exist. One is to simply give up, and
abandon sites subject to flooding. This is expensive and unpopular
with the residents of these at-risk areas.
[0004] Houses are sometimes built on stilts or pilings so that the
valuable portions of the structure are at all times above the
highest level of flooding. This solution leads to structures with
very little esthetic appeal. The necessity of climbing stairs every
time one enters the occupied space is also inconvenient.
[0005] Another is to install permanent levees, which is extremely
expensive. Permanent levees also destroy views of the river
involved. When the river is within its banks, the view of the river
is of course, an important amenity for selecting the site for the
structure.
[0006] A fourth solution is to install temporary dikes or levees
comprising piles of sandbags. This solution requires filling these
sandbags with sand and one by one, heaping them onto each other to
form the levee.
[0007] The process of filing the bags and then emplacing them to
form the required dikes is extremely time-consuming, expensive, and
labor intensive. People from hundreds of miles away are recruited
to help with the sandbagging activities. The bags are heavy and
huge numbers of them are required. For example, Fargo, N. Dak. used
350,000 sandbags to, as it turns out, successfully repel the 2009
flood on the Red River of the North.
[0008] After the river recedes, all of the bags must be removed and
emptied. The sandbags themselves are usually destroyed because
drying them is more expensive than replacing them.
[0009] A particularly harmful aspect of this process is the
procession of heavy trucks carrying the sand from its source to the
levee sites. These trucks travel over roads that are vulnerable to
heavy loads and are normally subject to spring load restrictions.
Often, the roads are damaged so badly as to require complete
reconstruction. In addition, the process for handling the sand and
sandbags requires much other heavy equipment.
[0010] It is fair to say that all of these existing technical
solutions are primitive and unsatisfactory.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0011] A hollow block in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped
can be joined with a plurality of similar blocks, all of which are
then filled with water to form a flood barrier. The block has first
through fourth sides, a top, and a bottom. The first and third
sides have connection features that connect with features on the
first and third sides of adjacent similar blocks to form a wall of
connected blocks. The top and bottom of each of a plurality of said
blocks has an inter-tier connection feature mating with one of the
adjacent top and bottom of a similar block to allow stacking of a
plurality of these blocks into tiers to form a flood barrier taller
than the height of a single block.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hollow block forming a
container to connect to a plurality of similar blocks to form a
flood barrier.
[0013] FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of two containers in
different tiers that shows one form of the connecting feature
between two such blocks.
[0014] FIG. 3 is an end elevation view of an improved temporary
levee wall having as its components, a relatively small number of
relatively large containers comprising integral or unitary blocks
11 filled with water.
[0015] FIG. 4 is a top elevation view showing the relationship
between the containers in a bottom tier and a tier immediately
above it, for a portion of a levee wall.
[0016] FIG. 5 is a top elevation view of a single block 11 with
annotations and suggested dimensions.
[0017] FIG. 6 shows a side elevation of a levee wall comprising the
blocks of FIG. 1 assembled on a sloping surface.
[0018] FIG. 7 is a side elevation view of a number of blocks
assembled to form a flood barrier with a nominal 75% overlap of
blocks from one tier to the next.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0019] The invention here involves a fifth solution that has
substantial cost and time advantages over every one of the other
solutions.
[0020] FIGS. 1-7 show one form of the invention. FIG. 3 is an end
view of an improved temporary levee wall or flood barrier 10 having
as its components, a relatively small number of relatively large
containers comprising integral or unitary blocks 11 filled with
water. In FIG. 3, arrows from reference numbers indicate a number
of components designated by that reference number. Reference
numbers 12 and 16 respectively designate the dry and wet sides of
levee wall 10.
[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hollow block 11 forming
such a container. Blocks 11 have connection features that bind or
attach adjacent blocks 11 in a levee 10 to each other to maintain
the structural integrity of the temporary levee 10.
[0022] Block 11 is in the general form of a parallelepiped having a
substantially square footprint, although a rectangular footprint
may also provide the necessary functionality. "Parallelepiped" in
this context means a polyhedron consisting of six faces that are
rectangular parallelograms.
[0023] Block 11 has an upper wall or top 17 and a floor or bottom
18. The lead line indicates an edge of floor 18. Block 11 has
sidewalls 12A-12D intersecting edges of upper wall 17 and floor 18.
Only the upper edges of sidewalls 12C and 12D are visible in FIG.
1.
[0024] Each sidewall 12A-12D has a connection feature 14, 20, 13,
or 19 respectively and running between wall 17 and floor 18. Each
connection feature 14, 20, 13, and 19 is arranged to interlock with
a complementary connection feature carried on an adjacent sidewall
of a block 11.
[0025] Connection features 14 and 20 comprise tenon projections of
constant trapezoidal cross section. Connection features 13 and 19
comprise mortise grooves of constant trapezoidal cross section into
which features 14 and 20 on adjacent blocks 11 slide to form a
joint similar to that of a dovetail such as used in furniture
manufacture. Features 14 and 20 should fit relatively loosely
within features 13 and 19 so that a number of blocks 11 can be
assembled into a levee wall 10 without binding. Other types of
cross sections may provide similar results.
[0026] Each block 11 has a filler hole 27 near one corner of the
upper wall 17. Sidewalls 12B and 12D near the intersections with
floor 18 each have a drain plug 15. Two drain plugs are preferable
for reasons to be explained.
[0027] Internally, each block 11 has stiffening walls 23 and 24
running between opposite sidewalls 12A-12D and to the top and
bottom of the block 11. Opening 33 provides communication between
the four chambers that stiffening walls 23 and 24 define so that
water flowing into filler hole 27 distributes among all of the
internal chambers. Bottom blocks 11 (FIG. 3, tier 10A) in a levee
wall 10 may bear as much as 8000-10000 lb., so resistance to
crushing is important.
[0028] The floor of each block 11 has at least one recess 30 that
will align with a filler hole 27 when the block 11 is incorporated
into a levee wall 10. A pin 37 is sized to fit into both recess 30
and filler hole 27. A flange 37 on pin 36 prevents pin 36 from
falling into a block 11.
[0029] FIG. 5 is a top elevation view showing dimensions and
construction details of an individual block 11. The height of block
11 may be 2 ft. and the footprint is shown as 3 ft..times.3 ft. A
block 11 of these dimensions when filled with water will weigh
slightly over 1000 lb. Unfilled, each block 11 will weigh 50 lb. or
less, light enough for two people to lift and maneuver.
[0030] The material properties of the plastic from which block 11
is made should include relative stiffness and resistance to cold
weather deterioration. Note that each additional tier adds roughly
28 lb./in..sup.2 of compressive stress on the material comprising a
block 11 having the 0.25 in. wall thicknesses shown. The block 11
material must be able to easily support such loads under what are
often mechanically stressful conditions.
[0031] FIG. 3 shows details of the structure of a levee wall 10
constructed on a ground surface 54. Surface 48 shows the level of
restrained water on the wet side 16 of levee wall 10. For 2 ft.
high blocks 11, wall 10 as shown in FIG. 3 is 14 ft. high.
[0032] Wall 10 of FIG. 3 has seven tiers 10A-10G, although more or
fewer tiers may be present. Each of the tiers 10B-10G has one less
row of blocks 11 than the tier on which it sits. Each of the tiers
10B-10G overlaps one half of each of the two outside rows of blocks
11 in the tier on which it sits. (A row of blocks 11 extends
perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 3. Tier 10A has eight rows, for
example.)
[0033] To prevent seepage of water through a levee wall 10, plastic
sheeting 45 may lie along the wet side 16 of wall 10. The top end
of sheeting 45 may fit under the top tier 10G.
[0034] A pile of sandbags 51 lies on a part of the plastic sheeting
45 on surface 54 and extending away from levee wall 10, and also
against the wet side 16, which provides support for sandbags 51.
This construction requires many fewer sandbags 51 for a given levee
wall 10 height than does a levee wall comprising only sandbags.
Sandbags 51 stabilize the base of levee wall 10 and reduce seepage
of water under the base of levee wall 10.
[0035] FIG. 4 shows the relationship between the blocks 10 in tier
11A and in tier 11B for a portion of a levee wall 10, and how a
tier 11A, etc. comprises a plurality of interconnected blocks 11
extending along both the length and width of a wall 10. One sees
the filler holes 27 in each of the blocks 11 forming tier 10A.
Dotted line squares 42 indicate the position that the blocks
comprising tier 11B occupy. The recess 30 of each block in tier 10B
vertically aligns with a filler hole 27 in a block in tier 10A. A
pin 37 (FIG. 2) fits into the recess 30 of one block 11 and the
filler hole 27 of the block beneath that recess 30. Pins 37
collectively cooperate to maintain the position of each tier
10B-10G with respect to the tier on which it rests. Pins 37 and
filler holes 27 form cooperating inter-tier connection features on
the bottoms and tops respectively of blocks 11 to connect the
successive tiers 10A, etc. of blocks 11.
[0036] It is likely that the outside blocks 11 of successive tiers
10B-10G need not overlap by 50% as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 to
provide sufficient mass to resist the pressure of water standing
along a side of wall 10. By properly sizing the depth of one row of
blocks 11 along the length (as opposed to the depth) of each tier
10B-10G, the overlap on the outside blocks 11 of the overlying tier
can be increased to 67% or 75% for example. This will likely
require special positioning of the inter-tier connection features
as well.
[0037] Increasing the overlap to 67% or 75% eliminates a number of
unneeded interior blocks 11 for a given number of tiers 10B-10G.
FIG. 7 shows a 75% overlap from tier 10A' to tier 10B'. This
increased overlap arises from a void 58 in tier 10B'. Note that
this design provides four tiers 10A'-10D' using only eight blocks
11 rather than 10 blocks 11 as shown for tiers 10E-10H in FIG.
3.
[0038] Overlaps of greater than 50% require differences in the
positions of inter-tier connection features to align them in upper
and lower adjacent tiers 10A'-10D'. It is possible that efficiency
will require that tops and bottoms of each block 11 have a number
of sets of inter-tier connection features, but that only one set is
used, depending on the tier 10A'-10D' in which the block 11 is
used. For example, FIG. 7 shows two features 62 in the nature of
recesses 30 shown in FIG. 4 in the bottom of each block 11, and
three features 64 in the top of each block 11. Pins 37 fit in one
feature 62 of one block 11 and an aligned feature 64 of another
block 11.
[0039] Construction of a levee wall 11 may start at one end by
positioning unfilled blocks 11 forming a portion of several rows
for tier 11A. Each block 11 of course must interlock with the
adjacent blocks 11 to connect all of the blocks 11 in tier 10A
together.
[0040] After a block 11 has been position in tier 10A, it may be
filled with water. As soon as several blocks 11 have been laid in
the row of tier 10A nearest to the side on which restrained water
is expected, plastic sheeting 45 is positioned and sandbags 51
placed on the sheeting. After all of the rows forming tier 10A have
been started, then placement and filling of the blocks 11 forming
tier 10B can start.
[0041] This process continues for as many tiers as are required.
One can see that this process lends itself to a number of workers
simultaneously constructing such a levee wall 10. Some can be
placing blocks 11, while others handle filling of blocks 11 and
placement of the sheeting 45 and sandbags 51.
[0042] The weight of upper tiers 10F and 10G for example, distort
blocks in the lower tiers 10A and 10B for example, reducing gaps
between individual blocks 11. Such distortion further limits
infiltration and leakage of water through wall 10.
[0043] Additional tiers can easily be added on the dry side of
levee 10 should water level projections warrant. Workers can climb
up the blocks 10 already emplaced to place the empty blocks 10.
Then as blocks 10 are placed, water is pumped into the placed
blocks 10 through their filler holes 27.
[0044] Workers disassemble a wall 10 when water level 48 recedes by
substantially reversing the wall 10 assembly steps. Workers remove
individual drain plugs 15 from blocks 10 on the top tiers and then
remove individual blocks 10 after draining ends. Two drain plugs 15
allow access to one or the other of drain plugs 15 in blocks 11
from either side of a tier 10A-10G. If a drain plug 15 is not
accessible on either side, then a wall 10 can be disassembled from
only one side of each tier 10A-10G.
[0045] Blocks 10 can be stored outside if desirable awaiting
another threatened flood. Both assembly and disassembly of a wall
10 is less labor intensive than a sandbag wall.
[0046] FIG. 6 shows a wall 10' having a construction suitable for
use on a sloping surface 54. Sandbags 51 level the surface 54 on
which tier 10A' sits.
[0047] Proper esthetic design of blocks 11 may allow their use as a
permanent, inexpensive retaining wall. This is likely to be truer
in more temperate climates where freezing is infrequent or
nonexistent.
* * * * *