Road structure – process – or apparatus – Pavement – Modules or blocks
Patent
1992-09-02
1994-11-15
Britts, Ramon S.
Road structure, process, or apparatus
Pavement
Modules or blocks
404 41, 52180, E01C 520
Patent
active
053642040
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to apparatus for covering an area of ground and is particularly concerned with apparatus for covering any area of ground that needs protection from pedestrians or vehicular traffic etc. such that the area of ground can be used for other purposes. An example of this is a sports pitch such as a football pitch which can be converted for other uses.
Sports stadiums having a grassed area for football, rugby or the like provide good facilities and sufficient capacity for presenting other sports or entertainments such as boxing matches, pop concerts and the like. However to avoid damage to the grass pitch, it is necessary to cover the pitch with temporary flooring. Existing types of flooring have heretofore not been designed with any particular attention to the care of the pitch, and pitch problems can easily arise.
According to the present invention there is provided apparatus for temporarily covering an area of ground, the apparatus comprising means defining a substantially continuous surface capable of supporting one or more persons thereon above the area of ground, characterised in that the apparatus also comprises means engageable with the ground to locate the apparatus thereon with minimal damage thereto, and means enabling continued growth of plants in said area when covered by the apparatus.
Preferably the surface defining means comprises a substantially planar member, said surface of which has the form of a grid. The latter is defined by recesses which are so dimensioned that the recesses are bridged by footwear and thus do not affect walking on the grid. The recesses may extend across the whole width of the planar member to provide drainage therefrom.
Preferably also the locating means comprises a plurality of spikes, each of which is so shaped as to penetrate the area of ground without shear and thus without damage thereto. The spikes may include an annular flange locatable adjacent the planar member. The flange may curve towards the planar member and be deformable under load towards a planar alignment.
Alternatively the locating means may comprise feet. The feet may have rounded edges to prevent damage to the ground. One or more ports may be provided through the feet to aid plant growth.
The locating means may be detachably mountable on the underside of the planar member. The locating means may be mountable on strengthening ribs of the planar member and desirably at junctions between perpendicularly extending ribs.
The growth enabling means may comprise a plurality of through ports in the apparatus to allow the plants to breathe therethrough. The opening of each port on said surface may be dimensioned such as to be bridged by footwear. Further the apparatus may be formed of a semi-opaque material to allow a required reduced amount of light to pass therethrough.
Part of the surface of the planar member may be provided with a surface of increased friction. The increased friction surface may be provided in areas between recesses in which no through ports are provided. The increased friction surface may comprise a coating of a granular material.
The apparatus may be in the form of a unit with means for interlocking with one or more other such units. The interlocking means may comprise respective male and female components on respective sides of each unit. Alternatively the interlocking means may comprise components which can act as either male or female components. The interlocking components may be lockably interlocked by the action of key means.
The locating means may be locatable on the units such that locating means are provided beneath points within the body of the units, and beneath two side edges of each unit with the locating means overlapping beneath adjacent units, such that locating means are provided beneath all side edges of each unit.
The apparatus is advantageously formed of a plastics material and preferably natural co-polymer polypropylene or high density polyethylene.
Openings may be provided in side walls of the units alignable with openings in adjacent units ther
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Adams, III W. Thad
Britts Ramon S.
Lisehora James A.
Terraplas Limited
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