Hydraulic and earth engineering – Bank – shore – or bed protection – Revetment
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-15
2004-02-03
Lagman, Frederick L. (Department: 3673)
Hydraulic and earth engineering
Bank, shore, or bed protection
Revetment
C405S017000, C405S019000, C405S020000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06685391
ABSTRACT:
FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to ground surface cover systems used for erosion control, and more particularly to a ground surface cover system featuring interlocking elements flexibly locked by a flexible interlocking joint, used for erosion control, and a corresponding method.
Erosion is a process involving the movement of earthy or rock material along a ground surface as result of natural processes including rain, wind, earthquakes and related movements in the ground, or man made processes such as water redistribution or the formation of artificial bodies of water, which are capable of moving earthy or rock material along the upper surface of the ground. Ordinarily, it is desirable to control erosion at elevated or inclined locations such as along roadsides, edges around bodies of water, for example, reservoirs, rivers, and lakes, and bridge to ground connections, where erosion is known to cause structural and environmental damage.
Currently, commonly used methods of effectively controlling erosion involve the placement of a ground cover on top of and along the surface of interest, of an area extending the region of desired erosion control. The main objective of placing ground cover is to adequately control or minimize the movement of earthy or rock material along the surface of the ground, whatever the cause of the movement. In terms of functionality, there are several important properties for a ground surface cover system to have in order to be effective. Foremost, an effective ground surface cover system needs to be made of sufficient strength and long term stability to withstand one or more of the elements causing erosion processes such as water, water flow, and ground movement, over long periods of time, i.e., years. At locations where water flow is involved in the erosion process, it is desirable for a ground surface covering to withstand, and allow for, efficient patterns of water flow and water distribution along the covered surface or ground. At locations where ground movement is involved in the erosion process, for example, involving cavity or protrusion formations at the ground surface, it is desirable for the ground surface cover system to horizontally, vertically, and angularly self-adjust, in a flexible way, along with ground movement, otherwise damage to the ground surface cover system may take place, thereby decreasing the effectiveness of subsequent erosion control at such locations. Instead of, or, in addition to self-adjustment, for the same reason, it is desirable for a ground surface cover system to be manually adjustable, or flexible, according to need. Hereinafter, the terms flexible and flexibility refer to horizontal, vertical, and/or angular motion or movement, whereby such motion or movement is of a ground surface cover system in general, of interlocking elements of a ground surface cover system, or, of the interlocking joint of the elements, in particular.
An additional, but optional, desired attribute of a ground surface cover system relates to landscape, involving the presence of spaces throughout the ground surface cover system enabling botanic growth. This attribute may or may not have functional importance to the ground surface cover system, depending upon the actual causes and parameters of an erosion process at a particular location, i.e., the presence of botanic growth throughout a ground surface cover system can affect patterns of water flow, movement of ground, and movement of the ground surface cover system itself. Other important attributes of a suitable ground cover system are economic based, whereby manufacturing and installation need to be feasible, practical, and of reasonable costs. Other attributes include the extent to which a ground surface cover system is replaceable and reusable either at a same location, at a different location, or both.
Several different types of ground surface cover systems are in common use. In addition to simply partially or completely covering the selected area of ground surface requiring erosion control with a multitude of removable individual stones, four main categories are ordinarily referred to with respect to ground surface cover systems, i.e., single cast structures, multi-cast structures, ‘gabion’ structures, and combination structures. Single cast ground surface cover systems are based on permanently covering the selected area of ground surface requiring erosion control with a layer of concrete alone, or, with a layer of concrete containing a dispersion of stones. Optional metal reinforcements internal to the cover material may be used throughout selected portions of the ground surface cover system. Multi-cast ground surface cover systems are based on the placement of a multitude of, removable, individual, geometrically formed, elements or blocks, usually made from concrete, which partially or incompletely cover the selected area of ground surface requiring erosion control. Gabion ground surface cover systems are based on the placement of gabion structures, featuring a continuous or discontinuous network or web like structured system of metal baskets or cages of specified geometries, dimensions, and rigidity, filled with a chosen density of loose, non-cemented stones. Combination ground surface cover systems are based on the placement of a plastic matting featuring concrete casting modules, typically of a honeycomb like geometry, upon the ground, and casting, on-site, the concrete modules. Individual concrete modules are relatively near to, but are not in contact with, each other.
Multi-cast ground surface cover systems may be further classified into two different types, i.e., systems based on interconnecting elements or locks, and systems based on interlocking elements or blocks. Hereinafter, interconnecting refers to the state or configuration of elements or blocks placed side-to-side or adjacent to each other, thereby forming a larger non-flexible pattern of such elements or blocks, where the elements or blocks are connected, and not locked, even loosely, to each other via element to element or block to block male to female connection or mating of any sort. Hereinafter, interlocking refers to the state or configuration of elements or blocks which are placed in contact with each other via some sort of element to element or block to block male to female interlocking connection or mating, thereby forming a larger non-flexible or flexible pattern of such elements or blocks, where the elements or blocks are locked to each other. In this case, the interlocking connection or mating between any two elements or blocks forms a joint, where the joint is comprised of a male component structural feature such as a hook, protrusion, extension, barb, tongue, or nose, compatible with and interlocked to a corresponding female component structural feature such as a recess, opening, or related cutout structural feature. According to present usage, an interlocking element to element or block to block joint may be non-flexible or flexible, whereby flexibility refers to the capability of movement or turning in a horizontal or vertical direction without damaging or breaking the interlocking joint, or the elements or blocks.
In regard to multi-cast ground surface cover systems, current teachings of interlocking ground surface cover systems are based on individual elements interlocked by rigid or fixed, non-flexible joints between the elements, resulting in no degrees of freedom for vertical or horizontal movement. This characteristic of multi-cast interlocking element systems presents several significant limitations for application of such systems to erosion control. As will be shown, the system of the present invention overcomes many such limitations by featuring a flexible joint between interlocking elements of a multi-cast ground surface cover system for producing an effective erosion control system. There is a need for, and it would be useful to have a multi-cast interconnecting ground surface cover system which overcomes the limitation of non-flexibility of the system, in
Ackerstein Industries Ltd.
Friedman Mark M.
Lagman Frederick L.
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