Road structure – process – or apparatus – Process – In situ treatment of earth or roadway
Patent
1998-03-06
1999-07-13
Lisehora, James A.
Road structure, process, or apparatus
Process
In situ treatment of earth or roadway
404 76, 404 82, 405154, 405179, E01C 2100, F16L 1028
Patent
active
059217073
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to filling of excavated openings through the surfaces of highways, including carriageways and footways, and through the underlying base material thereof.
The surface might include, for example, bituminous material, concrete or modular paving, such as flagstones, block paving or stone setts.
Such openings are typically required where a buried service such as a gas pipe, water main, sewer or electric cable, which is buried beneath the highway, has to be exposed by excavation for the purposes of repair, for example.
A method for filling such an opening has been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,026,206 (Patrick L O'Connor). In that specification it is proposed to transfer a quantity of broken pavement and underlying base material from an opening, mix it with water and a binder material to form a fluid, unshrinkable, settable filler mixture and apply the filler mixture to the opening. Apparatus is proposed in that specification for carrying out the method, such apparatus comprising means for transferring broken pavement and underlying base material from an opening; hopper means mounted on a vehicle for storing the removed materials, mixing means including a mixing chamber for mixing the removed material with water and a binder material to form the filler mixture; and means disposed in communication with the mixing chamber for applying the filler mixture to the opening.
The object of the present invention is to provide a method of filling by which the filler mixture is mixed in the opening.
According to the invention, a method of filling of an excavated opening through the surface of a highway and through the underlying base material comprises other similar excavated opening (separated from excavated oversize bituminous bound or rigid pavement material) and grout in the opening and adding spoil progressively until the spoil appears at the surface of the grout; mechanical equipment until the grout penetrates the voids in the spoil; opening reaches a level which corresponds or approximately corresponds to the underside of the surfacing layer of the highway.
Preferably, at each level of the opening, spoil is used which is equivalent to the existing layers in the walls of the opening.
It is also preferable that the excavated spoil is produced by excavating the opening which is to be filled.
Preferably, the majority of the excavated spoil is reused.
One embodiment of the method according to the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a vertical section through an excavated opening;
FIG. 2 is a schematic 3-dimensional view, partly in section, showing a container in which grout is mixed; and
FIGS. 3 to 6 are views showing the various stages of the method and FIG. 6 also shows the application of a surfacing layer which is applied subsequently to the completion of the method.
FIG. 1 shows the opening 10 which has been excavated through the pavement 12 of a highway and through the underlying base material 14 to expose a buried service 16 such as a gas main, for example. FIG. 1 shows the position after a repair has been carried out on the main 16 and a layer of infill material 18 has been placed in the opening 10 to protect and separate the main 16 from the material used to backfill the remainder of the opening 10.
The material excavated to produce the opening 10 has been separated into oversize bituminous bound or rigid material 20 and loose excavated spoil 22. The two heaps of materials 20, 22 are stored adjacent the opening 10 on undisturbed pavement 12.
The procedure of filling the opening begins with the provision, on site, of a fluid grout made typically by mixing Portland cement, water and a foaming agent. FIG. 2 shows one example of mixing grout 26 in a container 28. A hand-held power driven drill 29 having a paddle mixer attachment 32 is used to mix the grout 26. Mixing is continued until the required consistency has been reached and it is apparent that the foaming agent has been activated.
In variations of the method, the f
REFERENCES:
patent: 4329083 (1982-05-01), Parkinson
patent: 4557626 (1985-12-01), McKay et al.
patent: 4815891 (1989-03-01), O'Connor
patent: 4946307 (1990-08-01), Jakob
patent: 5026206 (1991-06-01), O'Connor
BG plc
Lisehora James A.
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