Hydraulic and earth engineering – Fluid control – treatment – or containment – Fluid storage in earthen cavity
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-15
2003-09-30
Lee, Jong-Suk (James) (Department: 3673)
Hydraulic and earth engineering
Fluid control, treatment, or containment
Fluid storage in earthen cavity
C405S043000, C405S046000, C405S055000, C210S170050
Reexamination Certificate
active
06626609
ABSTRACT:
The present application is the U.S. national phase under 35 U.S.C. §371 of International Application No. PCT/JP00/02359 filed Apr. 12, 2000.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a rain-water storing permeation structure, and a water storing block and a water-storing block connecting member that are used for such a structure, and more specifically concerns a rain-water storing permeation structure which can be applied to facilities, such as architectures like buildings, roads, water channels, parks and play grounds, factory sites and domestic sites, as well as water storing blocks used for such a structure and a connecting member for connecting the water-storing blocks to each other.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventionally, most of rain water permeated the soil, or formed ground water. Rain fall was held in the soil as a whole in various states, and exerted the following functions: It served as a water supply source required for growth of trees and other plants, adjusted the temperature of the earth surface through evaporation from the surface of the soil when it was hot, and also adjusted the amount of water of rivers.
However, in recent years, buildings, paved roads, etc., have increased due to rapid land developments and pavements of roads, resulting in less land where the soil is directly exposed to the surface in roads, play grounds and factory sites. For this reason, rain water is allowed to flow sewage systems and rivers through drainage channels, without penetrating the soil, thereby causing the following problems:
(1) Reduction and exhaustion in ground water, and the subsequent land subsidence.
(2) Occurrence of a heat island phenomenon due to inability of heat removal from the earth surface because of less water evaporation and the subsequent less heat absorption by vaporization.
(3) Concentration of rain water into sewage systems and rivers at the time of a heavy rain, and the subsequent occurrence of deluge and flood, or necessity of works for river control systems, and for expansion of sewage systems, etc. in an attempt to prevent such disasters.
In order to solve these problems, a method has been proposed in which: the ground is excavated to form a hole, a rain-water storing permeation structure is installed therein, and parks, roads, etc. are formed thereon, or buildings are built thereon. As described below, two types of such a rain-water storing permeation structure have been known:
(a) A structure based upon a concrete unit engineering method (Nikkei Construction, published on Mar. 13, 1998) in which a tank made of reinforced concrete is constructed as water-shielding material layers, and concrete blocks each of which has a void at a ratio of approximately 80% and also has each side set as large as 1.2 m are stacked and housed in this tank, and after a lid layer has been placed, a soil layer is further formed thereon so as to form a park, etc.
(b) A center-to-center* block engineering method (disclosed in a catalog of Hayashi Bussan K.K.) in which: a tank is formed by using a water-proof sheet as a water-shielding material layer, and in this tank, water-storing layers are formed by stacking and housing cage-shaped hollow blocks made from polypropylene, each of which has a trapezoidal pyramid shape measuring 360 mm×360 mm in upper surface, 270 mm×270 mm in bottom face, and 260 mm in height, with a void at a ratio of approximately 95%, and after a lid layer has been formed thereon, a soil layer is further placed thereon.
However, in the case of the concrete unit engineering method, since the weight of the concrete blocks is very high, its base portion needs to be formed by a high-strength material such as reinforced concrete, and a long construction period is required. Consequently, the construction costs become high as a whole.
Moreover, upon construction of the water-storing layers, a heavy machine is required in assembling the heavy concrete blocks. When such a heavy machine is used, a large working space is required, with the result that the land having a limited area cannot be used to an extent of 100%, thereby limiting the rain-water storing capability.
In the case of the center-to-center* block engineering method, the cage-shaped hollow blocks made of polypropylene (PP) do not have a sufficient compression strength; therefore, as is also described in the catalog, PP blocks can not be stacked with a depth of the water-storing layers exceeding 3 m. This limits the rain water storing capability per construction area. Moreover, PP is not sufficiently resistant to degradation due to microorganisms, etc., in the soil.
The objective of the present invention is to provide a rain-water storing permeation structure which is easily constructed without the need for a heavy machine, has a superior load-resistant property, and provides a sufficient depth and the subsequent great rain-water storing capacity, as well as water storing blocks used therein and a connecting member for connecting these water-storing blocks.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In order to achieve the above-mentioned objective, the rain-water storing permeation structure of the present invention features a construction which is provided with a water-shielding layer placed in a recessed section in the ground, a water-storing layer that is constituted by water-storing blocks made of a hard resin foam member having an inner space, and that is placed inside the water-shielding layer, and a lid layer.
The water-storing block made of a hard resin foam member having an inner space has a high compression strength and a superior load resistant property, and is light weight and easily manufactured at low costs. Therefore, it is possible to provide a deep construction of the water-storing layers, and since no heavy machine is required, it is possible to reduce the working space; thus, it becomes possible to provide a rain-water storing permeation structure having a high rain-water storing capacity per construction area. In particular, its superior load resistant property enables the upper surface to be used as roads, and the coverage of such a wide area makes it possible to store and utilize a large amount of rain water, and consequently to reduce damage from heavy rain fall.
The water-storing layer is formed by the water-storing blocks that are arranged, stacked and placed therein; thus, a number of small voids for storing rain water are formed. The percentage of void of the water-storing block is set to not more than 70%, and more preferably, in the range of 40 to 65%. The percentage less than 40% causes a reduction in the rain-water storing capacity, and the percentage exceeding 70% tends to cause an insufficient compression strength with respect to the load applied from above.
The upper surface of the rain-water storing permeation structure of the present invention can be utilized as sites for buildings, roads, play grounds, parks, gardens, etc. Therefore, with respect to the surface layer, layers, such as concrete bases, paved road surfaces, lawns, tartan tracks, soil, etc. are formed. The level of the upper surface of the lid layer is determined by taking into consideration the purpose of use, peripheral conditions, etc., and in general, it is set to virtually the same level as the peripheral soil layer, with the surface layer being included.
The water-shielding layer, which has a function to prevent stored rain water from leaking and flowing away, is made from a material having no water permeability. In general, a soil layer surrounds the rain-water storing permeation structure; however, not limited by this, structures such as concrete walls and concrete fences may surround the rain-water storing permeation structure.
The lid layer of the rain-water storing permeation structure of the present invention is preferably designed so as to include a water permeable material layer.
The lid layer has the following functions: prevention of soil from flowing into the inner voids of the water-storing block housed inside the water-storing layer; formation of a soil layer as the surfa
Kotani Tetsuho
Shiode Atsuo
ECO-Plan 21 Co., Ltd.
Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP
Lee Jong-Suk (James)
LandOfFree
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