GB2236276A

GB2236276A - Structural members suitable for toxic and hazardous waste containers

Info

Publication number: GB2236276A
Application number: GB8917554A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Henry Melville Green
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-08-01
Filing date: 1989-08-01
Publication date: 1991-04-03
Also published as: GB8917554D0

Abstract

A structural member comprises a first layer (13) of filler material and an integrally moulded second layer (14) of antispalling material. Preferably the anti-spalling material comprises an impact resistant material such as a fabric reinforced cement and the filler material comprises concrete. The structural member may be a panel of rectangular configuration and may have location and fixing means integrally moulded therein. A container for toxic waste is also disclosed, having panel sections which comprise a first layer of filler material, an integrally moulded second, outer layer of anti-spalling material and a third, inner layer (22) of chemically inert or resistant material, said third layer being integrally moulded with or bonded to said first layers. The third layer may comprise a polymeric material or a polymer cement with an inert liner (e.g. PTFE). A lead shield may be located within the composite or added as an insert. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO STRUCTURAL MEfIBERS The invention relates to structural members and more particularly, but not exclusively, to waste containers suitable for safe storage and transport of toxic and hazardous wastes utilising such structural members.

Toxic and hazardous wastes, in the majority of instances, are presently transported and stored in metal drums. This can cause hazardous situations to arise when, for example, a vehicle carrying such drums is involved in a collision during transportation and due to corrosion of drums, leading to leakage of the toxic waste, during storage.

It is an object of the invention to obviate or mitigate the above disadvantages.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a structural member which comprises a first layer of filler material and an integrally moulded second layer of anti-spalling material.

Preferably the anti-spalling material comprises an impact resistant material such as a fabric reinforced cement and the filler material comprises concrete.

The structural member may be a panel of rectangular configuration and may have location and fixing means integrally moulded therein.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a container for toxic waste having panel sections which comprise a first layer of filler material, and integrally moulded second, outer layer of anti-spalling material and a third, inner layer of chemically inert or resistant material, said third layer being integrally moulded with or bonded to said first layers.

Preferably the container comprises a steel box section loading frame having fixed to it flat wall panels of composite material, comprising said'first and second layers, and said third layer bonded to the inner surfaces of all said first layers.

The third layer may comprise a synthetic plastics material, such as a polymeric material, a polymer cement with an inert liner (for example P.T.F.E., polytetrafluoroethylene) and a lead shield may be located within the composite panel or be added as an insert if required.

The top and bottom panels of the container may be of composite materials, as described for the wall panels, and be attached to the steel box section loading frame in similar fashion to form a rigid box structure.

The foregoing and further objects of the invention may be more readily understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic perspective representation of a loading frame of a container for toxic waste, and Figure 2 is a sectional view of a corner portion of the container of Figure 1 on an enlarged scale.

Referring now to the drawings there is shown a container for toxic waste which comprises a loading frame 10 comprising a framework of steel box section members 11 which may be engaged by the forks of a fork lift truck at the arrows A or engaged for sling/stacking loading and unloading at arrows B.

Referring now particularly to figure 2 there is shown a sectional view through a corner portion of the frame 10 of figure 1 with rectangular wall panels 12 attached to a member 11. Each panel 12 comprises a first layer 13 of filler material such as concrete which has been integrally moulded with a second layer 14 of anti-spalling material such as fabric reinforced cement. Also integrally moulded with layers 13 and 14 is a steel angle boundary frame 17 with fixing means which comprise nuts 15, welded to the inner surface of angle section members 17 coincident to apertures 16. Such panels 12 are moulded and set aside to cure prior to being fitted to the steel loading frame.

Each box section member 11 has angle section members 18 attacted thereto by bolts 19 with apertures 20 located to align with apertures 16 in members 17 so as to facilitate attachment thereto by bolts 21.

With the panels 12 located in position within the loading frame a third layer 22 of chemically inert/resistent material is bonded to the inner surfaces of layers 13. Such layer 22 may be moulded polymeric material or a liner insert of chemical resistant material such as a fluoroplastic. Alternitavely layer 22 may be composed of a chemical resistant coating of polymer composite. Such layer composite may be applied directly to concrete layer 13 using conventional paint application techniques. The composite may be achieved by using a primer sealer, followed by a build coat and finished with a tough surface top coating. In addition a glass flake reinforcement may form part of this relatively thin composite layer.

Containers formed as disclosed hereinbefore are designed for ease of handling, readily stackable and have a high resistance to rupture or leakage due to impact during transportation or long term storage.

Figure 2 shows a protective metal sheeting 23 fixed to the box section members 11 as an anti-vandal device. Alternatively a steel mesh grid could be welded to the box section members 11 to perform a similar function.

The panels 12, loading frame 10 and fixings as described may be manufactured in kit form and despatched in economic flat packs to remote or difficult locations, for re-assembly on site.

The containers may be of any size depending upon the intended use.

One envisaged size suitable for transportation as well as storage would be 2.4 metres long by 2 metres wide by 2 metres high with the first layer 13 having twice the thickness of the second and third layers, these being 20 milli-metres and 10 milli-metres respectively for this embodiment.

Although hereinbefore the first and second layers have been referred to as constituted by concrete and fibre reinforced cement, the antispalling material could alternatively be a non-cementitious material, for example a glass fibre reinforced epoxy resin composite, the filler material then comprising a low cost material such as fly ash material with a suitable binder.

Claims

1. A structural member which comprises a first layer of filler material and an integrally moulded second layer of anti-spalling material.

2. A member as claimed in claim 1 wherein the anti-spalling material comprises fabric reinforced cement.

3. A member as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the filler material comprises concrete.

4. A member as claimed in any preceding claim comprising a third layer of chemically inert or resistant material which is integrally moulded with or bonded to said first layer.

5. A member as claimed in any preceding claim which comprises a panel having location and fixing means integrally moulded therein.

6. A member as claimed in claim 5 wherein the panel is of rectangular configuration.

7. A member as claimed in any preceding claim including a further lead shield layer.

8. A container for toxic waste having panel sections which comprise a first layer of filler material, an integrally moulded second, outer layer of anti-spalling material and a third, inner layer of chemically inert or resistant material, said third layer being integrally moulded with or bonded to said first layers.

9. A container as claimed in claim 8 wherein the container comprises a steel box section loading frame having fixed thereto flat wall panels of composite material, comprising said first and second layers, and said third layer bonded to the inner surfaces of all said first layers.

10. A container as claimed in claim 9 wherein each said panel comprises a member as claimed in claim 5.

11. A member as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 7 or a container as claimed in any one of claims 8, 9 or 10 wherein said third layer comprises a synthetic plastics material.

12. A member or container as claimed in claim 11 wherein said third layer comprises a polymeric material.

13. A member or container as claimed in claim 11 or 12 wherein said third layer comprises a polymer cement with a chemically inert liner.

14. A container as claimed in any one of claims 8,9 or 10, or claims 11,12 or 13 when appendant thereto including a lead shield insert.

15. A container as claimed in any one of claims 9, 10, or 14 wherein top and bottom panels of the container comprise wall panels attached to the loading frame to form a rigid box structure.

16. A container for toxic waste substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.