GB2410054A

GB2410054A - Fluid retention barrier element and assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2410054A
Application number: GB0400912A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Lewis
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-01-16
Filing date: 2004-01-16
Publication date: 2005-07-20
Anticipated expiration: 2024-01-16
Also published as: GB0400912D0; GB2410054B

Abstract

A fluid retention barrier element 10 comprises a fluid retaining panel 12, and a base member (14, Fig 2). Sealable connection comprising a first tongue 16 and a first socket 18 are provided for connecting adjacently located panels 12 together. The first tongue 16 is provided on one end of the panel 12 and the first socket 18 is provided at the other end of the panel. The first socket 18 is of a complimentary size and shape to the first tongue member 16, such that the first tongue member 16 may be closely received within the socket 18. A rubber seal may be provided within the socket 18. Two collapsibly mounted support arms 20 may be provided on one side of the panel 12. Sealable mounting means, in the form of a second tongue 22 and a second socket (24, Fig 2) are provided for mounting the panel 12 on the base member (14, Fig 2). A fluid retention barrier assembly is also provided.

Description

24 1 0054 Fluid retention barrier element and assembly The invention

relates to a fluid retention barrier element and to a fluid retention barrier assembly constructed from a plurality of fluid retention barrier elements.

The cost of flood damage currently exceeds 10 billion world wide every year, and is s expected to worsen in the immediate future due to environmental changes. Damage to property and the environment caused by flooding can have a significant impact on both individuals and the economy. During the autumn of 2000 over 1 O,OOO homes and businesses were flooded in the UK, and the UK Environment Agency states that there are 2 million homes and 185,000 businesses at risk from flooding.

to Existing flood barriers suitable for domestic use include sandbags and door barriers.

Sandbags suffer the problem of providing only limited levels of protection and are labour intensive to put into position. Door barrier type flood barriers restrict access to and from the property in which they are deployed and are unsightly when not in use. Large scale flood barriers, utilised by local councils to protect, for example, areas located along side rivers which break their banks, are also generally labour intensive to deploy and generally include parts which must be permanently located at the deployment site.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a fluid retention barrier element comprising: a fluid retaining panel member; a base member; sealable connection means comprising a first tongue member provided generally along one end of the panel member and a first socket, of complimentary size and shape to the first tongue member, provided generally along the other end of the panel member; and sealable mounting means comprising a second tongue member and a second socket, of complimentary size and shape to the second tongue member, one of the second tongue member and the second socket being provided generally along the, in use, bottom of the panel member and the other of the second tongue member and the second socket being provided on the base member.

so The fluid retaining panel member is preferably formed from a fluid impermeable material and is most preferably formed from a plastics material. The fluid retention barrier element preferably further comprises at least one support arm provided on one side of the panel member, the support arm extending generally outwardly from the panel member. Most preferably two support arms are provided on the panel member. The or each support arm is collapsible mounted on the panel member, such that the or each s support arm may be folded generally flat against the panel member when not in use.

Alternatively, the or each support arm may be Remountable from the panel, such that the or each support arm may be detached from the panel when not in use. The or each support arm is preferably generally triangular in shape.

Preferably, the second tongue member is provided on the panel member and the to second socket is provided on the base member.

The base member preferably comprises an elongate channel member, which defines the second socket, a seal provided on the interior surface of the channel member, and an anchor member for anchoring the base member in its in use position. The channel member and the anchor member are preferably formed from a plastics material, and Is may be formed as a single unit. The seal preferably comprises rubber sheeting and is most preferably provided across substantially the full interior surface of the channel member.

The channel member is preferably of generally circular cross-section, thereby giving the second socket a complimentary generally circular crosssection. The anchor member is so preferably provided on the, in use, lowermost exterior surface of the channel member, and most preferably extends along substantially the full length of the channel member.

The base member may further comprise a weighting member to which the channel member is anchored by means of the anchor member. The weighting member preferably comprises a concrete block in which the anchor member is set.

as The base member may further comprise a cap member for locating over the channel member when not in use.

The first socket preferably comprises a channel of generally circular cross-section formed within the panel member at its other end.

The first and second tongue members preferably comprise a rod, of complimentary so cross-sectional size and shape to the respective first and second sockets, the rod having a connecting element extending generally outwardly from the rod by which the tongue members are attached to the panel member.

The fluid retention barrier member may further comprise an attachment member for connecting the panel member to an existing structure, such as a wall. The attachment s member may comprise a third tongue member provided on a mounting plate, and fixing means for fixing the mounting plate to the existing structure. The third tongue member preferably comprises a rod, of complimentary cross-sectional size and shape to the first socket, the rod having a connecting element extending generally outwardly from the rod by which the tongue member is attached to the mounting plate.

lo The attachment member may alternatively comprise an elongate mounting block in which a third socket is formed, the third socket comprising a channel of generally circular cross-section, for receiving a first tongue member.

Each rod is preferably elastically deformable to enable it to be received within its respective socket. Each rod preferably has a channel cut into its surface, the channel Is extending axially along substantially the full length of the rod, the presence of the channel enabling the rod to undergo elastic compression.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a fluid retention barrier assembly comprising a plurality of fluid retention barrier elements according to the first aspect of the invention.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of part of a fluid retention barrier element according to a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic representation of the base member of the fluid retention barrier element of the first embodiment of the invention; Figure 3 is a diagrammatic representation of the channel member and anchor member of the base member of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a diagrammatic representation of two mounting blocks; and Figure 5 is a diagrammatic representation of a fluid retention barrier assembly according to a second embodiment of the invention.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4, a first embodiment of the invention provides a fluid retention barrier element in the form of a flood barrier element 10, intended for use to protect a domestic property. The flood barrier element 10 comprises a fluid retaining panel 12, and a base member 14.

The panel 12 comprises a rotationally moulded plastic panel having a length of 1.2m, a height of 0.9m, and a width of 1 7cm. Sealable connection means in the form of a first tongue 16 and a first socket 18 are provided for connecting adjacently located panels 12 to together, as will be described in more detail below.

The first tongue 16 is provided on one end of the panel 12 and extends for substantially the full height of the panel 12. The first tongue 16 comprises a rod 1 6a of generally circular cross-section and a connecting element 1 fib, by which the first tongue 16 is connected to the panel 12. The panel 12 and the first tongue 16 are formed as a single Is piece in this example. The rod 1 6a has an axially elongate channel 1 6c cut into its surface, to enable the rod 1 6a to be deformed under compression during insertion into the socket 18.

The first socket 18 is provided at the other end of the panel. The socket 18 comprises a recess formed within the end wall of the panel 12 which extends for substantially the full ho height of the panel 12. The first socket 18 is of a complimentary size and shape to the first tongue member 16, such that the rod 1 6a of the first tongue member 16 may be closely received within the socket 18. A seal in the form of a rubber sheet lining (not shown in Fig.1) is provided within the socket 18 and extends across the full interior surface of the socket 18.

as Two support arms 20, in the form of triangular steel frames, are provided on one side of the panel 12. The support arms 20 are collapsible mounted on the panel 12, by way of hinge mountings (not shown), such that they may be folded flat for storage, as indicated by arrow A. In use, the support arms 12 are located on the side of the panel 12 which will not be exposed to flood waters.

so Sealable mounting means, which in this example take the form of a second tongue 22 and a second socket 24, are provided for mounting the panel 12 on the base member 14. The second tongue 22 is provided along the, in use, lower edge of the panel 12 and extends for the full length of the panel 12, including the first tongue 16. The second tongue 22 is of the same construction as the first tongue 16.

The second socket 24 is provided on the base member 14, as shown in Figs 2 and 3.

The base member 14 comprises an elongate channel member 26, which defines the second socket 24. The elongate channel member 26 is of generally circular cross- section, thereby giving the second socket 24 a complimentary generally circular cross- section. The channel member 26 is lined with a seal in the form of a rubber sheet 28, which extends across the full interior surface of the channel member 26.

to An anchor 30 is provided along the, in use, lowermost exterior surface of the channel member 26 and serves to anchor the base member 14 in position when in use. The anchor 30 comprises an elongate bar which extends for the full length of the channel member 26 and slightly beyond one end of the channel member 26. In this example, the channel member 26 and the anchor 30 are formed as a single piece from plastic is material.

In this example, the base member further includes a weighting member, in the form of a concrete block 32, to which the channel member 26 is anchored by means of the anchor 30 which is set into the concrete. Screw fixings 34 are provided on the concrete block 32 by which the base member 14 may be secured in position.

The flood barrier element 10 also includes two attachment members 40, 50, as shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(b), by which the panel 12 may be fixed to a wall of a house. The first attachment member 40 comprises a mounting block 42, and a third tongue member 44, of the same size and construction as the first tongue member 16. A fourth tongue member 46 is also provided, and is substantially the same as the second tongue as member 22, but of shorter length. The second attachment member 50 comprises a mounting block 52 and a channel member 54, of the same size and construction as the channel member 26.

In use, an attachment member 40, 50 is secured to an external wall of a house, and a panel member 12 connected to it by means of its first tongue member 16 or its first JO socket 18, as appropriate. A substantially watertight seal is formed between each tongue member 16, 22, 44 and the rubber seal within the respective socket 18, 24, 54.

A second embodiment of the invention provides a fluid retention barrier assembly, which in this example takes the form of a flood barrier assembly 60, as shown in Figure 5.

The flood barrier assembly 60 comprises a plurality of flood barrier elements 10 according to the first embodiment (only three are shown for reasons of clarity).

Adjacent panels 12 are connected together by means of the co-operating first tongues 16 and first sockets 18, and are mounted on their respective base members 14 by means of the co-operating second tongues 22 and second sockets 24. The base members 14 are secured to the ground at ground level, or may be set into the ground up to the level of the concrete blocks 32.

lo Various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, the panels may be of a different size and shape to that described, and may be fabricated from a different water impermeable material. The tongues and sockets may be of a different size and crosssectional shape to those described. The tongues may be fabricated from a deformable material, thus removing the need for the Is axially extending channels. The seals within the channel members may be of a different material or arrangement.

The support arms may be of a different construction to that described, and may be collapsible mounted in a different manner. Alternatively, the or each support arm may be Remountable from the panel when not in use. A single support arm or no support arm may be used in place of the two support arms described, the number of support arms required being at least in part determined by the expected levels of flood water.

A cap member may be provided for locating over a base member when the flood barrier is not in use, to prevent the egress of dirt and debris into the channel member.

The described flood barrier element and assembly provide various advantages, as follows. A flood barrier assembly constructed from the described flood barrier elements is easy and quick to install, requiring only a couple of man hours to deploy a flood barrier of between 50 and 60 flood barrier elements around a standard size detached house. The panels are constructed from plastic and are therefore lightweight but strong, making them easy to manoeuvre.

The flood barrier assembly will protect a property against flood water levels of up to 0.75m. The skilled person will appreciate that deeper flood waters may be protected against by making panels of greater height.

Base members may be permanently located in the ground, along the path of a desired flood barrier, further reducing the time required to deploy the flood barrier. The base members can be covered with a cap member when not in use, to prevent dirt entering the channel member and to remove any trip hazard.

The circular sectional shape of the tongue member and their corresponding sockets enables the flood barrier assembly to easily form corners and allows the panels to be orientated away from the vertical, if required to avoid obstacles. Angles of up to 45 degrees may be achieved while maintaining the integrity of the seal.

Claims

Claims 1. A fluid retention barrier element comprising: a fluid retaining

panel member; a base member; sealable connection means comprising a first tongue member provided generally along one end of the panel member and a first socket, of complimentary size and shape to the first tongue member, provided generally along the other end of the panel member; and sealable mounting means comprising a second tongue member and a second socket, of complimentary size and shape to the second tongue member, one of the second tongue member and the second socket being provided generally along the, in use, bottom of the panel member and the other of the second tongue member and the second socket being provided on the base member.
2. A fluid retention barrier element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fluid retaining panel member is formed from a fluid impermeable material.
3. A fluid retention barrier element as claimed in claims 1 or 2, wherein the fluid retention barrier element further comprises at least one support arm provided on one side of the panel member, the support arm extending generally outwardly from the panel member.
4. A fluid retention barrier element as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the second tongue member is provided on the panel member and the second socket is provided on the base member.
5. A fluid retention barrier element as claimed in claim 4, wherein the base member comprises an elongate channel member, which defines the second socket, a seal provided on the interior surface of the channel member, and an anchor member for anchoring the base member in its in use position.
6. A fluid retention barrier element as claimed in claim 5, wherein the seal comprises rubber sheeting and is provided across substantially the full interior surface of the channel member.
7. A fluid retention barrier element as claimed in claims 5 or 6, wherein the anchor member is provided on the, in use, lowermost exterior surface of the channel member, and extends along substantially the full length of the channel member.
8. A fluid retention barrier element as claimed in any of claims 5 to 7, wherein the base member further comprises a weighting member to which the channel member is anchored by means of the anchor member.
9. A fluid retention barrier element as claimed in any of claims 5 to 8, wherein the base member further comprises a cap member for locating over the channel member when not in use.
10. A fluid retention barrier element as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first socket comprises a channel of generally circular crosssection formed within the panel member at its other end.
1 1. A fluid retention barrier element as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first and second tongue members comprise a rod, of complimentary cross-sectional size and shape to the respective first and second sockets, the rod having a connecting element extending generally outwardly from the rod by which the tongue members are attached to the panel member.
1 2.A fluid retention barrier element as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the fluid retention barrier member further comprises an attachment member for connecting the panel member to an existing structure.
13. A fluid retention barrier element as claimed in claim 12, wherein the attachment member comprises a third tongue member provided on a mounting plate, and fixing means for fixing the mounting plate to the existing structure, the third tongue member comprising a rod, of complimentary cross-sectional size and shape to the first socket, the rod having a connecting element extending generally outwardly from the rod by which the tongue member is attached to the mounting plate.
14. A fluid retention barrier element as claimed in claim 12, wherein the attachment member comprises an elongate mounting block in which a third socket is provided, lO the third socket comprising a channel of generally circular cross-section, for receiving a first tongue member.
15.A fluid retention barrier element as claimed in any of claims 1 1 to 14, wherein each rod is elastically deformable to enable it to be received within its respective socket.
1 6.A fluid retention barrier element as claimed in claim 15, wherein each rod has a channel cut into its surface, the channel extending axially along substantially the full length of the rod, the presence of the channel enabling the rod to undergo elastic compression.
17. A fluid retention barrier assembly comprising a plurality of fluid retention barrier elements as claimed in any preceding claim.
18.A fluid retention barrier element substantially as described above with reference to the accompanying drawings.
19. A fluid retention barrier assembly substantially as described above with reference to the accompanying drawings.