WO2004052087A1

WO2004052087A1 - Internal stable arrangement

Info

Publication number: WO2004052087A1
Application number: PCT/DK2003/000856
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bjarne Kongsgaard
Original assignee: Ikadan System A/S
Priority date: 2002-12-12
Filing date: 2003-12-12
Publication date: 2004-06-24
Also published as: AU2003287877A1; DK200201905A; DK175242B1

Abstract

Method of building stable for pigs or the like using partition walls as support for cross members carrying floor elements. The partition walls are erected in a slurry pit, and a sewer is created underneath the floor. A double panel partition wall for the building is also described.

Description

INTERNAL STABLE ARRANGEMENT

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns a method for arranging a stable room with animal sties, including particularly stable rooms in which a sewer system has been provided under the floor level of the animals. In addition, the invention also concerns an element for making a stable arrangement for application according to the new method for arranging a stable room.

In stables for animal husbandry, including particularly pig stables, the stable is typically built up by basement being concreted in connection with the bottom slab, where channel elements for liquid manure channels are to be placed later. Then a floor is concreted, possibly with a slope towards the liquid manure channel, or alternatively, a drainage pipe network is established with associated liquid manure plugs, after which the actual floor on which the animals are walking is arranged above that floor. This floor is often a slatted floor or a grating so that manure and liquid manure from the animals may pass the floor for later collection in the liquid manure channel, and via this being conducted to dung yard and collection of liquid manure, respectively.

The walls of the liquid manure channel are often concreted in situ, implying quite a good deal of work with shuttering. Alternatively, the liquid manure channel can be made of prefabricated concrete, or fibre concrete elements, or be constructed of blocks of concrete. After having finished constructing the liquid manure channel and, if necessary, after finished time for setting, the bottom of the liquid manure vessel is cast with slope towards the just finished liquid manure channel. The floor on which the animals are to walk is then established, e.g. by suspension at walls disposed on the basement for the liquid manure channels. Then traditional stable equipment may then be inserted as usual.

The traditional stable construction method is relatively costly, since even when prefabricated liquid manure channels are used, some manual work is still left, as well as the traditionally cast constructions have little flexibility, and that furthermore it may be very difficult to get access to the liquid manure channel in case of repair or the like.

Thus there is need for a more flexible and rapid stable arrangement system which, besides providing for a flexible arrangement and for possibility of changing the arrangement, also fulfil the hygienic and work environmental requirements for a modern stable arrangement.

The invention provides for this by providing a method for arranging a stable room as mentioned above, where the method includes pre-fabricated partitioning elements being erected upon a floor or a liquid manure channel bottom corresponding to the sty layout; cross member elements being established between the largely parallel partitionings at a height immediately under desired floor level; slatted floor elements, and/or floor grating elements, and/or floor elements being mounted upon the cross members; and sty boundaries being installed upon the floor perpendicularly to the largely parallel partitionings.

Hereby is provided a very flexible system as the sty partitionings are combined with the manure channel walls, and the walls may be prefabricated standard elements. The element is chosen in a suitable height so that the vertical dimension of the element corresponds to the depth of the liquid manure channel plus the desired height above the floor in the sty.

In a further, preferred embodiment of the invention, installations such as ventilation or water are laid below sty floor level. Since the arrangement of the equipment in the stable is made of elements, it is relatively simple to build up the installation system as a part of this stable arrangement. Furthermore, from a maintenance viewpoint it is a relatively simple matter to get access to the installations, as the floor elements are removed, after which free access to the installations concerned is provided at a comfort- able working height. Traditionally, installations of the above mentioned type are laid under ceilings and along walls, where these installations over time may collect dust and other matter from the stable room, whereby these eventually may constitute a health risk, as dust and dirt in a moist environment may be ground for bacteria, vira and the like.

In a further, preferred embodiment, the partitioning elements are secured with fittings to the floor/liquid manure channel bottom, and that a watertight sealing is optionally established between partitioning elements and bottom. By firstly mounting the partitioning elements with fittings to the floor/liquid manure channel bottom, flexibility is achieved, as the arrangement, i.e. the layout of the sties, can be changed by just releasing the partitioning elements from the fittings, moving the fittings, and then securing the partitioning elements to the fittings again. Hereby, the arrangement in the stable can be changed in a relatively simple way so that it will fit at any time to the demands that may be put on sty size and number of sties etc. By furthermore making a watertight sealing between the partitioning element and the floor/liquid manure bottom it is prevented that possible infection can be spread to the other sties, e.g. by the liquid manure seeping from a liquid manure channel under a sty through/under the partitioning element and into another sty.

Thus, compared with the traditional stable arrangement where the liquid manure channels are concreted, a far more flexible structure is attained.

In a further, preferred embodiment of the invention, the cross members are fastened to partitioning elements by means of fittings, whereby the partitioning elements are stabilised. By so making the ends of the cross members and the associated points of fastening on the partitioning elements so that the partitioning elements constitute a stabilis- ing joint at the connection with the cross members, flexibility in the structure is achieved, as no further measures have to be done in connection with the stability of the stable arrangement, and simultaneously the use of resources in connection with installing stable equipment is reduced.

The cross members may e.g. be disposed on landing-like devices, possibly pre-made on the partitioning elements and bolted directly on the partitioning elements. Alternatively, holes can be made in the partitioning elements for laying the cross members. In a further embodiment of the invention, floor elements and cross members may be an integrated element. This is particularly interesting where elements made in concrete and/or plastic are used.

In a further, preferred embodiment, the fastening fittings of the partitioning elements for the bottom are integrated with the fastening fittings of the cross members, and the fitting can optionally be integrated in the partitioning element. This embodiment is particularly interesting as the same fitting is used for the cross members as for securing the partitioning elements. This reduces part of the load on the partitioning element itself, why this, besides being self-supporting and possibly dimensioned to carry other stable equipment, does not need to bear the full load from the cross members, but can be continued to the floor via the fittings. With regard to the corrosion problems in the liquid manure channel, the fitting can be integrated in the partitioning element which thereby functions as a kind of corrosion protection, since the partitioning element, which is made of a non-corrosive material, encloses large parts of the fitting. A further advantage of the integration is that manure or liquid manure is not heaped around the profile of the fitting or its fastening at the bottom.

In a further, preferred embodiment, the prefabricated partitioning elements are made in modules where the height of each module largely corresponds to the distance from floor/liquid manure channel to the top side of the floor, and that the modules may be mutually assembled along all sides, e.g. by means of fittings, welding or the like. Thus, by using prefabricated partitioning elements with a uniform height it is ensured that the floor level becomes uniform in the entire stable. Furthermore, the same elements, or another series of elements with another height, are used a partitioning ele- ments above floor level, whereby other stable equipment such as elements of bars, automatic dry feeders and the like can be adapted in the system. Besides, it is foreseen that elements of bars, automatic dry feeders etc. can be made in corresponding modular dimensions so that the complete equipment forms part of a prefabricated, modular system whereby a very large degree of flexibility is achieved in arrangements and changes of the stable arrangement.

In a further, preferred embodiment, one or more levels are provided above or largely in parallel with the floor plane when mounting secondary girders and flat elements. In modem stables it may be desirable to insert an extra level at a height above the floor so that piglets going with the sow may rest in a so-called cave, where furthermore piglet feeding devices, heating elements and other equipment particularly intended for the piglets can be arranged. By forming such a cave, a zone with elevated temperature for the sake of the piglets may be created, with relatively low energy consumption.

In a still further embodiment of the method according to the invention, in the stable room there may be established a large vessel by erecting partitioning elements along outer walls and bottom elements covering the entire stable room floor made according to the same principle as the partitioning wall elements; and that upon the bottom of the vessel prefabricated partitioning elements are erected, corresponding to the sty configuration; that cross members are established between the largely parallel partitionings at a height immediately under the wanted floor level; that upon the cross members slatted floor elements, and/or floor grating elements, and/or floor elements are mounted; that sty boundaries are installed upon the floor perpendicularly to the largely parallel partitionings. This embodiment is particularly interesting when rebuilding existing stables, as the stable room is hereby completely cleared of equipment, after which a largely watertight vessel is built up from bare bottom, after which the stable arrangement is established as described above. It is thus possible to incorporate the very flexible principles by the present invention in an already existing stable building.

In order to allow for all wishes for the arrangement, the method according to the invention is further extended also to include other elements, such as lattice gates and elements of bars, whereby the partitioning elements are prepared for joining with these other elements, such a lattice gates, elements of bars and automatic dry feeders etc.

In order to reduce the smell nuisances in the stable room, in a further, preferred embodiment a funnel element has been arranged, having means for securing against partitioning elements, e.g. by screwing, bonding, welding, or for bearing on cross members or secondary girders, and where the funnel element is designed with slope towards an opening, the opening having an area which is substantially less than the area of the funnel element. The funnel element thus covers a substantial part of the floor surface, whereby the gases, mainly ammonia gas, are prevented from reaching the stable room. In order to further limit the smell nuisances, either there may be formed access to the ambient surroundings, whereby the overpressure in the stable will force the gases out, or venti- lation may be established under floor and funnel element level. The ventilation may be coupled with an odour removing facility so that substantial smell nuisances will not occur in the surroundings of the stable either.

The invention also concerns an element for building up a stable arrangement according to a method as describe above, where the element consists of two or more shells of synthetic material. The shells of synthetic material are made with a relatively plane and smooth front side, which at the back side are provide with a cell structure. The cell structure is e.g. built up of walls of synthetic material perpendicularly to the plane of the back side. The walls are arranged so that they cross each other largely at right an- gles. Hereby is formed a large number of cells that together form the cell structure.

The walls may obviously cross at different angles and are not bound to cross each other largely at right angles.

The finished element is assembled by joining two shells of synthetic material so that the front sides of the shells are facing outwards. The joining may be effected by bonding, welding, screwing, vulcanizing, or by another suitable method of joining.

Thus, by constructing the element of synthetic material, the weight of the elements can be held relatively low, whereby erection, transport etc. of the elements are considera- bly eased. Furthermore, the synthetic shells may be of such material that a very high strength is attained in the individual elements, whereby strength/weight ration enables mounting without using cranes and the like.

Before the element is assembled, reinforcements for mounting the element, or for mounting other stable equipment, including cross members and the like, at the inner side of the shell may be arranged. By thus mounting the reinforcements at the inner side of the shell is achieved that the shell elements optionally may be used as elements where other equipment is to be mounted, or, with the same appearance, they may be used as pure partitioning elements without mounting optional equipment. Furthermore, the internal mounting further provides corrosion protection on the fittings/reinforcement elements. This is particularly interesting, as a very aggressive environment occurs in a stable environment as the liquid manure includes very corrosive elements, such as ammonia, hydrogen sulphide, and other matter.

Under certain conditions, special requirements are made to fire safety in the stable arrangement. The element system may in such cases be used as a kind of shuttering system for casting e.g. concrete walls.

Two elements of the above indicated kind are erected with spacing corresponding to the desired wall thickness, after which the concrete is poured.

Hereby fire-proofing is achieved, as concrete is used simultaneously with the easy, rapid and flexible properties of the system are utilised.

As described above, the system is thus particularly distinguished in that the stable equipment may relatively quickly be mounted with great flexibility. As the floors are established by suspending/laying of pre-formed elements on/in pre-formed means, several steps are saved and floor elements may be taken up in connection with repair and maintenance as well, without interfering with other structures of the stable. The partitioning elements are thus also basement and liquid manure channel elements.

Stable rooms of the type described above are often built up in that a plane floor has been made and one or more liquid manure plugs has been incorporated in the floor.

The liquid manure plug is connected to a sewer system in which vacuum is produced, e.g. by a pump, so that the liquid manure and the other manure may be moved from the stable room and further on to the liquid manure tank and the dung yard, respectively. In a further, preferred embodiment of the invention, a suitable number of ele- ments are assembled into a cassette which is then disposed over a liquid manure plug.

This means that the manure of the animals that are placed in the sties arranged within the limits of the cassette will be collected within the cassette and discharged via the liquid manure plug. In other embodiments of the invention it can be desirable to arrange a system of steel legs that are mounted on the bottom of the liquid manure vessel, and between which legs elements for delimiting the sties are erected as described above. Hereby is achieved that the steel legs are stabilising the construction simultaneously with the elements defining the liquid manure channels.

In stables of the above mentioned type where a liquid manure channel has been arranged immediately under a floor grating element, great smell nuisances from the liquid manure may occur. In a further embodiment, the invention provides for minimis- ing these smell nuisances by providing one or more inclining funnel elements between the floor and the liquid manure surface. The funnel elements serve to reduce the effective surface of evaporation so that the smell nuisances in the space above this funnel- shaped element are significantly reduced.

In one embodiment, the element can be suspended from the cross members that are suspended between two largely parallel partitioning elements, between two parallel secondary girders, or as one large element fastened to the largely parallel partitioning elements. By thus reducing the area of the free connection between the liquid manure surface and the space above the funnel element, the air pollution can be considerably reduced. As a further measure to reduce smell nuisances in the stable room, a slight under pressure between the surface of the liquid manure and the underside of the funnel elements may be provided. This under pressure is regulated so that it does not have any influence on the general ventilation of the stable room.

Description of the Drawing

In the following, the arrangement of a stable room will be explained more closely with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figs. 1-8 show the different stages in arranging a stable according to the invention, Fig. 9 illustrates a funnel element, and

Fig. 10 illustrates an integrated feed facility in a partitioning element. In Fig. 1 is illustrated a stable room 1, where, for reasons of clarity, an open room delimited by a three walls 2, 3, 4 and a bottom 5 is shown. For reasons of clarity, the fourth wall and the roof structure is not shown.

The bottom 5 and the lowermost part of the walls 2, 3, 4 are made so that they together form a large vessel which is water tight and resistant to action from animal manure. Then sty partitionings 6 are erected, which partitionings can have varying design as shown by sty partitionings 6 and 7.

The following step in arranging the stable room is illustrated in Fig. 2. The cross members 8 are here established between the largely parallel sty partitionings 6, 7 at a level above the floor. The height between the bottom 5 of the manure vessel and the cross members 8 is adapted so that it becomes possible to have other installations under the finished floor. These other installations may inter alia be ventilation system, water, electricity, data transmission cables and other installations used in a modem stable.

Furthermore, feed conveying facility/dosing facility can be arranged under floor level or alternatively, as illustrated in Fig. 10, be integrated in special partitioning elements. In Fig. 3 is furthermore installed a number of secondary girders 9 perpendicularly to the cross members 8. The secondary girders can be installed in cases where the desired finished flooring cannot absorb the stresses if these are only supported by the cross members 8. The secondary girders 9 thus only serve to distribute the load.

In Fig. 4 is illustrated a finished flooring 10 which is arranged upon the cross members and the secondary girders. The prefabricated sty partitionings 6, 7 project up over the floor 10 to a certain extent.

In Fig. 5 is inserted some traditional stable equipment in the shape of bars 11 and e.g. automatic dry feeders 12. The bars may be adapted to the system dimensions of the prefabricated partitioning elements so that, as shown in the Figure, sties may be sepa- rated by partially prefabricated sty compartment partitioning elements or system bars

11. Furthermore, the bars 11 may have such design that recesses are inserted, whereby automatic dry feeders 12 adapted to the prefabricated partitioning system can be adapted as a part of the partitioning. An elevated platform 13 is shown arranged at a level above the floor. This platform can be used in pig stables to provide a free zone for the piglets where the sow cannot get them, or a cave where the piglets can stay. At the underside of the platform or in the floor heating plates may be arranged by which the piglets are kept warm. In order to be able to mount the platform, fastening means for cross members at another level than floor level can be provided in the prefabricated partitioning elements, whereby great flexibility is achieved.

In Fig. 6 is arranged a partitioning 14 perpendicularly to the prefabricated partitioning elements 6, 7. This has been further built out by inserting further filler elements and/or elements with bars 15, 16.

h Fig. 8 is shown an isometric view of how a stable arrangement according to the present invention is envisaged. The bottom of the stable 5 thus constitutes the bottom in the liquid manure/dung vessel, why it is not necessary to make a separate liquid manure channel as in the traditional stable constmctions. Prefabricated partitioning elements 6, 7 according to the invention are erected directly upon the bottom. The elements can be mounted watertight against the bottom 5 and the walls 3, 4.

In the shown example, the prefabricated partitioning elements 6, 7 are made as relatively small elements that can be assembled, e.g. by bonding, welding, or the like, along the lateral faces 17.

The elements 6, 7 may advantageously be made of synthetic material. The plates may thus be made of a hard shell in a weldable material so that between two shells and integrated in these a cell structure is arranged, providing the element 6, 7 with a certain rigidity but which is also providing a relatively light construction. In particularly loaded zones there may be provided reinforcements in the partitioning elements 6, 7 themselves, whereby it becomes possible to mount reinforcing fittings 18 in the areas where large loads are expected. Two parallel partitioning walls 6, 7 are thus forming a delimited liquid manure channel 19 that can be made watertight towards a neighbouring sty. Possible infection is hereby prevented from spreading from sty to sty via the manure.

Upon the cross members 8 a floor 10 is installed which in principle can be any kind of floor used in stables. Where not strictly required for the floor to be a grating or perforated in other ways, with regard to minimising the nuisances from the evaporation of ammonia a permanent floor is used, e.g. in combination with a ventilation aggregate whereby most of the smell nuisances can be removed directly at the source. Further- more, in addition to the floor 10 a platform 13 is shown at another level above the floor 10, as well as a third platform 20, e.g. as ceiling over a piglet cave, at the underside of which there may be fitted heating plates. The heating elements can also be in the form of floor elements with integrated heating plates.

In Fig. 9 is illustrated a schematic detail showing how a funnel element 21 is mounted between two cross members 8. The cross members 8 are often made as inverted T- elements whereby it becomes possible to mount the funnel element 21 on the projections rising from the inverted T's. The floor 10 may advantageously be a modular floor which is also mounted on the cross members 8. The bottom 5 of the liquid manure vessel is here shown in connection with a liquid manure plug 22, as well as the presence of liquid manure is illustrated by the surface 23.

The funnel elements 21 may, as described above, be mounted on and between the cross members 8, on and between the secondary girders 9, or be suspended on the largely parallel partitionings 6, 7.

Besides the above mentioned equipment elements, such as elements of bars 16, automatic dry feeders 12 and the like, elements as illustrated in Fig. 10 can also be installed, whereby it becomes possible to perform automatic feeding.

In Fig. 10 is illustrated a part of a feeding system integrated in a wall element 6, 7. The wall elements are joined, e.g. by welding, so that a rigid, continuous element is formed in the entire width and length, respectively, of the sty. The wall is suspended either in wall elements arranged perpendicularly to the feed wall or in a steel constmction erected thereto. A manger 25 is arranged under the wall element with the integrated feed system 24, where the feed conveyed through the system 24 will be distributed via distributing devices 26.

With a system according to the invention, it is thus possible to construct a stable arrangement in a flexible way that allow for hygiene requirements as well as the flexibility allows for relatively easy access to the installations that may be hidden under the floor, as well as cleaning of liquid manure/manure channels may easily be performed, e.g. by removing parts of the floor 10. Besides, to this comes that the elements of which the prefabricated partitionings are erected, are of such nature that they both can act as partitioning in the liquid manure duct and as partitionings in the sty. To this comes the very flexible structure with fixed partitioning elements, parts of bars and feeding units 12 that all may be adapted to the standard dimensions of the prefabri- cated partitioning elements. Alternatively, due to the constmction of the partitioning elements with simple means, recesses may be formed in the partitioning elements without the latter loosing their integrity thereby.

Claims

1. Method for arranging a stable room with animal sties, including particularly stable rooms in which a sewer system has been provided under the floor level of the animals, characterised in that the method includes:

- pre-fabricated partitioning elements being erected upon a floor or a liquid manure channel bottom corresponding to the sty layout;

- cross member elements being established between the largely parallel partitionings at a height immediately under desired floor level; - slatted floor elements, and/or floor grating elements, and/or floor elements being mounted upon the cross members;

- sty boundaries being installed upon the floor perpendicularly to the largely parallel partitionings.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that installations such as ventilation, electric power and water are laid under floor level.

3. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the partitionings are fastened with fittings to the floor/liquid manure channel bottom, and that a watertight sealing is optionally established between partitioning elements and bottom.

4. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the cross members are fastened by means of fitting to the partitioning elements, whereby the partitioning elements are stabilised.

5. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the fastening fittings of the partitioning elements for the bottom are integrated with the fastening fittings of the cross members, and that optionally the fitting may be integrated in the partitioning element.

6. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the prefabricated partitioning elements are made in modules, where the height of each module largely corresponds to the distance from floor/liquid manure channel to a top side of the floor, and that the modules may be mutually assembled along all sides, e.g. by means of fittings, welding, dovetail joints or the like.

7. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that one or more levels are provided above or largely in parallel with the floor plane when mounting secondary girders and plate elements.

8. Method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the cross members are integrated in the floor elements and/or integrated in the plate elements constituting the other levels.

9. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that a large vessel is established in the stable room by erecting partitioning elements along outer walls; and bottom ele- ments covering the entire stable room floor are made according to the same principle as the partitioning wall elements; and that upon the bottom of the vessel prefabricated partitioning elements are erected, corresponding to the sty configuration; that cross members are established between the largely parallel partitionings at a height immediately under the wanted floor level; that upon the cross members slatted floor elements, and/or floor grating elements, and/or floor elements are mounted; that sty boundaries are installed upon the floor perpendicularly to the largely parallel partitionings.

10. Method according to one or more of claims 1 - 9, characterised in that the partitioning elements are prepared for assembly with other elements, such as lattice gates, elements of bars.

11. Method according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that a funnel element has means for securing against partitioning elements, e.g. by screwing, bonding, welding, or for bearing on cross members or secondary girders, and where the funnel element is designed with slope towards an opening, the opening having an area which is substantially less than the area of the funnel element.

12. Element made of shell halves, where each shell half has a smooth side and at the opposite side an integrated cell pattern made for building up a stable arrangement according to one or more of claims 1 to 10, characterised in that the element consists of two or more shells of synthetic material, that each shell half has a relatively plane front side, that on the back side of the shell half there is provided a system of crossing walls of synthetic material, the walls being arranged and integrated with the front side and largely perpendicularly to it.

13. Element according to claim 10, characterised in that before the shells are assem- bled, reinforcements are arranged for mounting the element or for mounting other stable equipment elements at the inner side of the shell.