Method and apparatus for constructing an automotive vehivle parking lot

• US 20030223815A1
• Filed: 04/17/2003
• Published: 12/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polivka Parking Solutions, LLC
• Original Assignee: Center West Enterprises
• Inventors: Polivka, A. Basil Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,207,743 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 404/75
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 9/086 made of concrete, wood, bitumen, rubber or synthetic material or a combination thereof
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 6/10 without mechanical means for shifting or lifting vehicles, e.g. with helically-arranged fixed ramps, with movable ramps

Abstract

A method and apparatus for constructing an automotive vehicle parking lot (10) on a land area (12) is provided. A composite drainage material (20) is provided through which water drains. The composite drainage material (20) comprises a polymeric open mesh core (22) between first and second layers (24 and 26) of a non-woven geo-textile fabric. The land area (12) is covered with the material (20) by placing rolls (28) of the material adjacent one another. The rolls (28) are unrolled over the land area (12) so that longitudinal edge portions (30 and 40) of adjacent rolls adjoin one another. A portion (34, 44) of the longitudinal edge portions (30 and 40) are overlapped and secured to each other, and not to the land area (12), to create a gapless and continuous surface (84) of the material (20), with the majority of the land area (12) lying underneath the material. The first layer (24) of each of the rolls (28) contacts the land area (12). The second layer (26) of each of the rolls (28) faces away from the land area (28) and provides the surface (84) on which vehicles are parked.

Claims

1. A method of constructing an automotive vehicle parking lot on a land area, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a composite drainage material through which water drains, the composite drainage material including a polymeric open mesh core between first and second layers of a non-woven geo-textile fabric;

covering the land area with the composite drainage material by placing rolls of the composite drainage material adjacent one another to form the temporary automotive parking lot;

unrolling the rolls of the composite drainage material over the land area so that longitudinal edge portions of adjacent rolls adjoin one another;

overlapping a portion of the longitudinal edge portions of the adjacent rolls; and

securing the overlapped portions of the longitudinal edge portions of adjacent rolls to each other by heat-fusing sections of the overlapped portions of the longitudinal edge portions to create a gapless and continuous surface of the composite drainage material with at least the majority of the land area lying underneath the composite drainage material, the first layer of each of the rolls contacting the land area, the second layer of each of the rolls facing away from the land area and providing the gapless and continuous surface on which automotive vehicles are parked;

the composite drainage material directing water which contacts the second layer through the first layer, through the core between the layers, and into the land area covered by the composite drainage material.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of overlapping a portion of the longitudinal edge portions comprises overlapping a flap section of the second layer that extends beyond the core.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said step of securing the overlapped portions of the adjacent rolls comprises the step of heat-fusing the overlapped flap section of the second layer to the second layer on the adjacent roll.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the composite drainage material further includes a polymeric upper layer attached on top of the second layer, said step of overlapping a portion of the longitudinal edge portions comprises overlapping a flap section of the upper layer that extends beyond the second layer.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said step of securing the overlapped portions of the adjacent rolls comprises the step of heat-fusing the flap section of the upper layer to the upper layer on an adjacent roll.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of securing the overlapped portions to each other by heat-fusing comprises the steps of placing a polymeric filler rod on the overlapping positions and heat-fusing the overlapped portions together by melting the filler rod.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

anchoring peripheral sections of a portion of the rolls of the composite drainage material to the land area by burying the peripheral sections under ground; and

covering the buried peripheral sections with the edge portions of adjacent rolls.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said step of anchoring peripheral sections to the land area comprises the steps of:

digging trenches in the land area underneath the peripheral sections;

placing the peripheral sections into the trenches so that the peripheral sections form a lining inside the trenches; and

filling the trenches lined by the peripheral sections with material previously removed during said step of digging to thereby anchor the peripheral sections to the land area.

9. A method of constructing an automotive vehicle parking lot system for a plurality of automotive vehicles on a land area, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a land area;

preparing predetermined portions of the land area for installation of a main drive and a plurality of drive lanes branching from the main drive that provide a path for the vehicles to follow when being parked, said step of preparing predetermined portions of the land area for installation of a main drive and a plurality of drive lanes including the steps of;

excavating a predetermined amount of land area along a predetermined distance at a plurality of locations within a periphery of the land area where the main drive and drive lines are to be located;

installing a layer of non-woven geo-textile filter fabric over the excavated land area;

installing a predetermined amount of gravel over the filter fabric; and

compacting the gravel;

laying rolls of a composite drainage material through which water drains on top of the land area including over the main drive and the drive lanes to create a gapless and continuous surface on which the vehicles navigate and are parked;

overlapping a portion of the composite drainage material at longitudinal edge portions of adjacent rolls; and

securing the overlapped portions of the longitudinal edge portions to each other.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein said step of laying rolls of a composite drainage material through which water drains on top of the land area to create a gapless and continuous surface includes the steps of:

excavating a portion of the land area to create anchor trenches around a periphery of the land area;

unrolling the rolls of the composite drainage material over the land area so that at least one of the longitudinal edge portions of the rolls is at least partially inside the trenches; and

filling the trenches containing the edge portions of the rolls with the excavated land to anchor the edge portions to the land area.

11. The method according to claim 9 wherein said step of securing the overlapped portions of the longitudinal edge portions of adjacent rolls to each other includes the steps of:

excavating portions of the land area to create additional anchor trenches within the periphery of the land area;

placing at least a portion of the longitudinal edges of the rolls of the composite drainage material adjacent the additional trenches so that at least one of the longitudinal edge portions of the rolls are at least partially inside the additional trenches; and

filling the additional trenches containing the at least some of the plurality of edges of the rolls with the excavated land to anchor the edges to the land area.

12. An automotive vehicle parking lot for a plurality of automotive vehicles on a land area, said parking lot comprising:

a plurality of separate rolls of a composite drainage material placed adjacent each other with longitudinal edge portions adjoining and overlapping one another and which are secured together to create a gapless and continuous surface with at least the majority of the land area lying underneath the composite drainage material, the composite drainage material comprising a layer of a polymeric open mesh core between first and second layers of a non-woven geo-textile fabric; and

a plurality of parking spaces for the plurality of vehicles, the parking spaces being arranged around a main drive which bisects the parking lot and a plurality of drive lanes intersecting the main drive, the main drive and the drive lanes comprising predetermined drive paths along the composite drainage material for vehicles to follow when being parked;

wherein underneath the composite drainage material at the location of the main drive comprises an area of the land excavated to a predetermined depth, an additional layer of non-woven geo-textile fabric placed into the area of the land excavated, and a layer of stones on top of the additional layer of non-woven geo-textile fabric.

13. The system according to claim 12 wherein underneath the composite drainage material at the location of each drive lane comprises an area of the land excavated to a predetermined depth, an additional layer of non-woven geo-textile fabric placed into the area of the land excavated, and a layer of stones on top of the additional layer of non-woven geo-textile fabric.

14. The system according to claim 12 wherein at least a portion of the plurality of rolls of the composite drainage material are anchored to the land area by burying edge sections of the rolls underneath a predetermined amount of land.

15. The system according to claim 14 wherein the edge sections of the rolls are anchored to the land at an outer periphery of the parking lot.

16. The system according to claim 14 wherein the edge sections of the rolls are anchored to the land at areas distributed inside of an outer periphery of the parking lot.

17. The system according to claim 16 wherein the anchored rolls located inside of the outer periphery of the parking lot are secured to each other by heat-fusing to an adjacent edge portion of a roll of composite drainage material not anchored to the land at a location of the anchored roll that is a predetermined distance from the buried edge of the anchored roll.

18. The system according to claim 12 wherein the composite drainage material further includes an upper layer of a perforated polymeric material that is heat-fused to the second layer.