Method of and apparatus for controlling fluid leakage through soil

• US 4,636,112 A
• Filed: 05/06/1985
• Issued: 01/13/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Solmat Systems Limited
• Original Assignee: Solmat Systems Limited
• Inventors: Raviv, Avi
• Primary Examiner(s): CORBIN, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US06/730,257
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 405/38, 405/174, 405/176, 405/179, 405/258, 405/270
• US Class Current: 405/176
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 3/122 Flexible prefabricated covering elements, e.g. mats, strips
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 3/16 Sealings or joints E02B3/12 takes precedence; sealings for specific structural foundation elements, see the relevant groups for those elements; sealings for barrage or lock gates E02B7/54; joints for foundation structures E02D29/16; sealing joints not restricted to hydraulic engineering work E04B1/68

Abstract

Fluid leakage through soil in a region thereof is controlled by sequentially passing over the region to dig a plurality of parallel, laterally displaced grooves in the surface. Soil dug from each groove is temporarily stored, and a strip of sheet material is laid over a groove as it is created during each pass, the width of the strip being greater than the width of the groove. Thereafter, the temporarily stored soil is deposited on the strip such that it is covered with soil except along one edge, the other edge of the strip overlying the uncovered edge of an adjacent strip laid down during a previous pass over the region. As a consequence, a first layer of overlapping strips of sheet material covered with soil is installed over the region.

Claims

1. A method for controlling fluid leakage through soil in a region comprising:

(a) sequentially passing over the region to dig a plurality of parallel, laterally spaced grooves in the surface;

(b) removing the soil from a groove as it is created;

(c) laying a strip of fluid impermeable sheet material over a groove during each pass, the strip being wider than the width of the groove; and

(d) depositing soil dug from the groove onto the strip such that the latter is covered with soil except along one edge, the other edge of the strip overlying the uncovered edge of an adjacent strip laid down during a previous pass over the region, thereby establishing over the region a first layer of overlapping strips of sheet material covered with soil.

2. A method according to claim 1 including the step of blowing compressed air on said one edge of a strip before the next strip is laid.

3. A method according to claim 1 including the step of spreading the earth substantially uniformly deep on the strip.

4. A method according to claim 2 including the step of mounding extra soil on the overlapped regions of strips.

5. A method according to claim 1 including the step of spreading soil dug from a groove, nonuniformly deep across the width of the strip, there being less earth in the central region of the strip whereby a mound of earth is created at the overlap of adjacent strips.

6. A method according to either claim 4 or 5 including:

(a) sequentially passing over the mounds in a direction along the length thereof to dig soil therefrom,

(b) removing the soil dug from a mound;

(c) laying a strip of sheet material over a scraped mound during each pass; and

(d) depositing soil dug from the mound onto the last mentioned strip such that it is covered with soil except along one edge, the other edge of the strip overlying the uncovered edge of an adjacent strip laid down during a previous pass over an adjacent mound whereby a second layer of overlapping strips of sheet material is laid down over the first layer of overlying strips of sheet material, the overlaps in the second layer being staggered with respect to the overlaps in the first layer.

7. A method for controlling fluid leakage through soil in a region thereof comprising:

(a) passing a wheeled vehicle having a scraper blade across the region for scraping a groove in the surface of the region;

(b) temporarily storing the soil scraped from the groove in the vehicle;

(c) laying a strip of fluid impermeable sheet material of a width greater than the width of the groove on the ground so as to cover the groove;

(d) depositing soil temporarily stored in the vehicle on top of the strip;

(e) laterally displacing the wheeled vehicle relative to said groove a distance greater than the width of the groove; and

(f) repeating steps (a) through (e).

8. A method according to claim 7 including the step of spreading the soil temporarily stored in the vehicle nonuniformly across the width of the strip whereby one edge remains uncovered.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein a strip of sheet material is unrolled from a carrier located behind the trailing wheels of the vehicle whereby the trailing wheels are in contact with an undisturbed surface on the ground.

10. A method according to claim 8 wherein the strip of sheet material is unrolled from a carrier located ahead of the trailing wheels of the vehicle and the soil temporarily stored in the vehicle is deposited on the strip ahead of the trailing wheels which ride on the deposited soil.

11. A method according to claim 8 wherein the soil is spread on the strip uniformly deep.

12. A method according to claim 8 wherein the soil is spread on the strip so that the soil is deeper near the edges than near the center thereof.

13. A method according to claim 12 including:

(a) passing the wheeled vehicle over the mounds in a direction along the length thereof to scrape soil therefrom;

(b) temporarily storing the soil dug from a mound;

(c) laying a strip of fluid impermeable sheet material over a scraped mound during each pass; and

(d) depositing soil scraped from the mound onto the last mentioned strip such that it is covered with soil except along one edge, the other edge of the strip overlying the uncovered edge of an adjacent strip laid down during a previous pass over an adjacent mound whereby a second layer of overlapping strips of sheet material is laid down over the first layer of overlying strips of sheet material, the overlaps in the second layer being staggered with respect to the overlaps in the first layer.