Cutoff wall system to isolate contaminated soil
First Claim
1. A connector for plastic sheet comprising an outer portion and an inner portion,the outer portion comprising a first tube having a tube slot lengthwise, the slot having a slot-width, and a first flap disposed in a diametrically opposite position with respect to the tube slot and directed away from the tube slot, the first tube also having a first upper end and a first lower end;
- the inner portion comprising a second tube having a second flap, the second flap having a thickness, the second tube adapted to fit within the first tube in a manner that the second flap extends through the tube slot in a direction away from the first flap, the second tube also having a second upper end and a second lower end; and
the slot-width being 10-50% smaller than the thickness of the second flap.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and structural configurations of modular barrier systems and cutoff walls used to isolate contaminated soils from the environment in situ. The cutoff walls comprise plastic sheets, preferably of high density polyethylene, inserted in or adjacent to dense soil (such as bentonite modified) walls, and they are connected to each other with tubular connectors having flaps to which the plastic sheets are connected, preferably by welding.
-
Citations
47 Claims
-
1. A connector for plastic sheet comprising an outer portion and an inner portion,
the outer portion comprising a first tube having a tube slot lengthwise, the slot having a slot-width, and a first flap disposed in a diametrically opposite position with respect to the tube slot and directed away from the tube slot, the first tube also having a first upper end and a first lower end; -
the inner portion comprising a second tube having a second flap, the second flap having a thickness, the second tube adapted to fit within the first tube in a manner that the second flap extends through the tube slot in a direction away from the first flap, the second tube also having a second upper end and a second lower end; and the slot-width being 10-50% smaller than the thickness of the second flap. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A secondary barrier comprising a plurality of interconnected panels, each panel comprising a plastic sheet having a first edge and a second edge, each plastic sheet attached to a successive plastic sheet by means of connectors, each connector comprising an outer portion and an inner portion,
the outer portion comprising a first tube having a tube slot lengthwise, the slot having a slot-width, and a first flap disposed in a diametrically opposite position with respect to the tube slot and directed away from the tube slot, the first tube also having a first upper end and a first lower end; -
the inner portion comprising a second tube having a second flap, the second flap having a thickness, the second tube adapted to fit within the first tube in a manner that the second flap extends through the tube slot in a direction away from the first flap, the second tube also having a second upper end and a second lower end; and the slot-width being 10-50% smaller than the thickness of the second flap. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. A cutoff wall system comprising a primary barrier and a secondary barrier, the primary barrier being in the form of a dense soil wall the secondary barrier disposed within the primary barrier, the secondary barrier comprising a plurality of interconnected panels, each panel comprising a plastic sheet having a first edge and a second edge, each plastic sheet attached to a successive plastic sheet by means of connectors, each connector comprising an outer portion and an inner portion,
the outer portion comprising a first tube having a tube slot lengthwise, the slot having a slot-width, and a first flap disposed in a diametrically opposite position with respect to the tube slot and directed away from the tube slot, the first tube also having a first upper end and a first lower end; -
the inner portion comprising a second tube having a second flap, the second flap having a thickness, the second tube adapted to fit within the first tube in a manner that the second flap extends through the tube slot in a direction away from the first flap, the second tube also having a second upper end and a second lower end; the slot-width being 10-50% smaller than the thickness of the second flap, and the attachment made so that one of the edges of one plastic sheet is connected to one of said flaps of the connector, and one of the edges of the successive sheet is connected to the remaining flap of the same connector. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
-
-
37. A method of forming a cutoff wall comprising the steps of
forming a trench filling the trench with dense soil to form a primary barrier; -
inserting an initial panel within the primary barrier, the panel comprising a plastic sheet having a first edge and a second edge, and a connector comprising an outer portion and an inner portion the outer portion comprising a first tube having a tube slot lengthwise, the slot having a slot-width, and a first flap disposed in a diametrically opposite position with respect to the tube slot and directed away from the tube slot, the first tube also having a first upper end and a first lower end; the inner portion comprising a second tube having a second flap, the second flap having a thickness, the second tube adapted to fit within the first tube in a manner that the second flap extends through the tube slot in a direction away from the first flap, the second tube also having a second upper end and a second lower end; the slot-width being 10-50% smaller than the thickness of the second flap, and the attachment made so that one of the edges of one plastic sheet is connected to one of said flaps of the connector, and one of the edges of the successive sheet is connected to the remaining flap of the same connector; inserting a successive panel within the primary barrier, the successive panel being substantially identical to the initial panel, in a manner that the second tube of the successive panel is inserted into the first tube of the initial panel; and inserting more panels within the primary barrier, each panel being interconnected to a successive one in a similar manner until a desired number of interconnected panels have formed a secondary barrier, thus completing the cutoff wall. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
-
-
46. A method of forming a cutoff wall comprising the steps of
forming a trench filling the trench with dense soil to form a primary barrier; -
inserting an initial panel within the primary barrier, the panel comprising a plastic sheet having a first edge and a second edge, and a connector comprising an outer portion, an inner portion, and a cup, the outer portion comprising a first tube having a tube slot lengthwise, and a first flap disposed in a diametrically opposite position with respect to the tube slot and directed away from the tube slot, the first tube also having a first upper end and a first lower end; the inner portion comprising a second tube having a second flap, the second tube adapted to fit within the first tube in a manner that the second flap extends through the tube slot in a direction away from the first flap, the second tube also having a second upper end and a second lower end, the cup fitted around the first lower end; and the attachment of the plastic sheet to the connector made so that the first edge of the plastic sheet is connected to the first flap and the second edge is connected to the second flap of the connector; inserting a successive panel within the primary barrier, the successive panel being substantially identical to the initial panel, in a manner that the second tube of the successive panel is inserted into the first tube of the initial panel; inserting more panels within the primary barrier, each panel being interconnected to a successive one in a similar manner until a desired number of interconnected panels have formed a secondary barrier; blowing a fluid through the second tube, which fluid also passes through the space between the first and the second tube, in order to clean said second tube and said space; inserting sealer through the second tube in order to fill the space between the first and the second tubes. - View Dependent Claims (47)
-
Specification