Above ground containment systems and methods for assembling same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11046509-B1
Application number	US-201816221776-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 17, 2018
Priority date	May 24, 2011
Publication date	Jun 29, 2021
Grant date	Jun 29, 2021

Abstract

A water containment apparatus includes a straight strut arrangement comprising a plurality of straight strut assemblies forming an alternating v-shape and inverted v-shape pattern; and a curved strut arrangement comprising a plurality of corner strut assemblies forming a desired curvature and connecting two straight strut arrangements to form a closed loop water containment system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A temporary liquid reservoir apparatus, comprising:
a) a frame structure that supports a liner to contain a body of water on a ground surface, the frame structure having a top, a bottom, a plurality of sides and multiple corners that surround an enclosed ground surface, the frame structure including multiple straight frame structures defining the plurality of sides, and multiple curved frame structures defining the multiple corners, wherein the liner extends down from the top and over the contained ground surface;
b) each straight and curved frame structure including multiple inclined beams being removably connectable to each other and to laterally extending connectors that maintain lateral spacing between the straight and curved frame structures, the frame structures being collapsible;
c) each straight frame structure including a plurality of inclined beam members that form a pattern of alternating V and inverted V shapes;
d) a plurality of base plates that are adapted to support the bottom of the inclined beam members on a supporting surface, each base plates including a plurality of front, inner base plates and a plurality of outer rear base plates each outer base plate having one or more vertically extending pins;
e) diagonal supports that span between one of the outer base plates and one of the inclined beam members;
f) each inner base plate supporting two of said beams that form the bottom of a V shaped strut assembly;
g) connections that join each inclined beam member to one of the inner base plates; and
h) lateral connectors including lower connectors that each span between two adjacent of the outer base plates, the connector having end portions that each connect with a pin of one of the outer base plates, in which the base plate has at least two spaced apart projections disposed therein for connection to a beam.

2. The temporary liquid reservoir apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each lateral connector has slotted plates at opposing end portions, each slotted plate being receptive of one of the pins.

3. The temporary liquid reservoir apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an upper connector that connects between two adjacent beams at upper end portions of the beams.

4. The temporary liquid reservoir apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the front, inner base plates have one or more vertically extending pins and each lower connector includes end portions with slotted plates that connect with the pins of the inner base plates.

5. The temporary liquid reservoir apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a pair of the beams forms one of the V-shaped strut assemblies wherein the beams form an angle of between 10 and 90 degrees.

6. The temporary liquid reservoir apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the laterally extending connectors include inner, lower connectors that each span between a pair of inner base plates.

7. The temporary liquid reservoir apparatus of claim 1 , in which each of the base plates comprises a flat planar base support member and attachment bracket for connecting between one of the beams and one of the base plates.

8. A temporary liquid reservoir comprising:
a) a plurality of frame structures supporting a liner, each of said frame structures including multiple inclined beams, at least one brace beam, and a base plate;
b) said inclined and brace beams being removably connectable to each other in an erected position to form said frame structure, at least two of said inclined beams of said erected frame structure lying in a common plane, said frame structure being collapsible; and
c) each base plate connected to a bottom of said frame structure, said base plates being adapted for connection at any position along said bottom of said frame structure, each said base plate being adapted to support said frame structure on a supporting surface; and
d) the base plates being linked together with front lateral connectors and rear lateral connectors that define with the base plates a reservoir shape before the inclined and brace beams are added to the base plates.

9. The structure of claim 8 , in which each of said base plates comprises a flat planar base support member and attachment bracket for connecting to an inclined beam.

10. The structure of claim 9 , in which said base plate member has at least one projection therein for connecting with each lateral connector.

11. The structure of claim 8 , wherein there are multiple points of connection between said beams, enabling said frame structure to fold down into said collapsed position.

12. A method of constructing a portable reservoir, comprising the steps of:
a) placing a plurality of base plates on an underlying support surface, said plurality of base plates including inner base plates and outer base plates;
b) maintaining a lateral spacing of each base plate relative to the other base plates with connector bars that each have end portions;
c) forming a removable connection with each connector bar end portion and a said base plate;
d) erecting a straight strut arrangement that comprises a plurality of straight strut assemblies, each straight strut assembly including a plurality of inner base plates that enable interface of each straight strut assembly with a support surface, a plurality of inclined beams, each having a lower surface that is attached to and bears upon each inner base plate, a plurality of outer base plates, and intermediate beams that each extend between an outer base plate and an inclined beam, each intermediate beam connecting to the inclined beam at a position in between the ends of the inclined beam, the inclined beams forming an alternating v-shaped and inverted v-shaped pattern;
e) erecting a closed perimeter strut arrangement comprising a plurality of corner strut assemblies forming a desired curvature and connecting two straight strut arrangements to form a closed loop water containment system; and
f) maintaining a lateral spacing between the inclined beams.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein each connector bar connects to a plate with a pin and slot connection.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein each plate has projections and each connector bar has slotted end portions, and further comprising the step of engaging each projection with each slot.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising the step of connecting an upper connector between two adjacent beams at upper end portions of the beams.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein in steps “e” and “f” the beams are adapted to collapse to a folded position.

17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising forming an angle of between 10 and 90 degrees for said V shaped pattern.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the laterally extending connectors include inner, lower connectors and further comprising spanning each lower connector between a pair of inner base plates.

19. The method of claim 12 , in which each of the base plates comprises a flat planar base support member and attachment bracket and further comprising connecting between one of the beams and one of the base plate brackets.

Assignees

• Tetra Tech

Inventors

• Novotny John
• Harvey Yannick
• Downing Dustin
• Davis Robert
• Ritchey Mark

Classifications

• E02B3/106 Primary

  Temporary dykes · CPC title

• B65D90/205

  for flexible containers, i.e. the flexible container being permanently connected to the frame (B65D77/061, B65D88/1612, B65D90/046 take precedence; unpacking of Flexible Intermediate Bulk Container [FIBC] B65B69/0075; crane hooks for frames for FIBC B66C1/226) · CPC title

• E02D27/38

  Foundations for large tanks, e.g. oil tanks · CPC title

• E03B11/00

  Arrangements or adaptations of tanks for water supply (water-butts E03B3/03; storage aspects B65D, B65G, F17B, F17C; foundations E02D27/38; construction or assembling of bulk storage containers employing civil engineering techniques E04H7/00; tower aspects E04H12/00) · CPC title

• E02D19/04

  by coffer-dams {, e.g. made of sheet piles (permanent sheet piling boxes E02D27/30)} · CPC title