PORTABLE FLUID CONTAINMENT PAD

PLATE-FORME/BAC DE CONFINEMENT DE LIQUIDE PORTATIF

English Abstract

A portable fluid containment pad, which includes a pan having in interior fluid containment cavity with a bottom, opposed sides, and opposed ends. At least two structural load bearing beams are provided which rest upon the bottom of the pan and extend between the opposed ends in parallel spaced relation to the opposed sides and to each other. The maximum span between the at least two structural load bearing beams being less than three feet. A rigid substrate is supported on a substantially horizontal plane by the at least two structural load bearing beams.

French Abstract

Bac de confinement de liquide portatif, qui comprend un bac muni d'une cavité intérieure de confinement de liquide avec un fond, des côtés et des bouts opposés. Au moins deux longerons de support sont prévus, qui se situent sur le fond du bac et se prolongent en parallèle entre les côtés opposés et entre eux. L'écartement maximal entre au moins deux des longerons de support est de moins de trois pieds. Un substrat rigide est supporté sur un plan essentiellement horizontal par au moins deux longerons de support.

Claims

7
1. A portable fluid containment pad, comprising:
a pan having an interior fluid containment cavity with a bottom, opposed
sides, and
opposed ends;
at least two structural load bearing beams which rest upon the bottom of the
pan and
extend between the opposed ends in parallel spaced relation to the opposed
sides and to each
other, the maximum span between the at least two structural load bearing beams
being less
than three feet;
a rigid substrate supported on a substantially horizontal plane by the at
least two
structural load bearing beams; and
fluid containing appendages having a bottom that extends upwardly and
outwardly
from each of the opposed sides of the pan adjacent to the bottom and
terminating at or below
the substantially horizontal plane, the rigid substrate extending past the
opposed sides to
cover the appendages.
2. The portable fluid containment pad as defined in Claim 1, wherein the at
least two
structural load bearing beams are "I" beams.
3. The portable fluid containment pad as defined in Claim 1, wherein there is
a first
structural load bearing beam positioned along a first of the opposed sides, a
second
structural load bearing beam positioned along a second of the opposed sides
and a central
structural load bearing beam which is centrally positioned between the opposed
sides.
4. The portable fluid containment pad as defined in Claim 1, wherein there are
a plurality of
transverse beams which and extend between the opposed sides in parallel spaced
relation to
the opposed ends and to each other, the maximum span between the transverse
beams being
less than three feet.
5. The portable fluid containment pad as defined in Claim 1, wherein the rigid
substrate is
grating.

8
6. The portable fluid containment pad as defined in Claim 1, wherein the
appendages have
interlocking profiles adapted to enable adjacent pans to be connected in side
by side relation
while maintaining fluid containment to prevent leakage between the adjacent
pans.
7. The portable fluid containment pad as defined in Claim 6, wherein a first
appendage on a
first side of the pan has a projecting lip which extends between the opposed
ends and a
second appendage on a second side of the pan has a recess which extends
between the
opposed ends, the lip engaging the recess.
8. The portable fluid containment pad as defined in Claim 2, wherein each of
the at least
two structural beams has a plurality of transverse drainage passages to
accommodate fluid
flow.
9. The portable fluid containment pad as defined in Claim 4, wherein there are
gaps below
each of the transverse beams to accommodate fluid flow along the bottom of the
pan.
10. The portable fluid containment pad as defined in Claim 1, wherein at least
two pans are
positioned adjacent to each other.
11. The portable fluid containment pad as defined in Claim 10, wherein a
bridge plate
bridges between adjacent pans, the bridge plate having a depending tongue
which extends
downwardly between the adjacent pans to limit movement of the bridge plate.
12. The portable fluid containment pad as defined in Claim 11, wherein the
bridge plate has
a spine with two diverging downwardly inclined ramp surfaces.
13. The portable fluid containment pad as defined in Claim 1, wherein the pan
has fittings
with hose couplings, such that the pan can rapidly be adapted to be in fluid
communication
with another pan by connecting hoses to the hose couplings.

9
14. A portable fluid containment pad, comprising:
a pan having an interior fluid containment cavity with a bottom, a first side,
a second
side, and opposed ends;
structural load bearing "I" beams which rest upon the bottom of the pan and
extend
between the opposed ends in parallel spaced relation to the first side and the
second side and
to each other, including a fust structural load bearing beam positioned along
the first side, a
second structural load bearing beam positioned along the second side and at
least one central
structural load bearing beam positioned between the first structural load
bearing beam and
the second structural load bearing beam, the maximum span between each of the
structural
load bearing "I" beams being less than three feet, and each of the structural
load bearing "I"
beams having a plurality of transverse drainage passages to accommodate fluid
flow;
a plurality of transverse "I" beams which extend between the first side and
the
second side in parallel spaced relation to the opposed ends and to each other,
the maximum
span between the transverse "I" beams being less than three feet, gaps being
provided below
each of the transverse beams to accommodate fluid flow along the bottom of the
pan;
a rigid grating substrate supported on a substantially horizontal plane by the
structural load bearing "I" beams;
a fluid containing first appendage on the first side and a fluid containing
second
appendage on the second side, each of the first appendage and the second
appendage having
a bottom that extends upwardly and outwardly from the first side and the
second side of the
pan, respectively, adjacent to the bottom and terminating at or below the
substantially
horizontal plane, the rigid substrate extending past the first side and the
second side to cover
the first appendage and the second appendage, respectively, the first
appendage on the first
side of the pan having a projecting lip which extends between the opposed ends
and the
second appendage on the second side of the pan having a recess which extends
between the
opposed ends, the lip engaging the recess to enable adjacent pans to be
connected in side by
side relation while maintaining fluid containment to prevent leakage between
the adjacent
pans; and
fittings with hose couplings in the pan, such that the pan can rapidly be
adapted to be
in fluid communication with another pan by connecting hoses to the hose
couplings.

15. The portable fluid containment pad as defined in Claim 14, wherein pans
are coupled in
side by side relation, the projecting lip on the first appendage of one pan
engaging the recess
on the second appendage of another pan.
16. The portable fluid containment pad as defined in Claim 14, wherein pans
are provided
in end to end relation, a bridge plate bridging a gap between the pans, the
bridge plate
having a depending tongue which extends downwardly into the gap between the
pans to
limit movement of the bridge plate.
17. The portable fluid containment pad as defined in Claim 16, wherein the
bridge plate has
a spine with two diverging downwardly inclined ramp surfaces.

Description

CA 02492618 2004-12-15
1
TITLE OF THE INVENTION:
Portable fluid containment pad
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a portable fluid containment pad and, in
particular, a
portable fluid containment pad adapted to support a drilling rig.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Hydro Engineering Inc. of Salt Lake City, Utah sells portable wash pads and
fluid
containment systems for use in cleaning heavy equipment under the brand name
"Hydropad".
Hydropads are advertised as having a weight bearing capacity of up to 15,000
pounds per
square foot. These weight limits are not sufficient to support the weight of
an operating
drilling rig.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
What is required is a portable fluid containment pad suitable for use to
support drilling
rigs.
According to the present invention there is provided a portable fluid
containment pad,
which includes a pan having an interior fluid containment cavity with a
bottom, opposed
sides, and opposed ends. At least two structural load bearing beams are
provided which rest
upon the bottom of the pan and extend between the opposed ends in parallel
spaced relation to
the opposed sides and to each other. The maximum span between the at least two
structural
load bearing beams being less than three feet. A rigid substrate is supported
on a substantially
horizontal plane by the at least two structural load bearing beams.
A number of the portable fluid containment pads, as described above were
transported
to a drill site and assembled. The assembly of the portable fluid containment
pads took less
than twenty minutes. A drilling rig was then positioned on the portable fluid
containment
pads. An immediate increase in the efficiency of the drilling rig was noted.
The drilling rig
could pull a heavier load, as the portable fluid containment pads provided a
more stable base.
Less environmental damage was done, as the portable fluid containment pads
spread the

CA 02492618 2004-12-15
2
weight of the drilling rig.
The full details of the individual portable drilling rig pads, the manner in
which they
were assembled and the flow of drilling fluids will hereinafter be further
described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other features of the invention will become more apparent from the
following description in which reference is made to the appended drawings, the
drawings are
for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended to in any way limit
the scope of the
invention to the particular embodiment or embodiments shown, wherein:
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a portable fluid containment pad without a
rigid
grating substrate.
FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective view of a corner of the portable fluid
containment pad of FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 3 is an exploded perspective view of a beam joint of the portable fluid
containment pad of FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a rigid grating substrate.
FIGURE 5 is an end view in section of the portable fluid containment pad of
FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 6 is an exploded side view of a structural load bearing beam.
FIGURE 7 is an end view of an "I" beam.
FIGURE 8 is a side view of a transverse "I" beam.
FIGURE 9 is a side view of a structural load bearing beam.
FIGURE 10 is a top plan view of an arrangement of portable fluid containment
pads
FIGURE 11 is a side view of the arrangement shown in FIGURE 10.
FIGURE 12 is an exploded top plan view of fittings with hose couplings.
FIGURE 13 is a perspective view of a bridge plate.
FIGURE 14 is a top plan view of multiple portable fluid containment pads
arranged
together.

CA 02492618 2004-12-15
3
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The preferred embodiment, a portable fluid containment pad generally
identified by
reference numeral 10, will now be described with reference to FIGURES 1
through 12.
Structure and Relationship of Parts:
Referring to FIGURE 1, there is shown a portable fluid containment pad 10
without a
rigid grill covering. The portable fluid containment pad 10 comprises a pan 12
having an
interior fluid containment cavity 14 with a bottom 16, a first side 18, a
second side 20, and
opposed ends 22 and 24. There is also structural load bearing "I" beams 26,
28, and 30 that
rest upon the bottom 16 of pan 12 and extend between opposed ends 22 and 24 in
parallel
spaced relation to first side 18 and second side 20 and to each other. A first
structural load
bearing beam 26 is positioned along first side 18. A second structural load
bearing beam 28 is
positioned along second side 20. A central structural load bearing beam 30 is
positioned
between first structural load bearing beam 26 and second structural load
bearing beam 28,
although more than one central structural load bearing beams 30 may be
present. The
maximum span between each structural load bearing "I" beams 26, 28 and 30 is
less than
three feet, and each has a plurality of transverse drainage passages 32 to
accommodate fluid
flow. Extended between first side 18 and second side 20 is a plurality of
transverse "I" beams
34 in parallel spaced relation to the opposed ends 22 and 24 and to each
other. The maximum
span between the transverse "I" beams 34 is also less than three feet, where
gaps are provided
below each of the transverse beams 34 to accommodate fluid flow along the
bottom 16 of pan
12. End plates 23 are shown as attached, but are not required, depending on
the location and
use of portable fluid containment pad 10.
Referring now to FIGURE 5, it can be seen that while bottom 16 of pan 12 will
lie
flat on a surface, there is a flow directing bottom 66 that is sloped toward
the centre of pan 12.
This is done as it is convenient to have the liquid gathered in one area, but
other
arrangements may be possible depending on the situation.
Referring now to FIGURE 7, the structure of transverse "I" beam 34 is shown
from
an end perspective. This is also the structure of structural load bearing "I"
beams 26, 28, and

CA 02492618 2009-07-31
4
30. Referring now to FIGURE 8, a side view of transverse "I" beam 34 is shown.
Note that the top
38 of beam 34 is cut away at the ends. This allows top 38 to be flush with the
top of structural load
bearing "I" beams 26, 28, and 30 when it is installed. As transverse "I" beam
34 is smaller than
structural load bearing "I" beams 26, 28, and 30, the same is not required on
the bottom. Referring
now to FIGURE 3, a half pipe 70 may be attached to the bottom of transverse
"I" beams 34
periodically, as well as cable keepers 72. Half pipe 70 is used as a bearing
surface over which cables
or chains can slide. It is preferred that chains be used, as chains can be
readily purchased that are
certified for particular load ratings, whereas difficulties have been
experienced purchasing cable that
is load rated. The cable or chain is looped around half pipe 70 and guided by
cable keepers 72. The
cable or chain is used when using lifting equipment to lift containment pad
10. The cable or chain is
also used to anchor equipment onto containment pad 10. Referring to FIGURE 6,
which shows a
section of structural load bearing "I" beam 26, half pipe 70, which is welded
to the bottom of
transverse "I" beams 34, is butted to the side of structural load bearing "I"
beam 26 to form a cradle
for a cable loop. Referring to FIGURE 9, beams 42 located at opposite ends 22
and 24 are depicted.
Angled grooves 40 are provided at each end as to facilitate the installation
of fluid containing
appendages. In FIGURE 2, fluid containing appendage 48 is shown connected
using angled groove
40.
Referring again to FIGURE 1, there is shown a fluid containing first appendage
46 on first
side 18 and a fluid containing second appendage 48 on second side 20. First
appendage 46 and
second appendage 48 extend upwardly and outwardly from the sides of pan 12,
and are adjacent to
bottom 16 and terminate at the substantially horizontal plane. For extra
support, appendages 46 and
46 may be attached to multiple outriggers 68, which are in turn attached to
structural load bearing "I"
beams 26 or 28. Referring to FIGURE 1, first appendage 46 on first side 18 of
pan 12 has a
projecting lip 50 which extends between opposed ends 22 and 24. Second
appendage 48 on second
side 20 of pan 12 has a recess 52 which extends between opposed ends 22 and
24. When pans 12
are connected in side by side relation as depicted in FIGURE 12, lip 50
engages recess 52 such that
fluid containment is maintained and leakage between adjacent pans 12 is
prevented.
Referring now to FIGURE 4, there is shown a rigid grating substrate 36.
Referring to
FIGURE 10 rigid grating substrate 36 is shown to be supported on a
substantially horizontal plane
by the structural load bearing "I" beams 26, 28, and 30. Rigid substrate 36 as
shown in FIGURE 4
is designed such that, when positioned over pan 12, it extends past first side
18 and second side 20 to
cover first appendage 46 and second appendage 48, respectively.

CA 02492618 2004-12-15
Referring now to FIGURE 12, fittings 74 with hose couplings 76 of different
pans 12
are shown, and are located in each corner of pans 12. However, as hoses are
connected to
them, fittings 74 and couplings 76 are able to be placed back underneath rigid
grating
5 substrate 36 such that they are not obtrusive. Fittings 74 and hose
couplings 76 allow pans 12
to be rapidly adapted to be in fluid communication with other pans 12 by
connecting hoses 78
to the hose couplings 76. This is also shown in FIGURE 10 and FIGURE 14.
Referring now to FIGURE 14, pans 12 are coupled in side by side relation. As
described above, projecting lip 50 on first appendage 46 of one pan 12 engages
recess 52 on
second appendage 48 of another pan 12. Pans 12 are also provided in end to end
relation,
where a bridge plate 54 bridges a gap 56 between pans 12. Referring to FIGURE
13, bridge
plate 54 has a depending tongue 56 which extends downwardly into gap 56
between pans 12
to limit movement of bridge plate 54. Bridge plate 54 also has a spine 58 with
two diverging
downwardly inclined ramp surfaces 60 and 62, such that any liquid is shed off
bridge plate 54
and into pan 12.
Referring to FIGURE 10, there are ramps 64 provided to allow a vehicle to be
mounted onto portable fluid containment pad 10. In the arrangement shown, two
pans 12 are
connected end to end with ramps 64 to allow vehicles to be mounted. A platform
is formed
using a pan 12 placed perpendicular to the others, and a simplified pan 82
with some
modifications is placed beside perpendicular pan 12. As simplified pan 82 is
intended as a
work area for individuals, pipes, tools, and other such equipment, the
supports that are
required in pans 12 may be excluded. In addition, there is provided an opening
84 for
acccessing a well site. While this design has been found to be convenient for
the intended
purpose, it will be understood that other configurations are possible,
depending on the
circumstances of use.
Operation:
Referring to FIGURE 10, pans 12 are connected together in a combination of end
to
end and side to side connections. The connections are made either using lip 50
and recess 52

CA 02492618 2004-12-15
6
for side to side connections, or bridge plate 54 for end to end connections.
Ramps 64 allow
vehicle access, while opening 84 provides access to the well site. Flow
directing bottom 66
directs liquids to gather in convenient locations, and transverse drainage
passages 32 allow
liquid flow in pan 12. Bottom 12 may also have a slight inclination towards an
end such that
the liquids gather at one end. There may also be provided clean out ports 86
that allow
periodic cleaning of the bottom of pan 12 using a vacuum truck.
In this patent document, the word "comprising" is used in its non-limiting
sense to
mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically
mentioned are not
excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article "a" does not
exclude the
possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context
clearly requires that
there be one and only one of the elements.
It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that modifications may be made
to the
illustrated embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention as
hereinafter defined in the Claims.

Representative Drawing