Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
WO91/10782 PCT/NO91/00004
IMPROVEMENT IN A SYSTEM
FOR PR~TECTING FOUNDATION WALLS AND THE LIRE.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The pr~sent invention relates to an improvement in a system
for protecting foundation walls and the like, said system
comprising at least one main imperforate protecting sheet
made of-relatively thin, stiff material and including pro-
trusions formed therein, as well as means for ~orming air
channels and channels for receiving water from back fill.
1 0
PRIOR A~T
.
Imperforate protective sheets or membranes or plates,
having dimples or studs or other protrusions stamped or
otherwise formed therein, have previously been applied to
the outside of a foundation wall to create air channels
between the web of the sheets and the foundation wall.
Examples of such protective sheets can be found in for
example US patent specification 3 888 087 (Bergsland) and CA
20 1 186 470 (Bergsland).
The protective sheet according to US 3 888 087 comprises
laterally spaced courses of vertically spaced dimpled
protrusions and similarly formed ribs between said courses.
25 According to CA 1 186 470 the spaced protrusions are
constituted by knobs having a reversally directed centrally
disposed crater-like portion of truncated conical form, and
channels extending between each adjacent knob and opening
into the recesses thereof.
However, neither of these publications give any hints for
proposing a more effective an~ rational manner of mounting
such protective membranes or sheets for foundation walls, in
which the foundation walls have a varying height, and in
which the foundation wall comprises inner and outér corners
of varying angles, and in which the foundation wall may
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WO91/107X2 PCTtNO91/00~04
include a footing at the bottom thereof.
Although uS 3 888 087 suggests horizontal bending ribs,
these benaing ribs are only contemplated in connection with
main protection sheets of standard height, and only
inst~ucts the bending thereof over various footings, under
an angle ~eing inefficient for intimate contact between the
protective sheet and the footing itself.
Further, although US 3 888 087 discloses vertical ribs
serving as bending areas and also serving as "levelling"
means, no hint is given therein of bending said sheet around
or into corners of a foundation wall.
Still further, no embossed bending area is illustrated in vS
3 888 087, which constitutes a substitute for a regular
course of protrusions.
Finally, US 3 888 087 does not provide means for facilitat-
ing the mounting of standard main sheets which can be
interlocked with a pre-installed top sheet element, thereby
reducing lahour time and costs involved at the building site
in question.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved
system for protecting foundation walls and the like, so as
to bring forth complete coverage of foundation walls having
varying height in a speedy and rational manner.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a
system for protecting foundation walls in which also the
footing of the bottom thereof is given full coverage by the
protecting sheet elements involved in said system.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide
a system which gives ample coverage of any foundation wall
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WO91/10782 PCrlNO91/000
also comprising inner and outer corners of varyi~g angles.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an
improved system for protecting foundation walls, including
sheet elements being adaptable for bending along the lower
part of the foundation wall and any footing thereof, and in
intimate contact between the protective sheet and said areas
to be covered.
A still further object of the present invention is to
provide a system for protecting foundation walls in which
the protecting elements involved therein comprise embossed
bending areas which substitute one or more regular course of
protrusions.
An object of the present invention is also to provide for
specific types of top sheet elements and bottom sheet ele-
ments as well as corner elements which may be preinst~lled
for the main protecting sheet to be mounted thereon, thereby
reducing labour time and costs involved in the total build-
ing project.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a
protective sheet having a specific shape of the protrusions
as well as of the channels running therebetween, and to
provide a specific method for the manufacturing thereof.
The above objects are achieved in a system, as stated in the
preamble, which according to the present invention, is
characterized in that the improvement comprises imperforate
pre-cut top sheet elements and bottom sheet elements adapted
to be mounted along a foundation wall prior to the mounting
of said main protecting sheet thereupon, so as to provide
for full coverage of said foundation wall.
Prefexably, the top sheet element may take the form of a
terminating strip having an upper flat surface portion to be
attached to the foundation wall, and a further lower
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resilient strip portion under which a top portion of a main
protective sheet may be inserted.
In a preferred embodiment said bottom sheet element is
adapted to cover the transition portion between a foundation
wall and a merging footing in close association therewith.
Said bottom sheet may then comprise an upper portion adapted
to cover the bottom portion of said foundation wall and an
angled portion adapted to cover the top surface of said
foundation footing, said bottom sheet having a bending area
between said upper portion and said angled portion, so as to
allow for an angled relationship therebetween adapted to the
angle between said foundation bottom portion and said
foundation footing top surface.
The improvement also comprises pre-cut corner units adapted
to cover the merging portions of an inner corner of a
foundation wall, as well as pre-cut corner units adapted to
cover the merging portions of an outer corner of a founda-
tion wall. Of course, said corner units may also be a
combined unit adapted for covering an inner corner or an
outer corner of any foundation wall.
The system is especially favourable when using imperforate
protective sheets and sheet elements comprising protrusions
shaped like truncated hollow pyramids and comprising
channels running therebetween having a trapeze-shaped
section.
Further advantages and features of the present improved
system will appear from the following detailed description
of specific non-limiting embodiments taken in conjunction
with the appending drawings.
BRIEF DISCLOSURE OF 'l'H~ DRAWIMGS
Fig. 1 is a prespective view of a protective sheet which may
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WO91/10782 PCT/NO91/00004
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be implemented in the present foundation wall p~otecting
system .
Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the sheet o~ Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a transverse section ~hrough the sheet of Fig. 1
and 2.
Fig. 4 is a transverse section through a foundation wall
with a footing covered by sheet elements according to the
present foundation wall protecting system.
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a foundation wall with a
footing, in which only a bottom sheet element has been
installed.
Fig. 6 i~ a perspective view of a foundation wall with a
footing, in which a corner sheet element has been installed
in an inner corner of said wall.
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a foundation wall, in which
not only a corner sheet element has been installed in an
inner corner of said wall, but in which also an outer corner
sheet has been installed on an outer corner thereof.
Fig. 8A and Fig. 8B illustrate combined bottom corner sheet
elements for an inner corner and an outer corner, respec-
tively, of a foundation wall with footing.
3 0 DETA.ILED DISCLOSURE OF EMBODIMENTS
In Figures 1, 2 and 3 there is shown a protective sheet,
which is generally designated by reference numeral 1, and
which is manufactured from a relatively stiff imperforate
3~ plastic material, and which before use may be presented in
rolled-up form or in sheet form as such. The sheet 1 inclu-
des knobs or protrusions 2 protruding from the one surface
1A of said sheet 1, said knobs 2 in this embodiment having
WO9l/10782 PCT/~091tO0~04
S
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the shape of a flat pyramid having a ~lat top surface 2A and
four sloping walls 2B which at the bottom merges with said
one Siae 1A of said sheet 1.
Between each knob 2, there is on the same side 1A of said
sheet 1 provided a hollow rib 3, which on the other side 1B
provides an open channel 4. Said channels 4 will, as
especially illustrated in Fig. 1, extend between each of the
knobs 2 so as to form preferably vertica1ly extending
continuous channels when said sheet 1 is erected vertically
against a foundation wall to be protected thereby.
However, it is to be understood that the shape of the knobs
2 could be different from what is illustrated in Fig. 1-3,
for example as disclosed in CA 1 186 470, namely with knobs
having a reversally directed centrally disposed crater-
like portion of truncated conical form, but still being
interconnected with similar ribs 3 or channels 4, so as to
form continuous, preferably vertically extending channels
when said sheet 1 is erected against a foundation wall.
However, the shape of the knobs or protrusions 2 of Fig. 1-
3, i.e. a truncated or flat hollow pyramid, and the shape
of the associated interconnecting channels or ribs, are
especially favourable as they render a very good engagement
between the various protective sheets and sheet elements in
their overlapping zo~es.
Further, the protective sh0et according to Fig. 1-3 could be
manufactured by a method involving that an elongated web of
preferably thermoplastic material in a heated and soft con-
dition is passed along a matrix equipped with studs corre-
sponding to the knobs ~nd their relative position. In the
area of these knobs the material is stretched between said
studs for thereby leaving a larger material thickness at the
top of the shaped flat pyramids. Preferably, this stretching
may take place by a vacuun. process.
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The larger material thickness at the top of the knobs is
favourable as regards sturdiness~of the finished sheet, a~d
the flat shape of the top of the pyramids constitute a good
support when the sheet is used as a protective sheet for
foundation walls.
Further, the flat top and comparatively large portion of the
pyramids can also be used as attachment points for a filter-
ing canvas in case such a filtering canvas is used on that
side of the sheet, i.e. the side resting against the wall or
surface to be protected or covered. Especially in connection
with the cladding damp surfaces, for example in tunnels, in
which the walls thereof are expelling water together with
small or fine particles which may clog the drainage channels
between the knobs. If an i~pro~ed drainage function is to be
established also in this case, it would be favourable to
attach a canvas filter to said top surfaces of the pyramide-
shaped knobs or protrusions.
In Figure 4 there is illustrated a transverse section
through a foundation wall 7, comprising a wall portion 7A
and a footing 7B which is protected by means of the
protecting system according to the present invention.
Consequently, at the top of the foundation wall 7 there is
illustrated a pre-cut top sheet element 8, whereas at the
bottom portion of said foundation wall 7, there i5 illu-
strated a bottom sheet element 9, said top sheet element 8
and said bottom sheet element 9 being mounted along the
foundation wall 7 prior to the mounting of a main protecting
sheet 10 for full coverage of the outer surface of said
foundation wall 7.
The top sheet element 8 may also be designated a terminating
strip having an upper flat surface portion 8A which is
attached to the upper portion of the foundation wall 7, as
well as a further lower resiiient strip portion 8B under
which the top portion 1OA of the main protectiYe sheet 10
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WO91/10782 PCT/~091/00004
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has been inserted.
Preferably, said top sheet 8 has been attached to the upper
portion of said foundation wall 7 by means of gluing,
adhesion, bolting or any other appropriate attachment means.
The bottom sheet element 9 is adapted to cover the transi-
tion portion between the foundation wall 7A and the merging
footing 7B in close association therewith, which means that
said bottom sheet 9 comprises an upper portion 9A adapted to
cover the bottom portion of the outside of said foundation
wall 7A, as well as an angled portion gB adapted to cover
the outer top surface of said foundation footing 7B. In
order to facilitate this adaption of the bottom sheet 9 to
the various angles constituted by the lower portion of the
foundation wall 7A and the top portion of the foundation 7B,
said bottom sheet 9 is provided with a bending area 9C
between said upper portion 9A and said angled portion 9B, so
as to allow for any angled relationship therebetween.
Most appropriately, said bending area 9C is provided in the
bottom sheet 9 by substituting at least one row of protrusi-
ons or knobs 2, by at least one embossed line constituting
said bending area.
It is to be understood that the bottom sheet 9 as well as
the main sheet 10 are made up of relatively thin, stiff
material and including the type of protrusions disclosed in
Fig. 1, 2 and 3, as well as said means for forming air
channels and channels for receiving water from back fill
disclosed in that connection.
In other words, after the top sheet 8 and the bottom sheet 9
as well as the main sheet 10 have been mounted in a new and
efective manner against the outer surface of the foundation
wall 7, i.e. with the knobs 2 facing the outer surface of
the foundation wall 7, fill mass, e.g. broken stone or other
mass having good drainage property, will be put in place
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WO~/10782 PCT/~091/00004
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against the outer side 1B of said bottom sheet element 9 and
main sheet element 10, respectively.
This drainage mass may cause a substantial pressure against
the sheet elements in question, but the knobs 2 will ensure
that the necessary distance between the protective sheet
elements and the foundation wall is maintained.
In addition, the channels 4 will provide further drainage
along the other side 1B of said sheet elements, which means
that the water pressure thereagainst will be reduced.
In case the mass has poor drainage capability, e.g. clay or
fill mass containing earth, it may be desirable to arrange a
filtration canvas externally against the outer side 1B of
said sheet elements, whereby water is filtrated through said
canvas and escapes via the channels 4. In that case, the
filtrating canvas will prevent the channels 4 from being
blocked by said poor drainage capability mass. It should
also be understood that if filtrating canvas is used, knobs
having crater-like portions will effectivily ~onstitute a
further support of the canvas, and thus prevent said canvas
from being pressed into the recesses formed by the knobs.
However, it is to be understood that by using the sheets
according to Fig. 1-3 in connection with a filtrating canvas
there will be achieved a larger area of water drainage
between the filtrating canvas and the sheet, this area of
water drainage being defined by the light opening of the
hollow flat pyramids and the intermediate channels.
In the arrangement illustrated in Figure 4, the pre-mounting
of the top element 8 and the bottom element 9, will cater
for the variations in height along the foundation wall, and
provide full overlapping by the main protective sheet 10 if
this is supplied in plates of standard height, for example
9' = 2.70 meters.
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WO91/10782 PCT/NO91/0~004
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It is further to be understood that in the embodiment
disclosed in connection with Fig. 4, it should be noted that
the sides of the main sheet 10 may be overlapped by the
adjacent main sheet, so as to provide continuous sheet
protection of the foundation wall, this overlapping of the
main sheets 10 providing an interlocking action between the
side edge protrusions or knobs 2 of adjacent main sheets.
As regards the interlocking action between the main
protective sheets 10 and the bottom sheet elements 9 to be
overlapped thereby, this interlocking function may be
dispensed with, depending on the level of the footing 7B in
relation to the top element 8A, it nevertheless being noted
that the overlapping portions of the lower area 10B and the
upper area 9A of the bottom sheet element 9 is quite
satisfactorily even if the interlocking action between
corresponding knobs do not register with each other exactly.
However, the interlocking function between adjacent main
sheets 10 facilitates the mounting thereof, since the
workers do not have to level each sheet separately, but can
use the previously mounted sheet as a reference.
In Fig. 5 there is illustrated a perspective view of a
foundation wall 7 as disclosed in connection with Fig. 4,
and from Fig. S it is obvious that the bottom sheet element
9 can be delivered in running length, and be cut in
appropriate sizes on the site, so as to be included as a
first step in the implementation of the present improved
system for protecting foundation walls and the like.
In Fig. 5 there is also illustrated a drainage pipe 11 which
has the function of bringing the drainage from the filling
material away from the foundation wall 7.
In Fig. 6 there is in a perspective view illustrated a
foundation wall 107 having wall portion 107A and 107AA
merging in an inner corner 115, and having footings 107B and
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WO91~10782 PCT/NO91tOOOn4
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107BB for each wall portion, respectively.
Further, Fig . 6 illustrates a pre-cut corner unit 116,
adapted to cover the merging portions 107A and 107AA of the
5 foundation wall 107, so as to cover the corner portion 115
thereof.
This corner unit 116 may be provided in running lengths and
comprises along a central aera thereof a bending area
betwe~n sheet portions 116A and 116B covering a respective
corner portion of the foundation wall 107 in question,
namely at any appropriate angle.
It is to be understood that this bending area 116C may, as
discussed in connection with the bottom sheet element 9 in
connection with Fig. 4, comprise an embossed line which has
been provided during the manufacturing thereof, namely as a
substitute for at least one row of dimples or knobs.
The mounting of this corner sheet element 116 constitutes
one of the first installation steps in the improved system
according to the present invention, in the same manner as
discussed previously as regards the bottom sheet element 9
and the top sheet element 8.
In Fig. 7 there is illustrated a combination of two sheet
corner units in which a first corner unit 116 is adapted to
cover the merging portions of an inner corner 115 of a
foundation wall 107, whereas a second sheet corner unit 117
is adapted to cover the merging portions of an outer corner
115A of the same foundation wall 107.
It is to be understood that said sheet corner units 116 and
117, respectively, may constitute a combined unit adapted
for covering either an inner corner of a foundation wall, or
an outer corner of any foundation wall, all in accordance
with the re~uirements on site.
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Fig. 8A illustrates how the lower portion of an inner corner
215 of a foundation wall 207 in the area of the footing 207s
may be covered by a special embodiment of a corner base
element 118, whereas Fig. 8s illustrates a special embodi-
ment of a corner base element 119 which is to be used forcovering the outer corner portion 215A in the area o the
footing 207BB of a foundation wall.
~y having top sheet elements~ bottom sheet elements as well
as corner sheet elements mounted as the first steps of the
overall system, then afterwards the larger main sheet ele-
ments can be mounted in a far more rapid and efficient
manner.
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