Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02439767 2003-09-05
Barrier for protection against shock waves
The present invention relates to a reinforced protective
structure, and in particular a barrier far protection
against shock waves, which can attenuate and absorb shock
waves caused by sound waves and/or by air movements.
There are numerous known structures for absorbing the shock
waves caused by different sources. These structures can be
generally divided into two types. The first type comprises
rigid structures which are sufficiently strong to reflect
the shock waves. These structures have the advantage of
being repeatedly reusable, but are usually heavy, difficult
to handle and very expensive. The second type comprises
structures which are deformed to a limited and
predetermined extent in order to absorb the shock waves.
These structures are far less heavy and less bulky, and can
also provide adequate protection, but h<~ve the disadvantage
of being usable once only.
The object of the present invention is to provide a barrier
for protection against shock waves which can overcome the
drawbacks of the known structures, and which can also
attenuate and absorb in a highly effective way the shock
waves caused by sound waves and/or by air movements.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a
barrier for protection against shock waves which is
economical to manufacture and install, is easily maintained
and has high strength even after prolonged use.
In order to achieve the aforesaid objecas, the present
invention is concerned with a barrier for protection
against shock waves as defined in the claims which follow.
-1-
CA 02439767 2003-09-05
One of the main advantages of the present invention is the
simplification of the operations of transporting and
installing the barrier for protection against shock waves.
The soil containing and reinforcing elements which form the
barrier for protection against shock waves can be carried
to the installation site in a compact form, and can then be
erected and filled with the filling material only at the
time of use. Similarly, after use, the barrier can be
easily dismantled and transported elsewhere.
Another advantage of the present invention is the
possibility of easily and rapidly changing the dimensions
of the protective barrier. The dimensions of the barrier
can be changed according to the technical characteristics
of the source of shock waves and/or the dimensions and
distance of the element to be protected., by adding or
removing the soil containing and reinforcing elements which
form the barrier, or by changing their dimensions, or again
by replacing the shock wave absorption means.
Further characteristics and advantages will be made clear
by the following description, with reference to the
attached figures, provided purely by way of example and
without restrictive intent, in which:
- Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a barrier for
protection against shock waves according to the present
invention;
- Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of the
protective barrier of Figure 1;
- Figure 3 is a perspective view of the containing
elements forming the lateral and upper walls of the
protective barrier according to the present invention;
-2-
CA 02439767 2003-09-05
- Figure 4 is a perspective view of containing elements
according to a preferred embodiment of the present
invention;
- Figure 5 is a schematic side view of the barrier for
protection against shack waves according to the present
invention in an operating position; and
- Figure 6 is a view in longitudinal section of the
protective barrier illustrated in Figure 5.
With reference to the figures, a barrier for protection
against shock waves which can attenuate and absorb shock
waves caused by sound waves and/or by air movements
according to the present invention comprises a main
structure 10, of essentially pyramidal or rectangular
shape, having two frontal walls 12, transverse vertical
connecting means 14 and horizontal connecting means 50, 80,
and a cover 16.
The frontal walls 12 comprise a plurality of soil
containing and reinforcing elements 20, 22, made, for
example, but not exclusively, from one or more panels of
wire mesh, preferably hexagonal wire mesh, bent to form a
box structure and filled with filling material 21. As shown
in the figures, the containing and reinforcing elements 20,
22 are positioned so that one is superimposed on another in
a plurality of rows and have their longitudinal axes
parallel to each other, and can preferably, but not
exclusively, have identical dimensions. The containing and
reinforcing elements 20, 22 of each wall 12 can be
positioned so that they are slightly staggered with respect
to each other, so that the main structure 10 takes on an
essentially pyramidal shape.
-3-
CA 02439767 2003-09-05
The cover 16 is also preferably formed from one or more
soil reinforcing and containing elements, positioned
transversely above the rows of reinforcing and containing
elements 20, 22.
As shown in Figure 2, the two frontal walls 12 are
interconnected by vertical transverse connecting means, for
example, but not exclusively, vertical panels 14 of wire
mesh, preferably hexagonal wire mesh. The vertical
transverse connecting means 14 not only enclose the
structure and protect the containing and reinforcing
elements 20, 22, but are also used to increase the
compactness of the protective barrier 10. Clearly, the
vertical transverse connecting means can also be made in a
different way from that shown, for example in the form of
geosynthetic panels, metal panels, panels of sound-
absorbent material and/or other soil containing and
reinforcing elements.
As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the containing and reinforcing
elements 20, 22 used to form the protective barrier 10 can
be made by different methods and in different shapes.
Some containing and reinforcing elements 20 comprise, for
example, but not exclusively, a single wire mesh panel
divided into a base portion 50 which acts as a horizontal
transverse connecting means, an intermediate portion 52
which acts as a front wall of the reinforcing and
containing element 20, and an upper cover portion 54 of the
reinforcing and containing element 20. The three portions
are preferably demarcated from each other by metal bars
used both as reinforcing means and as bending lines for the
aforesaid portions 50, 52, 54. Further. panels 60, hinged on
the base portion 50 of the wire mesh panel, form the side
-4-
CA 02439767 2003-09-05
walls and the rear wall of the bax structure of the
reinforcing and containing element 20 when in use, and
filling material 21 such as sand, pebbles, gravel or
similar material, possibly available in situ, is placed
within these walls.
Other containing elements comprise essentially bax-shaped
structures formed from a plurality of panels of wire mesh,
preferably hexagonal wire mesh, connected to each other. In
a preferred embodiment, these containing and reinforcing
elements are made, for example, but not exclusively, in the
form of gabions 22. Each gabion 22 comprises at least four
walls, including an upper wall which forms a cover element,
a lower wall, two side walls, and a pair of walls which
form a front and a rear wall of the gabion. Filling
material 21 such as sand, pebbles, gravel or similar
material, possibly available in situ, is placed within the
gabions 22. The gabions 22 generally have dimensions such
that their length is greater than their width, and their
height is essentially equal to their width. In this
embodiment, the gabions 22 are connected by horizontal
transverse connecting means 80 comprising wire mesh or
geosynthetic panels.
Clearly, the horizontal transverse connecting means 50, 80
can also be made in a different way from that illustrated,
for example from geosynthetic panels, without departure
from the scope of the present invention.
As also shown in Figure 5, the containing and reinforcing
elements used to form the cover 16 of the protective
barrier 10 are generally also gabions whose height is
smaller than their width. In an alternative embodiment, the
cover 16 of the protective barrier 10 can be formed from a
-5-
CA 02439767 2003-09-05
plurality of protective elements of the mattress type,
comprising a flexible outer casing which covers a gabion
made from metallic material and filled for example, but not
exclusively, with a mixture of bitumen, sand and stones or
pebbles.
The barrier for protection against shock waves according to
the present invention also comprises absorption means 30
for attenuating and absorbing shock waves caused by sound
waves and/or by air movements. The shock wave absorption
means comprise, for example, but not exclusively,
containers filled with liquids, preferably bags filled with
water.
Clearly, a person skilled in the art will have no
difficulty in identifying shock wave absorption means other
than those described, which also have a high absorption
coefficient, without departing from the scope of the
present invention. This is because the reduction and
absorption of shock waves can also be achieved by using
other absorption means, for example, but not exclusively,
expanded polyurethane combined with a layer of bitumen,
open-cell expanded flexible polyurethane, or fibrous
material in general.
The liquid containers 30 or other absorption means can be
placed within further containing and reinforcing elements
40 located internally between the two frontal walls 12. The
internal containing and reinforcing elements 40 can vary
from each other in their dimensions anal are such that they
fill the space between the containing and reinforcing
elements 20, 22 forming the two frontal walls 12. The
internal containing and reinforcing elements 40 can be
gabions or, more generally, essentially box-shaped
-6-
CA 02439767 2003-09-05
structures, made from one or more panels of wire mesh,
preferably hexagonal wire mesh.
Clearly, the shape and arrangement of the reinforcing and
containing elements described above and illustrated in the
attached figures is indicated purely by way of example and
without restrictive intent. A person skilled in the art
will have no difficulty in modifying the shape and
arrangement of these elements without departing from the
scope of the present invention_
In order to form a barrier for protection against shock
waves according to the present invention, a plurality of
soil containing and reinforcing structures 20, 22, 40, in
the form of wire mesh panels, are carried to the
installation site. Here the horizontal transverse
connecting means 50, 80 are positioned and the panels are
bent on these in such a way as to form first soil
containing and reinforcing structures 20, 22, as shown in
Figure 4. The soil containing and reinforcing structures
20, 22 are then superimposed on each other to form the
opposing frontal walls I2 of the protective barrier 10, and
are filled with pebbles, sand, gravel or similar material.
Second soil containing and reinforcing structures 40, are
then fitted between the two frontal walls 12, and the
liquid containers 30 or other shock wave absorptian means
are placed within these second structures. Finally, the
transverse connecting means 14 and the cover 16 are
positioned to form the requisite barrier for protection
against shock waves.
As shown in Figure 5, the protective barrier 10 is located
in a predetermined position with respect to a shock wave
source 64, in such a way as to attenuate and absorb the
CA 02439767 2003-09-05
shock waves 62 travelling towards a target 70 to be
protected. The distance and dimensions of the barrier 10
can be calculated in advance according to the technical
characteristics of the shock wave source 64 and of the
target 70 to be protected.
In use, as shown schematically in Figure 6, the shock waves
62 originating from the source 64 initially strike the
frontal walls 12 of the barrier 10 and in particular the
soil containing and reinforcing structures 20, 22 filled
with sand, pebbles, gravel or similar material. This
initial impact is enough to attenuate and disperse a
significant proportion of the shock waves 62. The shock
waves 62 then pass through the absorption means 30, where
they are attenuated and absorbed to a significant extent
because of the physical characteristics of the said means,
such as the water for example. Finally, the residual shock
waves 62 pass through the other frontal wall 12 and in
particular the soil containing and reinforcing structures
20, 22 filled with sand, pebbles, gravel or similar
material.
A further advantage of the present invention is that the
shock waves encounter three stages of absorption with
technical and physical characteristics which differ from
each other, for example, but not exclusively, gravel and
water or other sound-absorbent materia=Ls. These variations
provide greater absorption and an attenuation of the shock
waves which is even more effective than that of the known
devices.
Clearly, provided that the principle of the invention is
retained, the forms and details of embodiment can be varied
_g_
CA 02439767 2003-09-05
widely from what has been described and illustrated,
without departure from the scope of the present invention.
-9-
