EP1497500A1

EP1497500A1 - A method for creating an infrastructure

Info

Publication number: EP1497500A1
Application number: EP02707074A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Joshua Mesinger
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-03-20
Filing date: 2002-03-20
Publication date: 2005-01-19
Also published as: AU2002241226A1; WO2003078742A1; US20050029428A1

Abstract

A method for creating an infrastructure especially useful for construction projects requiring large amounts of filler material, comprising: (a) creating blocks made of compressed refuse; (b) reinforcing each block with a flexible plastic sheet or a plastic or metal band, or a combination thereof, wrapped tightly around said block; (c) arranging said blocks of compressed refuse one above the other, and/or one beside the other within a mold, upon a concrete floor or upon a plurality of spacing element which allow for the flow of molten concrete under said blocks, and spacing said blocks of compressed refuse a predetermined distance from the interior walls of said mold; (d) casting concrete in said mold containing said blocks to a predetermined height above the uppermost surface of said blocks.

Description

A METHOD FOR CREATING AN INFRASTRUCTURE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method for creating an

infrastructure, especially useful for construction projects requiring large

amounts of filler material (e.g. building roadways, erosion barriers, sea

walls, and the like). More specifically, the method relates to an

infrastructure construction method wherein compressed blocks of refuse

are created, reinforced, arranged with a predetermined spacing upon a

cast concrete floor (or upon a plurality of spacing elements which allow

for the flow of molten concrete under said blocks), within an external

mold of a predetermined shape and dimension, and molten concrete is

poured into said mold and infrastructure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The problem of the disposal of solid waste material is well known.

Billions of cubic meters of solid waste material are produced yearly by

people across the world. One of the most common methods of disposal is

dumping the solid waste material into landfills. The disadvantage of this

method is that it contaminates the environment, including underground

water aquifers. Although recycling exists, recycling efforts target

primarily metals, glass, and paper, and do not fully solve the problem of solid waste disposal. Furthermore, most of the world does not expend

effort into recycling, leaving the problem of municipal solid waste

disposal largely unremedied.

Simultaneously, the construction industry wastes money and

ecological resources on building elements such as new concrete products,

when cheaper, recycled substitute materials are available and would be

equally effective. Furthermore, the construction industry wastes

resources on the materials used secondary to the final construction

product itself. To give a specific example, the construction of a molten

concrete wall requires not only the concrete and metal reinforcement

elements for the wall itself, but also material for the construction of the

mold for said wall. Creating a single vertical molten concrete wall

requires a mold having double (internal and external) walls, typically

made from wood or iron. The concrete is poured between the external

and internal walls in said mold. Another example is creating a cast

concrete ceiling. Aside from the waste of labor time in erecting

scaffolding to support the mold, and creating said mold to contain the

molten concrete, there is also the waste of building materials used to

create the scaffolding and the mold. Although rigid filler material would

serve the same purposes in creating such walls or ceilings, unfortunately,

there exists a considerable waste of natural resources for the materials

used in construction projects. Furthermore, the most common method of obtaining raw materials

for construction projects, i.e., opening a quarry or open pit, is opposed by

environmentalists because of the deleterious effect on the ecosystem.

Thus, due to environmental regulations and concerns, the availability of

filler materials, such as raw dirt are becoming increasingly difficult to

obtain.

Surprisingly, the present invention provides an alternative method

for the disposal of solid waste and for more environmentally friendly and

cost effective construction filler materials, combined with the creation of

an infrastructure. Said method uses construction elements that are useful

for creating an infrastructure, and such as for building roadways, sea

walls, erosion barriers, and the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method for the creation of an

infrastructure especially useful for construction projects requiring large

amounts of filler material. The steps of the method comprise creating

block made of compressed refuse; reinforcing each block made of

compressed refuse with a flexible plastic sheet or a plastic or metal band,

or a combination thereof, wrapped tightly around said block; arranging

said blocks of compressed refuse, one above the other, and/or one beside

the other within a mold, upon a concrete floor or upon a plurality of spacing elements which allow for the flow of molten concrete under said

blocks, and spacing said blocks of compressed refuse a predetermined

distance from the interior surface of said mold; and casting concrete in

said mold containing said blocks to a predetermined height above the

uppermost surface of said blocks.

According to the preferred embodiment, the blocks made of

compressed refuse are spaced apart within the mold a predetermined

distance from the interior surface of the walls of the mold, creating a

continuous vertical space extending from the bottom to the top of said

mold, and extending longitudinally along each interior mold wall, for

creating the infrastructure's external walls, abutting said blocks. The

blocks thus serve as an internal mold wall for the creation of said

concrete wall, obviating the need for additional construction time and

material to create an inner mold wall.

The top surface of the mold extends a predetermined distance

above the top surface of the arrangement of the blocks, for creating a

concrete top surface for the infrastructure during the pouring of the

molten concrete.

Further in accordance with the preferred embodiment, the blocks

made of compressed refuse are spaced apart within the mold, creating at

least one continuous vertical space extending from the bottom to the top

of said mold, and from one mold wall to an opposite mold wall, for creating at least one interior concrete wall within the mold during the

pouring of the molten concrete. The internal walls of concrete provide

additional structural strength to the infrastructure.

Still further in accordance with the preferred embodiment, there is

created at least one intermediate horizontal layer of concrete upon

predetermined layers of blocks when casting the molten concrete..

Further in accordance with the preferred embodiment, hollow tubes

extend from the inner surface of the cement wall to the exterior surface of

said wall, thus creating holes for releasing gases produced as a result of

the decomposition of the refuse.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is herein described, by way of example only,

with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 illustrates an isometric view of the compressed block of

refuse wrapped with a flexible plastic sheet.

Figure 2 illustrates an isometric view of the compressed block of

refuse wrapped with a flexible plastic sheet and bands.

Figure 3 illustrates an isometric view of the mold containing the

blocks before the casting of the concrete.

Figure 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of

the infrastructure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED

EMBODIMENT

The present invention relates to a method for the creation of an

infrastructure especially useful for construction projects requiring large

amounts of filler material, such as the construction of roadways, erosion

barriers, sea walls, and the like.

The method will be further described in detail as relating to Figure

1-4. This description by no means intends to limit the scope of the

invention, but to clarify and illustrate one of the preferred embodiments

of the invention.

Figure 1 illustrates the block of compressed refuse(l) enclosed by a

sheet of plastic(2) which prevents the constituent elements of the block

from dispersing, and adds clear and constant boundaries to the block of

compressed refuse.

Figure 2 illustrates the block of compressed refuse(l), enclosed by

a sheet of plastic(2) wherein the block of compressed refuse is further

reinforced by plastic or metal bands (3, 3', 3").

Figure 3 illustrates an embodiment of the infrastructure before the

casting of the concrete. The blocks of compressed refuse(l) are arranged

within a mold(4). The mold extends to a predetermined height above the

top surface of the blocks of compressed refuse, which creates a space(6) for the creation of a concrete top surface. The arrangements of the blocks

of compressed refuse are spaced a predetermined distance from the walls

of the mold, thus providing a space(6') for the creation of concrete walls.

The blocks therefore save the need for the construction of an internal

mold wall, saving also significant time and materials savings. Similarly,

the blocks may be spaced a predetermined distance from each other

within the mold, thus providing a space(6") for the creation of concrete

internal walls. A vent hole(5) provides a path for the release of gases as a

result of the decomposition of the compressed refuse material. The vent

hole may serve as a location for apparatus to capture and utilize said

gases, if so desired.

Figure 4 illustrates a vertical cross sectional view of the

infrastructure(12) after the pouring of the concrete having spacing

elements(7,7') placed between the layers of blocks of compressed

refuse(l) and upon the floor of the mold (not shown). The spacing

elements beneath the blocks, and the placement of the blocks a

predetermined distance from the wall of the mold allows the molten

concrete to flow within the spaces surrounding the blocks. This is

creating the infrastructure's concrete floor(8), intermediate layer(9), side

and internal walls(10,10',10"), and top layer(l 1).

Claims

1) A method for creating an infrastructure especially useful for

construction projects requiring large amounts of filler material,

comprising:

a) creating blocks made of compressed refuse;

b) reinforcing each block with a flexible plastic sheet or a

plastic or metal band, or a combination thereof, wrapped tightly

around said block;

c) arranging said blocks of compressed refuse one above the

other, and/or one beside the other within a mold, upon a concrete

floor or upon a plurality of spacing element which allow for the

flow of molten concrete under said blocks, and spacing said blocks

of compressed refuse a predetermined distance from the interior

walls of said mold;

d) casting concrete in said mold containing said blocks to a

predetermined height above the uppermost surface of said blocks.

2) A method for creating an infrastructure, according to claim 1,

wherein the blocks made of compressed refuse are spaced apart within

the mold, creating at least one continuous vertical space extending

from the bottom to the top of said mold, and from one mold wall to an

opposite mold wall, for creating at least one interior concrete wall

within the mold during the pouring of the molten concrete. 3) A method for creating an infrastructure, according to claim 1,

comprising casting at least one intermediate horizontal layer of

concrete upon predetermined layers of blocks.

4) A method for creating an infrastructure, according to claim 1,

comprising an additional step comprising affixing hollow tubes that

extend from the inner surface of the cement wall to the exterior

surface of said wall, thus creating holes for releasing gases produced

as a result of the decomposition of the refuse.