GROUND STABILISATION PANEL

Abstract

A ground stabilisation panel generally comprising a base layer adapted to locate on the ground, a plurality of first walls connected to the base layer, a plurality of second walls connected to the base layer, the second walls arranged relative to the first walls for intersecting with the first walls at a plurality of intersecting junctions, and a plurality of cavities each formed by the intersecting first and second walls and corresponding of the plurality of intersecting junctions. At least one of the plurality of cavities includes a retaining element connected to intersecting of the first and second walls at the corresponding intersection junction. The retaining element is adapted to retain a fill material located within the cavity.

Claims

1. A ground stabilisation panel comprising: a base layer adapted to be located on the ground; a plurality of first walls connected to the base layer; a plurality of second walls connected to the base layer, the second walls arranged relative to the first walls for intersecting with the first walls at a plurality of intersecting junctions; and a plurality of cavities each formed by the intersecting first and second walls and corresponding of the plurality of intersecting junctions, at least one of the plurality of cavities including a retaining element connected to intersecting of the first and second walls proximal one of the corresponding intersecting junctions and adapted to retain a fill material located within said at least one of the cavities.

2. The ground stabilisation panel of claim 1, wherein substantially all of the cavities of the ground stabilisation panel include the retaining element.

3. The ground stabilisation panel of claim 2, wherein the retaining element is one of a plurality of retaining elements located at or proximal respective of the corresponding intersecting junctions.

4. The ground stabilisation panel of claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of cavities includes four of the retaining elements located at or proximal respective of four of the corresponding intersecting junctions formed by the intersecting first and second walls.

5. The ground stabilisation panel of claim 1, wherein the base layer defines a plurality of apertures aligned with respective of the plurality of intersecting junctions formed by the intersecting first and second walls.

6. The ground stabilisation panel of claim 5, wherein each of said apertures is continuous with lateral openings formed in each of the first and second walls at respective of the intersecting junctions.

7. The ground stabilisation panel of claim 6, wherein the retaining element for neighbouring of the plurality of cavities is formed by a retaining disc located at one of the intersecting junctions and extending laterally through the lateral openings of the intersecting first and second walls into neighbouring of said cavities.

8. The ground stabilisation panel of claim 1, wherein the first walls are arranged parallel to one another, and the second walls are also arranged parallel to one another.

9. The ground stabilisation panel of claim 8, wherein the parallel first walls and the parallel second walls intersect one another at a predetermined angle to form the plurality of cavities in a grid, each of said cavities being diamond-shaped.

10. A trafficable ground assembly comprising: a plurality of ground stabilisation panels adapted to located on the ground alongside one another, each of said ground stabilisation panels comprising: a base layer adapted to be located on the ground, a plurality of first walls connected to the base layer, a plurality of second walls connected to the base layer, the second walls arranged relative to the first walls for intersecting with the first walls at a plurality of intersecting junctions, and a plurality of cavities each formed by the intersecting first and second walls and corresponding of the plurality of intersecting junctions, at least one of the plurality of cavities including a retaining element connected to intersecting of the first and second walls proximal one of the corresponding intersecting junctions; a fill material located within the plurality of cavities of each of said ground stabilisation panels to form the trafficable ground assembly, the retaining element of said at least one cavity for each of said stabilisation panels adapted to retain the fill material within said cavity.

11. The trafficable ground assembly of claim 10, wherein neighbouring of the plurality of ground stabilisation panels are interconnected with one another.

12. The trafficable ground assembly of claim 11, wherein each of said interconnected panels are of substantially the same perimeter shape wherein the plurality of said panels are interconnected in a modular arrangement.

13. The trafficable ground assembly of claim 10, wherein the fill material is at least one of concrete and another cementitious material.

14. The trafficable ground assembly of claim 10, wherein the trafficable ground assembly is suitable for vehicles.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0019] In order to achieve a better understanding of the nature of the present disclosure an illustrated embodiment of a ground stabilisation panel will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0020] FIG. 1 is an upper perspective view of one embodiment of a ground stabilisation panel according to a first aspect of the disclosure;

[0021] FIG. 2 is an enlarged lower perspective view of part of the ground stabilisation panel of FIG. 1;

[0022] FIG. 3 is an enlarged upper perspective view taken from part of the ground stabilisation panel of FIG. 1;

[0023] FIG. 4 is an enlarged upper perspective view shown partly cut away of part of the ground stabilisation panel of FIG. 1;

[0024] FIG. 5 is a plan view of the ground stabilisation panel of FIG. 1;

[0025] FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken in elevation from the ground stabilisation panel of FIG. 5;

[0026] FIG. 7 is a corresponding sectional view of the ground stabilisation panel of FIG. 5, in use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] As seen in FIG. 1, there is a ground stabilisation panel 10 of one embodiment of a first aspect of the disclosure. It will be understood that according to a second aspect of the disclosure the ground stabilisation panel 10 is one of a plurality of panels of substantially the same configuration. The plurality of ground stabilisation panels, such as 10, are located on the ground alongside one another and at least in part filled with a fill material to form a trafficable ground assembly according to the second aspect of the disclosure.

[0028] As best seen in the enlarged views of FIGS. 2 to 4, the ground stabilisation panel 10 of this embodiment generally comprises: [0029] a) a base layer 12 adapted to be located on the ground (not shown); [0030] b) a plurality of first walls, such as 14a to 14f connected to the base layer 12; [0031] c) a plurality of second walls, such as 16a to 16d, connected to the base layer 12, the second walls, such as 16a and 16b, arranged relative to the first walls, such as 14a and 14b, for intersecting with the first walls 14a and 14b at a plurality of intersecting junctions, such as 18aa, 18ab, 18bb and 18ba; [0032] d) a plurality of cavities, such as 20aa, each formed by the intersecting first and second walls 14a/b and 16a/b and corresponding of the plurality of intersecting junctions 18aa/ab/bb/ba.

[0033] It should be appreciated that at least one of the plurality of cavities, such as 20ab, includes a retaining element, such as 22bb, connected to intersecting of the first and second walls 14b and 16b at the corresponding intersection junction 18bb. The retaining element 22bb is adapted to retain a fill material (not shown) located within the cavity 20ab.

[0034] As best seen in FIG. 2, the base layer 12 of this embodiment includes a plurality of apertures, such as 24ab and 24bb, aligned with respective of the plurality of intersecting junctions 18ab and 18bb. Each of the apertures, such as 24bb, is formed continuous with lateral openings, such as 26ab and 26bb, formed in each of the first and second wall such as 14b and 16b at the corresponding intersecting junction, such as 18bb. In this example the retaining element, such as 22bb, for neighboring of the plurality of cavities 20aa/ab/ba/bb is formed by a retaining disc located at the intersecting junction 18bb. The retaining disc 22bb extends laterally through the lateral openings 26ab/bb of the intersecting first and second walls 14b and 16b into neighbouring of the cavities 20aa/ab.

[0035] As best seen in the embodiments of FIGS. 2 and 3, all of the cavities, such as 20ba, include at least one of the retaining discs such as 22bb. For the majority of the cavities such as 20ba the retaining disc 22bb is one of four retaining discs 22ba/bb/ca/cb located at respective of the four corresponding intersecting junctions 18ba/bb/ca/cb.

[0036] As best seen in FIG. 5, the first walls, such as 14a to 14f, are arranged parallel to one another, and the second walls, such as 16a to 16f, are also arranged parallel to one another. The parallel first walls, such as 14b, intersect the parallel second walls, such as 16b, at a predetermined angle of around 60 degrees to form the plurality of cavities, such as 20aa/ab/ba/bb, in a grid arrangement. In this example each of the cavities, such as 20bb, is diamond-shaped.

[0037] As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5, each of the plurality of ground stabilisation panels such as 10 includes a plurality of locking elements, such as 30a to 30k, positioned alongside one perimeter side of the panel 10, and a plurality of other locking elements 32a to 32i located alongside an adjacent perimeter side of said panel 10. The stabilisation panels, such as 10, also each include a plurality of engagement slots, such as 34a to 34k, and other engagement slots 36a to 36i located along adjacent of the other perimeter sides of the panel 10. It will be understood that neighbouring of the ground stabilisation panels, such as 10, are interconnected with one another by locking engagement of the locking elements, such as 30a, of one of the stabilisation panels with a neighbouring and corresponding engagement slot of the neighbouring stabilisation panel (not shown). The plurality of panels, such as 10, are thus interconnected with one another in a modular arrangement.

[0038] FIGS. 6 and 7 are sectional views taken from the ground stabilisation panel of FIG. 5. FIG. 7 shows the ground stabilisation panel 10 of the preceding embodiment, in use. In this example, the ground stabilisation panel 10 locates on the ground 40 and is filled with a fill material 42 in the form of concrete or another cementitious material. The concrete fill 42 will typically be poured across the stabilisation panel 10 and screed to an upper surface of the panel 10. Upper edges of the intersecting first and second walls, such as 14a to 14f, and 16a to 14d provide a convenient level along which screeding is effected. As seen in FIG. 7, the concrete fill 42 within each of the plurality of neighbouring cavities, such as 20ab and 20ba, locates underneath the retaining discs, such as 22bb and 22ca. This in combination with the concrete fill 42 which interconnects the neighbouring cavities, such as 20ab and 20ba, via the lateral openings 26ab and 26ba ensures the concrete fill 42 is retained within said cavities, such as 20ab and 20ba. It has been found that under the influence of traffic, particularly vehicles, the retaining discs, such as 22bb or other retaining elements, are effective in minimizing the likelihood of the concrete fill 42 breaking clear of and being ejected from one or more of the cavities, such as 20ab.

[0039] Now that certain embodiments of the ground stabilisation panel has been described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure has at least the following advantages: [0040] 1. the ground stabilisation panel is particularly suited to filling with an appropriate fill material, such as concrete wherein it is trafficable; [0041] 2. the ground stabilisation panel in combination with the fill material provides a trafficable ground assembly where the stabilisation panel is akin to and functions in a similar manner to reinforcing mesh or bar imbedded in concrete; [0042] 3. the ground stabilisation panel includes retaining elements which act to prevent fill material lifting from the corresponding cavity wherein the fill material is retained within the cavity; and [0043] 4. the ground stabilisation panel may include lateral openings at intersecting junctions of intersecting walls wherein the lateral openings promote flow and continuity of concrete with neighbouring cavities of the ground stabilisation panel.

[0044] It should be appreciated that those skilled in the art will appreciate that the disclosure as described herein is susceptible to variations and modifications other than those specifically described. For example, the walls may be configured in a different arrangement to the embodiment wherein the cavities vary from the described diamond-shaped cavity. The retaining elements may depart from the disc-shaped elements of the illustrated embodiment and take the form of ribs or gussets extending across one or more of the cavities. The ground stabilisation panels need not be of a modular construction and adjacent stabilisation panel may be interconnected by arrangements which depart from the example embodiment where for example clips or other couplings separate from the panels are arranged to lock the panels alongside one another. All such variations and modifications are to be considered within the scope of the present disclosure the nature of which is to be determined from the foregoing description.