Multiple zone, high-capacity geo-composite drainage structures and methods suitable for high friction angle applications

Abstract

Numerous permutations of high-friction void-maintaining membrane laminates are provided. Laminates of the invention are particularly useful for providing high performance drainage within installations having a high slope component. Void-maintaining laminates of the invention comprise flow zones of void spaces which are typically interconnected, and constructed and arranged so that the flow zones provide desirable paths for the egress of drainage fluids. The laminates advantageously include also high-friction zones which are typically interspersed between the flow zones such that the laminates are useful to provide drainage in installations of high incline angles. Laminates of the present invention provide both desired resistance to movement, that is, increased shear resistance, and flow capacity increases of from 25-100% when compared with conventional laminates.

1 . A laminate having void-maintaining regions and high friction regions, said laminate comprising 
 a) a sheet-like upper layer,    said upper layer having an upper layer lower surface and an upper layer upper surface;    b) a sheet-like lower layer,    said lower layer having a lower layer lower surface and a lower layer upper surface, and    c) a void-maintaining core, said core having an upper core surface and a lower core surface, wherein said core is interposed between portions of said lower layer upper surface and said upper layer lower surface to form at least one flow zone, 
 wherein said lower layer is provided on portions of said lower layer lower surface of said void-maintaining core to thus form exposed core sections such that said exposed core sections function as friction zones that can be positioned in contact with materials placed adjacent to said lower core surface.  
   
   
   
       2 . The laminate of  claim 1 , wherein said upper layer comprises one or more of membranes, grids and geotextiles.  
   
   
       3 . The laminate of  claim 1 , wherein said upper layer is impermeable to fluids.  
   
   
       4 . The laminate of  claim 1 , wherein said upper layer is permeable to fluids.  
   
   
       5 . The laminate of  claim 1 , wherein one or both of said upper layer and said lower layer are provided discontinuously on said void-maintaining core.  
   
   
       6 . The laminate of  claim 1 , wherein said upper layer is attached to at least 20% of the effective surface area of said core surface and said attachment is effected by one or more of adhesives, flame welding, melt bonding, laser welding, ultrasound welding, and hook-and-loop protrusions.  
   
   
       7 . The laminate of  claim 1 , wherein said lower layer is attached to at least 25% of the effective surface area of said core surface.  
   
   
       8 . The laminate of  claim 1 , wherein said void-maintaining core comprises high-friction compounds.  
   
   
       9 . The laminate of  claim 1 , wherein said void-maintaining core comprises one or more of biplanar geogrids, tri-planar geogrids, cuspidations, and compression elements 
 wherein said compression elements are provided in one or more shapes, and said shapes are selected from one or more of spikes, cones, hollow cones, spindles, convolutions, bubbles, circular cylinders, ovoid cylinders, hollow cylinders, flat-faceted pyramids, arcuate-faceted pyramids, volcano-shaped columns, mushroom-shaped columns, tubes, sphere-topped shafts, and peduncles.    
   
   
       10 . The laminate of  claim 1 , wherein said lower layer comprises one or more of membranes, grids and geotextiles.  
   
   
       11 . The laminate of  claim 1 , comprising a plurality of flow zones.  
   
   
       12 . The laminate of  claim 1 , comprising a plurality of flow zones wherein at least some of said flow zones interconnect with one another.  
   
   
       13 . The laminate of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of said layers and said core are formed of one or more thermoplastics, and wherein said one or more thermoplastics are selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, high density polyethylene (“HDPE”), polypropylene, glass-filled plastics, and ABS.  
   
   
       14 . The laminate of  claim 1 , wherein said lower layer, upper layer and core are constructed and arranged such that said at least one flow zone of said laminate has a transmissivity of at least 10 −3 M 2  sec −1  of aqueous liquid at a normal load of at least 100 PSF (pounds/ft 2 ) sustainable for at least 100 hours when tested in accordance with ASTM 4716.  
   
   
       15 . The laminate of  claim 1 , wherein said lower layer, upper layer and core are constructed and arranged such that said at least one flow zone of said laminate has a transmissivity of at least 10 −3  M 2  sec −1  of aqueous liquid at a normal load of at least 1,000 PSF (pounds/ft 2 ) sustainable for at least 100 hours when tested in accordance with ASTM 4716.  
   
   
       16 . The laminate of  claim 1 , wherein said lower layer, upper layer and core are constructed and arranged such that said at least one flow zone of said laminate has a transmissivity of at least 10 −3  M 2  sec −1  of aqueous liquid at a normal load of at least 10,000 PSF (pounds/ft 2 ) sustainable for at least 100 hours when tested in accordance with ASTM 4716.  
   
   
       17 . The laminate of  claim 1 , wherein said lower layer, upper layer and core are constructed and arranged such that said at least one flow zone of said laminate has a transmissivity of at least 10 −3  M 2  sec −1  of aqueous liquid at a normal load of at least 15,000 PSF (pounds/ft 2 ) sustainable for at least 100 hours when tested in accordance with ASTM 4716.  
   
   
       18 . The laminate of  claim 1 , wherein said flow zones are provided in patterns.  
   
   
       19 . The laminate of  claim 1 , wherein said patterns are one or more from the group consisting of strips of flow zones interposed between strips of friction zones, strips of flow zones interposed between strips of anchor zones, tree-like shapes, dendritic shapes, checkerboards, geometric shapes, and shapes determined by the desired flow pattern or flow path of a slope or slopes.  
   
   
       20 . The laminate of  claim 1 , further comprising 
 d) a base layer, 
 wherein said base layer is provided on or adjacent to said lower layer lower surface and on or adjacent to said exposed sections of said core.  
   
   
   
       21 . The laminate of  claim 20 , wherein said base layer is impermeable to fluids.  
   
   
       22 . The laminate of  claim 20 , wherein said base layer is permeable to fluids.  
   
   
       23 . The laminate of  claim 20 , wherein said base layer comprises one or more of membranes, grids and geotextiles.  
   
   
       24 . The laminate of  claim 20 , wherein one or more of said base layer, said upper layer, said lower layer and said core are formed of one or more thermoplastics, and wherein said one or more thermoplastics are selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, high density polyethylene (“HDPE”), polypropylene, glass-filled plastics, and ABS.  
   
   
       25 . The laminate of  claim 20 , wherein said base layer is attached to at least  20 % of the effective surface area of said lower layer surface and said attachment is effected by one or more of adhesives, flame welding, melt bonding, laser welding, ultrasound welding, and hook-and-loop protrusions.  
   
   
       26 . The laminate of  claim 20 , wherein said base layer, upper layer, lower layer and void-maintaining core are constructed and arranged such that said at least one flow zone of said laminate has a transmissivity of at least 10 −3  M 2  sec −1  of aqueous liquid at a normal load of at least 100 PSF (pounds/ft 2 ) sustainable for at least 100 hours when tested in accordance with ASTM 4716.  
   
   
       27 . The laminate of  claim 20 , wherein said base layer, upper layer, lower layer and void-maintaining core are constructed and arranged such that said at least one flow zone of said laminate has a transmissivity of at least 10 −3  M 2  sec −1  of aqueous liquid at a normal load of at least 1,000 PSF (pounds/ft 2 ) sustainable for at least 100 hours when tested in accordance with ASTM 4716.  
   
   
       29 . The laminate of  claim 20 , wherein said base layer, upper layer, lower layer and void-maintaining core are constructed and arranged such that said at least one flow zone of said laminate has a transmissivity of at least 10 −3  M 2  sec −1  of aqueous liquid at a normal load of at least 10,000 PSF (pounds/ft 2 ) sustainable for at least 100 hours when tested in accordance with ASTM 4716.  
   
   
       29 . The laminate of  claim 20 , wherein said base layer, upper layer, lower layer and void-maintaining core are constructed and arranged such that said at least one flow zone of said laminate has a transmissivity of at least 10 −3  M 2  sec −1  of aqueous liquid at a normal load of at least 15,000 PSF (pounds/ft 2 ) sustainable for at least 100 hours when tested in accordance with ASTM 4716.  
   
   
       30 . A method for providing high-friction void-maintaining laminates to meet the desired drainage specifications of a slope, comprising the acts or steps of 
 A) determining said desired drainage specifications of said slope, and    B) providing a laminate having void-maintaining regions and high friction regions, said laminate comprising    a) a sheet-like upper layer,    said upper layer having an upper layer lower surface and an upper layer upper surface;    b) a sheet-like lower layer,    said lower layer having a lower layer lower surface and a lower layer upper surface, and    c) a void-maintaining core, said core having an upper core surface and a lower core surface, wherein said core is interposed between portions of said lower layer upper surface and said upper layer lower surface to form at least one flow zone, 
 wherein said lower layer is provided on portions of said lower layer lower surface of said void-maintaining core to thus form exposed core sections such that said exposed core sections function as friction zones that can be positioned in contact with materials placed adjacent to said lower core surface, and  
 wherein said laminate meets or exceeds said desired drainage specifications of said slope.  
   
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein one or more of said base layer, said upper layer, said lower layer and said core are formed of one or more thermoplastics, and wherein said one or more thermoplastics are selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, high density polyethylene (“HDPE”), polypropylene, glass-filled plastics, and ABS.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein said at least one flow zone of said laminate has a transmissivity of at least 10 −3  M 2  sec −1  of aqueous liquid at a normal load of at least 100 PSF (pounds/ft 2 ) sustainable for at least 100 hours when tested in accordance with ASTM 4716.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein said at least one flow zone of said laminate has a transmissivity of at least 10 −3  M 2  sec −1  of aqueous liquid at a normal load of at least 1,000 PSF (pounds/ft 2 ) sustainable for at least 100 hours when tested in accordance with ASTM 4716.  
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein said at least one flow zone of said laminate has a transmissivity of at least 10 −3  M 2  sec −1  of aqueous liquid at a normal load of at least 10,000 PSF (pounds/ft 2 ) sustainable for at least 100 hours when tested in accordance with ASTM 4716.  
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising the step of 
 C) providing a base layer to said laminate, 
 wherein said base layer is provided on or adjacent to said lower layer lower surface and on or adjacent to said exposed sections of said core.  
   
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein said base layer is impermeable to fluids.  
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein said base layer is permeable to fluids.  
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein said base layer comprises one or more of membranes, grids and geotextiles.  
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein said at least one flow zone of said laminate has a transmissivity of at least 10 −3  M 2  sec −1  of aqueous liquid at a normal load of at least 100 PSF (pounds/ft 2 ) sustainable for at least 100 hours when tested in accordance with ASTM 4716.  
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein said at least one flow zone of said laminate has a transmissivity of at least 10 −3  M 2  sec −1  of aqueous liquid at a normal load of at least 1,000 PSF (pounds/ft 2 ) sustainable for at least 100 hours when tested in accordance with ASTM 4716.  
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein said at least one flow zone of said laminate has a transmissivity of at least 10 −3  M 2  sec −1  of aqueous liquid at a normal load of at least 10,000 PSF (pounds/ft 2 ) sustainable for at least 100 hours when tested in accordance with ASTM 4716.  
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein said at least one flow zone of said laminate has a transmissivity of at least 10 −3  M 2  sec −1  of aqueous liquid at a normal load of at least 15,000 PSF (pounds/ft 2 ) sustainable for at least 100 hours when tested in accordance with ASTM 4716.