Fascines

Abstract

Fascines for filling ditches or smoothing other discontinuities in or on the ground to facilitate the passage of vehicles across the discontinuity are composed of inflatable members of the kind comprising an inflatable chamber configured to define a hollow tube when inflated. These tubes, or at least selected lengths thereof, are reinforced internally against deformation under applied loads, by means of additional inflatable chambers which may themselves be of hollow or “solid” form, or by means of flexible tension members tied across the interior of the tube to resist expansion of the tube cross-section in the plane perpendicular to the load.

1 . A fascine member comprising an inflatable chamber configured to define a hollow tube when inflated, and means located or adapted to be located within said tube for reinforcing the same against deformation under applied loads in use, at least at a predetermined location or locations along the length of the tube.  
   
   
       2 . A fascine member according to  claim 1  wherein said reinforcing means comprises a second inflatable chamber.  
   
   
       3 . A fascine member according to  claim 2  wherein said second inflatable chamber is configured to define a hollow tube when inflated.  
   
   
       4 . A fascine member according to  claim 2  wherein said second inflatable chamber is of “solid” form.  
   
   
       5 . A fascine member according to  claim 1  wherein said reinforcing means comprises a rigid tube.  
   
   
       6 . A fascine member according to  claim 1  wherein said reinforcing means comprises one or more flexible tension members attached to the inflatable chamber so as to lie across the interior of the tube when inflated and resist expansion of the cross-sectional dimension of the tube in the direction of the flexible tension member(s).  
   
   
       7 . A fascine member according to  claim 6  wherein said reinforcing means comprises a plurality of such flexible tension members adapted to lie across the interior of the tube between respective positions spaced around the circumference of the tube.  
   
   
       8 . A fascine member according to  claim 1  wherein said reinforcing means are provided along substantially the whole length of said tube.  
   
   
       9 . A fascine member according to  claim 1  wherein said reinforcing means are provided only at opposite end portions of said tube.  
   
   
       10 . A fascine comprising one or more inflated members according to  claim 1 .  
   
   
       11 . A plurality of inflatable members adapted to be incorporated in a fascine, each said member comprising an outer sheath of wear-resistant material in addition to the fabric of the respective inflatable chamber, and means interconnecting or adapted to interconnect said sheaths of at least some said members.  
   
   
       12 . A fascine comprising a plurality of inflated members according to  claim 11.