Corrugated leaching chamber having wide peak corrugations

Abstract

A plastic leaching chamber having an arch shape cross section and corrugations running transverse to the chamber length has peak corrugations which are substantially wider than the intervening valley corrugations. One or more hollow pillars extend downwardly within the interior of some chamber embodiments, to support the load applied to the chamber. Chambers nest together to form a stack of chambers for transport or storage. Chambers having different widths and vertical profiles have common size connectors for interconnecting as chamber strings.

1 . A plastic chamber having an arch shape cross section, for receiving and dispersing water when buried beneath the soil, the chamber comprising:
 opposing side base flanges, running generally lengthwise on either side of the chamber, to provide bearing area for supporting the chamber on a surface during use of the chamber;   opposing sidewalls, each sidewall rising upwardly and inwardly from a base flange;   a top, connecting the upper ends of the opposing sidewalls;   an arch curve formed by the combination of opposing sidewalls and top; and,   a plurality of alternating peak corrugations and valley corrugations running transverse to the length of the chamber and along the arch curve of the chamber, from an upper surface of one of the base flanges to an upper surface of the opposing side base flanges, wherein the peak corrugations decrease in width and the valley corrugations increase in width with elevation from the base flanges;   wherein, when measured along the chamber length in a first horizontal plane which is at an elevation proximate the upper surfaces of said opposing side base flanges, within said plurality, the width of each peak corrugation is at least about 2.5 times greater than the width of an adjacent valley corrugation.   
     
     
         2 . The chamber of  claim 1 , wherein the width of each peak corrugation is about 3 times or greater the width of an adjacent valley corrugation. 
     
     
         3 . The chamber of  claim 2  wherein the width of each peak corrugation is about 5 times or greater the width of an adjacent valley corrugation. 
     
     
         4 . The chamber of  claim 1 , wherein when measured along the chamber length in a second horizontal plane which is at an elevation which is located halfway between the top and bottom of said sidewalls, each peak corrugation is at least 1.6 times the width of an each valley corrugation. 
     
     
         5 . The chamber of  claim 4 , wherein in the first horizontal plane, each peak corrugation is about 5 times the width of an adjacent valley corrugation and, wherein in the second horizontal plane, each peak corrugation is about 2 times the width of each valley corrugation. 
     
     
         6 . The chamber of  claim 1 , wherein the sidewall portions which comprise peak corrugations have a multiplicity of perforations and the sidewall portions which comprise valley corrugations are substantially free of perforations. 
     
     
         7 . The chamber of  claim 6 , wherein the perforations are vertically spaced apart slots. 
     
     
         8 . The chamber of  claim 1 , wherein the sidewalls have a multiplicity of horizontally and vertically spaced apart perforations. 
     
     
         9 . The chamber of  claim 1 , wherein all of said peak corrugations have equal widths and all of said valley corrugations, have equal widths in the first horizontal plane. 
     
     
         10 . The chamber of  claim 1 , wherein the chamber is compliant with the structural and performance requirements of International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials Material and Property Standard for Leaching Chambers, IAPMO PS 63-2005. 
     
     
         11 . The chamber of  claim 10 , made of polypropylene, polyethylene or another polyolefin. 
     
     
         12 . The chamber of  claim 1 , wherein the chamber has an effective length of about 4 feet, a leaching area of at least about 428 square inches per foot of effective length, and a weight of less than about 2.8 pounds per foot of effective length. 
     
     
         13 . The chamber of  claim 12 , made of polyethylene or polypropylene or polyolefin, having has a ratio of storage volume to plastic volume of at least about 20 to 1. 
     
     
         14 . The chamber of  claim 12 , made of polyethylene or polypropylene or polyolefin, having at least 160 square inches of leaching area per pound of plastic. 
     
     
         15 . The chamber of  claim 1 , wherein the chamber includes an effective length, a chamber volume, a bearing footprint area and an open base area, wherein the bearing footprint area of the chamber divided by the effective length of the chamber equals or exceeds about 20 square inches per lineal foot, and wherein the open base area divided by the effective length of the chamber exceeds about 2.2 square feet per lineal foot and wherein the chamber volume divided by the effective length of the chamber exceeds about 0.9 cubic feet per lineal foot. 
     
     
         16 . A corrugated plastic chamber having an arch shape cross section, for receiving and dispersing water when buried beneath the surface of soil, the chamber comprising:
 opposing side base flanges;   opposing sidewalls, wherein each of the opposing sidewalls rise upwardly and inwardly from one of the opposing side base flanges;   a top, connecting the upper portions of the opposing sidewalls; and,   a plurality of alternating peak corrugations and valley corrugations running across the top and opposing sidewalls in a direction transverse to the length of the chamber, wherein sidewall portions of the peak corrugations have a plurality of vertically spaced apart horizontal slots; wherein,   (a) when measured along the chamber length in a first horizontal plane which is at an elevation proximate the upper surfaces of said opposing side base flanges, within said plurality, the width of each peak corrugation is at least about 3 times the width of an adjacent valley corrugation;   (b) when measured along the chamber length in a second horizontal plane which is at an elevation which is located halfway between the top and bottom of said sidewalls, within said plurality, each peak corrugation is at least about 2 times the width of an each valley corrugation; and,   (c) at least the peak corrugation portions of the opposing sidewalls have a plurality of perforations.   
     
     
         17 . The chamber of  claim 16 , wherein the chamber has 9 peak corrugations and 8 valley corrugations and wherein the width of each peak corrugation is between about 3.6 inches and about 4.1 inches in the first horizontal plane. 
     
     
         18 . The chamber of  claim 17 , wherein the chamber has an effective length of about 4 feet, a leaching area of at least about 428 square inches per foot of effective length, and a weight of less than about 2.8 pounds per foot of effective length.