Advertising area created on slope and/or having sloping surface

Technical Field

The invention relates to the field of civil engineering. It is a decorative, especially advertising area created directly in the terrain slope and/or on a base having sloping surface. The solution relates to the area with a figure created as a mosaic composed of various decorative elements that are at least partially products of nature, such as plants, stones or bark. The invention is suitable especially for large areas with unevenness or declivity, such as open terrain, slopes on lands in the vicinity of buildings, slopes along motorways and other roads and ways, slopes along navigable rivers, land waves in parks, ground jump on exhibition grounds or in urban green areas etc.

Background art

Currently, not only billboards and specific advertising products are used for sales promotion, but there are efforts to use for these purposes also terrain areas accessible for the sight of potential customer. Vegetation advertisements built on suitable open-air areas as well as in interiors on horizontal surfaces are generally known already. These are decorative arrangements of colourful plants or plants flowering in various colours possibly combined with other decorative elements from materials such as stones, bark etc. Such advertisements are utilizing figures from the abovementioned building elements created by their arrangement in a shape representative of the advertising theme or company logo, sign, etc. However, these are suitable for horizontal surfaces only or for very little slope surfaces, since rapid hushing of cultivation substrate downwards and/or pour of decorative elements due to the effect of gravitation and water movement during a rainfall, air motion during windy weather, etc. would take place on more slope surface. The very gravitation prevents creation of decorative surface on very sloping areas. Moreover, even in the case of the little sloping area, there is a problem in the said decorative and advertising areas with surplus water from watering and rainfalls, which can cause adverse

hushing of cultivation substrate and/or decorative particles to the surroundings and silt up footways and sewerage. The hushing of vegetation substrate results also in a significant loss of carrying and nutritious matter for vegetation, which shortens the usable life of the built system as well as the quality of cultivated vegetation elements.

Adverse hushing of vegetation substrate and its slides constitute in general one of the main problems connected with the terrain on sloping surfaces. In the case of areas near buildings, especially near municipal as well as rural housing, it is generally necessary to prevent the hushing, inter alia also to prevent silting of sewerage systems and fouling of sidewalks, streets or watercourses.

Some existing solutions of sloping areas are using boards from rock wool, which are used as a carrier for vegetation and are completely or partially replacing the cultivation substrate. For instance the WO 95/08259 patent application WO 95/08259 suggests creation of decorative vegetation area on the building roof as a board from rock wool, on which vegetation elements with root system in adhesive bag from organic material are placed. Fixation of vegetation elements to the board is attained for instance in such a way that the bag contains starch and/or is equipped with a gummed tape from suitable polymer. This solution counts on the premise that the roots will strengthen with time and will grow through to the rock wool. However, the use of boards from rock wool for upper sides of sloping surfaces has significant disadvantages. This material is significantly frangible, so that freezing or stress and activities during maintenance, such as mower travel or walking, result in creation of cracks and falling out of fragments. It is necessary to replace whole blocks of rock wool, unwanted hushing and also creation of pits and holes takes place in the case of fragmentation. Other disadvantage is that the rock wool is not strong and bearing enough for roots of larger plants, surface hoeing of plants and similar maintenance tasks are impossible. Reuse is impossible, too. In a case of desired replacing or renovation of vegetation elements, the whole surface of the decorative formation must be replaced. Esthetical side of such solutions is not good as well, because the surface does not look naturally and its effect is not as aesthetic as natural surfaces. Other disadvantage is that this solution does not allow creation of decorative formations from loose materials or

from particles on the surface, such as coloured gravels, stones, coloured barks etc., because this would result in slippages and pouring down.

To be used for decorative purposes in the case of sloping surfaces, the loose materials, stones etc. are currently firmly fixed to the base by uniform binding component such as concrete. However, block impermeable for air and water is created in this way, which disturbs natural ecosystem and deteriorates conditions for plants and soil organisms in the given locality and its surroundings. Concrete and similar binding agents crack and crush over time and the resulting cracks or detritus are disturbing aesthetic goal of the decorative area by its unseemliness and untidiness. They also accelerate further erosion, which speeds up the onset of destruction of the whole. In a natural environment such as grass-covered slopes, slopes of embankment etc., creation of artificial solid blocks is also unsuitable because of their weight, because then, destruction and collapse of slanting areas of slopes takes place instead of their reinforcement. Document CZ U 10580 describes advertising area placed namely on slopes along motorways and other speedways, which is created using system of retaining walls inserted into the slope. This area is created using at least one slope plant pot consisting basically only from fencing of selected part of terrain by low walls, specifically by rear retaining wall, front retaining wall, and two side retaining walls. The retaining walls together create a perimeter structure of the slope plant pot with size of at least 5 m ² and are created from concrete, reinforced concrete, wood, metal, plastic, or combination of the said materials. Inner space of the slope plant pot is filled with a vegetation layer with planted flowers or woody species. This solution poses high demands on material and work, and is entirely unsuitable for more slope base. For the retaining walls are not sufficiently preventing surface erosion and denudation, since the area inside the space delimited by retaining walls is not reinforced in any way and in addition to that, the walls are creating unwanted dams obstructing natural water permeation. Useful life of advertisement created in this way is therefore minimal. At present, so called cellular foil is known in building industry. It is made from material based on plastics, so it is relatively strong in tension as well as in compression, non-fragile, flexible and it is water-resistant and impervious to water. Its arrangement is described for instance in US pat. 5,449,543 and WO 97/16604.

It consists of. a system of strips of water-resistant and impervious foil that are interconnected so that a structure of hollow chambers, usually called cells in practice, is created between their walls. Cavities of these chambers are open in vertical direction. The cellular foil is delivered in a folded state for manipulation and distribution, where the cellular walls are pressed together, and it is unfolded on a plane at the place of use, by which a honeycomb-like structure with open chambers is created. This cellular foil is designed to be laid on surfaces of erosion attacked outdoor terrains, such as river banks or slopes along roads, or also backfilling of mining groves, where it is placed to prevent slacking of loosened rock from the walls and unwahted pulverization and fragmentation of surface elements. It is also used for consolidation of bed of constructions such as roads or railways, where it is laid on earth base after baring and clearing away of arable soil, or over drainage blanket from gravel and/or sand. In this case, the cellular foil in unfolded state is overfilled with gravel and grouted with concrete and/or paving asphalt Sometimes, it is filled directly with concrete. Various types of cellular foil are available already, in different types and versions, some of them having cell walls equipped with perforation to allow water permeation, particularly to eliminate unwanted pressures in the building. When used on constructions, heavy machinery is commonly used on this cellular foil, where it's overfilling with gravel is performed using excavators and subsequent compacting of the filling or pouring of concrete or asphalt material is performed with travels by road compaction roller. Strength of the cellular foil is significantly high. US Pat. No. 6,484,473 B1 recommends fixing the cellular foil with flexible filaments stabbed through it and routed through it in the direction of length and width. The flexible filaments are fixed along edges of the unfolded cellular foil on pins stuck into soft bed of open terrain, and in the case of large area, fastening elements are stuck also in some cell chambers. All hitherto documents and methods are taking into account the use of this cellular foil only as a consolidation element to be filled with layers of uniform material after its unfolding over the construction area or on exposed earth base. Thus the cellular foil has been taken into account hitherto only as a metal mesh or net substitute in order to secure surface of loosened or risky natural terrain, or as an elastic reinforcement into abiotic constructions, particularly as a reinforcing mesh to concrete base or under asphalt.

Disclosure of Invention:

The above-mentioned disadvantages are eliminated to a considerable extent by the invention. New arrangement of decorative, particularly advertising, area is solved, allowing creation of figures from plants and/or loose particles on slope and even very slope bases. The goal of the solution is to create durable figure in the shape of mosaic composed of various decorative elements that are at least partially products of nature, such as plants, stones or bark. The essence of the invention is that the decorative, particularly advertising, area is created on a surface, particularly the slope surface, using plastic cellular foil containing a system of through chambers delimited by the space created during spatial unfolding of the cellular foil between walls of mutually attached strips creating the walls of the cellular foil, while the decorative elements are situated in the chambers of this cellular foil. Mutually different decorative elements are situated intentionally in selected different neighbouring chambers, differing from each other at least in colour, to create the target figure.

Preferably at least some chambers of the cellular foil are filled at least partially with cultivation substrate suitable for cultivation of vegetation, which is planted with vegetation elements. These vegetation elements are used and laid out in the individual chambers intentionally in such combination that the figure of the advertising area or its part is created Just by means of said vegetation elements.

At least some chambers of the cellular foil are preferably filled with a cushion from loose material reaching from the bottom of said chambers at least up to the upper edge of said chambers. This loose material is also preferably compacted in the chambers for instance with travels by compaction roller or pressing down with tapping to increased density compared to the density after normal pouring, which increases strength and bond strength of the filling.

The cellular foil is preferably equipped also with strengthening and fastening elements for its fixation in unfolded condition and stabile position on the base. This means that elements allowing fixation of the foil against the base and simultaneously providing at least local hold for the foil chamber walls during leaning against them. In this way, prevention of creeping down the slope and warp

of the cellular foil during and after filling is reached. Advantage of this solution is as higher as higher is the slope of the base. Fixation is suitable for maintaining the foil in the extended condition and is necessary when the cellular foil is unfolded on a surface deviated from horizontal plane in a slope. It allows creation of decorative figure even on a base or surface with a slope up to 90 degrees from the horizontal plane.

Pins in particular, and preferably also reinforcing fibres are used as strengthening and fastening elements. Combination of these elements is most efficient when the pins are fixed so that they are stuck in the base under the cellular foil, while the cellular foil has apertures for reinforcing fibres created in the walls of its chambers. The reinforcing fibres are pulled through these apertures and are fixed by at least some of the said pins, and these reinforcing fibres are passing in tense condition from one side of the cellular foil to its opposite side through cavities and walls of chambers. These reinforcing fibres are equipped with stops in the chamber cavities to prevent unwanted shift and/or deformation of the cellular foil. The stops are located in at least some of the chambers and to be able to fulfil the given function, they are bigger than the apertures for the reinforcing fibres. Openings created in the walls of the cellular foil on the path for guiding these reinforcing fibres are used as the apertures for reinforcing fibres. Preferably, especially in the case of very steep slope of the base, the cellular foil contains at least in some of its chambers pouches filled with loose cultivation substrate, which is planted with vegetation elements such as plant seeds, seedlings or nursery-treated plants. Optimal arrangement is when only one pouch is placed in one chamber. The pouch dimensions are selected so that the pouch should be pushed into its place and should not be able to fall out freely, however, on the contrary, it should not compress in undesirable way the root system of plant or plants growing in the pouch.

It is expedient, again especially for very steep slope surfaces, when at least one reticular coat with system of meshes is extended in plane over the cellular foil. In the case when pouches according to the previous section are used, adequate mesh size is selected so that the reticular coat, for instance plastic grid or metal mesh, holds the pouches in wells created by chambers.

Preferably at least some chambers of the cellular foil are at least in their surface zone filled with decorative particles with colour obviously different from the surrounding, situated so that their surface area co-creates the figure of the advertising area. Chambers of the cellular foil are thus rationally used as a bearing structure for particles of a mosaic and simultaneously as individual geometrical units for various filling to create visual effect of mosaic.

Under certain conditions it is advantageous to use the cellular foil with chambers of different size as regards their height and/or circumference, where the foil is arranged in bands side by side and interconnected. In this way, enhancement of visual effect can be reached for reasons of aesthetics, when for instance insertion of coiled strip of the higher foil into the figure gives rise to a non- interrupted plastic ring-shaped relief. Combination of bigger and smaller or lower and higher strips of cellular foil can be preferably used to increase the surface slope, if this will bring more advantageous angle of observer's view on the advertising figure. Alternatively, decrease of slope of surface area of the created object can be reached in this way, for instance to increase stability and durability of a figure created on too slope base.

Cellular foil with perforated walls of chambers is preferably used. Such cellular foils are manufactured already nowadays for compensation of pressures and vapour penetration in constructions where these cellular foils are used at present. When cellular foil is used according to the invention for decorative purposes on slope base, the chamber wall perforation will allow creation of ecologically natural environment in the created figure as well as its surroundings.

The maximum effect during application of the solution according to the invention is reached by cross-combination of all possibilities of various occupancies of the cellular foil chambers. In such case, at least part of the advertising area is created as a figure from combination of plants situated in chambers of the cellular foil and particles situated in other chambers of the cellular foil, and the surrounding of the figure is created as a grass situated also in the chambers of the cellular foil. All chambers of the cellular foil are also preferably filled with some material and no chamber remains empty during application of the invention. Optimal filling is up to the upper edge or over the upper edge of the chambers, which ensures that upper

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8 edges of said chambers are located below the figure surface area, do not protrude over it and thus do not interfere with overall visual effect of the whole.

Preferably, if the nature of the filling allows, the filling of the cellular foil chambers exceeds over the upper edges of the chambers. For instance in the case of advertising area with grass plot, it then allows easy mower travels and grass maintenance, etc.

Preferably at least one barrier against unwanted rootlet proliferation from the base into the chambers of the cellular foil is situated under the cellular foil. The barrier has a shape of a flat layer of flexible material that is unfolded at least under the figure of the advertising area on the base under the cellular foil.

Solution according to the invention allows increasing the attractiveness of slope surfaces along roads and ways and in the surroundings of buildings and entrepreneurial objects. For the operator of advertisement, this will expand possibilities of accessibility of other surfaces for advertising purposes, normal citizens will appreciate increased attractiveness of these areas and the aesthetic result reached. It is possible to use decorative means with obviously different colour based on products of nature such as flowers, coloured barks, pebbles, coloured clippings, en-tout-cas, coloured sand etc., even on vast areas. Stable result without the risk of spilling or outwash is reached. Chambers for different filling can be planned in such number, relative arrangement and chamber size to create optimal colour-contrasting, visually creative, and long-standing figure.

The invention is utilisable for all types of slope base, it can be used also on plane or locally undulating areas as well as on very sloping up to vertical surfaces. The invention is a specific solution focused particularly on the possibility to create the advertising area directly on the outdoor terrain. However, the technical solution is not limited in any way by the base itself, even creation of mobile advertising area according to the invention on mobile or portable base is not excluded. In such case, a suitable solid object such as panel etc. can be used as the base. The technical solution is focused particularly on the possibility to use view-exposed and view-frequented slope areas for advertising. The possibility of permanent planting of greenery by means of vegetation area is achieved and creation of attractive figures from products of nature even on places where it would be otherwise impossible, such as embankments, stony or concrete declivities etc. It can be

certainly used also in townscape and suburban built-up space, in parks, etc., where by contrast an attractive elevation or projecting artificial formation can be artificially created with the help of the invention on flat ground, which will diversify monotony of townscape and decrease the environment noise level or create natural barrier for instance in the vicinity of so called children's corners. The invention facilitates easy maintenance, quality of the surface created according to the invention allows even mower and other machinery travels. Even heavy machinery can be possibly used during construction. Embodiment allows significant variability. The Advertising area or its part can be built as a grass plot, but also in the shape of little garden; planting with shrubs or creation of functional walkways etc. is also possible. Created figures and inscriptions are stable, resistant against erosion, soil pressures and atmospheric actions, facilitate watering and do not chap or creep. Other advantage of the solution according to the invention is that the figure created can be easily and quickly disassembled.

Brief Description of Drawings

The invention is illustrated using drawings, where Fig. 1 shows schematic side view on constructional arrangement of the advertising area according to the invention in the sectional view when section is drawn along the line A-A indicated on the following figure, Fig. 2 shows front view of this area from outside, Fig. 3 shows detail of chambers filled with material and equipped with reinforcing fibre and stops, Fig. 4 shows detail of empty chambers before filling with material, where perforation of the chamber walls, reinforcing fibre and stops are visible, Fig. 5 shows top plan view on unfolded cellular foil equipped with reinforcing fibres drawn between pins, where some chambers of the cellular foil are filled in the shape of the target figure and other are empty, Fig. 6 schematic picture of a detail of one chamber of the cellular foil and a pouch made of water-permeable geotextile to be inserted into the chamber, perspective view, Fig. 7 shows top plan view on this chamber with the pouch already inserted, Fig. 8 shows stepped decrease of the surface slope using together assembled strips of cellular foil of different height in the sectional view when section is drawn along the line B-B indicated on the following figure, Fig. 9 shows front view of this area from outside.

Carrying Out of Invention Example 1

Descriptive example of embodiment of the invention is the slope advertising area according to the Fig. 1 to 7.

Advertising area is created on a slope and has sloping surface corresponding to the slope of the base 1 To be descriptive, it is created as a grass plot containing figure in the shape of letters. At a view, the advertising area is a mosaic composed of previously planned arrangement of various decorative elements 2,3 that are in this particular case plants of the grass 2 and decorative stones 3. On the base I ₁ plastic cellular foil 4 is unfolded with a system of through chambers 5, which are created in the moment of spatial unfolding of the cellular foil 2 as a free space located between the walls of together attached plastic strips, from which the cellular foil 4 is made. Decorative elements 2,3 are situated in the chambers 5 of this cellular foil 4 intentionally so that visually very different decorative elements 2,3 are situated next to each other in some chambers 5. In this case, they differ from each other in colour as well as in shape and structure, however when it is for instance a flower advertising, they differ from each other at least in colour of blooms and/or leafs of the flowers. Most chambers 5 of the cellular foil 4 are filled with cultivation substrate 6 of such composition to facilitate cultivation of vegetation. Just this substrate 6 carries the vegetation elements depicted on figures as plants 2, but they could be mere seeds or seedlings during the very construction of the advertising area. The chambers 5 of the cellular foil 4 are filled with this substrate 6 and this substrate is compacted for instance with travels by compaction roller to increased density, so that it creates quite strong cushion in the chambers. Alternatively, the cushion can be created also from other compacted loose material, preferably reaching from the bottom of chambers 5 at least up to the upper edge of the chambers 5, for instance from gravel, en-tout- cas, sand, bark etc., or their combination such as construction gravel or cultivation substrate 6 in the lower part of said chambers 5 and material of more decorative character in the upper part.

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The cellular foil 4 is equipped with strengthening and fastening elements for its fixation on the base 1 allowing its long-term persistence in unfolded condition and in stabile position at the place of destination, which is useful always when the cellular foil 4 is unfolded on the base 1 deviated from the ground plane at a slope of 5 to 90 degrees. On the one hand pins 7 and on the other reinforcing fibres 8 are used as the strengthening and fastening elements. Mere pins 7, which are stuck along the walls of the cellular foil 4 into the bed 1 under the cellular foil, can be sufficient. For larger slopes and areas, additional use of reinforcing fibres 8 such as steel-wire ropes is more advantageous. The cellular foil 4 has apertures 9 created for the reinforcing fibres. They have a form of pre-driiled openings situated on straight lines. Through these apertures 9, the reinforcing fibres 8 are pulled and fixed in tense condition using border pins 7. The reinforcing fibres 8 are passing in tense condition from one end of the cellular foil 4 to its opposite end through cavities and wails of chambers 5, while these reinforcing fibres 8 are equipped with stops 10 in the chamber 5 cavities against unwanted shifting and/or deformation of the cellular foil 4. It is sufficient when the stops IQ are located in some of the chambers 5. They are for instance in the form of buttons or knots of bigger diameter than the apertures 9 for the reinforcing fibres 8.

If the advertising area is built on a very steep slope or undulating base 1, it is advantageous, at least on the most sloping sections, to place into the chambers 5 the pouches H made of water-permeable and vapour-permeable geotextile containing loose cultivation substrate 6 planted with vegetation elements, that is plants 2 in the case of finished advertising area, as shown on Figures 6 and 7. Preferably one pouch H is placed in each such chamber 5. If very loose material and/or pouches H are used and/or if the slope of the base 1 is high, suitable reticular coat 12 with system of meshes 13, such as a plastic net, plastic flexible grid or metal mesh, can be extended in plane over the cellular foil 4 as visually demonstrated on Fig. 3. Also the cellular foil with perforation 14 in the walls is preferably used. Figs. 3 and 4 also show arrangement at which the barrier 15 against unwanted possible rootlet proliferation from the base 1 into the chambers 5 of the cellular foil 4 is located under the cellular foil 4. It has a shape of a flat layer of flexible material that is unfolded on the base 1 under the cellular foil 4. Depending on the type of

the base 1, it is useful to create it particularly under the figure. For instance a water-permeable non-woven fabric, so called geσtextile, or waterproof sufficiently strong plastic foil can serve as suitable barrier 15,

All chambers 5 of the cellular foil 4 are filled with material, no one is empty. Upper edges of the cellular foil 4 are not conspicuous, because they are located under the surface layer of created mosaic with the figure, tf the material filling the chambers 5 of the cellular foil 4 slightly protrudes over upper edges of the chambers 5, the result is stable even on a slope and the cellular foil 4 is not visible.

Example 2

Other descriptive example of embodiment of the invention is the staircase advertising area according to the Figs. 8 and 9. It differs from the previous example in that the cellular foil 4 with the chambers 5 of different size is used. In this case, the chambers 5 differ in their height as well as circumference. Three bands of cellular foil 4 are used, each with different size of chambers 5. The whole is assembled from these bands, which are laid side by side stepwise according to increasing size of the chambers 5 and these bands are interconnected e.g. using staples. Fig. 8 shows how a decrease of the surface slope of the advertising area compared to the base 1 is attained using this assembling.