| CLAIMS 1) The blocks of the "UTILITY CONVEYOR" are modular prefabricated components made of concrete or heavy PVC - or any other material with the same characteristics - to ensure water resistance and durability. 2) The size of the blocks will vary depending on the size of the roadways, but above all according to the calculations that each engineer or designer will make under construction. 3) Moreover, we will realize special access blocks, intersection blocks, blocks of curves and water lifting blocks. These blocks will ensure the continuity of the conveyor activity from upstream to downstream, the water flow to the purifier, the rainwater flow to the accumulator tanks (to reuse it for irrigation), or the water flow to natural channels to let it flow to the sea. Alternatively, we will realize biogas production systems. 4) The sizes of the grates will depend on the need and technical calculations. They will be in metal or other similar material. 5) The brackets and the concrete reinforcement steel will be adapted to the calculations of technical specialists. 6) The size of the ducts will be adapted to the calculations of technical specialists and according to the law. |
DESCRIPTION
The conveyor of utilities is composed by reinforced concrete or heavy PVC blocks (or blocks made of any other material with similar characteristics), which are modular prefabricated components placed under the ground level. These blocks, assembled together with a system of couplings with oblong slots (see drawing fig. 3), create an uninterrupted channel similar to a tunnel in order to convey the roadway rainwater. Moreover, the dimensions of the channel will be human fit in order to allow the passage of technicians - Maintenance Technician/Installer - who can enter from a special access block. The base of this access block has a grate pavement in vehicular metal for the safe access of the personnel (see drawing fig. 2).
In the underlying part of the blocks there is the main shaft for waste water gathering, equipped with openings in both sides to let the waste water flow, by means of junction pipes and siphons coming from civil and public buildings (see drawing fig. 3).
Whereas necessary, it is possible to insert another gathering conduit for waste cooking oils in parallel with the wastewater storage main shaft.
The upper part of the block will be closed by reinforced concrete cover with an adequate thickness necessary for a safe closing (see drawing Fig. 3) and for the watertight housings of the utilities (inserted into the poured concrete) since they are incompatible with water. The utilities, such as power lines, urban lighting lines, civil telephone lines, State telephone lines, optical fiber and TV cables and/or low-voltage cables, are canalized and equipped with independent junction boxes (see drawing Fig. 3).
For a more rapid activity of rainwater conveying, we consider to place some metal grates at the center of the block - precisely into the cover - at the level of the road surface with a slope towards the center of the roadway, so that water can directly flow into the dedicated system channel (see drawing fig. 1). In case we have to use the old method for the rainwater conveying by saddle-backed roadway slopes, we will place some opening access at the edge of the sidewalks with connection ducts to the conveyor.
Inside the Inspection/Maintenance channel (tunnel), on the upper part, will be housed the main shafts of the utilities under pressure - GAS, POTABLE WATER and other eventual utilities - connected to "T" junction ducts on the right side and the left side, for the distribution of the both sides
equipped with utilities closing valves (see drawing Fig. 3).
The ducts closings are hermetic and extremely safely thanks to rubber gaskets or similar materials, like Waterstop or vulcanized rubber.
Above all, the Conveyor of Utilities, is able to resist to earthquakes, by ensuring non-stop utilities supply. Also the ducts and totally preserved from the erosive action of oxidizing materials (earth, clay, sand, etc.).
The maintenance personnel can, rapidly, carry out repairs, reducing the number of work sites (excavations and asphalt patches), which are very expensive and hinder the traffic circulation with long repair times. REFERENCE REGULATIONS
Elastomeric seal. Materials requirements for seal couplings in the pipes used in water and wastewater. Vulcanized rubber.
Channels and pipes in hydraulic engineering.
Durability of works and concrete products.
Technical standards for the works in normal and pre-stressed reinforced concrete.
Channels and pipes for wastewater with prefabricated ducts: guidelines for construction. Public Works circular 27291: instructions regarding the legislation for piping.
Guidelines to select the class of the pipes subject to external and functional loads with or without internal pressure.
Reinforced concrete pipes and concrete pipes reinforced with steel fibers.