Technical Field

[0001 ] The technical field of this invention relates to manufacturing the blocks or parts of concrete whose central layer makes it possible to grow plants.

Background Art

[0002] An invention titled Road construction has roadside blocks made from water- permeable concrete and designed to allow plants to grow through them is patented in the Dutch Patent Office under number 1033017.

[0003] This invention discloses that, the construction comprises a top layer of an extremely open material with a void content of at least 10% voids, especially extremely open asphalt concrete, and a row of concrete roadside blocks next to the long edge of the road surface, especially next to the top layer. The blocks are designed to allow plants to grow through them and are made from water- permeable concrete material.

[0004] This type of concrete and its application is different from the claimed one.

Summary of Invention

[0005] To manufacture concrete with plant growth potential as well as integrity and strength required, as well as flexibility in design for different applications, a special design and a suitable structure that can meet all the requirements is needed. Hence, the present invention aims to apply a system of a combination of different concrete technologies as well as special materials to reach the required goals.

[0006] In the structure of this concrete block, which is considered as a pot with different designs, three separate layers are designed, each layer is responsible for a specific task.

Technical Problem

[0007] Environment protection and the exploitation of plants as much as possible in various aspects of life is one of the most crucial issues and human concerns so that this becomes a separate and very substantial branch in the development and extension of related technologies in this context. To use plants in the construction industry and green architecture has been the most important and technical and specialized fields, which in the past was recognized as one of the main causes of environmental degradation so that increasingly we face various innovations and technologies in this field in terms of different dimensions and sizes of this industry.

[0008] The importance of this subject is confirmed by the fact that research shows that this industry not only influences the environment, but will also be substantially effective in terms of mental health, stress alleviation and violence, and the relationship between humans and the natural environment.

[0009] That’s why, given the present conditions and the issues that we encountered in this field, in this project, we aim to achieve product using concrete blocks with various applications, including interior architecture, building, and urban facades, landscaping, as well as green spaces in cities, by exploiting special technology and methods so that in addition to the excellent technical applications and compliant to an expected technical standard, allows the possibility of using and growing the plant in the mentioned cases.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

[0010] • Making space for plants to grow in concrete in cities and buildings

[0011] • Reducing air pollution and producing more oxygen in urban environments

[0012] • Compatibility with a variety of smart home and smart cities systems

[0013] • Applicable in various urban and building designs, including facades, gardens, interior architecture, roof gardens, etc.

[0014] • Providing a happy and desirable environment in harsh and violent environments

[0015] • Helping aeration of homes and cities

[0016] • Applicable in green architectural elements

[0017] • Preventing soil dispersion in the air

[0018] • Reducing the application of harmful chemical fertilizers [0019] • Reducing water consumption in irrigation of construction plants

[0020] • Potential of purposeful and intelligent replacement and maintenance

[0021] • Cost-effective installation, operation, and replacement at installation sites

Brief Description of Drawings

[0022] Fig 1 : Top view of concrete block Cross-section

Description of Embodiments

[0023] No. 1 : The first layer, which acts as the outer layer, is made of relatively light materials with fine granulation so that as well as providing the desired resistance and moisture retention, it also acts as an insulating layer to prevent water from penetrating to the subsurface. In this layer, quartzite and perlite aggregates with fine granulation passed through 20 to 200 mesh sieve and also cement with colored compounds and micro-silica and polypropylene fibers have been applied for sealing and providing impact resistance.

[0024] No. 2: The second layer which acts as the middle layer is a combination of quartzite, perlite, silica as aggregate, as well as the combinations of carbon particles and carbon fibers to create a conductive layer that in cold seasons by providing the temperature required to maintain the durability of the plant and cement has been used as the main binder.

[0025] No. 3: The third layer, which is the main core of the concrete pot, and will also provide the nutrients and fertilizers needed for plant growth, as well as providing sufficient moisture to design the site, consists of a mixture of clay and sand, Cocopeat, and peat moss, as well as some processed and enriched vermicompost as the main material and fine-grained material, as well as adhesive clay compounds with cement and sieved sand grade 8 and water-sealing microgels to a suitable composition that is completely drained and it, can easily pass water through its surface and also provide a suitable tissue for plant root growth.

[0026] Hence, all the important points can be taken into account to meet the functional and executive expectations by a complex and accurate structure, and according to the site, plant growth rate, plant type, different seasons, temperature, and humidity of the site. Also, using this structure, prefabricated panels can be prepared so that in case of damage or destruction of concrete, it can be easily replaced and, considering the support conditions, the grown plant can be replaced.

[0027] A noteworthy point is the placement of the insulation layer between the outer and inner layers of concrete, which will allow the creation of drip irrigation facilities and intelligent systems, as well as the use of appropriate heating systems for plants to predict necessary conditions.

Examples

[0028] These panels can be used both manually in precast panels with different designs and mechanized and industrially methods. One of the outstanding features of this product is the removal of hand soil for plant growth and its continuous irrigation, thus with the features mentioned in the third layer and the use of materials as well as enriched granular fertilizers and the possibility of using them in the texture of concrete as aggregate provided the conditions for growth and maintenance of sufficient moisture for the plant to be possible without any problems, and this is what will allow us to use green architecture as a permanent member of architectural elements, especially elements which is used in the facades of buildings.

[0029] For this purpose, when concreting the last 3 cm of this type of concrete, we sow the seeds of the relevant plant and the plant can easily start germinating and growing. It is even possible to plant cuttings that have roots (usually in the last 5 cm of the concrete layer) and then to concreting this layer. Given the grain size and the use of a system similar to sponge concrete, the aggregates of this layer include granular soil and fertilizers in granular size, as well as microgels to maintain and supply moisture to this concrete layer. While obtaining the necessary nutrients, the plant roots can easily move along this layer and do not cause any damage to the concrete texture. It can also operate quite easily through the same drip irrigation and humidification system. Given enclosing this layer with a strong and impermeable layer (first layer), the necessary resistance is provided to prevent failure and cracking of this type of concrete and the plant root inevitably moves in the empty spaces of the third layer. To prevent root rot in this system, different drainage systems can be used (for example, using a hollow pipe at the height of this concrete and in contact with air) according to the type and needs of the plant in its structure.

[0030] Such type of system is recommended for planting houseplants and plants with limited root growth or those short-season plants so that they can be easily replaced and maintained, but if applied in spaces that are more stable or growing plants with high growth rate or stronger roots, it can be considered at the end of this type of concrete to pass the roots of the plant and be in contact with the soil so that in case the plant grows more roots can be in contact with the subsoil and moves in its growth path so as not to damage the overall texture of the concrete wall.