Methods and apparatus of building construction resisting earthquake and flood damage
AssigneeArx Pax Labs, Inc.
InventorD. Gregory Henderson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A three part foundation system for supporting a building is described. Three part foundation systems can include a containment vessel, which constrains a buffer medium to an area above the containment vessel, and a construction platform. A building can be built on the construction platform. In a particular embodiment, during operation, the construction platform and structures built on the construction platform can float on the buffer medium. In an earthquake, a construction platform floating on a buffer medium may experience greatly reduced shear forces. In a flood, a construction platform floating on a buffer medium can be configured to rise as water levels rise to limit flood damage.
Claims19
A foundation system for a structure, comprising:
- a containment vessel configured to hold a buffer medium, the containment vessel placed on a ground;
- and
- a construction platform formed above the containment vessel wherein the construction platform including the structure is configured to float on the buffer medium wherein the construction platform is formed from a plurality of pre-fabricated units, each of the pre-fabricated units including attachment points for securing the pre-fabricated units to other pre-fabricated units;
- and
- a ballast system for distributing weight from one side of the platform to another side of the platform;
- wherein the construction platform is positioned relative to sides of the containment vessel such that during an earthquake the containment vessel can move from side to side while the construction platform floats above it allowing seismic forces transferred from the ground to the construction platform to be minimized.
A foundation system for a structure, comprising:
- a first containment vessel configured to hold a buffer medium, the containment vessel placed on a ground;
- a second containment vessel, separate from the first containment vessel, configured to hold the buffer medium, the containment vessel placed on the ground;
- a construction platform, including the structure, formed above the first containment vessel and the second containment vessel, wherein the construction platform includes a first portion configured to float on the buffer medium in the first containment vessel and a second portion configured to float on the buffer medium in the second containment vessel;
- a ballast system for distributing weight from one side of the platform to another side of the platform;
- and
- a surface of the ground between the first containment vessel and the second containment vessel a distance beneath a bottom of the construction platform;
- wherein the first portion of the construction platform is positioned relative to sides of the first containment vessel and the second portion of the construction platform is position relative to sides of the second containment vessel such that during an earthquake the first containment vessel and the second containment vessel can move from side to side while the construction platform floats above it allowing seismic forces transferred from the ground to the construction platform to be minimized.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.