Lined cavity in the earth
AssigneePirelli Furlanis Applicazioni Indrauliche
InventorsBruno Borca, Emilio Ruscelli
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A cavity in the earth such as a reservoir, tunnel or the like is lined with a flexible, fluid impervious sheet such as a rubberized fabric supported by a grid-like skeleton structure having distorted elongated resilient structural members which are under tension and press the liner against the walls of the cavity. The members of the skeleton structure are made of a material which resists permanent distortion. The liner is disposed between the skeleton structures and the wall of the cavity and is fastened at spaced points to the wall of the cavity.
Claims19
A water tight underground cavity structure comprising an underground cavity, a casing of flexible and impermeable material placed in direct contact with the walls of said cavity, a substantially bi-dimensioned resilient reticular member disposed within said casing and having a shape corresponding to at least a portion of the top surface of said cavity, said reticular member contacting with and pressing said casing against said cavity walls, and means for varying the conformation of said reticular member to the walls of said cavity.
An excavation comprising a cavity in the earth having its walls covered with a fluid impervious flexible sheet-like liner and means for pressing the liner against the walls to secure it in place comprising a resilient skeleton structure comprising spaced vertical elongated structural members sprung into a curved contour against said liner whereby said members exert a pressure as they attempt to return to their normal straight condition pressing said liner against the wall, and spaced horizontal elongated structural members crossing said vertical members and forming therewith a lattice type skeleton supporting structure.
An article of manufacture comprising an excavation having walls surrounding a cavity formed in the earth, a sheet of fluid impermeable material lining said walls and preventing flow of fluid into or out of the cavity, and means supporting and pressing said lining material against the walls comprising spaced struts and girders combining to form a grid-like resilient skeleton structure with said struts distorted into a contour in which they are under tension and exert a pressure against the sheet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.