US 6,725,601 B2Granted

Vertical ecosystem structure

OwnerNelson Hyde Chickinventor

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Abstract

A main structure that can be constructed using either solid steel assembly (32) or reinforced concrete assembly (33) acts as the main structural component for new and remodel construction. The main structure whether it uses reinforced concrete assembly (33) or steel assembly is comprised of cells of equilateral size and each cell has a passage between inner and outer wall created using this method of construction. The inner wall uses the passages to secure accompanying structures and systems to a wall that use this structural system. The outer wall uses the passages to secure retaining assembly (34) to the structure. Retaining assembly (34) holds a strata of soil to the wall and creates plateaus along face of outer wall. The plateaus created by securing retaining assembly (34) to main assembly's (32) or (33) give vegetation a place to be planted and secured to a wall that incorporate the construction method of this invention. The passages between the inner and outer walls also nurture the vegetation attached to a structure built using this invention's method of construction by allowing direct access to the roots. By allowing direct access to the roots of the vegetation planted on a structure utilizing the construction method of this invention each plant can receive the optimum amount of irrigation, drainage, and fertilizer.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A method to build a freestanding load bearing shear wall that incorporates a means to sustain an ecosystem as an integrated component of said shear wall:

(a) the main structural component of said shear wall is constructed with a multitude of openings between the front and back faces of the wall;
(b) placed through the openings in said shear wall are assemblage means that secure to the back face of said shear wall and project outward from the front face of said shear wall;
(c) at the ends of said assemblage means protruding from the front face of said shear wall is a means to secure rigid sheets of material to said shear wall;
(d) said rigid sheets form retaining walls and are attached to the assemblage means in a way that produces a space between the main structural component and said retaining walls;
(e) edges of said rigid sheets do not come in direct contact with the said main structural component and are attached so that the bottoms of said rigid sheets are closer to said main structural component then the tops of said rigid sheets;
(f) said retaining walls are secured to said main structural component with an unbroken surface on the vertical plane while providing open terraces on the horizontal plane;
(g) a medium is provided in said shear wall to plant said shear wall with vegetation;
(h) after all said retaining walls are in place the space created between said retaining walls and said main structural component filled with a growing medium for vegetation;
(i) after said growing medium is inserted a stratum of growing medium is created from the base to top of said shear wall forming a freestanding ecosystem.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/777,187Filed 5 Feb 2001
Published: US 2002/0104264 A18 Aug 2002
Granted: 27 Apr 2004
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

A01G 9/025
Pots for vertical horticulture: containers and elements for greening walls
E01F 8/027
Specially adapted for sustaining vegetation or for accommodating plants ; Embankment-type or crib-type noise barriers; Retaining walls specially…:…
Y02P 60/20
Technologies relating to agriculture, livestock or agroalimentary industries: reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions in agriculture, e.g. CO2
A01G
Horticulture