Method of manufacture and installation flowable thermal backfills
AssigneeThermoforte, Inc.
InventorAngelo A. Scola
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention includes a method of making and using a flowable thermal backfill. The flowable thermal backfill has a low thermal resistivity, useful for filling trenches containing electrical cables and other lines that generate heat. The method includes process steps of blending ingredients of stone, sand and fly ash, making a flowable thermal fill by mixing the blended stone, sand and fly ash with Portland cement and water, and pouring the flowable thermal fill in an excavation containing heat generating lines, immediately after mixing the flowable thermal backfill.
Claims24
A method of making and using a flowable thermal fill, the method comprising:
- blending dry ingredients of at least sand and fly ash, thereby forming a blend of dry ingredients;
- making a flowable thermal fill by mixing the blend of dry ingredients with cement and water immediately before pouring the flowable thermal fill;
- and
- pouring the flowable thermal fill, in an excavation containing heat generating lines, immediately after making the flowable thermal fill.
A method of manufacturing and installing thermal concrete and fluidized thermal backfill, the method comprising:
- homogeneously blending stone, sand, and fly ash to form a substantially homogeneous blend of dry ingredient materials;
- loading the blend of dry ingredient materials into a mobile mixer;
- mixing the blend of dry ingredient materials, Portland cement, and water in the mobile mixer at an installation location at a time of installation to create a flowable thermal fill;
- and
- installing the flowable thermal fill by pouring the flowable thermal fill in a trench containing heat generating lines wherein the flowable thermal fill covers the heat generating lines.
A method of restoring trenches containing heat generating lines, the method comprising:
- blending dry ingredients of stone, sand, and fly ash thereby forming a blend of dry ingredients;
- loading the blend of dry ingredients into a mobile mixer, said mobile mixer containing separate storage containers for the blended dry ingredients, Portland cement and water;
- mixing the blend of dry ingredients with Portland cement and with water in a mobile volumetric mixer at an installation location at a time of installation to create a flowable thermal fill;
- pouring the flowable thermal fill in a trench containing heat generating lines thereby covering the heat generating lines, wherein said flowable thermal fill is poured shortly after mixing water and Portland cement;
- backfilling the trench with the flowable fill to a specified grade;
- applying a permanent base asphalt paving over the flowable thermal fill;
- milling a portion of the permanent base asphalt paving;
- and
- applying a surface coarse asphalt in the milled portion of the permanent base asphalt.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.