Composite interlocking structure

An interlocking support structure, comprising:

• an array of rectangular cells arranged in at least one layer, each cell having four sides, opposite ends, and eight corners, and sharing common sides and corners with any adjacent cells, the array having an upper surface and a lower surface;
• a vertical support assembly which supports the array at a selected height, the support assembly having a ground engaging base, a vertical pole, and a plurality of arms which connect the pole to the lower surface of the array;
• the cells being formed by a first set of elongate structural members extending parallel to one another in at least two spaced planes, a second set of elongate structural members extending parallel to one another and at an angle to the first set in the same two spaced planes, the first and second set of structural members intersecting at the corners of the array of cells, and a third set of elongate structural members extending parallel to one another between the two planes at the corners formed by the first and second sets of structural members to form corner joints at each intersection of the first, second, and third sets of structural members;
• each arm of the support assembly having a first end secured to the pole and a second end secured to a respective corner joint in the lower surface of the array;
• each structural member having a hollow interior at least at the joints and communicating with the other structural members at least at the corner joints to form a hollow corner joint;
• and
• wherein the structural members have end stops within the hollow interior at predetermined spacings from the center of each joint and a single monolithic adhesive plug filling the hollow corner joint and the hollow interior of the structural members at each corner joint up to the end stops and adhered to internal surfaces of the structural members at the joint to secure the structural members together at the joints.

A method of assembling a support structure, comprising:

• arranging a first set of tubular structural members to extend parallel to one another in an x-direction in a first plane and a second set of tubular structural members to extend parallel to one another in an x-direction in a second plane parallel to the first plane;
• arranging a third set of tubular structural members to extend parallel to one another in a y-direction transverse to the first and second planes to intersect with the first and second sets of tubular structural members at corner joints in the first and second planes;
• arranging a fourth set of tubular structural members to extend parallel to one another and transverse to the first set of tubular structural members in a z-direction in the first plane and to intersect with the first and third sets of tubular structural members at the corner joints in the first plane;
• arranging a fifth set of tubular structural members to extend parallel to one another and transverse to the second set of tubular structural members in a z-direction in the second plane and to intersect with the second and third sets of structural members at the corner joints in the second plane;
• whereby a plurality of rectangular cells are formed in an array, each rectangular cell having eight corners defined by respective intersecting corner joints, four sides, and opposite ends, and sharing common sides and corners with any adjacent cells;
• each structural member having a hollow interior at least at the joints and communicating with the other structural members at least at the corner joints to form a hollow corner joint;
• the structural members having end stops within the hollow interior at predetermined spacings from the center of each joint;
• injecting an adhesive flowable material into the hollow corner joint and the hollow interior of the intersecting structural members at each corner joint through at least one fill hole in at least one of the structural members at the respective corner joint;
• and
• allowing the flowable material in each corner joint to flow into and fill the hollow interior of the structural members at each corner joint up to the end stops, harden and adhere to internal surfaces of each structural member at the corner joint to form a single monolithic adhesive plug.