EP1502995A1

EP1502995A1 - Little porphyry cubes settlings system by particular joints sealing

Info

Publication number: EP1502995A1
Application number: EP04017601A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Francesco Avi
Original assignee: Barbarisi Arch Riccardo; Consorzio Cavatori Produttori Porfido Scarl
Current assignee: Barbarisi Arch Riccardo; Consorzio Cavatori Produttori Porfido Scarl
Priority date: 2003-07-29
Filing date: 2004-07-26
Publication date: 2005-02-02
Also published as: ITVR20030092A1

Abstract

It concerns a system that permits to solve several problems about the currently utilized sealing systems, with the main purpose to make the joints more elastic and thus more resistant to the mechanical stress and more weatherproof, with a superior quality of the whole paving.

Essentially the invention peculiarity is given by the fact that the interstices between cubes, or joints, are first filled with rubble and then a single-component polyurethane resin (5) or other resin preferably of the elastomer family, is inserted in said interstices.

Description

The present patent for industrial invention proposes a paving settlings system, in particular a little porphyry cubes settlings system, whose main characteristic concerns the particular joint sealing.
It concerns a system that permits to solve several problems about the currently utilized sealing systems, with the main purpose to make the joints more elastic and thus more resistant to the mechanical stress and more weatherproof, with a superior quality of the whole paving.
The system under discussion permits to make the laying of paving made of porphyry cubes, in comparison with the known solutions, with several essential advantages among which there are those related to the possibility that the paving can absorb impacts much better and it can stand loads and vibrations.
As everybody knows, stony materials, such as porphyry, are utilized for the realization of paving, stony materials which give a characteristic "pavé" effect to the paving.
Normally the porphyry paving are made laying the various little cubes on a sandy or inert bed, and in a way that the joints are filled with sand or with sand and cement (the so said cement grout), or with tar.
Nevertheless several defects were detected in these traditional systems, defects that can be grouped in three categories: sand joint defects, sand and cement defects and tar defects.
First of all sand joints are exposed to the washing away as a result of the flow of the rainwater or other kind of flow, they are subject to the suction made by sweeper machines and they present an overall weak tightness.
Besides sand joints are subject to the water stagnation with possible creation of potholes and exit of sand and cubes with consequent paving disconnectedness.
Cement joints are instead exposed to considerable thermal expansion, to grout crumbling in the time as a result to vibrations and loads, to fluorescence saltpetre with negative effects also as far as the aesthetic point of view is concerned, and besides they present a small elasticity, a weak tightness in the time and a noisiness increase.
First of all tar joints present the aesthetic defect of making the natural stone effect worse, they are difficult to be laid, odour and walking problems are noticed during summer period or in case of high temperature, as the tar tends to liquefy, while it presents excessive rigidity in case of low temperature.
The invention object is to have invented and realized a new system for making the joints sealing, able to remedy all this group of defects detected in the traditional joints of the porphyry or other stone material paving, with several both practical and aesthetical advantages.
Among the advantages found in the solution according to the invention, there are mainly those related to the elasticity, a remarkable capacity of absorbing knocks and standing both the loads, even heavy, and the vibrations.
Besides the sealing system in object presents advantages regarding the noisiness, which is remarkably reduced, since it is sound absorbent, and also advantages regarding the notable duration in the time, the resistance to sweeping machines, to cold, to heat, and to acids.
Further advantages given by the sealing system according to the invention are those related to the fact that this type of sealing adheres to the porphyry cube and forms a unique body with said cube, making all the paving bound.
Besides this sealing system doesn't alter the porphyry natural colours, but, on the contrary, it stands them up.
All the above aims and advantages are reached according to the present invention through a paving made of little cubes, ashlars or slabs in stony material or concrete, laid on a bed of draining or not draining inert material, characterized by the fact that the interstices between cubes, or joints, are filled with rubble and then single-component polyurethane resin or other resin preferably of the elastomer family, is inserted in said interstices, and by the fact that the resin penetrates into the empty spaces of the rubble and into the underlying layer of allurement inert material.
The resin adheres both to the inert material and to the stony material, binding all the materials in a unique elastic structure in order to react to the variable and disconnected loads of the even heavy traffic.
Further characteristics and particulars of the invention will be better understood from the following description, set forth as a non-limitative example thereof, making reference to the accompanying drawing in which the unique figure shows a schematic section view of the cubes paving according to the invention on the whole.
With reference to the enclosed figures, the paving as a whole, according to the present invention, is marked with 1, paving which is substantially constituted by a set of elements 2 in stony material or agglomerate, elements realized in the form of little cubes or slabs.
The elements or cubes 2 are normally laid on a layer of allurement inert material 3, which can be constituted by sand or rubble or other draining material, which can be set, in its turn, on a bed 4.
The invention peculiarity is given by the fact that the interstices between the cubes, or joints, are first filled with rubble and then a single-component polyurethane resin 5 or other resin preferably of the elastomer family, is inserted in said interstices.
The resin penetrates into the empty spaces of the rubble and into the underlying layer of allurement inert material.
As already mentioned previously, the resin inserted between the interstices in that way, adheres both to the inert material and to the stony element, binding all the materials in a unique elastic structure in order to react to the variable and disconnected loads of the even heavy traffic.
In comparison with the previous solutions, this is the innovative concept, that is not only a method of sealing the pieces or the slabs of stony material or conglomerate, but it represents a new paving structure since the resin is not used in mixture with other materials and it penetrates deeply.
This solution permits to obtain all the above-mentioned advantages, the most important of which are those related to the elasticity, with a remarkable capacity of absorbing knocks and standing both the loads and the vibrations both of the motor vehicles and the vehicles for road maintenance.
Besides the sealing system in object presents advantages regarding the noisiness, which is remarkably reduced, since it is sound absorbent, and also advantages regarding the notable duration in the time, the resistance to sweeping machines, to cold, to heat, and to acids.
It has to be underlined that this type of sealing adheres to the little porphyry cubes and it forms a unique body with said cubes, making all the paving bound and besides it doesn't alter the porphyry natural colours, but, on the contrary, it stands them up.
A technician of this field can make changes and variants to the formula of the resin to be inserted in the interstices, obtaining solutions which must be considered as included in the scope of protection of the invention itself in case such changes and variants should be included in the following claims.

Claims

Paving made of little cubes, ashlars or slabs in stony material or concrete, laid on a bed of draining or not draining inert material, characterized by the fact that the interstices between cubes (2), or joints, are filled with rubble and then resin (5) is inserted in said interstices, and by the fact that the resin (5) penetrates into the empty spaces of the rubble and into an underlying layer of allurement inert material (3).
Paving made of little cubes in stony material as claimed in the foregoing claim, characterized by the fact that said resin (5) that is inserted in the interstices, is not pre-mixed with the other inert filling materials, and it is a single-component polyurethane resin or preferably of the elastomer family.
Paving made of little cubes in stony material as claimed in the foregoing claims, characterized by the fact that the resin (5), which is inserted in the paving interstices, adheres both to the inert material (3) and to the stony element (2), binding all the materials in a unique elastic structure in order to react to the different kinds of loads, to the mechanical stress, to the severe weather conditions and to the sudden changes of temperature.