58results about "Buttress dams" patented technology

A flood control system, in one aspect involving providing a plurality of substantially rigid containers, at least some of the containers having a top portion, a bottom portion and substantially rigid sidewalls operably connecting the top and bottom portions, the sidewalls being configured to withstand compressive forces between the top portion and the bottom portion; and positioning the plurality of substantially rigid containers at a selected location proximate a body of water, at least some of the substantially rigid containers being positioned at the selected location in a substantially abutting relationship to form a barrier.

The invention relates to improved water control gates and related inflatable actuators, and associated sealing, manufacture and operation apparatus and methods. Advancements in technologies related to air fitting design, inflated bladder stress relief, inflatable bladder strength enhancement, water gate related slide friction mitigation, abutment and other impounded water seals, gate panel fabrication, traffic accommodating water impoundment structures, and water gate panel system operation efficiency, as well as nappe aeration, hinges, and bladder manufacture technology are some of the advancements disclosed herein.

A barrier for reducing erosion along shorelines includes a barrier body formed as a unitary, molded plastic structure. In one embodiment, the barrier body has at least one elongate passage extending through it, between oppositely disposed first and second sides, and an interior reservoir. A port formed into the barrier body communicates with the interior reservoir to facilitate filling the reservoir with material to thereby add weight to the barrier. The barrier further includes at least one anchor formed into a side of the barrier body and associated with the passage to control shrinkage of the barrier body as it is being molded. In another embodiment, a method of making the barrier body includes placing plastic material in a mold, manipulating the mold to distribute the plastic material within the mold and thereby form the barrier body as a unitary piece, and reducing the shrinkage of the molded barrier body with the anchor.

A levee and barrier module for fluid control and containment is provided including an outer module shell and a module-to-module connection system to attach adjacent outer shells. The outer module shell, being in the general shape of a prism or prism with curvilinear section, is formed by opposing side walls and two opposing end walls, and is configured to enclose or support filler material. The two opposing end walls are configured with end apertures. The outer module shell defines a top aperture and a bottom aperture. When modules are placed end to end in a levee structure the end apertures allow filler material communication horizontally between adjacent modules. The bottom aperture allows filler material communication with the earth below the module. The top aperture allows filler material to be added to the module, as well as visual observation of, and maintenance of, the amount of contained filler material.

In order to provide a durable loading dock shelter with an effective seal, the dock shelter is provided with a face panel that is relatively lightweight and firm, yet moveable for sealing against vehicles of various size and position. The face panel can be used as a side curtain or a head curtain. To provide the face panel with durability while minimizing its weight, the face panel is thermoformed of twin sheets of plastic to provide a durable outer shell with a hollow interior. In some embodiments, the face panel is moveable by virtue of an integral living hinge that connects the face panel to a generally stationary support panel.

A device is provided for preventing shoreline erosion and for rebuilding the sand beach along the shoreline of a large body of water. A series of the devices are placed in side-by-side relation essentially parallel to the shoreline. The device includes a hollow plastic structure fillable with a heavy material, such as cement. The structure has a trapezoidal configuration to lower the center of gravity of the device and includes inclining front and rear walls converging toward each other to the top wall. The hollow plastic structure includes a plurality of tubular members extending from the front wall to the rear wall. The front and rear walls have access apertures opening to the tubular members. The tubular members gradually taper from a predetermined diameter at the access apertures in the front wall to half of the predetermined diameter at the access apertures in the rear wall to reduce the velocity of the flow of water to the large body of water.

A flood barrier protection system has a first barrier support member having a channel therein. A second barrier member spaced from the first support member having a channel therein. A barrier member disposed within both channels is sealingly engageable with one surface of each the support member. The barrier member has a rigid front wall and a rigid rear wall spaced across a gap form each other to form a hollow body open at at least one end. An upper engaging portion and a lower engaging portion each extend from the hollow body in opposite directions.

A fluent material confinement system configured to receive a granular fluent material to form a temporary barrier structure is disclosed, wherein the fluent material confinement system includes a plurality strips, the plurality of strips including a plurality of lengthwise strips and a plurality of widthwise strips coupled with each other to define a plurality of open cells, wherein the plurality of lengthwise strips includes at least one wider lengthwise strip configured to extend into cells of a next-lowest fluent material confinement system when the fluent material confinement system is stacked on the next-lowest fluent material confinement system, and a stacking error indicator associated with the wider lengthwise strip, wherein the stacking error indicator is configured to be effective in low visibility conditions to indicate to a user a location of an error in stacking of the fluent material confinement system on the next-lowest fluent material confinement system.

A portable, inflatable flood wall is characterized by a sheet of synthetic plastic material which is folded back on itself to define a chamber between bottom, rear and front portions of the sheet and within which at least one inflatable bladder is secured. When the bladder is inflated, the rear portion of the sheet is erected to a vertical position which prevents water from passing beyond the sheet. The front portion preferably contains a plurality of openings to allow water to enter the chamber. The weight of the water on the bottom portion of the sheet serves to hold the wall in place. A plurality of such walls may be connected in end-to-end relation to construct a wall of a desired length.

Flood control apparatus are disclosed. In one aspect, a flood control apparatus includes a structural frame. The structural frame has an elongated length in a longitudinal direction. The structural frame includes a plurality of transverse support structures, that are generally aligned in the transverse direction, and that are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction. The structural frame includes one or more longitudinal coupling structures that couple the plurality of transverse support structures together. One or more sheets of material are coupled to the structural frame. When in use, earth may be used to substantially fill an inner region of the apparatus that is enclosed by the one or more sheets of material coupled to the structural frame.

A levee and barrier module for fluid control and containment is provided including an outer module shell and a module-to-module connection system to attach adjacent outer shells. The outer module shell is formed by opposing side walls and two opposing end walls and is configured to enclose or support filler material. The outer module shell defines a top aperture and a bottom aperture. The bottom aperture allows filler material communication with the earth below the module. The top aperture allows filler material to be added to the module, as well as visual observation of, and maintenance of, the amount of contained filler material. A presented application is directed to protecting pipelines and to allowing pipeline integration or association with levees.

A flood control system involving a means of providing a plurality of lightweight, mobile but strong containers having a rigid bottom portion, rigid end panels and rigid sidewalls operably connecting the bottom portion and end panels. The system provides means of attaching the containers to one another. The system provides for a plurality of containers to be freely positioned at selected locations proximate to a rising water level in an abutting relationship to form a barrier. The system provides means for the containers to be self-filled with rising floodwater due to the increase pressure from the rise in the water level.

The present invention is directed to the structure of a floatable caisson member and to a segmental floatable bulkhead assembly, formed by assembling a plurality of the floatable caisson members. The present invention also includes a method of fabrication of the floatable caisson member. A segmental floatable bulkhead assembly, formed by assembling a plurality of the floatable caisson members, is employed for dewatering a water passage of a dam.

A portable dike and floatation device having a lower partition including a water inlet and an upper partition attached to the lower partition. The lower partition is water-fillable via the water inlet. The upper partition includes an air inlet for inflating the upper partition. The lower partition forms a triangular prism having a floor and two sides. The upper partition has two lobes, the lobes cover the two sides, the lobes have a triangular prism shape, and wherein the inner and upper partition forms a square prism shape when the lower partition and the upper partition inflate. At least one support member is positioned within the portable dike and floatation device to provide added rigidity to the portable dike and floatation device.

A portable flood water barrier system is disclosed having one or more portable, attachable, flexible modules. Each module comprises an elongated tubular member sealed at either end by rigid, flanged end caps. Each module is provided with one or more openings to permit the introduction of water, sand or similar material into the tubular member interior cavity. Each module is also provided with one or more sealable openings to permit any water, sand or similar material to be removed from the tubular member interior cavity. The material provides weight the module to hold it in position against the force of the moving floodwaters. With the tubular member interior cavity partially filled with the material the portion of the tubular member in contact with the ground substantially conform in shape to the ground contours to minimize any water seepage under the tubular member. Each end cap has a plate with a center section providing shoulders about which a retaining ring can be used to fix the tubular member between the shoulders and the inside surface of the retaining ring. The perimeter section of the end plate forms the flange that is provided with a series of bolt openings to permit end caps from adjacent modules to be bolted together. The outer face of each flange member can be structured to receive a gasket or other sealing member to form a watertight seal between to adjacent attached end caps.