Adjustably rigid floating island system

Abstract

A floating island structure comprising a plurality of rectangular- and / or freeform-shaped modules and an internal linkage system; wherein the modules are comprised of nonwoven fibers; wherein the internal linkage system comprises a plurality of joiner plates and flexible or rigid tensioning members; wherein the modules are joined together by joiner plates; wherein the tensioning members are attached to the joiner plates and / or to internal plates; and wherein the joiner plates of adjacent modules are joined together to form the floating island structure. Natural and / or synthetic fibers are optionally used to fill in the cavities surrounding the tensioning members. A decking assembly is optionally installed on top of the modules to provide homogeneous or heterogeneous rigidity to the overall structure.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application claims priority back to U.S. Patent Application No. 61 / 049,417, filed on 30 Apr. 2008.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates generally to the field of man-made floating islands, and more specifically, to a floating island system in which individual floating island modules are connected to one another through an internal linkage system that provides adjustable rigidity to the overall island structure.[0004]2. Description of the Related Art[0005]Man-made floating islands (also known as floating platforms) are currently being utilized for a wide range of applications in both freshwater and marine environments. Some examples of these floating islands include floating wetlands for wastewater treatment, floating gardens for hydroponic food production and decoration, floating bridges and walkways for transportation, and floating wildlife habitat for fish cover and waterfowl n...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0022]In an alternate preferred embodiment, rigid beam tensioning members are used in lieu of the flexible tensioning members; each rigid beam tensioning member comprises a rigid internal beam with a first end and a second end; the first end of each rigid internal beam is attached to one of the joiner plates and the second end of each rigid internal beam is attached to the joiner plate that is directly opposite the joiner plate to which the first end of the rigid internal beam is attached; initial rigidity is provided during installation of the rigid internal beam; and the joiner plates of adjacent rectangular-shaped modules are joined together to form the floating island structure, thereby providing further rigidity to the overall structure. Preferably, the rigid internal beams are attached to the joiner plates by means of beam tensioning bolts, and angle brackets are used to connect intersections of the beams to keep the intersections square.

[0026]In an alternate embodiment, rigid beam tensioning members are used in lieu of the flexible tensioning members; each rigid beam tensioning member comprises a rigid internal beam with a first end and a second end; the first end of the rigid internal beam is attached to the joiner plate and the second end of the rigid internal beam is attached to the internal plate; initial rigidity is provided during installation of the rigid internal beam; and the joiner plate of the freeform-shaped module is joined to the joiner plate of a rectangular-shaped module to form the floating island structure, thereby providing further rigidity to the overall structure. Preferably, the rigid internal beams are attached to the joiner plates and internal plates by means of beam tensioning bolts, and angle brackets are used to connect intersections of the beams to keep the intersections square.

Problems solved by technology

First, the islands must have sufficient buoyancy and rigidity to support the design load.

Third, the islands must have sufficient strength and durability to withstand dynamic forces produced by wind, current, waves, and design loads.

The large, single or multiple segment islands can be made with adequate stiffness and rigidity, but they are expensive to manufacture, inefficient to transport, and difficult to launch.

In addition, these islands, which are rigid over their entire surface, are more prone to adverse wave effects than flexible islands.

These sudden movements produce large transient forces in anchor lines and cause damage to plant roots extending through the bottom surface of the island.

Modular-component islands are efficient to manufacture, transport, and deploy, but they tend to flex at the connection joints, and therefore do not provide adequate load distribution for many applications.

Floating islands that are constructed from multiple segments tend to develop gaps along their internal seams because the segments cannot be kept tightly connected during the dynamic stressing that occurs as a result of wind, current and wave action.

These gaps are undesirable because they allow bedding mix or soil to escape from the top surface of the islands.

Some floating islands also tend to wear and then eventually fail at the connection points between segments because the connectors apply a concentrated stress to a small surface area of the island material along the seams.

This gap provides hiding places for undesirable animals such as rodents, reptiles and insects that eat island vegetation and may pose human health hazards.

Prior art floating islands that use flotation grids around, through or under the modules or structures tend to be highly buoyant around the outer perimeter and less buoyant in the center, resulting in sagging of the plant growth media within each module or structure.

Images