Internal L Braces for Containment Berm Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional containment berms with exterior 'A' braces lack structural integrity, leading to wall instability, increased setup and teardown times, and safety hazards due to freezing issues and tripping hazards, especially in winter conditions.
Innovation Solution
Internal 'L' braces made of galvanized tubing that run continuously through the hem, connecting to corner braces, providing corner-to-corner support and reducing the need for external weights, with a top rail system that enhances stability and facilitates easier setup and teardown.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If exterior 'A' braces are used to support containment berm walls, then the berm can be constructed with lighter materials, but the walls become unstable and require constant readjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional bracing approach by moving the braces from the exterior to the interior of the containment berm. The internal 'L' braces are positioned with the vertical leg against the inside of the geomembrane liner and the horizontal leg extending toward the center, allowing the braces to push inward and stabilize the walls from the inside rather than pulling from the outside.
Solution Approach 2:
The internal braces are nested within the containment berm structure, with the horizontal legs fitting into pockets or channels formed in the geomembrane liner hem. This nesting allows the braces to be integrated into the berm structure without adding external components, providing stability while maintaining a compact design.
2Stability of the object's composition
If multiple sandbags are added to stabilize exterior braces, then wall stability improves, but the complexity and setup time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the need for external sandbags and weights by designing a self-contained internal bracing system. The horizontal legs of the 'L' braces extend into pockets or channels in the geomembrane liner hem, where friction and geometric constraints provide stabilization without requiring additional external components.
Solution Approach 2:
The internal brace system is self-stabilizing through its design: the horizontal legs resting in pockets or channels of the geomembrane liner hem create friction and geometric constraints that automatically stabilize the structure without requiring external sandbags, weights, or complex assembly procedures.
3Ease of manufacture
If exterior braces are used, then initial setup is simpler, but teardown becomes difficult in freezing conditions
Solution Approach 1:
By inverting the bracing orientation to internal positioning, the braces are no longer exposed to external freezing conditions that cause adhesion to the ground. The internal braces remain in a protected environment within the berm, eliminating the freezing adhesion problem that plagues exterior braces during winter operations.
4Quantity of substance
If disconnected rod segments are used in exterior braces, then material usage is reduced, but structural strength at corners is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the corner support function into the continuous hem of the geomembrane liner. The hem itself acts as a connecting element that runs continuously around the perimeter, providing corner-to-corner support without requiring separate corner braces or interconnected rod segments. The internal 'L' braces leverage this continuous hem structure for their stabilization.
Data Source
AI summary
A containment berm comprising a containment material that is configured to provide at least a floor and four walls of the berm, a plurality of brackets positioned on the floor and adjacent to the inside surface of the four walls, and a top rail. Each bracket comprises a vertical member, connecting member, and horizontal member. A first end of the vertical member is pivotally connected to a first end of the horizontal member at a first pivot point. A first end of the connecting member is pivotally connected to the horizontal member at a second pivot point between the first and second ends of the horizontal member. The top rail extends around a top perimeter of the four walls of the berm. Each bracket comprises a clamp portion that is situated on a second end of the vertical member and that clamps onto the top rail.