Modular Underground Fluid Detention System with Circuitous Flow Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current underground fluid detention and retention systems are difficult to clean, prone to clogging, and lack structural integrity, making them inefficient and costly to maintain, especially in urban settings where space is limited and aesthetic concerns are significant.
Innovation Solution
A modular fluid retention or detention system comprising precast concrete modules with vertically disposed side portions and horizontally disposed roofs, arranged in rows and columns with circuitous fluid flow paths and flow obstructers, such as solid walls, to prevent clogging and provide structural support, while allowing for customizable orientations and easy maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If traditional underground systems are used for fluid detention, then they can retain water underground without using surface area, but they become difficult to clean and clogged with debris
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the underground structure into multiple modular chambers separated by flow obstructers. Each chamber can be independently accessed and cleaned through manholes, allowing maintenance without excavating the entire structure. The segmentation into manageable sections makes cleaning operations feasible while maintaining underground placement.
Solution Approach 2:
Flow obstructers serve as intermediary elements that force water to travel through circuitous paths while allowing maintenance access. These obstructers with openings enable debris to be trapped and removed while maintaining water flow, acting as a mediator between the need for underground placement and the need for cleanability.
2Ease of manufacture
If simple underground chambers are used, then installation is easier, but they lack structural integrity to resist surface loads
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses multiple precast concrete modules that can be manufactured off-site with controlled quality and assembled on-site. Each module is structurally sound individually, and when assembled together with interlocking features, they create a robust underground structure that can resist surface loads while maintaining relatively simple installation procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs precast concrete modules that combine the strength and durability of concrete with precise manufacturing tolerances. The composite structure of multiple concrete modules joined together creates an underground system with high structural integrity while maintaining ease of installation through modular assembly.
3Adaptability or versatility
If modular design is used for versatility, then the system can be customized for different applications, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses standardized modular chambers that can be configured in different patterns and arrangements to suit various applications. The segmentation into uniform modules allows for versatile customization through simple repetition and arrangement, rather than requiring complex unique designs for each application.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular chambers are designed with universal features that allow them to serve multiple functions - fluid detention, storage, and controlled release. The same basic module type can be used across different applications by varying the configuration and arrangement, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining versatility.
Data Source
AI summary
In a system and method for retaining or detaining a fluid beneath a ground surface, a plurality of modules, each having at least one vertically disposed side portion supporting a horizontally disposed roof are provided. The plurality of modules, each being in fluid communication, either directly or indirectly, with each of the other modules, are arranged in an assembly having a plurality of rows and columns. Each of the rows and columns contain at least one flow obstructer such that fluid flow through each of the rows and columns is circuitous.