Modular Paver Support Grid for Wind-Stable Elevated Pavers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pavers, especially lightweight ones, are prone to becoming airborne and dislodged in high wind conditions, and there is a need for a supporting apparatus that provides reduced surface load while allowing access to objects underneath and preventing dislodgment.
Innovation Solution
A modular grid system with geometric lattices, planar adhesive receiving sections, and pedestal receivers, combined with adjustable pedestals and ballasts, to stabilize pavers and prevent dislodgment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If pavers are elevated to provide access to objects underneath, then access to under paver objects is improved, but pavers become susceptible to dislodgement in high wind conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The paver system is divided into separate functional components: the paver panel itself, the support structure with pedestals, and the ballast elements. This segmentation allows the paver to be elevated for access while the ballast remains anchored to prevent wind-induced dislodgement, resolving the contradiction between accessibility and stability.
Solution Approach 2:
Ballast elements are introduced as counterweights to compensate for the elevated position of the paver. The ballast provides downward force that anchors the paver assembly, preventing dislodgement in high wind conditions while maintaining the elevated configuration needed for access to objects underneath.
2Reliability
If heavy materials are used for pavers, then resistance to movement after installation is improved, but surface load increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of making the entire paver heavy, the invention concentrates weight locally in the form of ballast elements positioned at specific locations (corners or edges) of the paver assembly. This localized weighting provides movement resistance where needed while keeping the overall surface load distributed and manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution moves from a two-dimensional paver surface to a three-dimensional assembly by adding vertical height through pedestals and incorporating ballast elements. This dimensional change allows the paver to be elevated for access while the ballast provides anchoring force, achieving movement resistance without requiring the entire paver to be heavy.
3Stress or pressure
If lightweight materials are used for pavers, then surface load is reduced, but pavers may become airborne and dislodged in high wind conditions
Solution Approach 1:
Ballast elements serve as counterweights that provide the necessary downward force to prevent lightweight pavers from becoming airborne in high wind conditions. The ballast compensates for the low weight of the paver itself, ensuring stability without increasing the surface load of the paver panel.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure with pedestals acts as an intermediary between the lightweight paver and the ballast elements. This intermediary mechanism allows the lightweight paver to be elevated for access while the ballast remains anchored to the surface, providing resistance to dislodgement without directly increasing the paver's weight or surface load.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a paver supporting apparatus and generally includes a modular grid having a plurality of walls with a plurality of geometric lattices provided therein, a plurality of planar adhesive receiving sections positioned between the geometric lattices and having a width greater than each of the plurality of walls, and a plurality of pedestal receivers for receiving a plurality of pedestals.