Abstract: An access mat comprises a single unitary body having a generally planar upper wall, a bottom wall and side walls joining side edges of the upper wall and the bottom wall, formed by pultrusion from composite material comprising longitudinally continuous fibers and a set resin so as to define an elongated tubular body enclosing a hollow interior. The unitary body includes integrally formed parallel reinforcing ribs bridging the hollow interior in a thickness direction. The bottom wall has recessed channels therein receiving pultruded elongate connector members each shaped to fit into a respective one of the recessed channels with a bottom surface of the connector member coplanar with the bottom surface and a top surface of the connector member in engagement with a raised surface of the respective recessed channel for connecting of an end of the body to an adjacent end of another body by bridging between the bodies.

Abstract: A device for supporting a length of pipe adapted to carry oil or gas in a subterranean environment comprises a body of rigid synthetic polymeric foam material defining an upper face of the foam body arranged to substantially receive a weight of the length of pipe and a lower face arranged for contacting a ground surface. A planar sheet of reinforcing material which is substantially incompressible in a thickness direction thereof is connected to the foam body at or adjacent the upper face thereof in transverse orientation relative to a thickness direction of the foam body between the upper and lower faces thereof so that the reinforcing sheet is oriented substantially perpendicularly to the weight of the length of pipe exerted on the foam body.

Abstract: A kit for encapsulating a length of pipe features first and second foam sections cooperatively shaped to form a cavity with open ends in a working configuration of the foam sections for receiving the length of pipe therein. A low density foam, which is lower in density than the material of the foam sections, fills an unoccupied space in the cavity so as to provide cushioning for the length of pipe such that movement of the length of pipe within the cavity is permitted and stress on the length of pipe is reduced. The foam sections may be reinforced with reinforcing membranes carried in a main body of the respective foam section. The reinforcing membranes may act to hold the foam material of the respective section together and to prevent puncture along a full thickness of the foam sections from abrasive debris in the ground.

Abstract: A composite mat comprises a plurality of layers each comprising a plurality of elongate members extending parallel to one another and transversely to the elongate members forming the adjacent layer. Thus, each member of a first layer spans across the members of a second layer such that each member of the first layer intersects each one of the members of the second layer at respective intersecting locations. Each elongate member is formed from pultruded composite material defining a tubular body which encloses a longitudinal axis of the respective member. The tubular body has on its outside an opposing pair of wide faces and an opposing pair of narrow faces. The tubular body includes an interior cavity in which there is provided a reinforcing rib bridging the cavity in a direction from one wide face to the opposite one so as to resist compression of the body in this direction.

Abstract: A kit for encapsulating a length of pipe features first and second foam sections cooperatively shaped to form a cavity with open ends in a working configuration of the foam sections for receiving the length of pipe therein. A foam lower in density than the material of the foam sections fills an unoccupied space in the cavity, providing cushioning for the pipe in the cavity such that movement is permitted and stress on the pipe is reduced. The foam sections feature cooperating ridges and grooves at mating faces of the respective section which are on either side of a channel that cooperates with the channel of the other section to form the cavity. The ridges and grooves when mated hold the foam sections in fixed relation to one another. Also, the foam sections feature passageways such that the cavity is accessible from outside the foam sections in the working configuration thereby facilitating connection apparatus such as for cathodic protection equipment.

Abstract: A kit for encapsulating a length of pipe features first and second foam sections cooperatively shaped to form a cavity with open ends in a working configuration of the foam sections for receiving the length of pipe therein. A low density foam, which is lower in density than the material of the foam sections, fills an unoccupied space in the cavity so as to provide cushioning for the length of pipe such that movement of the length of pipe within the cavity is permitted and stress on the length of pipe is reduced. The foam sections may be reinforced with reinforcing membranes carried in a main body of the respective foam section. The reinforcing membranes may act to hold the foam material of the respective section together and to prevent puncture along a full thickness of the foam sections from abrasive debris in the ground.

Abstract: A reinforced foam block features a body of foam material forming a main body having a volume enclosed by at least one peripheral face. At least one body of reinforcing material, being more pressure resistant than the foam material before incurring permanent shape change and forming a sheet, is embedded in the body of foam material so as to be carried by the body of foam material in prescribed position within the main body. The respective body of reinforcing material provides strength to the main body against force applied to the main body in a direction transversely with respect to the prescribed surface area of the respective body of reinforcing material.

Abstract: A tank is formed from panels fastened together edge to edge to form four upstanding side walls and base panels where across the base the panels extend from one side to the other. The panels are composite and formed from a honeycomb core panel with a foam material filling the tubular cells and a fibrous reinforcing cover sheets. The walls are supported by a metal frame including a base member extending along the wall at the bottom of the panels and a plurality of joining members connected to the base member and upstanding therefrom for holding the ends of the panels in end to end relationship. Cables extend along the walls adjacent the base member and connect to end posts of the walls. A series of posts stand along the walls on the outside and are connected across the tank by cables extending over the top edge of the walls.

Abstract: Oil in an oil spill is collected by laying an elongate generally flat mat onto and around the spill where the mat is formed from strips of material arranged side by side and connected at spaced positions longitudinally to define a honeycomb structure with top and bottom surfaces of the mat defined by edges of the strips. The mat is unrolled from a supply and laid onto the surface of a body of water in which the spill has occurred so that open empty tubular cells stand upwardly from the surface allowing the oil to be absorbed into the cells. The oil can be squeezed out by pressing the strips together to close the cells.

Abstract: A tank is formed from panels fastened together edge to edge to form four upstanding side walls and base panels where across the base the panels extend from one side to the other. The panels are composite and formed from a honeycomb core panel with a foam material filling the tubular cells and a fibrous reinforcing cover sheets. The walls are supported by a metal frame including a base member extending along the wall at the bottom of the panels and a plurality of joining members connected to the base member and upstanding therefrom for holding the ends of the panels in end to end relationship. Cables extend along the walls adjacent the base member and connect to end posts of the walls. A series of posts stand along the walls on the outside and are connected across the tank by cables extending over the top edge of the walls.

Abstract: A tank is formed from one or more panels fastened together edge to edge to form a rectangular tank or one or more curved panels defining a cylindrical wall and a circular end wall to form a cylindrical tank. The panels are composite and formed from a honeycomb core panel with a foam material filling the tubular cells and a fibrous reinforcing cover sheets extending over the top and bottom of the panel. The cover sheets are filled with a set resin material which extends into the porous fibrous material of the walls of the core panel so as to form an integral structure of the resin extending between the walls and the sheets.

Abstract: Oil in an oil spill is collected by laying an elongate generally flat mat onto and around the spill where the mat is formed from strips of material arranged side by side and connected at spaced positions longitudinally to define a honeycomb structure with top and bottom surfaces of the mat defined by edges of the strips. The mat is unrolled from a supply and laid onto the surface of a body of water in which the spill has occurred so that open empty tubular cells stand upwardly from the surface allowing the oil to be absorbed into the cells. The oil can be squeezed out by pressing the strips together to close the cells.

Abstract: Contaminated water is filtered by passing through a mat formed from strips of material arranged side by side and connected at spaced positions longitudinally to define a honeycomb structure with top and bottom surfaces of the mat defined by edges of the strips with the top and bottom edges covered by cover sheet bonded to the edges of the strips. At least some of the cells are at least partly filled with a particulate water filtration medium such as zeolite.

Abstract: Land is stabilized by laying an elongate generally flat mat onto the ground where the mat is formed from strips of material arranged side by side and connected at spaced positions longitudinally to define a honeycomb structure with top and bottom surfaces of the mat defined by edges of the strips. The mat is unrolled from a supply and laid onto the ground so that open empty tubular cells stand upwardly from the surface to be partly filled with top soil. The mat is shaped into the required rectangular strips to lie side by side in butting arrangement by locating pins in the ground. Seed attached to the mat grow in the soil and ground to effect stabilization.