Method and device for improving drainage away from buildings

Abstract

A method and device for enhancing water percolation around a building or improvement area includes drilling a series of seepage holes beyond the deflector plates with drainage rods installed in the respective holes extending downwardly into the soil. The drainage rods comprise a cluster of integrally joined generally tubular features each formed with a lengthwise extending slot. Migrating ground water intercepts the rods, enters the slots and drains down the rods to enhance water percolation into the soil.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/579,362 filed on May 11, 2006 also filed as PCT/US2004/039172 which is a continuation in part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/737,345 filed on Dec. 16, 2003.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention concerns drainage around buildings and more particularly from around the foundation of a building. Rainwater percolates down into the ground around the foundation and can enter the basement through cracks in the concrete or block walls. Grading is commonly used to direct surface water away from the building. Drain tiles are usually laid around the foundation footings to prevent water from collecting around the foundation by draining it away through the tiles.

These measures are sometimes ineffective primarily due to particular soil conditions, the topography of the land, the level of the water table, etc.

In co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 10/579,362 and published PCT application WO 2005/060499, both incorporated herein by reference, there is described a basement wall protection system involving the installation of a series of sloping deflector plates around the foundation buried in the soil which direct water percolating down through the top soil layer away from the foundation. While effective, sometimes water in surrounding soil regions migrates into the soil adjacent the foundations beneath the deflector plates at a high enough rate to cause problems.

It is the object of the present invention to enhance the effect of the deflector system heretofore proposed to further minimize untoward effects of excessive moisture in the soil around a building.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above object and other objects which will become apparent upon a reading of the following specification and claims are achieved by installing specially configured drainage rods into a series of seepage holes drilled in the ground around the building or pairing perimeter. A series of deflector plates may be placed against the building walls. The drainage rods are sufficiently rigid to be driven into the predrilled seepage holes in the ground. These rods are installed into the seepage holes promote percolation of water through the soil around the rods. The tubular features remain clear of debris as the ground expands and contracts. The drainage rods are long enough to reach a level preferably at least one foot below the building footings from a point just below the grade, i.e., typically about 6 to 10 feet long but can be much longer to reach the water table.

The generally slotted tubular features allow water to enter all along their length and rapidly draining down to a level below the footings to enhance percolation of water into the soil. This dries the soil in a depression cone pattern around the rods to reduce the level of moisture in the soil adjacent to the building. The entrance of air from the top of the rods allows rapid draining of moisture from the soil around the rods by preventing a vacuum from developing. The plastic material of the rods cannot be penetrated by moisture and the hydrostatic pressure in the ground tends to compress the slots and inhibit silting in of the tubular features to thus remain open to water drainage and entry of air. The drainage rods can be easily removed if necessary since roots cannot get a grip on the plastic material or the configuration of the clustered slotted tubes.

The rods are specially designed to be are earth/soil friendly and will not crack under any soil movement that is caused by seasonal temperature changes.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of a building with a series of drainage rods used in the method of the present invention installed about the foundation walks and driveway,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a section taken through the foundation wall and surrounding soil showing the series of drainage rods illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3A is an enlarged sectional view taken across one of the drainage rods shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 3B is a fragmentary view of a top end of the drainage rod shown in FIG. 3 showing a fusing together of the shape at one end to block upper end and to enable driving the rod into a predrilled hole in the ground.

FIG. 3C is a fragmentary view of the top end of a drainage rod showing a clamp compressing the end tool facilitate driving it into a hole.

FIG. 3D is a fragmentary view of the upper end of drainage rod with a pointed cap added to block the upper end.

FIG. 3E is a fragmentary view of an upper end of a drainage rod with a flat disc attached to block the upper end and to facilitate driving into a predrilled hole.

FIG. 4 is a pictorial view of an excavated foundation corner showing installation of two deflector plates.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view through a building foundation and adjacent soil with drainage rods and deflector plates installed.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view through a building foundation with a sidewalk running next to the foundation and adjacent soil areas, showing diagrammatically the soil drying effect of the drainage rods.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view through a building constructed on a slab with a sidewalk along the side, showing diagrammatically the drying effect on the soil of installed series of drainage rods.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, certain specific terminology will be employed for the sake of clarity and a particular embodiment described in accordance with the requirements of 35 USC 112, but it is to be understood that the same is not intended to be limiting and should not be so construed inasmuch as the invention is capable of taking many forms and variations within the scope of the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 show a building 10 which has installed below grade a series of drainage rods 20 according to the method of the present invention. The series of rods extend about the perimeter of building foundation 24, as well as along paved areas such as the walk 12 and driveway 14 from which water is shed during a rain shower.

A continuous series of interlocked deflector plates 16 may also be installed in a trench at a shallow depth below grade as described in detail in the above-referenced applications. In addition, above grade sealing strips 18 can cover the upright section 17 of the deflector plates 16 to prevent water from flowing past the upright section 17.

The deflector plates 16 have a portion extending out approximately one quarter of the height of the basement wall and slope down at about a 15° angle as described in the referenced patent applications apart.

As described in the referenced application, the sections of the deflector plates 16 are assembled together with tongue and groove connection. At the corners a notched plate 32 underlies the deflectors 16 meeting each other at the corners as seen in FIG. 4.

The elongated drainage rods 20 are installed in predrilled holes drilled into the bottom of the trench in a linear series spaced apart a short distance on the order of 16 inches.

The series of drainage rods 20 are installed spaced out from the foundation 24 a short distance and penetrate to a minimum depth of preferably about one foot below the footings 26.

If the water table is sufficiently shallow, the drainage rods 20 should be installed to reach that level.

To install the drainage rods 20, a sloping bottom trench is dug away from the foundation of a width of about forty-two inches and from 16 to 21-26 inches in depth.

A series of holes about 1½ inch in diameter are drilled into the ground as by using a powered auger to a depth preferably reaching a minimum of one foot below the building footings 26.

The drainage rods 20 are then installed in the holes. A cylindrical 21 cap can be used to block out the upper ends of the rods 20 and to allow hammering the rods 20 into the predrilled holes.

The drainage rods 20 are preferably of an extruded high density polyethylene but other materials particularly of plastic may be used.

The sectional configuration of the drainage rods 20 is shown in FIG. 3A. This shape consists of a cluster of slotted generally tubular features 28 extending lengthwise along the rods 20 and surrounding a central slotted generally tubular feature 30 also extending along the length of the drainage rod 20. The drainage rods 20 are about one inch across the diagonal. The slots 29 and 31 extend lengthwise and allow water to enter into each generally tubular features 28, 30 all along their length, which then collects and flows downwardly through the features 28, 30 to enhance percolation of water into the soil.

The pressure of the water in the rods 20 and the entrance of air at the top allows rapid percolation into the soil. The slots 29 are formed by a wall defining each tubular feature 28 curving back towards a central region of said rod 20 with a gap forming the longitudinal slot 29. The center tubular feature 30 also has a gap forming the slot 31.

The tubular features 28, 30 tend to be compressed radially when the soil is saturated by moisture by the effects of hydrostatic pressure to narrow the slots 29, 31. This effect tends to prevent silting in of the tubular features 28, 30 over time, allowing free continued flow of water downwardly preferably to the level of the watertable as indicated in FIG. 2.

Thus, the drainage rods 20 will intercept moisture migrating towards the house and cause it to percolate rapidly downwardly below the footings instead of reaching the foundation walls.

The smooth plastic construction also tends to defeat any tendency for roots to grip the drainage rods 20 enabling them to be pulled up for inspection if desired.

As seen in FIGS. 3B, the ends of the drainage rods 20, can be fused at 19 to create a rounded blocked upper end to facilitate driving and penetration during installation and to prevent silting in of sold from the top of the rods 20.

In FIG. 3C, a clamp 34 has been installed at the upper end to form a blocked upper end to facilitate driving into predrilled holes.

FIG. 3D shows a pointed cap 36 installed on the upper end to also block the upper end of the drainage rod 20.

In FIG. 3 E, a flat cover plate 38 is attached to block the upper end and to facilitate driving of the drainage rod 20.

FIG. 6 shows the effect where a sidewalk 40 deflects the water runoff to where the series of drainage rods 20 are installed below grade. A cone pattern 42 of dried out soil is created around the rods 20 which intercepts moisture migrating into a dry zone 44 beneath the sidewalk 40 to maintain dry soil conditions. As water is drained from the soil surrounding the rod 20 a cone-shaped depression in the water level forms the dry area is open to the air which allows the moisture to readily drain down as water percolates in the soil at the bottom of the drainage rods 20.

FIG. 7 shows the same effect with a building built on a slab foundation 46, with the cone pattern 42 preventing moisture migration beneath the slab 46. The drainage rods 20 can be shorter for the application.

The earth is backfilled into the trench as seen in FIG. 5, covering the deflector plates 16 and drainage rod 20 upper ends.

Claims

1. A method of improving drainage around the perimeter of a building foundation or pavement comprising:

said rods are installed into the bottom of said trench and said trench is backfilled over the top ends of said rod; and

installing a series of drainage rods into a series of seepage holes drilled into the soil beyond said foundation or pavement, said drainage rods having a series of lengthwise tubular features defined therein slotted to the outside, said rods extending to a depth below said foundation, whereby soil moisture tends to enter slots therein and drain downwardly through said tubes to enhance percolation of water into the soil around said building or pavement.

2. The method according to claim 1 further including blocking the top end of each of said rods.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein some of said tubular features are formed by curving a side wall back towards a center region of said rod with a gap defining a longitudinal slot.

4. The method according to claim 2 including forming said rods of polyethylene plastic.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein said rods are installed extending vertically into the soil.

6. The method according to claim 1 further including excavating a shallow trench along said perimeter; and

installing a continuous series of deflector plates along said trench a short distance below grade.

7. The method according to claim 6 further including installing sealing strips over the upper edge of an upright leg of said deflector plates, a top portion of said sealing strips remaining above grade after backfilling said trench.

8. A drainage rod comprised of a cluster of integrally joined lengthwise extending tubular features each having a lengthwise extending slot.

9. The drainage rod according to claim 8 further includes a central generally tubular portion also having a lengthwise extending slot, said central portion surrounded by said cluster of tubular features.

10. The drainage rod according to claim 8 wherein said drainage rod is constructed of plastic.

11. The drainage rod according to claim 8 wherein the upper end of said rod is closed off.