WAVE ATTENUATION STRUCTURE CONSTRUCTION UNITS, USES THEREOF AND METHODS OF MAKING THE SAME

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is related to, and claims priority to, U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/685,333, filed Aug. 21, 2024, entitled “WAVE ATTENUATION STRUCTURE CONSTRUCTION UNITS, USES THEREOF AND METHODS OF MAKING THE SAME”, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to units useful for the construction of a wave attenuation structure such as a wave fence, and methods for making the units.

Description of the Related Art

Natural approaches to coastal erosion control and habitat restoration often utilize a combination of native vegetation, sand, rocks, and other materials (both natural and manmade) to stabilize the shoreline. While these approaches attempt to work with natural processes to provide protection against erosion while also promoting biodiversity and enhancing ecosystem services, they are still subject to the forces of wave action.

However, these types of strategies in shallow areas (and in some deeper areas) may be susceptible to displacement or erosion in response to high wave energy. High wave energy can exert considerable force on the vegetation, sand, rocks and other materials (both natural and manmade), potentially causing erosion or displacement, especially if these other measures are not well suited to withstand local wave conditions or if they are inadequately anchored or stabilized.

Certain attempts to provide wave attenuation have been tried by others in the past, building structures such as wave fences and other barriers. Such wave fences and other barriers have often been constructed from wood, bamboo, and other degradable substances in an attempt to be environmentally friendly. Additionally, these prior structures are typically attached to one another through various means, such as bolts and other fasteners. Due to the high energy and constant nature of waves, these structures often degrade quickly, both through deterioration of the wave fence materials and through failure of the fastener means used to attached the sections to one another. This results in a need to replace and/or repair the conventional wave fences in a short period of time.

Accordingly, a solution is needed to provide wave attenuation structures that are sturdy, environmentally friendly, and resilient to the conditions in the water, and that do not need frequent replacement or repair.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One object of the present invention is to provide an economical solution to construct wave attenuation structures that can be readily installed in a variety of locations, and which can withstand the environmental conditions in the water while being environmentally friendly and long-lasting.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a construction unit that can be used to assemble such wave attenuation structures, such as a wave fence, in a variety of different configurations.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for making the construction units.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention, either alone or in combinations thereof, may be satisfied by a construction unit for construction of eco-friendly wave attenuation structures in a body of water comprising:

• • a cementitious material;
  • wherein the construction unit is a unitary structure comprising an anchoring pile having at one end thereof a plurality of rectangular extensions extending from at least opposite sides of the anchoring pile, wherein each of the plurality of rectangular extensions has one or more openings, wherein the one or more openings traverse the thickness of each of the plurality of rectangular extensions at an angle from a front face to a rear face of the rectangular extension such that the opening on the front face of the rectangular extension is lower than or higher than the opening on the rear face of the rectangular extension.

The foregoing and other features of the application are described below with reference to the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of the attendant advantages thereof will be readily obtained as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a rear view of one embodiment of a construction unit of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective rear view of the embodiment of a construction unit of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a bottom view of one embodiment of a construction unit of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective front/bottom view of one embodiment of a construction unit of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective front view of one embodiment of a construction unit of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 shows a right side view of one embodiment of a construction unit of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 shows a left side view of one embodiment of a construction unit of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 shows a top view of one embodiment of a construction unit of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 shows a graphical depiction of a wave fence formed from construction units of embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 10 shows a representation of a cross section of the anchoring pile of one embodiment of a construction unit of the present invention.

FIG. 11 shows a depiction of a wave fence installation of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 shows a side view of an embodiment of a construction unit of the present invention, showing the flow of water through the openings of the rectangular extensions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The terms “about”and “essentially”mean ±10 percent.

The terms “a” or “an,” as used herein, are defined as one or as more than one. The term “plurality,” as used herein, is defined as two or as more than two. The term “another,” as used herein, is defined as at least a second or more. The terms “including” and/or “having,”as used herein, are defined as comprising (i.e., open language).

The term “coupled,” as used herein, is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly, and not necessarily mechanically.

The term “comprising” is not intended to limit inventions to only claiming the present invention with such comprising language. Any invention using the term comprising could be separated into one or more claims using “consisting” or “consisting of” claim language and is so intended.

Reference throughout this document to “one embodiment”, “certain embodiments,” “an embodiment”, “an implementation” or similar terms means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearances of such phrases in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments without limitation.

The term “or,” as used herein, is to be interpreted as an inclusive or meaning any one or any combination. Therefore, “A, B, or C” means any of the following: “A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A, B, and C”. An exception to this definition will occur only when a combination of elements, functions, steps, or acts are in some way inherently mutually exclusive.

The drawings featured in the figures are for illustrating certain convenient embodiments of the present invention and are not to be considered as limitation thereto. The term “means” preceding a present participle of an operation indicates a desired function for which there is one or more embodiments, i.e., one or more methods, devices, or apparatuses for achieving the desired function and that one skilled in the art could select from these or their equivalent in view of the disclosure herein, and use of the term “means” is not intended to be limiting.

As used herein, the term “construction unit” (10) refers to a solid piece of a cementitious material. As used herein, the term “cementitious material” includes a variety of materials, such as cement, concrete, fiber cement, and other suitably rigid cement containing materials. Preferably the cementitious material is eco-friendly to enable the attachment of wildlife, such as oysters and other sea based animals. In certain embodiments of the present invention, the cementitious material is any cement or concrete suitable for use in bridge piling installations in salt water environments. In certain embodiments of the present invention, the cementitious material comprises a plurality of primarily calcium carbonate material held together with cement and in one embodiment, with a bio-cement. The construction unit of the present invention is a unitary structure, meaning that it is a single piece formed directly in the needed shape and configuration for use. Because of its unitary structure nature, the construction unit of the present invention if more resilient and resistant to wave action and strength, since it has no connection points or fastening means to fail, either due to mechanical stress caused by the waves or due to rusting/oxidation caused by the salt water environment where they are most often deployed.

FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of construction unit (10) according to the present invention. It is noted that while the terminology “front face” and “back face” are used herein, these terms are merely intended to differentiate between sides of the construction unit (10).

The construction unit (10) comprises an anchoring pile (12). This anchoring pile (12) is what permits installation of the construction unit (10) by driving (or otherwise inserting) the anchoring pile (12) into the ground beneath the water (such as the seafloor). This insertion into the ground is preferably to a depth sufficient to provide stability to the construction unit (10), particularly stability against the action of waves against the construction unit (10). The anchoring pile (12) can be any desired shape, but from an eases of construction viewpoint, the anchoring pile (12) is preferably a quadrilateral, more preferably approximately a square shape. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the construction unit (10) has two rectangular extensions (14a and 14b) extending from opposite side of the top end of anchoring pile (12). In other embodiments, the construction unit (10) can have three or more rectangular extensions similar to (14a) and (14b), each projecting at a different direction from the top end of anchoring pile (12). While the rectangular extensions (14a and 14b) can extend in such a manner that the top edge of the rectangular extensions (14a and 14b) is below the top edge of the anchoring pile (12), in preferred embodiments, the top edge of the rectangular extensions (14a and 14b) is level with the top of the anchoring pile (12). In each of the two rectangular extensions (14a and 14b) are one or more openings (16a and 16b). In the embodiment shown, there are three openings (16a) in rectangular extension (14a) and three openings (16b) in rectangular extension (14b).

The construction units (10) can be any desired size. In certain embodiments, each side of the anchoring pile (12) ranges from 8 to 16 inches, preferably from 10 to 12 inches. In certain embodiments, the anchoring pile (12) has a length of from 8 to 20 feet, preferably from 10 to 12 feet. In certain embodiments, each of the plurality of rectangular extensions (14a and 14b) extends from the anchoring pile (12) from 36 to 50 inches, has a height of from 3 to 5 feet, and has a thickness from 4 to 12 inches. In preferred embodiments, each of the plurality of rectangular extensions extends from the anchoring pile from 40 to 44 inches, has a height of 44 to 52 inches, and a thickness from 6 to 10 inches. In certain embodiments, the construction unit (10) has two rectangular extensions (14a and 14b), each extending from the anchoring pile (12) 42 inches, and having a height of 48 inches and a thickness of 8 inches.

The one or more openings (16a and 16b) can be any desired shape and size. In certain embodiments, each rectangular extension (14a and 14b) has three or more openings (16a and 16b). The openings (16) (in the context of the invention, the identifier (16) refers to the one or more openings in general) traverse the thickness of the rectangular extension (14) (in the context of the invention, the identifier (14) refers to the one or more rectangular extensions in general). In certain embodiments, each of the one or more openings (16) traverse the thickness of the rectangular extension (14) such that the opening on the front face (18; see FIG. 2) is lower than the opening on the rear face (19; see FIG. 2). In other embodiments, each of the one or more openings (16) traverse the thickness of the rectangular extension (14) such that the opening on the front face (18) is higher than the opening on the rear face (19).

In certain embodiments, each of the one or more openings (16) is rectangular in shape having short sides approximately parallel to the anchoring pile (12) and long sides approximately perpendicular to the anchoring pile (12). In certain embodiments, each of the one or more openings (16) is rectangular in shape, having long sides in a range of 24 to 38 inches and short sides in a range of 4 to 8 inches, preferably having short sides of 5 to 7 inches and long sides of 34 to 38 inches.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective rear view of the embodiment of a construction unit of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 shows a bottom view of one embodiment of a construction unit of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 shows a perspective front/bottom view of one embodiment of a construction unit of FIG. 1. FIG. 5 shows a perspective front view of one embodiment of a construction unit of FIG. 1. FIG. 6 shows a right side view of one embodiment of a construction unit of FIG. 1. FIG. 7 shows a left side view of one embodiment of a construction unit of FIG. 1. FIG. 8 shows a top view of one embodiment of a construction unit of FIG. 1.

The construction units of the present invention can be used to build a variety of wave attenuation structures useful in the protection of shoreline habitats and aquaculture. For example, and not intended to be limiting, a plurality of the construction units can be placed adjacent to one another in a head to tail configuration to form a structure in which the portions of the construction units at the water line resemble a fence. Such a wave fence structure is depicted in FIG. 9, which shows three construction units (10) of embodiments of the present invention installed in a head to tail fashion, wherein the rectangular extensions of each of the construction units (10) extends above the water line (100). The anchoring pile (12) of each construction unit (10) is stuck into the ground (120) to a depth to provide the exposure of the upper part of the rectangular extensions above the water line (100) while having the remainder of the rectangular extensions below the water line (100). Additionally, as noted above, the anchoring piles (12) are stuck into the ground (120) to a depth sufficient to provide stability of the construction unit (10) against the action of waves striking the rectangular extensions.

In certain embodiments, the anchoring pile (12) of the construction unit (10) of embodiments of the present invention can be entirely made of the cementitious material. In other embodiments, where additional strength of the anchoring pile (12) may be desired, the anchoring pile (12) can be reinforced, such as by the use of rebar or other structural additives. FIG. 10 shows a cross section of an anchoring pile (12) of certain embodiments, in which four pieces of rebar rod (13) are positioned to run predominantly the full length of the anchoring pile (12). This can be accomplished using conventional rebar placement techniques when pouring cementitious materials in a mold.

A fence-like structure can be installed at any desired distance from the shoreline, and can be contoured to follow a path roughly parallel to the natural shoreline. Such a fence-like structure is depicted in FIG. 11, where the construction units (10) are placed in the water (100) in an approximate head-to-tail configuration similar to that in FIG. 9, and following the approximate contour of the shoreline formed by the pieces of land (130). The construction units are installed in the water by driving the anchoring pile into the ground beneath the water (such as the seafloor) to a depth sufficient to provide stability to the erect construction unit. Adjacent construction units can be driven to differing depths as desired, and the depth to which the anchoring pile is driven can be adjusted to follow the undulations of the seafloor in such a manner to make the top line of each construction unit (along the tops of the rectangular extensions) is level with one another to resemble a fence structure.

The construction units can be installed at any desired height so long as some portion of the rectangular extensions at the top of the construction unit are exposed above the high water line, preferably at most 40% of the rectangular extensions at the top of the construction unit are exposed above the high water line, more preferably at most 30%, most preferably at most 20%. This placement should preferably also provide clearance between the bottom of the rectangular extensions and the ground/seafloor beneath the water (see for example FIG. 9). The placement and installation of the plurality of construction units of the present invention is limited only by the imagination of the person building the wave attenuation structure.

As noted above with respect to FIGS. 1-8, In certain embodiments, each of the one or more openings (16) traverse the thickness of the rectangular extension (14) such that the opening on the front face (18) is lower than the opening on the rear face (19). In other embodiments, each of the one or more openings (16) traverse the thickness of the rectangular extension (14) such that the opening on the front face (18) is higher than the opening on the rear face (19). FIG. 12 shows a side view of an embodiment of a construction unit (10) of the present invention, showing the flow of water (the arrows) through the openings (16) of the rectangular extensions (14), with the opening (16) on the front face (18) being lower than the opening (16) on the rear face (19) such that the water enters the opening (16) on the front face (18) and travels upwards to exit from the opening (16) on the rear face (19). This upward (or in certain embodiments downward) path helps in the attenuation of wave energy, providing more hospitable environments between the construction unit (10) based wave fence structures and the shoreline such as shown in FIG. 11.

The construction unit can be formed from any desired cementitious material. In order to provide improved ecological performance and aquatic habitat performance, it is preferred that the cementitious material is a primarily calcium carbonate material. As used herein, the term “primarily calcium carbonate material” refers to rocks, clays, minerals, and, in certain embodiments, once living material from a living organism that produces portions of the organism that are primarily made up of calcium carbonate. Examples are limestone, marble, chalk, marl sand, marl aggregate, bird eggshells, and aquatic products. Included in aquatic products and aquatic shells are oysters, seashells, snail shells, pearls, coral, tufa, and the like. A collection of these materials is treated with cement in a mold to produce the desired shape, once the cement dries.

As used herein, the term “cement” refers to any biocompatible material, which can be used in certain embodiments as the cementitious material forming the restoration assembly module or its components, and preferably in certain embodiments to hold the primarily calcium carbonate material together in a slab form and be resistant to wave action, storms, and the like. An example includes, but is not limited to, portland cement. In one embodiment, the cement is a bio-cement compatible with the primarily calcium carbonate material, which has the capability of supporting growth on the construction units. An example includes quicklime made from oyster shells.

The construction units of the present invention may be made of virgin materials. In preferred embodiments, the construction units may be primarily made of calcium carbonate; i.e. marl sand, marl aggregate, oyster shell, and cement. The construction units may attract and grow oysters. Furthermore, the material that makes up the construction units may be local and native to coastal regions, thus making availability and production more efficient. This and other factors result in a better carbon footprint when constructing structures with the construction units of the invention. As noted above, the construction units may contain rebar or other reinforcements if desired. FIG. 10 shows a view of a cross section of an anchoring pile (12) of one embodiment of the present invention construction unit, showing four rods of rebar (13) running through the anchoring pile (12) in a lengthwise direction. It should be appreciated that the Figures are shown in a smooth pattern representing less of the primarily calcium carbonate materials in the composition. The construction units of the present invention may also contain primarily calcium carbonate material and preferably have one or more surfaces textured, having more of the primarily calcium carbonate materials in implementation. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the construction units have the primarily calcium carbonate materials forming a textured surface on any one or more of the faces of the construction unit. Providing any one or more of the faces or surfaces of the construction unit with such primarily calcium carbonate material textured surfaces can provide higher surface area for aquatic life to flourish.

The present invention further provides methods for the preparation of the construction units of the present invention. In certain embodiments, the method comprises providing a mold structure; and pouring a cementitious material into the mold in a sufficient amount that when the cement hardens the structure can be removed from the mold to provide the construction unit of the present invention. In preferred embodiments, the method comprises providing a plurality of primarily calcium carbonate material; placing the plurality of primarily calcium carbonate material in a mold structure; and pouring a cement (preferably a biocement) into the mold in a sufficient amount that when the cement hardens the structure can be removed from the mold. Once removed from the mold, the result is a construction unit of the present invention in a unitary piece containing the structures as described above.

The following is a non-exhaustive list of Embodiments of the present invention:

Embodiment 1. A construction unit for construction of eco-friendly wave attenuation structures in a body of water comprising:

• • a cementitious material;
  • wherein the construction unit is a unitary structure comprising an anchoring pile having at one end thereof a plurality of rectangular extensions extending from at least opposite sides of the anchoring pile, wherein each of the plurality of rectangular extensions has one or more openings, wherein the one or more openings traverse the thickness of each of the plurality of rectangular extensions at an angle from a front face to a rear face of the rectangular extension such that the opening on the front face of the rectangular extension is lower than or higher than the opening on the rear face of the rectangular extension.

Embodiment 2. The construction unit according to Embodiment 1, wherein the construction unit comprises two rectangular extensions each extending from opposite sides of the anchoring pile.

Embodiment 3. The construction unit according to Embodiment 1 or Embodiment 2, wherein the anchoring pile has a quadrilateral cross section.

Embodiment 4. The construction unit according to any one of Embodiments 1-3, wherein the anchoring pile has a square cross section.

Embodiment 5. The construction unit according to any one of Embodiments 1-4, wherein each side of the anchoring pile ranges from 8 to 16 inches.

Embodiment 6. The construction unit according to Embodiment 5, wherein each side of the anchoring pile ranges from 10 to 12 inches.

Embodiment 7. The construction unit according to any one of Embodiments 1-6, wherein the anchoring pile has a length of from 8 to 20 feet.

Embodiment 8. The construction unit according to Embodiment 7, wherein the anchoring pile has a length from 10 to 12 feet.

Embodiment 9. The construction unit according to any one of Embodiments 1-8, wherein each of the plurality of rectangular extensions extends from the anchoring pile from 36 to 50 inches, has a height of from 3 to 5 feet, and has a thickness from 4 to 12 inches.

Embodiment 10. The construction unit according to Embodiment 9, wherein each of the plurality of rectangular extensions extends from the anchoring pile from 40 to 44 inches, has a height of 44 to 52 inches, and a thickness from 6 to 10 inches.

Embodiment 11. The construction unit according to one of Embodiments 9 or 10, wherein the construction unit has two rectangular extensions, each extending from the anchoring pile 42 inches, and having a height of 48 inches and a thickness of 8 inches.

Embodiment 12. The construction unit according to any one of Embodiments 1-11, wherein a top of each of the plurality of rectangular extensions is level to a top of the anchoring pile.

Embodiment 13. The construction unit according to any one of Embodiments 1-11, wherein each rectangular extension has three or more openings.

Embodiment 14. The construction unit according to any one of Embodiments 1-13, wherein each of the one or more openings traverse the thickness of the rectangular extension such that the opening on the front face is lower than the opening on the rear face.

Embodiment 15. The construction unit according to any one of Embodiments 1-14, wherein each of the one or more openings is rectangular in shape having short sides approximately parallel to the anchoring pile and long sides approximately perpendicular to the anchoring pile.

Embodiment 16. The construction unit according to any one of Embodiments 1-15, wherein each of the one or more openings is rectangular in shape, having long sides in a range of 24 to 38 inches and short sides in a range of 4 to 8 inches.

Embodiment 17. The construction unit according to any one of Embodiments 1-16, wherein each of the rectangular extensions has three openings, each of said three openings being rectangular in shape having short sides of 5 to 7 inches and approximately parallel to the anchoring pile and long sides of 34 to 38 inches and approximately perpendicular to the anchoring pile.

Embodiment 18. The construction unit according to any one of Embodiments 1-17, wherein the cementitious material comprises a primarily calcium carbonate material and a cement that is capable of holding the primarily calcium carbonate material.

Embodiment 19. The construction unit according to Embodiment 18, wherein the primarily calcium carbonate material is obtained from once living material from an organism.

Embodiment 20. The construction unit according to Embodiment 18 or Embodiment 19, wherein the primarily calcium carbonate material comprises aquatic shells.

Embodiment 21. The construction unit according to any one of Embodiments 18-20, wherein the cement is a bio-cement.

Embodiment 22. A wave fence comprising a plurality of construction units of any one of Embodiments 1-21, wherein the plurality of construction units are arranged in a head to tail fashion in a body of water such that 30% or more of the plurality of rectangular extensions are exposed above a water line and at least one of the one or more openings is below the water line,

• • wherein the anchoring pile is sunk into the ground beneath the water to a depth such that the construction unit is positionally stable with respect to waves acting on the construction unit and the plurality of rectangular extensions are approximately perpendicular to a direction of wave travel.

Embodiment 23. The wave fence of Embodiment 22, wherein the plurality of construction units is arranged in the head to tail fashion a predetermined distance from a shoreline, such that the wave fence approximately follows a path of the shoreline.

Embodiment 24. A method of making the construction unit according to any one of Embodiments 18-21 comprising:

• • a) providing a plurality of primarily calcium carbonate material;
  • b) placing the primarily calcium carbonate material in a mold structure; and
  • c) pouring the cement into the mold in a sufficient amount that when the cement hardens the structure can be removed from the mold.

Embodiment 25. A method of making the construction unit according to any one of Embodiments 1-21 comprising:

• • a) providing a mold structure; and
  • b) pouring the cementitious material into the mold in a sufficient amount that when the cement hardens the structure can be removed from the mold.

Embodiment 26. The method according to Embodiment 25, wherein the cementitious material comprises a primarily calcium carbonate material and a cement that is capable of holding the primarily calcium carbonate material.

Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.