EP2971367A1

EP2971367A1 - Structure for protecting sea and/or river construction work, and protective block used

Info

Publication number: EP2971367A1
Application number: EP14709700.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: François Ropert
Original assignee: Inouco
Current assignee: Inouco
Priority date: 2013-03-15
Filing date: 2014-03-13
Publication date: 2016-01-20
Anticipated expiration: 2034-03-13
Also published as: EP2971367B1; FR3003278A1; TN2015000422A1; CA2906625A1; FR3003278B1; US20160122963A1; MA38474A1; WO2014140200A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a structure for protecting sea and/or river construction work, which uses blocks (1) including a central core (2) having an upper portion (4) and a lower portion (3). The central core (2) is surrounded, in the lower portion thereof (3), by a circular projection (5) including side surfaces (9) and is capable of abutting, by means of at least one of the side surfaces (9), at least one of the side surfaces of a circular projection of an adjacent block.

Description

Protection structure of maritime and / or river structures and protective block used

The present invention relates to a protective structure shell of maritime and / or river structures against waves and currents comprising a plurality of artificial blocks.

Among all the different parts of a protective structure of maritime and / or river structures, the carapace represents the key element for the stability of the structure, and constitutes the main protection element of the structure vis-à- vis-à-vis the aggression of swells. The carapace consists of either natural riprap or artificial blocks, usually concrete.

The development of powerful artificial blocks has been the subject of many works. It was mainly to propose optimized forms leading to a high robustness, as well as a high hydraulic stability thus allowing low consumption of concrete, and thus substantial savings. However, it is generally recognized that robustness plays to the detriment of stability, and vice versa.

Stability depends on the ability of the blocks, not only to cling to the underlying slopes of the works to protect, but also and especially to assemble them through their particular shape by constituting a protective shell that leaves spaces empty enough to absorb the hydraulic energy to which the work is subjected.

Robustness represents the ability of the shape of the blocks to good mechanical resistance to shocks, stresses and erosion. This form also depends on the interlocking properties of the blocks between them and the vacuum index of the carapace. This index must be high enough on the one hand to disperse the wave energy and on the other hand to reduce the action of underpressure.

In particular, with the time and effort due to the swell or the current, the carapace can pack, while the blocks can be caused to oscillate between two positions, which accelerates the degradation of the carapace.

Blocks with a slender shape provide individual element stability and resistance to high crossings. However, such blocks have low structural strength which can lead to rapid carapace degradation.

Blocks having a slender shape, that is to say more massive, with protuberances designed to increase the imbrication of the adjoining elements, generally have high hydraulic performance. However, to ensure the stability of the structure, the laying of such blocks must respect, in most cases, binding rules of arrangement, which makes the realization of the carapace long and delicate. It results, in particular, from this difficulty, a relative variability of the performance of these blocks.

It is also known to use blocks having a square core, with pointed protuberances at each corner, and a protuberance on each side of the square. However, these protuberances represent fragile parts that may be damaged, in particular because they constitute points of contact or support between adjacent blocks.

An object of the invention is to improve the performance of a protective structure, particularly in terms of dissipation of wave energy, by means of blocks having a high structural strength and which can be arranged in an easy arrangement. achieve and having a homogeneous porosity.

For this purpose, according to a first aspect, it is proposed a protective structure shell of maritime structures and / or fluvial comprising a plurality of protective blocks. Each protection block comprises a central core having an upper portion and a lower portion. The central core is surrounded, in its lower part, by a circular protuberance comprising lateral faces and adapted to come, by at least one of the lateral faces, in abutment with at least one of the lateral faces of a circular protuberance of an adjoining block.

The presence of the circular protuberance allows an easy arrangement of blocks between them, in particular by allowing a minimum distance to be introduced between the central cores of two adjacent blocks, and makes it possible to easily achieve a partial tiling of the sub-surface. The acme of the slope allows both to protect it and to encourage the flow of water above. In addition, the upper part of the central core absorbs part of the wave energy by promoting the dispersion of the water when the swell strikes the block. The upper part of the central core thus plays the role of dissipation element and the whole of the upper parts of the different blocks gives the shell a rough envelope which makes it possible to limit the amplitude of the movements of the swell on the shell, thanks in particular to the spaces created around the upper parts of the nuclei by the circular protuberances. With a tidy or random laying plane, a uniform distribution of blobs, upper parts of the blocks, and a uniform porosity of the shell is easily obtained. In addition, the shape of the circular protuberances allows arrangements having openings regularly disposed between adjacent blocks, which promotes transverse flows conducive to the stability of the blocks.

Preferably, the circular protuberance is adapted to allow partial paving of a surface with adjoining protection blocks in contact with each other by at least one of the adjacent surfaces of the circular protuberance. The partial paving may vary between 60% and 90% of the surface on which the blocks are laid, preferably between 70% and 85%.

The central core may comprise a lower base and an upper base, preferably flat, the lower base and the upper base being square or octagonal and connected by side faces. The circular protuberance may be arranged around the lower part of the lateral faces of the core, from the lower base of the central core. Preferably, the core is a square or octagonal right prism.

The circular protrusion may include an octagonal lateral contour. The circular protrusion may comprise a square lateral contour having a notch on at least one side, the notch being adapted to cooperate with a vertex of the square lateral contour of a protuberance of an adjacent blob. Thus, in the case of an octagonal lateral contour, the adjoining blocks are in contact with each other by at least one of the lateral faces of the protuberance. In the case of a square lateral contour, the adjoining blocks are in contact via the vertices of the contour and the notches of the sides of the contour. In both cases, the contact surfaces allow better stability of the blocks between them, and the geometry of the circular protrusion allows easy positioning of the blocks together.

The octagonal lateral contour may correspond to a square lateral contour in which the vertices are chamfered. In this case, the lateral contour is not a regular octagon: one lateral face out of two has a smaller surface area.

Preferably, the circular protuberance forms, with the lower base of the core, a lower surface of the block, preferably flat. Said lower surface of the block is that on which the blo c rests on the underlying slope.

Preferably, the circular protuberance also comprises an inclined circular surface, for example between 0 ° and 70 °, preferably between 5 ° and 65 °, connecting the upper end of the lateral contour of the circular protuberance to the lateral faces of the core. Such inclined surface makes it easier to manufacture the block, in particular by molding, and also makes it possible to obtain a stronger block.

The perimeter of the lateral contour of the circular protrusion may decrease near the lower surface of the block 1.

The height of the circular protuberance can represent between 25 and 85%, preferably between 40 and 70% of the total height of the block. The width, in particular the minimum width, of the upper part of the central core may represent between 40 and 95%, preferably between 50 and 75% of the total width of the block 1.

The circular protrusion may have vertical grooves on its side faces.

The protection block may comprise at least one vertical through recess. It may also include at least one horizontal recess passing through. Such recesses facilitate the circulation of water within the shell, especially its flow towards the sea or the ocean.

According to a second aspect, it is also proposed a structure for protecting maritime and / or river structures comprising a plurality of blocks according to the first aspect. The structure may comprise a central element, at least one filter layer and a shell layer comprising a plurality of blobs according to the first aspect.

Preferably, the blocks form a partial tiling covering between 60% and 90%, preferably between 70% and 85%, of the surface on which the blocks are laid.

The invention will be better understood from the study of four particular embodiments, taken by way of nonlimiting examples and illustrated by the appended drawings, in which:

FIG 1 is a three-dimensional view of a blo c according to a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of a shell formed by blisters according to the first embodiment;

- Figure 3 is a three-dimensional view of a blo c according to a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a three-dimensional view of a blower according to a third embodiment of the invention; and

- Figure 5 is a three-dimensional view of a blo c according to a fourth embodiment of the invention.

In Figure 1, there is shown a blo c 1 according to a first embodiment. In this embodiment, block 1, for example concrete, comprises a central core 2 with a lower portion 3 and an upper portion 4, and a circular protuberance 5 disposed around the lower portion 3 of the central core 2.

The central core 2 has a lower base 6 (shown in dotted lines), an upper base 7 and side faces 8.

More specifically, the core 2 has two square bases 6, 7, forming the two main surfaces, preferably flat, which are connected by four lateral faces 8. The lateral faces 8 are free on their upper part and covered by the circular protrusion 5 in their lower part.

In the present case, it is considered that the square bases, that is to say the bases 6 and 7, are identical and parallel. It is also considered that the lateral faces 8 are perpendicular to said bases 6, 7. Thus, the central core 2 of the blok 1 is a straight prism with a square base.

The circular protuberance 5 has an octagonal lateral contour. In particular, the circular protuberance 5 comprises eight lateral faces 9. The octagonal contour of the circular protuberance 5 may be regular, that is to say have eight equal lateral faces 9, or irregular as illustrated in FIG. last case, the side faces 9 of the octagonal contour are identical in pairs. More particularly, the successive lateral faces of the circular protuberance 5 may have areas successively equal to two different values. Such an octagonal contour can in particular be obtained by chamfering the vertices of a square initial contour: the lateral faces issuing from the sides of the square have the same area which is greater than that of the lateral faces formed by the chamfers. The lateral faces of the circular protuberance 5 then have surfaces equal in pairs.

The circular protuberance 5 may also comprise a circular surface 10 connecting the lateral faces 9 of the circular protuberance 5 to the lateral faces 8 of the upper part 4 of the central core 2. The circular surface 10 can thus comprise several faces 1 1 having angles with the horizontal between 0 ° (in this case, the circular surface 10 corresponds to a shoulder) and 70 °, for example between 5 ° and 65 °.

In FIG. 1, the circular surface 10 comprises eight faces 11, each face 11 connecting a lateral face 9 of the circular protuberance 5 to the upper part 4 of the central core 2.

The lower part of the circular protuberance 5 forms with the lower base 6 of the central core 2 a lower surface 12, preferably flat, of the block 1

Advantageously, the lateral faces 9 of the circular protuberance 5 may be perpendicular to the bases 6, 7 of the central core 2. Alternatively, the lateral faces 9 of the circular protuberance 5 may have, close to the lower surface 12 of the block 1, a tilt towards the inside of the blo c, to facilitate the circulation of water between the blocks. In other words, the perimeter of the lateral contour of the circular protuberance 5 can decrease near the lower surface 12 of the block 1.

The height of the circular protuberance 5 represents 65% of the total height of the block 1, of which 50% for the lateral faces 9. The width, in particular the minimum width, of the upper part 4 of the central core 2 represents 60% of the total width. from block 1. Each chamfer forming a side face 9 corresponds to the removal of 20% of the total width of the block 1.

Figure 2 shows a shell 1 3 of a protective structure. The shell 13 comprises several blocks 1 (thirteen of which are represented in FIG. 2). The blocks 1 are arranged in abutment against each other. In particular, the lateral faces 9 of the circular protuberance 5 corresponding to chamfers are disposed in abutment against the side faces 9 of the adjacent blocks. It is thus possible to easily dispose the different blocks 1 of the shell, so as to obtain the desired spacing between the different blocks. FIG. 3 represents a second embodiment of a protection block 1. In Figure 3, the same references to those of the first embodiment designate the same elements.

In FIG. 3, the circular surface 1 0 comprises only four faces 1 1, the lateral faces 9 of the circular protuberance 5 formed by chamfers having a height greater than that of the other lateral faces.

FIG. 4 represents a third embodiment of a protection block 1. In Figure 4, the same references to those of the first embodiment designate the same elements.

In FIG. 4, the central core 2 comprises a bottom base and a regular octagonal upper base. The upper part 4 of the central core 2 thus comprises eight identical lateral faces 8. Furthermore, the circular protuberance 5 also has a regular octagonal lateral contour, so that the upper part 4 is a homothety of the circular protuberance 5. The inclined surface 10 also comprises eight identical faces 1 January.

According to this third embodiment, the adjacent blocks 1 abut on the lateral faces 9. The eight lateral faces 9 of the circular protuberance 5 being identical, the blocks can be arranged more easily, with less orientation constraints. .

FIG. 5 represents a fourth embodiment of a protection block 1. In FIG. 5, the references identical to those of the first embodiment designate the same elements.

In FIG. 5, the block 1 has a circular protuberance 5 with a square lateral contour. The circular protuberance 5 thus has four identical lateral faces 9, and the vertices of the lateral faces are not chamfered. However, in order to facilitate the arrangement of the blocks between them, the circular protuberance 5 comprises notches 14. The notches 14 are present in the middle of the side faces 9. The notches 14 allow to cooperate with the vertices of the circular protuberance of the blocks adj acents and to make openings between the circular protuberances of adjoining blocks. In In the case shown in FIG. 5, the notches 14 reveal a fraction of the lower part of the central core 2.

For each embodiment described above, the perimeter of the lateral contour of the circular protuberance 5 may decrease near the lower surface 12 of the block 1.

The circular protrusion may have vertical grooves on its side faces. Furthermore, the protective block 1 may also comprise at least one vertical through recess and / or at least one horizontal recess through, to facilitate the flow of water into the shell.

The protective structure comprising such a shell may also comprise, in a conventional manner, a filter layer, underlying the shell, and a core supporting the filter layer and the shell and giving the whole its shape. General.

Claims

1. Protective structure shell of maritime and / or river structures, comprising a plurality of protection blocks (1), each block having a central core (2) with an upper part (4) and a lower part (3), characterized in that the central core (2) is surrounded, in its lower part (3), by a circular protuberance (5) comprising lateral faces (9) and adapted to come, by at least one of the lateral faces (9). in abutment with at least one of the lateral faces of a circular protuberance of an adjacent block.

2. Shell according to claim 1 wherein the circular protuberance (5) of each block is adapted to allow to obtain a partial tiling of a surface with adjoining protective blocks (1) in contact with each other by mo ins one of the adjacent faces of the circular protuberance (5).

3. Shell according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the central core (2) of each blo c comprises a lower base (6) and an upper base (7), preferably flat, the lower base (6) and the upper base (7) being square or octagonal and connected by lateral faces (8), and in which the circular protuberance (5) is arranged around the lower part of the lateral faces (8) of the central core (2), starting from the lower base (6) of the central core (2).

4. Carapace according to one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the central core (2) of each block is a right prism square or octagonal base.

5. Shell according to one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the circular protuberance (5) of each block comprises an octagonal lateral contour or a square lateral contour having a notch (14) on at least one of the sides, the notch ( 14) being adapted to cooperate with a vertex of the square lateral contour of a circular protuberance of an adjoining block.

6. Shell according to claim 5 wherein the octagonal lateral contour of the circular protuberance of each blister. corresponds to a square lateral contour in which the vertices are chamfered.

7. Shell according to one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the circular protrusion (5) of each block forms, with the lower base (6) of the core, a lower surface (12) of the block (1), preferably flat .

8. Shell according to one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the circular protrusion (5) of each block also comprises an inclined circular surface (10) connecting the upper end of the lateral contour of the circular protuberance (5) to the lateral faces. (8) the central core (2).

9. Shell according to one of the preceding claims wherein the blo cs (1) form a partial tiling covering between 60% and 90%) of the surface on which the blocks are laid.

10. Protective block intended to be incorporated in a protective structure shell of maritime structures and / or river structures according to one of the preceding claims.