ES2796423A1 - APERO AND METHOD FOR DECOMPACTION OF THE SLOPE SURFACE (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) - Google Patents

Abstract

Implement and method for decompacting the surface of slopes. The present invention relates to an implement for preparing the soil during the finishing phase in the construction of slopes and other slope maintenance operations, especially, favoring their revegetation and reducing erosion. The implement has a roller (1) in which symmetrical diametrical bars (8) are inserted that generate pairs of tines (2), asymmetric diametrical bars (7) or radial bars (6) that generate tines (2), which protrude the surface of the roller (1). The roller is inserted into a fork (4) by means of bearings (3) that allow it to rotate freely, without the need for mechanical traction and elements to couple it to the articulated arm of a civil or agricultural machine. The invention also relates to a method of preparing or maintaining the surface of slopes that includes the use of the implement of the invention. (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Description

DESCRIPTION

APERO AND METHOD FOR DECOMPACTATION OF THE SURFACE OF

SLOPES

TECHNICAL SECTOR

The present invention falls within the field of devices for treating the surface of the earth. More specifically, it refers to devices to prepare the soil during the finishing phase in the construction of slopes and for other slope maintenance operations, especially, to favor its revegetation and reduce erosion.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The construction of a linear infrastructure —such as a highway or a railroad—, the operations of a mining exploitation or other activities that involve earthworks, generate severe alterations in the environmental conditions of the space in which they are developed. These modifications cause the destruction of the soil as a structured and functional system (in the edaphological sense), capable of hosting different and diverse biological communities, among which the vegetation cover stands out, which is also eliminated. For the successful ecological restoration of these new spaces, it is essential that the new exposed surface be capable of harboring biological communities (including vegetation cover), so that surface runoff and its erosive effect are properly managed (Forman et al. 2002-Road Ecology Science and Solutions. Island Press. Washington DC 481 pp. 171-199).

In Spain, regarding the construction process of new surfaces (clearings, embankments and esplanades), the specifications of general technical prescriptions for both roads (General technical prescriptions for road and bridge works (PG-3), valid as of June 1 of 2019, of the Secretary of State for Infrastructures, Transport and Housing, of the Ministry of Development) and of railways (general specifications of standard technical prescriptions for platform projects, PGP-2011, June 2011 edition, ADIF) specify the activities or work units that make up the construction of a linear infrastructure, as well as the way to verify its execution (measurement and payment).

Both specifications address the description of the construction units by separating excavations and drains. It is assumed that the runoff produced in the slope plane is managed by external drainage elements (gutters, downspouts, etc.). In no section is it mentioned how to manage runoff within the slope. On the contrary, in the sections in which the finishing works of the slopes are identified (slope refining) it is indicated textually: “consists of the operations necessary to achieve the geometric finish”. In other words, the concern at this point is purely morphological, directed by the operability of the machinery and the final aesthetics, and under a framework of unnatural geometries. It is indicated that these works will be carried out after the construction of drains and other works. In particular, emphasis is placed on "the removal of any soft, unsuitable or unstable material that cannot be adequately compacted, as well as filling the gaps." It also refers to how to proceed in the event of a detachment (filling in and returning to the initial situation). Therefore, it is assumed that the drainage systems are adequately dimensioned to capture and channel both the runoff generated on the slope and the erosion and the emission of sediments.

On the other hand, in those specific spaces in which, due to their uniqueness, the occurrence of landslides, erosive phenomena or deposition of materials cannot be assumed, due to the serious risk that it would pose to the safety of people (for example, at the mouth of tunnels , as well as other specific points of the infrastructure), we proceed to carry out special slope protection treatments, normally using techniques based on containment. That is, acting on the negative effects of the process, and not reversing its causes. These treatments include: gunning (projecting concrete on the surface of the slope), bolts and deep-type drains (performed perpendicular to the surface of the slope and towards the interior of the terrain), metal meshes, geotextiles, three-dimensional meshes, geocells (different techniques that completely cover the surface of the slope), among others. All these techniques, as indicated, are applied in a timely and extraordinary way, given the enormous cost involved in their application.

In the field of slope treatment, and as a preventive measure, frequently steel wire meshes that are deployed from the upper part of the slope, in such a way that they guide the small landslides towards the ditches or catchment areas on the sides of the road or area to be protected. This type of mesh is also used in flexible systems for stabilization and protection of slopes, combined with anchoring systems to the stable area of the ground. There are also a large number of variations when developing slope protection meshes, depending on the type of terrain. For example, patent EP2264247B1 describes a network, and the process for making it, for use as a georegrid in geotechnical applications. Patent ES2690731T3 protects a seamless geotextile network with a cellular structure for the stabilization of soils that can be used to reinforce slopes, embankment cones, retaining walls in construction for transportation or hydraulic engineering, among others. Document ES1071411U proposes a protective coating for soils comprising a layer of weft and warp fabric intended to extend and fix on the soil to be protected and tubular wefts of natural fibers containing seeds. The procedure is specially designed for arid and uncultivated lands (devoid of vegetation cover), such as slopes, embankments, clearings, dunes or areas surrounding infrastructures, affected by works; all this to protect them from erosion and facilitate the growth of a plant cover.

Finally, once the new surfaces are finished, revegetation techniques are developed with two fundamental objectives: to produce landscape integration and to minimize erosion. These techniques are mainly based on amendments to try to correct the lack of soil (spreads of topsoil or fertile substrate, contributions of organic matter, nutrients, etc.) and introduce propagules (sowings) or individuals (plantations) of different plant species, to form a vegetation cover. If there is intense water erosion, the plant cover cannot be installed, due to the loss of soil, water available for plants, nutrients and seeds, and due to soil compaction, either due to the loss of disaggregated surface material, or due to its 'sealed'. Vegetation cover can attenuate erosion, but if there is intense erosion, it cannot develop, a dilemma that the usual revegetation techniques cannot adequately solve. Increasing the quality of the microsite, and therefore its ability to host biological communities, is revealed as a successful way to promote more efficient revegetation (Mola, I., Jiménez, MD, López-Jiménez, N., Casado, MA, Balaguer L. 2011. Roadside reclamation outside the revegetation season: Management options under schedule pressure. Restoration Ecology 19: 83-92).

The contents of the referred specifications, although they are documents of a Spanish national scope, do not differ much from those that can be found in similar documents of other nationalities with regard to the specific aspect of erosion control within the plane of the slope. . For example, in countries like Australia, where there are certified erosion control technicians and where the approval of the works plan is necessary, they also do not have specific measures for the treatment or finishing of the slope surface. But they are very demanding with the rapid revegetation of the slope, up to coverage greater than 50%. In the event that the rainy season arrives, and if the slope does not have significant vegetation cover, there may be an obligation to cover it in its entirety with blankets and / or meshes that prevent erosion. Erosion control, in this case, has a highly bioengineered approach (meshes, nets, hydromulching, etc.).

At an international level, the use of soil erosion models (type USLE, Universal SoilLoss Equation, that is, Universal Soil Loss Equation) applied to slopes of linear infrastructures has been very common. With them, the objective has been to evaluate their erosion rates, which, if high, were addressed from revegetation. For example, Meyer and Romkens (Meyer, LD, Romkens, JM 1976. Erosion and sediment control on reshaped land. In: Proceedings, Third Interagency Sediment Conference, PB-245-100, 2-75, 2-76, Water Resources Council , Washington DC), after applying the USLE, propose the use of mulching techniques , revegetation, construction of sedimentation basins and modification of the general topography of the slope (concave, convex ...) to reduce water erosion. Seutloali and Beckedahl (Seutloali, KE, Beckedahl, HR 2015. A Review Of Road-Related Soil Erosion: An Assessment Of Causes, Evaluation Techniques And Available Control Measures. Earth Sci. Res. J. vol.19 no.1) carry out a synthesis of the methods used to control erosion on road slopes, and conclude that vegetation has been and is the most widely used measure internationally.

On the other hand, the emission of sediments, especially intense in the first rainfall events after the construction of slopes, causes the drainage systems to collapse with the deposition of eroded materials (ditches underground, clogged drains, etc.). In the case of linear land transport infrastructures, this effect is especially important, since the space must allow the operation of the infrastructure, and the collapse of the drainage systems can cause floods and other incidents that threaten their functionality (cuts traffic or decrease in capacity) and the corresponding associated costs. To these economic items should be added the maintenance costs (cleaning of gutters, unblocking drains, manholes and other drainage elements) which can also be very high. In Mediterranean environments, in particular, around € 3,000 per linear kilometer have been established for state-of-the-art highways during the first 5-10 years after their construction.

In short, the conventional procedures currently applied for the finishing and maintenance of artificial slopes have proven ineffective to control the superficial erosive processes that develop on them and, therefore, to minimize the set of negative effects caused by the water erosion of the surface of the slope.

EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION

Implement and method for the decompression of the surface of slopes.

To favor the stability of the soil against water erosion and facilitate the revegetation processes, an implement is presented to carry out mechanical decompaction operations on the surface of the slopes. The implement is designed to be installed in standard models of conventional civil engineering machinery, being only necessary to adapt the connection fixture in each case.

In this descriptive report, slopes are understood to be inclined planes generated artificially by activities that involve earthworks (Civil Works, Building, Mining, etc.). These can be by excavation, called clearings, or by accumulation and compaction of materials, called embankments.

One aspect of the present invention relates to an implement that includes a roller arranged as a central axis, from which a series of prongs or needles emerge radially. Each pair of tines are built from a diametrical bar that crosses the central axis of rotation and protrudes on both sides of it, forming two opposite tines that are equal in length, which is why we call it a symmetrical diametrical bar. Alternatively, each prong may be made up of a radial bar that is inserted into the roller for a sufficient length to be securely held. In this specification, the part of the diametrical bar or radial bar that projects from the roller is called a barb. The tines protrude from the surface of the roller perpendicular to its diameter and are distributed around the roller in such a way that when rolling on the ground they produce a spatial pattern of impacts on the ground surface, as irregular and random as possible. Holes are made in the surface of the roller through which radial bars or symmetrical diametrical bars are inserted. In this second case, the symmetrical diametrical bars cross the roller diametrically, generating two pins, one pin on each side of the roller. The arrangement of the radial bars and symmetrical diametrical bars can be totally random or can follow some pattern. For example, using symmetrical diametrical bars and taking as a reference the circumference that delimits the surface of the roller, the tines can protrude every 45 °, that is, being 0 ° the vertical, a symmetrical diametric bar would be inserted at 0 °, another at 45 °, another at 90 ° and another at 135 °, which would generate spikes at 0 °, 45 °, 90 °, 135 °, 180 °, 225 °, 270 ° and 315 °, preferably avoiding repeating the same angle in consecutive barbs.

The present invention includes the means and elements necessary to keep the bars that form the clamped prongs in position. For example, in the case of symmetrical diametrical bars, they can have two holes, arranged on each side of the outer diameter of the roller, next to the surface of the roller, to insert pins or bolts therein to hold the bar to the roller. In the case of radial bars, other elements can be used to hold the roller, such as threads. An intermediate option is the asymmetric diametrical bars that, on the one hand, protrude from the roller, forming the corresponding barb, and, on the opposite end, have the necessary length to be able to hold them to the roller, using suitable elements for this. For example, holes may be drilled adjacent to the surface of the roller, into which pins or bolts will be inserted. Another option is to generate a thickening of the material of the asymmetric bar at the end that does not generate a spike, thickening of the type of the heads of the screws or type thumbtack, which acts as a stop, and, at the opposite end, hold the asymmetric diametrical bar using the necessary holes and pins.

In this way, the bars can be removed if the tines need to be replaced, either due to their deterioration or to change them for others of different lengths. The prongs preferably have a length of between 20 and 45 cm and a diameter of between 20 and 35 mm. The end of each pick is carved in the shape of a chisel with a flat, conical or pyramidal point, which can be between 2 and 3 cm in length.

Along the length of the roll, the number of holes made to insert radial bars, symmetrical diametrical bars, or asymmetric diametrical bars therein can be variable. They can be practiced, for example every 50, 100, 120 mm or at any other distance. In the case of radial bars, several bars can be inserted at the same distance from one end of the roll, but at angular distances between 90 ° and 270 °. In addition, when preparing the implement for use, radial bars, symmetrical diametrical bars or asymmetric diametrical bars can be included in all the holes present in the roller, or a number and a specific distribution of bars can be selected that give rise to to the desired tine pattern.

Preferably, the roll is made of tempered metals or metal alloys (including steel), with a diameter of between 100 and 200 mm and a length of up to 2 m. The bars that form the prongs are also preferably made of metal or metal alloys, forming resistant structures.

The implement also includes the necessary elements to be able to couple it to an articulated arm of civil engineering machinery such as the backhoe loader or Pathfinder articulated hydraulic crane, or to agricultural machinery. Preferably, these elements refer to a Y-shaped fork in which the axis of the roller is installed in separate bearings, installed in the lateral arms of the fork, in such a way that the implement can rotate freely, without any mechanical traction. The Y of the fork can take various forms: hemioctogonal, hemirectangular, semicircular or any shape that provides two support points for the roller and allows free rotation of the roller.

The implement allows to perform decompaction work of the soil or substrate, spatially distributed in a non-continuous way (in mosaic) on the surface of the space to be treated. Due to the steep slopes that can result when new terrain surfaces are created by human activities, generally greater than 30 °, it could be thought that a de-compaction treatment applied continuously over the entire slope surface could cause a critical increase in its instability, due to the loss of cohesion in the surface layer of the soil. However, the specific and mosaic decompression treatment that is achieved with the use of this implement increases the stability of the slope as its physical heterogeneity increases.

Another aspect of the invention refers to a method of decompressing the surface of a slope that includes the realization of isolated punctual breaks in the surface crust of the soil, creating microdepressions characterized by presenting a small central hole, ovoid plane and lateral slightly elevated, like 'microcraters', affecting a variable surface of between 25 and 50 cm2. Said punctual breaks in the surface crust of the soil are spatially distributed on the slope plane, in an isolated and discontinuous manner, and in the form of a mosaic.

To carry out punctual and discontinuous breaks in the surface of the ground, one aspect of the invention refers to the method of decompressing the surface of a slope that includes the use of an implement such as that described in this specification, coupled to the arm. articulated from a civil engineering machine such as backhoe or articulated hydraulic Pathfinder crane, or to agricultural machinery, by rolling it on the surface of the slope so that the tines are driven into the surface of the slope to an average depth of 5 to 10 cm .

This method is preferably indicated for lithological substrates that, although they may be slightly consolidated or cemented, are not hard rocks. Examples of substrates for which it is indicated are: gravel, sand, silt and lightly consolidated or cemented clays; arches; shales; plasters; marls; different types of slope debris; regoliths and soils (edaphic) of all kinds. Examples of rocky substrates for which it is not indicated are: all types of igneous and metamorphic rocks that are not weathered (for example: basalts, granites, gneisses, schists, shales or quartzites) and highly lithified sedimentary rocks (limestone or dolomites, among others).

In turn, this treatment has effects on the physical fertility of the slope, which include: a) the breaking of the surface crust of the soil, which increases permeability and infiltration, and thus the availability of water for the plants; b) the creation of a mosaic of runoff 'micro-drains', which reduces water losses and erosion; c) increased surface roughness, which reduces the rate and speed of matter transport (water, soil particles, nutrients, seeds); and d) the generation of micro-roughness that act as traps for capturing seeds and nutrients (such as organic matter in the form of litter, for example).

The implement can be used both in the finishing phase, that is, during the construction of the slope land, and in maintenance operations, during the exploitation / operation phase. In the latter, the implement will allow for mosaic decompaction treatments of the surface layer of soil, minimizing damage to the pre-existing vegetation. Unlike other agricultural decompaction tasks, which remove the surface layer of the soil, with this implement, decompaction is applied in a punctual way and distributed discontinuously on the slope. This minimizes the impact that this operation could produce on the existing vegetation on the slope. On the other hand, the design of the implement itself, which means that the central roller is always raised above the ground, at a minimum height of 15 cm, reduces damage to the existing vegetation cover.

The effects of the use of the implement on the final density of microdepressions that remain on the surface of the slope, will depend on various factors, such as the nature of the lithological material that constitutes it, texture, presence of gravel, compaction, initial roughness of the surface; or the conditions of application of the treatment, such as the humidity in the soil, the number and direction of the passes that are applied, etc .; also of the physical characteristics and specific dimensions of the implement model used.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To complement the description that is being made and in order to help a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, it is attached as part

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An integral part of said description is a set of drawings where, by way of illustration and not limitation, the following has been represented:

Figure 1. Schematic view with a possible implementation of the implement.

Figure 2. Schematic view of a possible embodiment of the roller (1) and longitudinal section.

Figure 3. Schematic side view of a possible implementation of the implement.

Figure 4. Diagram of types of bar and fasteners.

A. Radial bar (6), fastened to the roller (1) by thread.

B. Asymmetric diametrical bar (7) secured to the roller (1) by means of a hole for pins in the end that generates the barb and greasing of the opposite end. C. Asymmetric diametrical bar (7) secured to the roller (1) by holes for pins.

D. Symmetrical diametrical bar (8) secured to the roller (1) by means of holes for pins.

Figure 5. Appearance of the implement built according to example 1, ready to mount on the machinery that will allow its application on the surface of the slope.

Figure 6. Implement application on a slope.

Figure 7. Average density of microdepressions generated by the implements of Examples 9-12.

Below is a list of the different elements represented in the figures that make up the invention:

1 = roller

2 = barb

3 = bearing

4 = hairpin

41 = fork side arms (4)

5 = roller hole (1)

6 = radial bar

7 = asymmetric diametrical bar

8 = symmetrical diametrical bar

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is illustrated by the following examples, which are not intended to be limiting of its scope.

Example 1.

A hollow tube roller (1) was made of 4140 steel (low-alloy steel of the Cr-Mo -chromium molybdenum- series), 1000 mm in length and outside and inside diameters of 130 and 109 mm, respectively. In the roller (1) a series of holes (5) of 20 mm diameter were made (figure 2) in which 19 symmetrical diametrical bars (8) were inserted, perpendicular to its axis, to give rise to 38 pins (2 ) 30 cm long and 20 mm in diameter each, made of tempered steel. As can be seen in figure 1, the 38 tines (2) were made from 19 diametrical bars that cross the central axis of rotation and protrude on both sides of it (figure 4D), each symmetrical diametrical bar (8) forming two opposite barbs (2) of equal length. The tine spacing along the length of the roller (1) was set at 53 mm. The end of each point was lowered into a 2.5 cm long flat chisel. To fix the symmetrical diametrical bars (8), and to be able to change them for others if necessary, two holes were made in them at 65.5 mm from the center of each bar, through which two pins were inserted.

In the implement design, the incision angles, along the roller (1), of the 19 symmetrical diametrical bars (8), and the corresponding pairs of tines, were randomly distributed considering 4 possible orientations: 0 °, 45 °, 90 ° and 135 °. Equal directions on consecutive spikes were avoided. Figure 3 shows how the prongs (2) come out radially from the roller (1). The distribution of the 19 symmetric diametrical bars (8) along the axis was as reflected in the following sequence in which, from the extreme left to the extreme right of the roller (1), the incision angles of the diametrical bars are indicated symmetrical (8) on the roller (1) itself. The first 8 values constitute a modulus that repeats to the right. The 0 ° orientation corresponds to the vertical direction through the roller (1) from 0 ° to 180 ° of its circumference:

0 ° 135 ° 45 ° 0 ° 90 ° 45 ° 135 ° 90 ° 0 ° 135 ° 45 °

0 ° 90 ° 45 ° 135 ° 90 ° 0 ° 135 ° 45 °

A fork (4) was also manufactured in tempered iron, 10 mm thick. Two pieces were welded to the ends of the roller (1) that served as cover and shaft for the bearings (3) which, once mounted on the roller (1), were fixed to the lateral arms (41) of the fork (4 ). The result can be seen in figure 5.

Example 2.

An implement was made as described in example 1 but, in this case, the length of the tines (2) was 20 cm, their diameter was 25 mm and the distance between them was 42 mm; in addition, 24 symmetrical diametrical bars (8) and their corresponding 48 barbs were inserted. On the other hand, the roller (1) was made with an outer diameter of 150mm. In this case, the elements used were made of steel. The sequence of the symmetrical diametrical bars (8), from the left end to the right end of the roller, is indicated by the incision angles of the symmetrical diametric bars (8) on the roller (1) itself and, in this example, it was the following sequence repeated four times:

0 ° 30 ° 60 ° 90 ° 120 ° 150 °

Example 3.

An implement was made as described in Example 1 but, in this case, the external diameter of the roller (1) was 200 mm and its length 1200 mm; the length of the tines (2) was 25 cm with a diameter of 35 mm and the distance between them was 63 mm. In this example, 38 radial bars (6) of a total length of 28 cm were inserted into the roller in which a thread was made at the blunt end to fix them to the roller (1) (Figure 4A) and thus give rise to 38 picks (2) of 25 cm. For the radial bars (6) to give rise to the 38 tines (2) in the same positions as the symmetrical diametric bars (8) of example 1, the following sequence was followed, in which each pair of radial bars is located at the same distance from the ends of the roller:

0 ° 180 ° 135 ° 315 ° 45 ° 225 ° 0 ° 180 ° 90 ° 270 ° 45 ° 225 ° 135 ° 315 ° 90 ° 270 ° 0 ° 180 ° 135 ° 315 ° 45 ° 225 ° 0 ° 180 °

1

90 ° 270 ° 45 ° 225 ° 135 ° 315 ° 90 ° 270 ° 0 ° 180 ° 135 ° 315 ° 45 ° 225 °

Example 4.

An implement was made as described in Example 1, with an external diameter of the roller (1) of 200 mm and a length of 1200 mm; with a total of 48 tines (2) of 20 cm long and 30 mm in diameter, placed 50 mm apart along the roller (1). Its distribution followed the same sequence as in example 2.

Example 5.

An implement was made as described in example 1. In this case, asymmetric diametrical bars (7) were used with the thickened clamping end as a screw head (figure 4B) and a hole on the opposite side with respect to the diameter of the roller (1) to reinforce the hold of the asymmetric diametrical bar (7). 19 asymmetric diametric bars (7) were inserted with which to obtain 19 barbs (2) with the following distribution:

0 ° 60 ° 120 ° 180 ° 240 ° 300 °

repeating this pattern until all 19 positions are completed

Examples 6-9.

The implements described in Examples 1-4, attached to a backhoe, were used to de-compact the surface of a 1 or 1.2 meter wide slope strip. Once the implement was installed at the end of a palfinger articulated hydraulic crane, as shown in figure 6, the movement of this crane caused the implement to roll across the surface of a slope, from top to bottom, or from one side to the other, forcing the prongs (2) to dig into the surface of the slope to average depths of 5 to 10 cm. In this way, during the rolling of the implement, small earth movements were created, located at the insertion points of the tines (2), which we call microdepressions.

The action of the tines (2) generated, on the surface of the slope, a series of small isolated areas, in which the superficial crust of the soil was broken, the surface layer was decompressed until the depth of insertion of the tine (2) and, locally, a new microrelief was generated. In the vicinity of the tine insertion points (2) a microtopography was created characterized by presenting a central depression with an ovoid plane, elongated in the rolling direction of the implement, and slightly raised sides, like very small diameter 'microcraters', affecting a variable surface of between 25 and 50 cm2.

At the end of the intervention, the small areas of modified soil were spatially distributed over the surface of the slope in an isolated and discontinuous, and quasi-random manner. The final density of these small areas depended on the specific configuration of the implement used, according to the different implements described in examples 1-4, in terms of the total number of tines (2), their distribution and their separation; but also depending on the number of implementation passes of the implement and the direction (s) with which the operations on the slope were carried out. Table 1 shows the characteristics of each implement and the results obtained with a single pass of the implement on the ground.

Table 1. Characteristics of each implement according to examples 1-4 and their effects on a slope by performing a single pass, application or pass, according to examples 6-9.

Implement Effective Turning Radius = 14 Roller Diameter Tine Length - Medium Depth Microdepressions.

Example 10-13.

Four implements were used with the same distribution and dimensions of the tines (2) as in the implements of Examples 1-4, in which the roller (1) had a diameter of 15 cm, a length of 180 cm and, Along the length of the roller, the prongs (2) were set 4, 5, 6 and 7 cm apart, respectively. With each of these

1

With four implements attached to the articulated arm of a backhoe, the surface of a 1.8 meter wide slope band was decompressed, following the same steps as those described in Examples 6-9. Figure 7 shows the relationship between the density of microdepressions, as a function of the effective length of the tines (2) on the implement, and the distances (d) between tines (2) on the roller (1). In this figure, the effective length of the tines (2) in meters (m) refers to the sum of the length of the tine (2) plus 1/2 of the diameter of the roller (1) and minus the average incision depth of the spike on the ground (7.5 cm); Num / m2 refers to the number of microdepressions per square meter and per pass. As indicated in examples 6-9, the surface of each microdepression ranged between 25-50 cm2 (Table 1), therefore, the surface unpacked by the implement in each pass ranged between 3.5-15% of the total, depending on the distribution of the tines (2) of the implement used. It can be verified how the density of microdepressions per unit area increases the smaller the distance between the pins and the shorter their length. Local characteristics such as climate, type of soil, slope, presence of vegetation, previous surface treatments (spread of topsoil and others), will determine the convenience of making one or more passes.

1

Claims (10)

1. Implement for the decompression of the surface of slopes that includes: - a roller (1) that constitutes the rolling axis, - symmetrical diametrical bars (8) that cross the roller (1) giving rise to pairs of tines (2) that protrude from the roller (1), each tine (2) protruding from a pair at opposite ends of the diameter of said roller (1 ), or asymmetric diametrical bars (7) or radial bars (6) inserted in the roller (1) and each of them giving rise to a spike (2) that protrudes from the roller (1) perpendicular to the diameter of said roller (1 ), - a fork (4) in which the roller (1) is inserted by means of bearings (3) that allow its free rotation, - elements for coupling the fork 4 to the arm of a civil and / or agricultural machine, in which, taking as a reference the circumference that delimits the surface of the roller (1), two adjacent prongs (2) along the length of the roller (1) protrude without repeating the same angle with respect to said circumference. 2. Implement according to claim 1, wherein the tines (2) are between 20 and 45 cm long. Implement according to any of the preceding claims, in which all the tines (2) have the same length, Implement according to any of the preceding claims, in which the end of each prong (2) is chisel-shaped with a flat, conical or pyramidal point. Implement according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the diametrical symmetrical bars (8), the asymmetric diametrical bars (7) or the radial bars (6) are replaceable. 6. Implement according to any of the preceding claims, the elements of which are made of tempered metals and / or metal alloys. 7. Implement according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the bars Symmetrical diametrical bars (8) have two holes arranged in such a way that one is located on each side of the surface of the roller (1) to which the symmetrical diametrical bars (8) are fixed by means of pins or bolts. Implement according to any of claims 1-6, in which the asymmetric diametrical bars (7) have two holes arranged in such a way that one is located on each side of the surface of the roller (1) to which the diametrical bars are attached. asymmetrical (7) by means of pins or bolts, or else, the end that does not generate a barb (2) has a thickened in the form of a screw head to fix the asymmetric diametrical bar (7) to the roller (2). 9. Implement according to any of claims 1- including a thread in each radial bar (6) to fix said radial bar (6) to the roller (1). 10. Method of unpacking the slope surface including rolling an implement defined according to any of claims 1-9 across the slope surface, in a vertical and / or horizontal direction, so that the spikes (2) are driven into the slope surface to an average depth of 5-10 cm. 1