Patent · US Expired

Underground barrier construction apparatus with soil-retaining shield

US5788422A · kind A · utility

9Cited by
8References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 4, 1996
Grant dateAug 4, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 4, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC E)Fixed Constructions
  • CPC primaryE02F5/22
  • WIPO fieldCivil engineering
  • WIPO sectorOther fields

Abstract

An apparatus for building a horizontal underground barrier by cutting through soil and depositing a slurry, preferably one which cures into a hardened material. The apparatus includes a digging means for cutting and removing soil to create a void under the surface of the ground, a shield means for maintaining the void, and injection means for inserting barrier-forming material into the void. In one embodiment, the digging means is a continuous cutting chain. Mounted on the continuous cutting chain are cutter teeth for cutting through soil and discharge paddles for removing the loosened soil. This invention includes a barrier placement machine, a method for building an underground horizontal containment barrier using the barrier placement machine, and the underground containment system. Preferably the underground containment barrier goes underneath and around the site to be contained in a bathtub-type containment.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.