JP7569701B2 - Vegetation base and its manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vegetation base that achieves both water permeability and water retention for waterway walls and the like, and a method for manufacturing the same.

In recent years, large-scale development of fields, concrete filling, and other such areas, which used to be habitats for a wide variety of living organisms, have made it difficult for organisms to live there. In order to maintain these habitats, it is important to carry out construction work that takes into consideration the organisms' growth environment.

As disclosed in Patent Document 1 below and elsewhere, greening techniques using ceramic foam for waterway walls and the like have been proposed and have been shown to be effective to a certain extent, but ceramic foam has the problem of being expensive to manufacture.

JP 2000-92978 A JP 2020-186557 A

Therefore, it is necessary to develop a vegetation base that can replace foamed ceramics while taking into consideration the cost. The conditions required for the vegetation base when it is installed on the wall of a waterway include (1) that the inside does not hinder the root growth of plants, and (2) that it is highly durable against water flow when installed on the wall of a waterway. As disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 2, an example of a member that meets such conditions is a permeable base in which the gaps between the aggregates that form the aggregates act as water passages. This permeable base is formed by solidifying the aggregates with a resin binder mixed with inorganic fibers, and the aggregates that form the aggregates are fixed together by the resin binder mixed with inorganic fibers, forming a three-dimensional structure, so that wide gaps are formed between the aggregates, and higher drainage performance is achieved. This permeable base is used as a drainage cover to replace conventional stainless steel gratings, and has physical properties of a void ratio between the aggregates of 40% or more and a hydraulic conductivity of 1.3 cm/s or more.

The permeable base described above has a high porosity, so it does not prevent plant roots from spreading, and is expected to function as a vegetation base. However, the high porosity results in high permeability, which means poor water retention, raising concerns about plant growth.

In addition, when they were installed on the walls of the waterway, the lower part that was submerged in water was fine, but the upper part that was not submerged in water had such high porosity that it was not possible to expect a supply of water through capillary action, and plants were unable to grow.

The main objective of the present invention is to provide a vegetation base that can supply water for plant growth while ensuring sufficient space for plant roots to spread, and a method for manufacturing the same.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention according to claim 1 provides a vegetation base in which aggregates such as gravel, crushed stone, and fine sand are used to form an aggregate , and gaps are provided between the aggregates of the permeable base, and vinylon fibers for imparting water retention are supported in the gaps,
The vegetation base is characterized in that the vinylon fibers are supported on the aggregate by a resin-based adhesive that is poured into the surface of the permeable base and reaches a predetermined depth range, and a portion of the vinylon fibers is arranged outside the resin-based adhesive in a protruding state.

The invention described in claim 1 above is a first embodiment of a permeable base material carrying vinylon fibers, in which the vinylon fibers are carried by a resin adhesive that is poured into the surface of the permeable base material and reaches a predetermined depth range, and the vinylon fibers are arranged in a state in which a portion of the vinylon fibers protrudes from the outside of the resin adhesive. As a result, the resin adhesive contributes to the adhesion to the aggregate material, preventing the vinylon fibers from leaking out of the permeable base material, and the vinylon fibers carried by the resin adhesive material in the aggregate material ensure water retention. In particular, in this first embodiment, the vinylon fibers are carried in gaps within a predetermined depth range from the surface of the permeable base material, so that sufficient moisture can be supplied to the roots of plants that have taken root in the surface layer.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vegetation base in which aggregates such as gravel, crushed stone, and fine sand are used to form an aggregate , and gaps are provided between the aggregates of the permeable base, and vinylon fibers for imparting water retention are supported in the gaps of the permeable base,
The provided vegetation base is characterized in that the vinylon fibers are supported on the aggregates throughout the entire permeable base by a resin binder used to solidify the spaces between the aggregates, and that the vinylon fibers are arranged in a state in which some of the vinylon fibers protrude outside the resin binder.

The invention described in claim 2 above is a second embodiment in which vinylon fibers are supported on a permeable base, and the vinylon fibers are supported on the aggregates throughout the entire permeable base by a resin binder used to solidify the spaces between the aggregates, and are arranged with some of the vinylon fibers protruding from the outside of the resin binder. In this second embodiment, in particular, since the vinylon fibers are supported throughout the entire permeable base, sufficient moisture can be supplied to roots that extend deep into the vegetation base.

As a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vegetation base according to either of claims 1 and 2, in which the permeable base has a porosity of 40% or more and a hydraulic conductivity of 1.3 cm/s or more.

In the invention described in claim 3 above, the physical properties of the permeable base are a porosity of 40% or more and a hydraulic conductivity of 1.3 cm/s or more, which makes it easier for plant roots to penetrate into the base, and sufficient moisture is supplied to the roots once inside.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for producing the vegetation base according to the first aspect, comprising the steps of:
There is provided a method for manufacturing a vegetation base, characterized in that the resin-based adhesive mixed with the vinylon fiber is poured onto the surface of the water-permeable base.

The invention described in claim 4 above prescribes a first method for supporting vinylon fibers on a vegetation base, in which a resin-based adhesive mixed with the vinylon fibers is poured onto the surface of the permeable base, thereby supporting the vinylon fibers on the permeable base. By pouring the resin-based adhesive mixed with the vinylon fibers onto the surface of the permeable base, the resin-based adhesive flows into the interior of the permeable base, and in the process, the vinylon fibers are supported by the aggregate.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for producing the vegetation base according to the second aspect, comprising the steps of:
There is provided a method for manufacturing a vegetation base, characterized in that the aggregate and the vinylon fiber are mixed, and then the mixture is solidified and molded with the resin binder.

The invention described in claim 5 above specifies a second method for supporting vinylon fibers on a vegetation base, in which aggregate and vinylon fibers are mixed in advance, and the vinylon fibers are fixed to the aggregate with a resin binder that fixes the aggregates together. This allows the vinylon fibers to be placed throughout the entire vegetation base.

As explained above in detail, the present invention provides a vegetation base and a manufacturing method thereof that can provide moisture for plant growth while ensuring sufficient space for plant roots to spread.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a waterway 2 to which a vegetation base 1 according to the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a vegetation base 1A according to a first embodiment. 1 is an image diagram of vinylon fibers 6 supported on aggregate 4 and a plant with its roots spread out. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a vegetation base 1B according to a second embodiment.

The following describes in detail the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

The vegetation base 1 of the present invention is a vegetation base that is placed on the surface of walls made of concrete, such as the revetments of artificial waterways, rivers, lakes, etc., as well as slopes, retaining walls, etc., in order to green these surfaces, and is intended to enable the growth of plants on these walls in order to preserve the natural scenery and improve biodiversity on these walls.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the waterway 2 when the vegetation base 1 is installed on the wall surface 3 of the waterway 2. As shown in this figure, the vegetation base 1 is attached to the inner surface of both side walls (the surface of wall surface 3) of the waterway 2, which consists of a concrete deck and side walls erected on both sides of the deck, at least from the water surface to the upper end of wall surface 3.

As shown in FIG. 2, the vegetation base 1 is made of a permeable base 5 having gaps between the aggregates 4, 4, etc. that form the aggregate, with vinylon fibers 6, 6, etc. supported in the gaps.

The aggregate 4 can be gravel, crushed stone, fine sand, etc., as appropriate. The aggregate 4 has gaps between the aggregates 4, 4, etc., allowing water to pass through and plants to take root.

The particle size (average particle size) of the aggregate 4 can be set as appropriate, but is preferably 30 mm or less, and more preferably 20 mm or less. The particle size of the aggregate 4 may be approximately constant throughout the permeable base 5, or may vary in the thickness direction. For example, the particle size of the surface layer may be made smaller than that of the outer layers, making it easier for plant seeds to attach and germinate on the surface of the vegetation base 1.

The permeable base 5 is made of an aggregate of the aggregates 4, and has high water permeability due to the gaps between the aggregates 4. The physical properties of the permeable base 5 are preferably a porosity of 40% or more and a hydraulic conductivity of 1.3 cm/s or more. The porosity ρ is the ratio of the volume v of the gaps to the total volume V of the porous body expressed as a percentage, and can be calculated from ρ = v/V x 100%. The permeable base 5 has a high porosity of 40% or more, which allows plant roots to easily penetrate into the base, ensuring that the plant will take root. The hydraulic conductivity indicates how easily water flows, and the larger the value, the easier it is for water to pass through, and the smaller the value, the harder it is for water to pass through. The permeable base 5 has a high hydraulic conductivity of 1.3 cm/s or more, which allows water flowing through the water channel 2, rainwater, etc. to easily penetrate into the vegetation base 1.

In addition, since the permeable base 5 uses gravel, crushed stone, fine sand, etc. as aggregate 4, the manufacturing costs can be significantly reduced compared to those made of conventional foamed ceramics, etc.

The vinylon fiber 6 is a synthetic fiber made of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and is widely used in the industrial and commercial fields, such as in the construction industry, where it is used as a reinforcing material for cement concrete. One of the characteristics of this vinylon fiber is that it is water absorbent and hydrophilic, and can always retain 3-5% moisture, and when the temperature rises, it can absorb up to about 12% water. In addition, vinylon fiber is highly resistant to alkali, so it can be used without problems at construction sites where cement concrete is used frequently, and it has excellent strength, weather resistance, and abrasion resistance, so that it is also used in fishing nets, so even if it is applied to the vegetation base 1, it can maintain its performance as a vegetation base for a long period of time. Furthermore, the chemical structure of vinylon fiber is made up of carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O), and it does not generate harmful gases such as dioxins even when burned.

In the vegetation base 1 according to the present invention, the vinylon fibers 6 are supported by a specified means in the gaps of the permeable base 5, which is an aggregate of the aggregates 4, thereby imparting water retention and enabling the supply of moisture for plant growth.

The means for supporting the vinylon fibers 6 can be one of the following two forms. In the vegetation base 1A according to the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the vinylon fibers 6 are poured into the surface of the permeable base 5 and supported on the aggregate 4 by a resin adhesive that reaches a predetermined depth range, and the vinylon fibers 6 are arranged in a state where a part of the vinylon fibers 6 protrudes from the outside of the resin adhesive.

As the resin adhesive flows through the gaps between the aggregates 4, it helps to fix the vinylon fibers 6 mixed in the resin adhesive to the aggregates 4, preventing the vinylon fibers 6 from leaking out of the permeable base 5, and the vinylon fibers 6 supported by the resin adhesive act to ensure water retention. As a result, plant roots grow into the gaps between the aggregates 4 in the permeable base 5, allowing them to take root firmly, while maintaining water permeability. As shown in Figure 3, the vinylon fibers 6 fixed to the aggregates 4 supply sufficient moisture to the plant roots for growth.

In particular, in this first embodiment, the vinylon fibers 6 are supported within a specified depth range from the surface of the permeable base 5, so sufficient moisture can be supplied to the roots of plants that have taken root in the surface layer.

The depth range into which the resin adhesive flows is 10 to 100% of the thickness of the water-permeable base 5, preferably 10 to 50%, and more preferably 20 to 50%.

As the resin adhesive, any known synthetic adhesive can be used, and among them, it is preferable to use a two-liquid epoxy adhesive or a silicone adhesive.

To manufacture the vegetation base 1A according to the first embodiment, a mixture is prepared in advance by mixing vinylon fibers 6 with a resin adhesive, and this mixture is poured onto the surface of the permeable base 5. As a result, as the resin adhesive flows into the gaps between the aggregates 4 in the permeable base 5, the vinylon fibers 6 also flow in, and in the process, the vinylon fibers 6 are fixed to the aggregates 4 with some of them protruding outside the resin adhesive. By using a low-viscosity resin adhesive at this time, it is possible to prevent the gaps between the aggregates 4 from being blocked by the adhesive, and to keep the reduction in porosity to a minimum.

Next, in the vegetation base 1B according to the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the vinylon fibers 6 are supported on the aggregates 4 by a resin binder used to solidify the aggregates 4 throughout the entire permeable base 5, and are arranged with some of the vinylon fibers 6 protruding outside the resin binder.

To manufacture the vegetation base 1B according to the second embodiment, the aggregate 4 and the vinylon fiber 6 are mixed together, and then a resin binder, which is used to solidify the spaces between the aggregates 4, is poured into the mixture, and the mixture is solidified and molded with the resin binder. This results in a state in which some of the vinylon fiber 6 protrudes from the outside of the resin binder.

In particular, in this second embodiment, the vinylon fibers 6 are supported throughout the entire permeable base 5, so that sufficient moisture can be supplied to the roots that extend deep inside the vegetation base 1B. Even in this case, the reduction in porosity due to the incorporation of the vinylon fibers 6 is minor, and the vegetation base 1B can fully function.

The fiber diameter and length of the vinylon fiber 6 are arbitrary, and any shape may be used as long as it is easy to arrange with a portion protruding outside the resin adhesive or resin binder, but it is preferable to use long fibers.

There is also no particular limit to the amount of vinylon fiber 6 added. The vinylon fiber 6 can be disposed almost uniformly throughout the vegetation base 1, or more vinylon fiber 6 can be disposed in a given area, for example, in an area above the average water level of the waterway 2.

1, 1A, 1B...vegetation base, 2...waterway, 3...wall, 4...aggregate, 5...permeable base, 6...vinylon fiber

Claims (5)

A vegetation base comprising aggregates of gravel, crushed stone, and fine sand , with gaps between the aggregates, and vinylon fibers for imparting water retention are supported in the gaps of the permeable base,
The vinylon fiber is supported on the aggregate by a resin-based adhesive that is poured into the surface of the permeable base and reaches a predetermined depth range, and the vinylon fiber is arranged in a state where a portion of the vinylon fiber protrudes outside the resin-based adhesive. A vegetation base comprising aggregates of gravel, crushed stone, and fine sand , with gaps between the aggregates, and vinylon fibers for imparting water retention are supported in the gaps of the permeable base,
The vinylon fiber is supported on the aggregate throughout the entire permeable base by a resin binder used to solidify the spaces between the aggregate, and is arranged with a portion of the vinylon fiber protruding outside the resin binder. The vegetation base according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the permeable base has a porosity of 40% or more and a hydraulic conductivity of 1.3 cm/s or more. A method for producing a vegetation base according to claim 1,
A method for manufacturing a vegetation base, comprising pouring the resin-based adhesive mixed with the vinylon fiber onto the surface of the water-permeable base. A method for producing a vegetation base according to claim 2,
A method for manufacturing a vegetation base, comprising mixing the aggregate and the vinylon fiber, and then solidifying and molding the mixture with the resin binder.

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