Stormwater Box with Trusses

This application is based on and claims benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/295,486, filed on Dec. 30, 2021. The content of the foregoing application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

This disclosure relates generally to systems, apparatus, and methods for fluid runoff management. In particular, this disclosure relates to stormwater treatment and storage through the use of a plurality of box or crate structures arranged for the underground detention of stormwater.

In connection with large impervious areas such as parking lots, environmental regulations often require that stormwater be detained in a stormwater management system and thereafter be either gradually released to water bodies or allowed to percolate into the earth. In many areas, real estate is costly, so it is undesirable to devote real estate to provide ponds, swales, or other above-ground stormwater management systems for detention. Such known techniques also may present associated maintenance and safety issues. To overcome these problems, one or more cavities may be provided within the earth, often beneath a paved area, to which stormwater flows from catch basins, is detained, and is then gradually percolated or released. Such solutions minimize real estate costs and may minimize maintenance and safety issues associated with above-ground stormwater management systems.

One way of creating such an underground stormwater detention space is to bury prefabricated plastic or concrete hollow structures. Other solutions for underground stormwater management systems may be a stormwater “box” or “crate” system. In an embodiment of a stormwater box system, a pair of rectangular injection molded thermoplastic horizontal perforated plates are separated vertically by columns or other spacers and define a rectanguloid box structure. There may be more than two horizontal plates within a box. Multiple boxes may be installed in an abutting arrangement on a flat surface within an excavated cavity in the earth into an array. The array may be backfilled with crushed stone, gravel, or other course or fine aggregates. In some embodiments, a stormwater box may have a cube shape with a top plate and a bottom plate, both of which have a square shape. An array of buried stormwater boxes may bear the load of overlying backfill and/or vehicular loads or other live loads that traverse the surface of the backfill. To accommodate such loads, it may be desirable to have in a box multiple fairly closely spaced columns or other vertical supports. It is desirable for a box-structure to resist a tendency for the sides or vertical members of the boxes to tilt sideways or for the columns to become unstable or buckle under vertical loading.

Thus, solutions are needed to provide improved underground stormwater management systems. Such solutions may include structural components to increase strength of a traditional stormwater box array and reduce or eliminate a tendency of stormwater boxes or stormwater box arrays to deflect, deform, tilt, buckle, or otherwise become unstable under vertical loading. Such solutions may also include an array comprised of abutted and/or stacked stormwater boxes. Solutions may further include stormwater boxes that may have perforated vertical side panels on the box sides which face toward the edges of the excavation. When sand, gravel, or the like is backfilled around the sides of the array, retained stormwater from within the boxes may percolate through the perforations into the surrounding media. In some embodiments, lattice-like side panels may help prevent the backfill from intruding laterally into the interior of the boxes of the array. It may be desirable that the side panels do not deflect inwardly to the point of applying lateral pressure on the columns or otherwise impair the structural integrity of a stormwater box.

Consistent with achieving the foregoing aims, it is a persistent goal to minimize the weight (and thus the cost) of material embodied in the stormwater boxes, to economically fabricate the stormwater boxes, to configure the stormwater boxes for compactness for storage and shipment to the point of use, and to assemble and install the stormwater boxes economically at or near the point of use.

The disclosed embodiments describe systems, methods, and devices for managing fluid runoff. These systems, methods, and devices may include use of a stormwater management box, or the use of a plurality of stormwater management boxes formed into a stormwater management box assembly. An embodiment of a stormwater management box may be to function well when buried underground and may be economical to make, ship and assemble. Another embodiment may provide a stormwater box side with resistance to deformation. Other embodiments may include a stormwater box with side panels that resist deformation.

A stormwater box embodiment may comprise a horizontal base plate and a vertically spaced apart top plate. The embodiment may further include one or more spaced apart columns that run vertically from the upper surface of the base plate to the under surface of the top plate. In one embodiment, there may be six columns, though more or fewer columns may be used. In an embodiment, there may be at least one side panel that comprises a lattice-like planar member, called here a cover, to keep stone and the like from entering the box. The cover may fit an exterior vertical-rectangular opening of a stormwater box and may span the vertical space between the base plate and the top plate. In an embodiment, there may be one or more trusses, engaged with the cover of the side panel, the two plates, or both the side panel and the two plates. Another embodiment may include first and second trusses. The first and second trusses may run perpendicularly from the cover of the side panel into the interior of the box. In an embodiment, the upper and lower edges of a truss may be mechanically engaged with the undersurface of the top plate and the upper surface of the base plate, respectively. A truss may be engaged with the top plate and/or base plate through the use of a slot or cleat on each of the top plate and/or base plate, wherein the slot or cleat are configured to mate with an edge member of a truss.

In an embodiment, one or more trusses may be hinged connected to the cover. In such an embodiment, a truss may lie parallel to the plane of the cover during storage and shipment and may then be pivoted to be perpendicular to the cover at the time of placement of the side panel. In such embodiments, a truss may extend only partially into an interior of the box.

In some embodiments, one or more trusses may be separable from the side panel and cover. In some embodiments, a box may not include a side panel and/or a cover. Instead, at or near the point of use, the upper and lower ends of each truss may engage with a top plate, a bottom plate, or both.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments and accompanying drawings.

The present disclosure has some common features with the disclosure of commonly owned patent application Ser. No. 17/504,097 (the “'097 application”), filed Oct. 18, 2021 entitled “Stormwater system having multiple plates and one piece columns.” Embodiments of the present disclosure may utilize other features described in the '097 application, which is hereby incorporated by reference.

Components of a stormwater box may be made by injection molding thermoplastics such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, or other thermoplastics. Some or all of the components, but particularly the trusses, may be made of higher strength plastic materials. When high strength is desired, glass fiber filled olefin plastic or other fiberglass-reinforced plastic may be used. Alternatively, composite or engineered plastic material may be used. In further alternative embodiments, components may be made of non-plastic materials; for example, metal alloys, ceramic materials, and cementitious materials may be used.

In an embodiment of a stormwater box, the horizontal plates and the cover portion of the side panel may be configured to make economical use of material that enables water flow through the stormwater box. Each plate or panel embodiment may be formed with multiple closely spaced apart ribs and rib-defined openings, resulting in components that are strong but readily allow water passage through a lattice-like structure.illustrates an example of a lattice-like ribbed construction. For simplicity of rendering, the lattice-like configuration is not reflected in most of the other Figures.

shows an example of an arrayfor receiving stormwater. Arrayis pictured deployed in an excavated cavitywithin earth, ready for back-fill. Arraymay include a plurality of abutting stormwater boxesthat may be stacked vertically, and as depicted in, may be stacked two-high, and will form a rectanguloid shape object. Arrayis not limited to embodiments stacked two-high and may also include a single level of stormwater boxes or may include stacks more than two-high, such as three, four, five, or more levels. Examples of stormwater boxesmay be an assembly of elements including plate and pillar subassemblyas shown in. An example of boxmay include one or more trussesthat extend from a side panelas shown in. In an embodiment of array, stormwater boxeswhich have a side panelfacing toward an edge of the excavation cavityand thus will be contacted by backfill after installation. An interior plate and pillar subassemblyin an arraymay have no side panels, and a stormwater boxpositioned on a corner of an array where backfilled earth may touch two sides of the stormwater boxmay have two side panels, one on a long end of the rectangular stormwater boxand one on a short end of the rectangular stormwater box.

illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of a plate and pillar subassembly, having x, y, and z axes. Plate and pillar subassemblymay include at least one side panelto form a stormwater boxas shown in. Returning to, plate and pillar subassemblymay include two spaced apart horizontal plates: base plateand top plate. In the embodiment depicted in, six columnsextend vertically upward from base plateto top plate. In some embodiments, a stormwater boxmay have more or fewer columnsand may have one or more other plates between the top plateand the base plate. In an example of a plate and pillar subassembly, the lower end of each columnmay be secured to base plate, and the upper end of each columnmay be secured to the top plateusing “snap-lock” type fasteners for the columns, which are described in the '097 application incorporated herein by reference. Columns may also be secured to the base plateand top platewith fasteners, adhesives, and other connection mechanisms. Base platemay also include groovesfor securing a side panel, which is further described below. Though not shown in, groovesmay also be located on the bottom side of top plateand these grooves may correspond with the grooveslocated on the top side of the base plate.

Turning to, in some embodiments, a stormwater boxmay have at least one side panelattached to a vertical side of the plate and pillar subassemblyof. In some embodiments, the at least one side of the stormwater boxwith the attached side panelwill be that side of the box which is or will be exposed to soil or sand or crushed stone after the excavation cavityis backfilled. An example of a side panel, shown in, may include a coverand two trusseswhich are connected to the cover. In some embodiments, covermay be perforated and flat. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the two trussesmay be hinge-connected to the side panel. When one or both trussesare hinge-connected to a side panel, the side panelmay be assembled at a factory and economically shipped with the one or both trussesfolded parallel to the plane of the coverof the side panel.depicts a range of motion by depicting trussesin a folded positionP with dashed or phantom lines. At the point of assembly of the stormwater box, a folded trussP may be unfolded to be perpendicular to the coverof the side plate. When a side panelis in place, the trussesmay be mechanically attached to the top plateand the base plate, and the cover portionof the side panelcloses the rectangular vertical opening on a side of the stormwater box.

In some embodiments, plates and covers may be formed with a multiplicity of closely spaced ribs and associated small openings, thereby creating a lattice-like structure for the cover. Such a lattice-like structure results in a more economical use of materials compared to a solid structure and enables fluid to flow from inside of a stormwater boxto the exterior of the stormwater boxthrough the openings.depicts a top plateand a coveraccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Embodiments of base platemay be similar to top platedepicted inand may include comparable ribs and openings forming a lattice-like structure.

The exploded perspective view of an embodiment of stormwater boxinshows side panelas it is being installed in place, as indicated by the arrows A. The horizontal bottom strutof each truss slides into a groovein the upper surface of the base plate. The upper horizontal strut of each truss likewise slides into a groove (not visible) on the underside of the top plate.

In some embodiments, the rectangular coverof a side panelfits between the top plateand the base plate, thereby imparting a resistance to change in dimension of the spacing of the plates between them, as might occur if the stormwater boxwere to tilt or deform in the plane of the cover, because a shifting top platewill contact the top side of the coverand thus be stopped from further lateral movement. Optionally, there may be plastic snap fittings at different locations along the top and bottom edges of a cover(not shown in), helping to keep the coversecurely within the opening between the bottom plateand the top plateof the stormwater box. Screws or other fasteners may alternatively be used to hold a coverin place, when desired. Trussesthat are attached to the covermay also hold the cover, and thus the panel, in place.

illustrates a top view of the embodiment of stormwater boxshown in. As shown in, trussesof side panelmay be hinge-connected to coverof the side panel. Hingesmay be living hinges or mechanical hinges. The trussesmay lie flat in parallel with the cover, for shipping and storage, as indicated by phantom trussesP. As indicated inby arrows B, each trussmay be rotated from the foregoing parallel position to a perpendicular-to-cover position when the side panelis engaged with the pillar and plate subassembly.

An example of a truss of the present disclosure may extend across from about one-quarter to about one-third of the y axis width of a stormwater boxbecause that may be sufficient contact length for the purpose of securing the truss. The one-quarter to about one-third dimension used when there is a groove to receive the bottom memberof a truss, such as groovein base platein the embodiment depicted in, mitigates any weakening of the strength of the base platedue to the material lost by forming the groove on base platecompared to a full-length groove across base plate.depicts one example of groovehaving a cross section s shaped like an upward-facing C. In some embodiments, the groove or slotin the base plate, which receives the bottom strutof truss, may be configured to “snap-fit” into the bottom most strutof the truss.

In some embodiments of side plate, not shown, one or both trussesmay extend perpendicularly from the coverand are not movable. In some embodiments, not shown, trussesmay be separate elements and, at the time of assembly of a stormwater box, a vertical edge of a strut of a trussmay snap into place within grooves, cleats, or like fittings that run vertically on the flat interior surface of a cover. An embodiment depicting cleatsis shown in, discussed further below.

Turning now to, which shows an embodiment of trusshaving a plurality of struts that are interconnected for strength and rigidity to resist a lateral load that may be applied to the cover by soil, sand, stone, or other backfill with the benefit also of resisting tilting or deformation of the stormwater boxin the plane of the truss.shows an alternative design of a trussused in certain embodiments. Other configurations of trusses may be used in carrying out the invention.

A truss,may be engaged or secured to the base plate and the top plate by means other than using a groove in the plate. For example,shows a plurality of elastically upwardly facing C shape cleatsthat are formed integral with the top surface of a base plate. Cleatsmay be used to secure truss to a base plateor top plate. The deflectable material cleatsshown inmay be shaped to receive the lower-end horizontal strutof a trusswhen the truss is pressed downwardly or is slid lengthwise. Other means of respectively securing the bottom edge and top edge of a truss to the top plateand the base platemay be employed.

In some embodiments, the columnsmay be made integral with, or attached to, one of the top plateor the base plate, at the point of manufacture.shows an example of a stormwater boxwhere the upper ends of columnsare integral with, or permanently secured to, top plate, thus providing subassembly. To assemble a stormwater box, subassemblyis lowered onto the base plate, as indicated by the vertical arrow. The lower end of each columnmay be received in a socketon the upper surface of base plateand may be secured to it by a snap-lock or other fastener. Side panelmay be inserted as shown by the horizontal arrow in. Alternatively, the base platerather than the top platemay include attached or integral columns. An advantage of having columnsthat are pre-attached to one plate is that it can save labor at the point of assembly of a stormwater box. In some embodiments, the upper surface of the top plate of an underlying box may serve also as the base plate for an overlying box.

shows an embodiment of stormwater boxwhich includes base plate, top plate, columns, and trussesthat slide or snap into place between the two plates, consistent with embodiments described herein. Stormwater boxomits a side panel that comprises a cover. This embodiment may be used where there is no need for a cover, for example where the character of the backfill does not admit intrusion, or where intrusion of some backfill is not seen as a problem.

Trussesmay provide support for the side panels. Trussesenable the use of side panel coversthat have lesser section modulus, and therefore lesser weight, than would be the case if the panel had to have comparable resistance to external load such as that applied by backfill adjacent to the box/assembly. Trussesmay also help a stormwater boxresist tilting or deformation in the plane of the trusses. And when the edges of the coverof a side panelfit closely between the top plateand the bottom plate, or when the side panelis secured to said plates, then the side panels can provide resistance to tilting or deformation in the plane of the sides to which the panels are affixed.

Side panelscomprising trussesmay be placed on each opposing side of a stormwater box, or on only some of the stormwater boxeswhich comprise an array, depending on the need to resist media intrusion and the need for the structural strength that side panels having trusses provide. In some embodiments, a stormwater box may have side panels that lack the truss feature, i.e., the side panels will comprise a cover only. For example, in some embodiments, a cover without a truss may be screwed or otherwise attached to the side of a stormwater box. In some embodiments, a stormwater box may have no side panels, for example, stormwater boxes located entirely within an interior of an array. In some embodiments, all stormwater boxes at the periphery of an array may have side covers, preferably with trusses, to resist the lateral force of backfill around the periphery.

In some embodiments, side panelsmay be secured to the smaller end opening of a stormwater box, i.e., the end of a rectanguloid stormwater box where two columns are presented in embodiments of the present disclosure such as in. A single truss may be hinged from the center of an end panel to provide the kind of support and simplified shipment which the side panels comprising trusses provide.

The embodiment depicted inshows two adjacent stormwater boxesA,B together with a side platethat is mated with both the ends (i.e., the smaller dimension sides) of the rectanguloid boxes. Trussesextend perpendicularly from the coverof the side plate. Each trussis engaged with the stormwater box into which it extends, in a way which has been described above for side plates engaged with the long end of a stormwater box.

Under the object of the present disclosure, stormwater boxes are economically fabricated and shipped. A truss that extends between horizontal plates of a columnar box may provide support and resistance against tilting or deforming of the stormwater box in the plane of the truss. A side panel that includes a cover configured to inhibit intrusion of surrounding backfill may be supported by one or more trusses. Trusses may be hingedly attached and may fold flat along the cover for compact and economical shipping and storage of side panels. Trusses that may snap in place with a fitting on the cover of a side panel at the point of use also may be economically shipped and stored.

Embodiments of the present disclosure may include:

A stormwater box comprising a top plate and a base plate spaced apart vertically, each of the top plate and the base plate having an upper surface and a lower surface; a plurality of spaced apart columns, each column being positioned vertically upward from the upper surface of the base plate to the lower surface of the top plate; and a first side panel having a cover and a first truss connected to the at least one side panel, the at least one side panel having a length and a height and lying in a vertical plane, wherein the at least one side panel is positioned between the top plate and the base plate and the at least one truss extends in a direction perpendicular to a vertical plane of the at least one side panel and is positioned between the upper surface of the bottom plate and the lower surface of the top plate. Other features of the stormwater box may include:

Additional embodiments of the present disclosure may include:

A stormwater box comprising a top plate and a base plate spaced apart vertically, each of the top plate and bottom plate having an upper surface and a lower surface; a plurality of spaced apart columns, each column positioned vertically upward from the upper surface of the base plate to the lower surface of the top plate; a first side panel comprising a cover, the first side panel having a length and a height and lying in a vertical plane, the first side panel fitted within a vertical space between the top plate and the base plate; and a first truss, separable from the first side panel, the first truss running perpendicular to the vertical plane of the panel and fitting within a vertical space between the upper surface of the bottom plate and the lower surface of the top plate. Other features of the stormwater box may include:

The disclosure, with explicit and implicit variations and advantages, has been described and illustrated with respect to several exemplary embodiments. Those embodiments should be considered illustrative and not restrictive possible examples and/or representations, and various changes, omissions and/or additions may be made, and, equivalents may be substituted for elements or exemplary embodiments. Unless specifically stated otherwise: any use of words such as “preferred” and variations suggest a feature or combination which is desirable but which is not necessarily mandatory, and, use of terms first, second, etc., do not denote order or importance. Thus, embodiments lacking any such preferred feature or combination may be within the scope of the claims which follow. Persons skilled in the art may make various changes in form and detail of the invention embodiments which are described, without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed invention. Modifications and adaptations of the embodiments will be apparent from consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosed embodiments. For example, while certain components have been described as being coupled to one another, such components may be integrated with one another or distributed in any suitable fashion.

Moreover, while illustrative embodiments have been described herein, the scope includes any and all embodiments having equivalent elements, modifications, omissions, combinations (e.g., of aspects across various embodiments), adaptations and/or alterations based on the present disclosure. The elements in the claims are to be interpreted broadly based on the language employed in the claims and not limited to examples described in the present specification or during the prosecution of the application, which examples are to be construed as nonexclusive. Further, the steps of the disclosed methods can be modified in any manner, including reordering steps and/or inserting or deleting steps.

The features and advantages of the disclosure are apparent from the detailed specification, and thus, it is intended that the appended claims cover all systems and methods falling within the true spirit and scope of the disclosure. As used herein, the indefinite articles “a” and “an” mean “one or more.” Similarly, the use of a plural term does not necessarily denote a plurality unless it is unambiguous in the given context. Words such as “and” or “or” mean “and/or” unless specifically directed otherwise. Further, since numerous modifications and variations will readily occur from studying the present disclosure, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described, and, accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure.