GB2424655A

GB2424655A - Pontoon housing for flood plains

Info

Publication number: GB2424655A
Application number: GB0506167A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Edmund Oakley Kidd
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-03-29
Filing date: 2005-03-29
Publication date: 2006-10-04
Also published as: GB0506167D0

Abstract

A pontoon house is designed to allow it to float when the flood plains are in flood and return to its original location when the flood has receded, this is achieved by having four tubes built into the pontoon at each corner (Plan View) which allow the guide posts to pass through them and into the house (usually the garage), the guide posts are situated in concrete plinths which support the pontoon. (Section AA).

Description

PONTOON HOUSING FOR FLOOD PLAINS

Background

This invention relates to a pontoon house which will float when the flood plains are in flood and return to its designated location after the flood has receded.

Statement of Invention

To stay in its designated location the pontoon has four tubes through its structure which are welded top and bottom and therefore ensuring that the pontoon is water tight. The pontoon sits on concrete plinths four of which have guide posts fitted in them and these posts pass througJ the pontoon tubes. As the flood water rises the pontoon will float and the guide posts will prevent it from drifting away from its designated location and as the water recedes it will therefore return to its designated location.

Advantages The owners contents of the house and car will not be damaged by flood water.

With conventional brick houses flood damage usually means moving out of the house during the flood and after as major repairs are required which can also include structural damage to the house due to subsidence.

There is a need for 110,000 houses in Cambridgeshue and surrounding areas which must be built on flood plains. Insurance is virtually impossible to obtain for houses built on flood plains due to the very high risk of flood damage.

An example of the invention will now be described by referring to the accompanying drawings: Page 1 /2 shows the pontoon house from the front and side views.

Page 2 /2 shows the pontoon plan view and a cross section of the guide structural system.

Description

The front view shows a typical detached house on a pontoon, a detachable walkway would be fitted between this house and the next.

The side view shows the house on a pontoon, the pontoon deck is set approximately 0.6m above the ground level to prevent the flood water entering the house and a grill is shown which allows the flood water to pass quickly through and fill the trench.

The plan view shows the position of the guide tubes in the pontoon.

Section AA shows the pontoon guide structural system, the guide post length will be determined by the local authority expert who will estimate the height of the flood water plus a safety margin. One chain is fitted at each guide which will allow the pontoon to rise to the experts above calculation while still being restrained by the guide posts ie this is an added safety measure.

Various designs of house can be used and pontoons made to suit ie only limited by the trench width and the houses could be of steel framework. Houses are already being built in this way with sections made in a factory and are delivered flat packed for assembly on site.

Pontoons could be made in sections and transported to site for assembly or if a large number of houses were to be built a temporary factory on site could be used and completed pontoons transported to their location.

Preparation of the flood plain land I, Remove all the top soil from the land.

2, Excavate the trench to the length and depth required putting the spoil on both sides of the trench and level out as this land will be the front and back gardens.

3, Replace the top soil previously removed plus the top soil removed from the trench ie the spoil and the top soil will raise the land approximately 0.75m 4, When the pontoon is placed on its plinths it would be set approximately 0.6m above the ground level as this will prevent the water entering the house and allow the flood water to pass quickly through the grill and fill the trench.

5, Services to the pontoon house would be by flexible or telescopic pipes.

Claims

1. A pontoon house (for flood plains) is designed to allow it to float when the flood plains are in flood and return to its original location when the flood has receded.

2. A pontoon house according to claim 1, has four tubes built into the pontoon at each corner which will allow the guide posts to pass through them.

3. A pontoon house according to claim I, would be built with the width being half the length ie 16m long x 8 wide pontoon will be built in two halves of 16m long x 4m wide and joined together with six pin couplings. Ualf sections can be added to form larger pontoons and therefore larger buildings.

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3. A pontoon house according to claim I, sits on concrete plinths and the four corner plinths have the guide posts set in them, the guide posts protrude through the pontoon and into the house (usually the garage space)

4. A pontoon house according to claim I, will float within the restraints of the guide posts when the plains are in flood and as the water recedes it will return to its original location on the plinths.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows

1. A pontoon house is designed for mass production where hundreds can be built in factories on production lines where the positioning of the steel and welding of the steel is done by robots.

The construction of a shallow dry canal is required to accommodate tens or hundreds of houses in a row where the houses ground floors are at ground level.

A pontoon house is designed to allow it to float within the restraints of the guide posts when the flood plains are in flood and return to its original location when the flood has receded and will be built within the constraints of the shallow dry canal.

2. A pontoon house according to claim I, uses only basic engineering ie fixed posts with tubes moving along them. The pontoon has four tubes, one at each corner through its structure welded top and bottom and therefore water tight and the pontoon sits on concrete plinths secured together with RSJs to give them stability. Four of the plinths have guide posts fitted in them and these pass through the pontoon tubes.