AU2011200386A1

AU2011200386A1 - Disaster Protection Shelter

Info

Publication number: AU2011200386A1
Application number: AU2011200386A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Mark Robert Armstrong
Original assignee: PENTABUILD Pty Ltd
Current assignee: PENTABUILD Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2010-02-01
Filing date: 2011-01-31
Publication date: 2011-08-18
Anticipated expiration: 2031-01-31
Also published as: AU2011200386B2

Abstract

Abstract 5 A disaster protection shelter 50 for above ground use. The shelter 50 comprises a base portion 52 and a pair of angled side walls 54 and end walls 56 mounted on the base portion 52. The side walls 54 and end walls 56 are connected with the base portion 52 to form an enclosure in which a person may be temporarily sheltered during an emergency. Figure to accompany Abstract: Figure 5 ) Ln

Description

ORIGINAL AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Invention title: "DISASTER PROTECTION SHELTER" Applicant: Pentabuild Pty Ltd as Trustee for Shosholoza Investment Trust Associated Provisional Application No.: 2010900435 The following statement is a full description of the invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: 2 "DISASTER PROTECTION SHELTER" Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a shelter for use in emergency situations. 5 The invention is intended particularly but not exclusively for use as a shelter for protecting persons from natural disasters such as bushfires. Background to the Invention Many lives have been lost in areas which have been ravaged by bush fires or 10 other natural disasters. People trying to flee from areas where bushfires were burning have died trying to escape since there was insufficient time to drive away in vehicles or for them to be rescued before they were caught in the flames. Emergency evacuation programs usually take time to put in place after the 15 emergency services have been notified of the problem, and are often too late to rescue people caught in disaster areas. This has been a particular problem in the case of bush fires which spread very rapidly especially in hot, dry and windy conditions typical in summer, in countries such as Australia. In the recent bushfires in Victoria, Australia, in which more than 200 people died, 20 many victims perished in their vehicles while trying to escape the fire. Similar stories are common where individuals tried to escape from hurricanes, tornados and tsunamis. Emergency shelters have been proposed for installation in areas which are at risk of being affected by bushfires or other natural disasters, but these have 25 been expensive to produce and install, or have other problems associated with them, such as being bulky to transport. Most of these prior art shelters are intended for installation underground along the lines of an "air raid" shelter. However in addition to being expensive to install, these underground shelters can be difficult to find by persons needing them in an emergency 30 situation since they are not readily visible and signage marking their location could be destroyed in the prevailing disaster conditions. Underground 3 shelters are also not readily visible from the air, and may be difficult to locate by emergency workers during evacuation. Thus there is a need for a relatively inexpensive shelter to temporarily house persons in areas affected by fires or other natural disasters such as tsunamis 5 or hurricanes, whilst these persons are awaiting emergency evacuation services. There is a need for such shelters to be fire-proof in areas which are prone to bushfires. References to prior art in this specification are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not to be taken as an admission that such prior art is 10 part of the common general knowledge in Australia or elsewhere. Summary of the Invention According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a disaster protection shelter for above ground use, the shelter comprising a base portion 15 and a pair of angled side walls and end walls mounted on the base portion, the side walls and end walls being connected with the base portion to form an enclosure in which a person may be temporarily sheltered during an emergency. Preferably the base portion is anchored to the ground by means of anchor 20 means. Preferably the side walls are angled so as to meet at an apex and form an inverted V-shaped structure. Preferably the side walls are made of a lightweight high strength fire-resistant material, typically from reinforced pre-cast concrete based materials. 25 Preferably the side walls are connected at the apex by means of hydrostatic jointing material. Preferably the end walls are also angled inwards. Preferably the end walls are also made of a lightweight high strength fire resistant material, typically from reinforced pre-cast concrete based materials.

4 Preferably the end walls are connected to the side walls by means of hydrostatic jointing material. The inverted V-shaped structure may be manufactured as a single pre-cast concrete component, or alternatively manufactured as flat tilt-up panels. 5 Preferably the enclosure is of a suitable size to accommodate at least one person sifting on furniture. More preferably the enclosure is of a suitable space to accommodate at least four persons sitting on furniture. Preferably the base portion is about 2500mm in width, and the height from the ground to the apex point is about 2300mm. 10 Preferably the anchor means is in the form of a connecting means provided on the base portion, the connecting means being connected to concrete footings, with the concrete footings being located underground. The connecting means is preferably in the form of a plurality of tie down bolts. Typically the tie-down bolts are received through apertures in the base portion, and secured by 15 suitable fasteners received on the thread of the bolts. Alternatively the anchor means is in the form of steel screw piers which are screwed directly into the soil to a suitable depth, or rock anchors which are suitable where there is a rock foundation and require that a bore-hole first be drilled into the rock. Throughout the specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word 20 "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers. Likewise the word "preferably" or variations such as "preferred", will be understood to imply that a stated integer or group of integers is desirable but not essential to the working 25 of the invention. Brief Description of the Drawings The nature of the invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of several specific embodiments of a disaster protection 5 shelter for above ground use, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of an above ground disaster protection shelter according to the invention; 5 Figure 2 is a sectional view through the shelter of Figurel showing persons seated in the enclosure; Figures 3 (a) to (d) are side views of four alternative anchor means suitable for use with the shelter of Figure 1; Figure 4 is schematic diagram showing the pouring method for forming 10 the inverted V-shape structure of the shelter of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of an above ground disaster protection shelter according to the invention; Figure 6 (a) is a side view of the shelter of Figure 5; and Figure 6 (b) is an end view of the shelter of Figure 5. 15 Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments A preferred embodiment of a disaster protection shelter 10 for above ground use in accordance with the invention, as illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, comprises a base portion 12, and a pair of angled concrete side walls 14 and 20 end walls 16 mounted on the base portion 12. The side walls 14 and end walls 16 are connected with the base portion 12 to form an enclosure, in which one or more persons may be temporarily sheltered during an emergency, as shown in Figure 2. The side walls 14 and end walls 16 are preferably made of a high-strength, 25 fire-resistant material. Typically the walls are made from reinforced pre-cast concrete-based materials. Alternatively the side walls 14 and end walls 16 are made of high strength material and covered/coated by or with a heat reflecting and fire resistant material on the outside. Where it is not essential that the side walls and end walls be made of disaster-resistant materials, lightweight high- 6 strength materials may be employed to provide a shelter that can be easily transported in a collapsed condition and rapidly erected to provide an emergency shelter. Thus the shelter 10 could also be used, for example, for temporarily housing earthquake victims who have lost their homes. 5 Preferably the side walls 14 are angled so as to meet at an apex and form an inverted V-shaped structure 18. In the first embodiment, of Figures 1 to 4, the side walls 14 are of rectangular shape and the end walls 16 are of triangular shape. If the walls are formed of pre-cast concrete, they are typically constructed like concrete bridge components, moulded upside down. If 10 preferred, the inverted V-shaped structure may be provided as a single pre cast concrete component. Figure 4 illustrates how the inverted V-shaped structure 18 may be moulded as a single component using a steel mould 20. Concrete is poured into the steel mould 20 which is vibrated to ensure settling and elimination of all air pockets. The V-shaped structure allows for ease of 15 transport since the structures may be easily moved in a stacked nested arrangement. Alternatively, the side walls 14 may be manufactured as separate pre-cast components which are then joined together on site. In addition to reinforced concrete-based materials, the walls can also be made from other types of pre 20 cast materials such as fly-ash or slag which are low carbon emission waste products from coal-fired power stations. There are several advantages in having of the side walls of the shelter sloping as shown. Firstly, when a rapidly moving fire front passes over the shelter, the sloping walls allow the wind to more easily flow over the shelter. Also radiant 25 heat is more effectively reflected away from the occupants. Likewise, in the event of a tsunami, the wave of water will more easily flow over the sloping side walls and exert less lateral force against the side walls. Secondly, the triangular shape of the shelter is structurally very rigid and makes it capable of withstanding enormous forces, such as falling trees or wind-blown debris. 30 One or more windows 22 and a door 24 are provided with frames cast into the concrete and carry the appropriate fire rating. The shelter 10 is preferably 7 designed to be air-tight and water-tight when the windows and doors are shut. The joints between the components of the shelter 10 are designed to allow safe installation of the structure and the connectors are protected from heat and natural elements by the surrounding concrete. For a shelter 10 designed 5 to withstand a tsunami, the joints are sealed with a hydrostatic jointing material to render the shelter water-tight. The base portion 12 is typically made of reinforced concrete poured on site, with concrete footings 26 (see Figure 1 and 3 (a) and (b)). Alternatively, the base portion 12 may also be manufactured of pre-cast concrete material and 10 transported to site. Figure 3 illustrates several different types of anchor means 30 for securing the shelter to the ground. Figure 3 (a) shows an excavated concrete footing 32 in which a tie-down bolt 34 is anchored in a block of concrete which is poured on site. This type of anchor means is suitable for clay or sandy soils where 15 suitably sized holes for the footings can be readily excavated. Figure 3 (b) shows a bored concrete footing 36 in which a tie-down bolt 34 is anchored similar to that of Figure 3 (a). This type of anchor means is suitable for harder soils where holes for receiving the concrete are formed by a suitable drill, and then filled with concrete which is poured on site. In both the 20 anchor means of Figures 3 (a) and (b) the tie-down bolts 34 are received through apertures in the base portion 12, and secured by suitable fasteners (nuts) received on the thread of the bolt 34. Figure 3 (c) shows a third type of anchor means in the form of a steel screw pier 38 which is screwed directly into the soil to a suitable depth. This type of 25 anchor means is also suitable for clay and sandy soils. Figure 3 (d) shows a fourth type of anchor means 30 in the form of a rock bolt or anchor bolt 40. This type of anchor means is suitable for situations where there is a rock foundation, and requires that a bore-hole first be drilled into the rock. The rock bolt 40 may be secured in the bore-hole by friction and/or grouting.

8 The shelter 10 may be manufactured of any suitable size, however preferably the walls and base portion are of a size that can be readily lifted by a Hiab (truck-mounted hoist). In the illustrated embodiment the base portion is about 2500mm in width, and the height from the ground to the apex of the shelter is 5 about 2300mm. As shown in Figure 2, preferably the enclosure is of a suitable size to accommodate at least one person sitting on a piece of furniture. Typically the shelter is fitted with a gas mask and oxygen cylinder to be used by the occupant in the event that the shelter fills with CO 2 or there is insufficient air. Food and water may also be stored in the shelter 10 to permit 10 the occupants to remain in the shelter for an extended duration of time if necessary. Figures 5 and 6 illustrate a second embodiment of a disaster protection shelter 50 in accordance with the present invention. The shelter 50 comprises a base portion 52, and a pair of angled concrete side walls 54 and end walls 15 56 mounted on the base portion 52. The side walls 54 and end walls 56 are connected with the base portion 52 to form an enclosure similar to that of Figures 1 to 4. The main difference in this embodiment is that the end walls 56 are also angled inwards, as can be seen most clearly in Figure 6 (a). This provides additional structural strength, as well as slightly better protection for 20 the occupants of the shelter, as water or a fire storm will more easily flow over the sloping walls, no matter from which direction the fire or water front approaches the shelter. Also, the sloping end and side walls assist in closing the door (and windows) as they are working with gravity (assuming they are designed to open outwards). 25 Now that preferred embodiments of the disaster protection shelter have been described in detail, it will be apparent that the described embodiments provide a number of advantages over the prior art, including the following: (i) The size and shape of the shelter facilitates transportation of a number of units at the same time. The V- shaped components can be nested on 30 the transport vehicle.

9 (ii) The shelter can be quickly installed above ground without the need to excavate a hole in the ground. (iii) The shelters may be painted a bright colour so as to be easily visible from the air. They may also be fitted with flares and an EPIRB to facilitate 5 rescue operations. (iv) The components of the shelter can be flat-packed for ease of transport, for example when the side and end walls are provided as separate single components. (v) Due to the relatively low cost of the shelters, a number of shelters can 10 be placed on a single large property such as a farm thereby increasing the chances of rescue of persons who may be spread around the property when hit by a fire or other disaster. (vi) Since the components of the shelter are preferably made from lightweight concrete, the components are easy to lift without the need for 15 the use of cranes or other expensive lifting equipment. (vii) The assembly of the shelter is relatively simple and could probably be accomplished by a "home handyman". It will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the relevant arts that various 20 modifications and improvements may be made to the foregoing embodiments, in addition to those already described, without departing from the basic inventive concepts of the present invention. The shelter need not be provided with windows and doors. For example, the whole of one of the end walls could be designed as a door which swings open to permit entry. Therefore, it will be 25 appreciated that the scope of the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described and is to be determined from the appended claims.

Claims

1. A disaster protection shelter for above ground use, the shelter comprising a base portion and a pair of angled side walls and end walls mounted on the 5 base portion, the side walls and end walls being connected with the base portion to form an enclosure in which a person may be temporarily sheltered during an emergency.

2. A disaster protection shelter as defined in claim 1, wherein the base portion is anchored to the ground by means of anchor means. 10

3. A disaster protection shelter as defined in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the side walls are angled so as to meet at an apex and form an inverted V-shaped structure.

4. A disaster protection shelter as defined in claim 3, wherein the side walls are of generally rectangular shape and the end walls are of generally 15 triangular shape.

5. A disaster protection shelter as defined in any one the preceding claims, wherein the side walls are made of a lightweight high strength reinforced concrete-based fire-resistant material.

6. A disaster protection shelter as defined in any one the preceding claims, 20 wherein the side walls are connected at the apex by means of hydrostatic jointing material.

7. A disaster protection shelter as defined in any one the preceding claims, wherein the end walls are also angled inwards.

8. A disaster protection shelter as defined in any one the preceding claims, 25 wherein the end walls are made of a lightweight high strength reinforced concrete-based fire-resistant material.

9. A disaster protection shelter as defined in any one the preceding claims, wherein the end walls are connected to the side walls by means of hydrostatic jointing material. 11

10. A disaster protection shelter as defined in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the inverted V-shaped structure is manufactured as a single pre-cast concrete component. 5

11. A disaster protection shelter as defined in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the inverted V-shaped structure is manufactured as flat tilt-up panels.

12. A disaster protection shelter as defined in any one the preceding claims, wherein the enclosure is of a suitable size to accommodate at least one person sitting on furniture. 10

13. A disaster protection shelter as defined in claim 12, wherein the enclosure is of a suitable space to accommodate at least four persons sitting on furniture.

14. A disaster protection shelter as defined in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the base portion is about 2500mm in width.

15 15. A disaster protection shelter as defined in claim 14, wherein and the height from the ground to the apex point is about 2300mm.

16. A disaster protection shelter as defined in claim 2, wherein the anchor means is in the form of a connecting means provided on the base portion, the connecting means being adapted to connect to concrete footings, with the 20 concrete footings being located underground.

17. A disaster protection shelter as defined in claim 16, wherein the connecting means is in the form of a plurality of tie down bolts.

18. A disaster protection shelter as defined in claim 17, wherein the tie-down bolts are received through apertures in the base portion, and secured by 25 suitable fasteners received on the thread of the bolts.

19. A disaster protection shelter as defined in claim 2, wherein the anchor means is in the form of steel screw piers which are screwed directly into the soil to a suitable depth. 12

20. A disaster protection shelter as defined in claim 2, wherein the anchor means is in the form of rock anchors which are suitable where there is a rock foundation and require that a bore-hole first be drilled into the rock.

21. A disaster protection shelter substantially as herein described with 5 reference to and as illustrated in any one or more of the accompanying drawings. 10 Dated this 31st day of January 2011 15 Pentabuild Pty Ltd as Trustee for Shosholoza Investment Trust by its Patent Attorneys Janet Stead & Associates 20