GB2591174A

GB2591174A - System, method and resin for stabilising a layer of particulate material for an area of hard standing

Info

Publication number: GB2591174A
Application number: GB2017923.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Scott Sean
Original assignee: Vuba Building Products Ltd
Current assignee: Vuba Chemical Innovations Ltd
Priority date: 2019-11-13
Filing date: 2020-11-13
Publication date: 2021-07-21
Anticipated expiration: 2040-11-13
Also published as: GB2591174B; GB202017923D0; GB201916519D0

Abstract

The system includes a particulate material which is spread as a layer 4 across a surface of the said area to required depth, shape and level, applying a resin material 10 in a liquid form to the said particulate material once the same is in position and allowing the resin material to cure and so bond the said particulates to adjacent particulates and/or adjacent surfaces and wherein the said resin when in the liquid form is applied as a spray across said area and onto said particulate material using a spray applicator apparatus. The spray may be a powered pump spray applicator or may be a manually actuated spray applicator 20. The resin may be a water-based resin. The particulate material may be formed of gravel and may comprise different colours of particulate material. Also disclosed is a water-based resin for use in stabilising and bonding particulate material into a substantially unitary body and a method of forming a unitary body of particulate material.

Description

System, method and resin for stabilising a laver of particulate material for a path or driveway The invention to which this application relates is the provision of a system, method and resin which allows the stabilisation and provides increasedpermanence to a layer of particulate material such as gravel and/or stones and, in particular, although not necessarily exclusively, to relatively small stone or gravel particles commonly referred to as chippthgs, gravel or the like and hereby referred to in anon-limiting manner as particulate material. The particulate material can be, for example, provided as part of a driveway, path, play area or the like and can be provided in different colours so as to provide an aesthetically appealing surface as well as providing added penmmence to the surface and provide hardwearnig characteristics in comparison to, for example, a surface of grass, soil or the like (Jr loose particulate material which is susceptible to movement due, for example, rainwater flowing across the same, puddles and/or differences in levels of wear on different part of the surface by persons It is known to provide added permanence to the layer of gravel by the application of a liquid resin which subsequently hardens and forms a bond between the particulate material particles. However, the known systems require the resin to be formed as a solvent which has a chemical composition which can he potentially hazardous to the person applying the same mid is required to be poured onto the particulate material layer once the particles have been placed in position. 'Ihe known systems also have problems in controlling the absorbance of the liquid once the same has been applied which can, if too much liquid is applied, lead to the liquid not curing properly, and too much resin being applied tha.n is required to bond the particulate material together and is therefore wasteful and expensive. Furthermore the process can be can he time-consuming due to the time which is required to pass before the person applying the resin can be certain that the liquid has been absorbed and the required bond between the particles have been achieved. Also, if in sufficient resin is applied or the resin is applied in a non-uniform manner then the particles may not be bonded to a sufficient extent and the same can become easily separated over a relatively short period of time after the application of the resin.

As a result of tins, the provision of tins form of surface, despite the acknowledged advantages of the same, can be regarded as time-consuming and problematic which therefore dissuades the use of it.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a system in which the advantages of the bonding of the particles of the surface can be achieved, whilst minimising the disadvantages of doing so during the application process.

In a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a system for forming an external surface of at least part of an area of hard standing said system including a particulate material which is spread as a layer across a surface of the said area to a required depth, shape and level, applying a resin material in a liquid form to the said particulate material once the same is in position and allowing the resin material to cure and so bond the said particulates to adjacent particulates and/or adjacent surfaces and wherein the said resin when in the liquid form is applied as a spray across said area and onto said particulate material using a spray applicator apparatus.

In one embodiment, the spray applicator apparatus applied the resin material as a pressurised spray so as to encourage the passage of the resin between the gaps M said particulates and into the said layer.

In one embodiment the apparatus to allow the said resin material to be sprayed using a powered spray pump or alternatively, to be sprayed using a manually actuated spray apparatus.

In one embodiment, the sa.id resin is water based and therefore enables the said resin to be applied using a spray system with the resin provided in a sufficiently liquid and with a viscosity to allow the liquid to pass through, and be applied from, the spray apparatus and without the risk of hazard to the user. This is on contrast to conventional resins which are typically hazardous and which cannot be applied safely using spray apparatus as the conventional chemical solvent resin creates hazardous air borne solvent vapours. Thus the conventional pouring and spreading of the resin leads to the conventional resin being applied in a non-continuous, uncontrolled manner and also results in larger quantities of resin being applied than is required to achieve the bonded particulates.

Typically, the spray is applied such that the resin is applied to cover all of the said surface area of the said particulates and allow the same to be bonded together when the resin cures.

Typically, the resin is provided of a viscosity which is sufficiently low so as to allow the resin to pass through the gaps between the particulates and absorb into the said layer of particulates to a. sufficient depth so as to allow the bonding of the particulates to occur, once the resin cures, to a sufficient extent to form a substantially particulate material and resin external surface layer on said area, with the cured resin filling gaps between the particulates and bonding the same together.

In one embodiment, the viscosity of the liquid, the spray pressure and the required depth to which the applied resin is required to pass before curing, are all taken into account so as to ensure that the system allows the said unitary body of particulates to be achieved.

In one embodiment the resin once cured bonds the particulate tel.-IA1 to adjacent surfaces of the hard standing area and forms the particulate material and resin as a substantially integral part of said hard standing area.

In one embodiment the particulate material is formed of gravel.

In one embodiment the said area. of hard standing includes a series of portions of particulate material, and said resin is applied to each of said portions to bond the said particulate material in. position.

In one embodiment different forms of particulate material are used for said different portions. In one embodiment said different forms are different colours of said particulate material.

In on embodiment the area of hard standing is a driveway or path.

In a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a resin material for use in stabilising and bonding particulate material into a substantially unitary body of particulate material when the resin is cured and wherein the said resin is a water-based resin.

In one embodiment the resin is formed so as to be capable of being applied, when in a liquid form, onto the particulate material using a spray applicator apparatus.

Typically the resin, once cured, hardens so as to fill gaps between the said particulate material and bond the same and also bond particulate material to adjacent surfaces of an area of hard standing, such as a drive or pathway, so as to form the substantially unitary particulate material and resin body and an integral part of the hard standing area.

In one embodiment. the resin material contains di-butyl glycol, water, a thickening agent and a polymer.

In one embodiment, the viscosity of the liquid resin, prior to application, is in the rano-e of 70-40 cSt.

Typically, the provision of a resin with this level of viscosity allows the said resin to be applied using a spray applicator apparatus and most typically, a pressurised sprayer.

In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a method of forming a unitary body of particulate material and resin as at least part of an area of hard standing, said method comprising the steps of placing a quantity of the particulate material over a predefined depth and area onto a surface, applying a resin in a liquid form onto said particulate material such that when the resin cures the particulate material is bonded to each other and/or adjacent surfaces and wherein the resin which is applied is water based and is applied as a spray onto the said particulate material.

Specific embodiments of the invention are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings; where: Figure 1 illustrates a bonded surface achieved in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

S

Figure 2 illustrates a cross-section through a layer of particulate material prior to the application of the resin material thereto; Figure 3 illustrates the application of the resin material in accordance with one embodiment of the invention; Figure 4 illustrates a substantially unitary bonded particulate material layer achieved in accordance with the one embodiment of the invention; and ligure 5 illustrates an area of hard standing in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.

Referring firstly to I ligure 1, there is illustrated a plan view of an a.rea of hard standing 1 such as, in this example, a driveway and which is formed from a number of areas, or portions, the formation of one of which, area 2, is now described in accordance with the invention. the area 2 has an external surface 3 formed by a layer 4 of a plurality of, in this embodiment, gravel particulates 6 which are typically applied onto an underlying base or surface 8 to a required depth and then, once applied, pressure can be applied to bed the gravel particulates to the required shape and depth.

Figure 2 illustrates a cross-section along line AA of the said layer 4 formed on the base or surface 8. At this point, the gravel particulates are free to move with respect to each other and the area of hard standing and, if not bound together, then the layer 4 would quickly be worn and gravel would be lost from the Layer and, furthermore, the shape and appearance of the layer would soon become undistniguishable and not fit for the intended purpose.

In accordance with the invention, a quantify of a resin material 10 in a liquid form is provided in a reservoir 12 such as a tub. 't he liquid resin is water-based and has a viscosity such as to allow the same to pass through a spray application apparatus 14. The apparatus typically includes or is connected to the reservoir 12 so that the resin can pass from the reservoir through a channel 16 which allows the flow of the resin material to the spray pump 18 and then under pressure to an application nozzle 20. The spray pump is typically provided with power and a motor to allow the liquid resin to be pumped to the nozzle 20 and applied from the nozzle in a spray pattern 22 onto the top 24 of the gravel particulate layer 4 and the user can move the spray apparatus across the external surface 3 to apply the resin over all of the same as a spray a.s indicated by arrows 36 and the resin is forced into the layer 4. Passing between the gaps in the particulate material. The application of the resin in a spray pattern, rather than pouring the resin onto the gravel particulates, allows a significantly greater degree of control to be achieved in terms of the coverage of the resin to ensure tha.t all of the surface 3 has the resin applied thereto, and, equally importantly, to ensure that the quantity of resin which is applied to any particular location on the surface 3 and into the layer 4, is in the correct range so that once it has been applied, the resin will cure.

It is found that if a larger than required quantity of the resin material is applied, then the resin which lies to the bottom of the layer will not cure and hence the required bonding of the gravel particulates and/or bonding to the adjacent base or surface 8 is not achieved. However, it is found that the provision of a water-based solvent resin, when provided with the required viscosity in the range of 20-40 cSt, is capable of being applied via the spray apparatus and hence achieves the required controlled bonding ola significantly higher percentage of the particulate material and so form a substantially stable, unitary layer 4 as shown in Figure 4 in which the gravel particulates 6 are bonded by the cured resit. material 26 with the resin material filling the gaps between the same and therefore forms the substantially unitary layer 28 in accordance with the invention.

Figure 5 illustrates an area I of hard standing in which the same is formed of a number of portions or areas 4 of particulate material and areas are formed of particulate materials of different colours 30,32, 34 so a.s to provide a specified visual effect. Each of the areas 4 have resin spray applied 22 thereto in accordance with the invention so as to bond the particulate materials together and hence retain the particulate materials in their specific areas or portions and allow the visual effect to be maintained and prevent spread of different particulate materials between different areas 4.

Claims

Claims 1. A system for forming an external surface of at least part of an area of hard standing said system including a particulate material which is spread as a layer across a surface of the said area. to a. required depth, shape and level, applying a. resin material in a liquid form to the said particulate material once the same is in position and allowing the resin material to cure and so bond the said particulates to adjacent particulates and/or adjacent surfaces and wherein the said resin when in the liquid form is applied as a spray across said area and onto said particulate material using a spray applicator apparatus.
2. A system according to claim 1 wherein the spray applicator apparatus applies the resin material as a pressurised spray so as to force the passage of the liquid resin into gaps between said particulates and into a depth of the said layer.
3 A system according to claim 2 wherein sufficient resin is applied and at a sufficient pressure so as to cause at least a portion of the liquid resin to reach the surface underlying said layer.
4 A system according to any of the preceding claims wherein the said resin is spray applied using a powered pump spray applicator.
5. A system according to any of claims 1-3 wherein the said resin is spray applied using a manually actuated spray applicator.
6. A system according to any of the preceding claims wherein the resin is a water-based resin.
7. A system according to any of the preceding &inns wherein the resin 'dudes di-butyl glycol, water, a thickening agent, and a polymer.
8. A resin according to any of the preceding claims wherein the viscosity of the resin when in the liquid form is in the range of 20-40 cSt (CentiStokes).S
9. A system according to any of the preceding claims wherein the spray is applied to cover all of the said external surface of the area of the said particulate material and bond the same together once the resin cures to form a substantially unitary body of particulate material and resin.
10. A system according to claim 9 wherein once the resin has cured, the external surface of the said area is formed by a combination of the resin and particulate material and the said external surface is substantially uniform.
11. A system according to any of the preceding claims wherein the resin once cured bonds the particulate material to adjacent surfaces of the hard standing area and forms the particulate material and resin as a substantially integral part of said hard standing area.
12. A system according to any of the preceding claims wherein the particulate material is formed of gravel.
13. A system according to any of the preceding claims wherein the said area of hard standing includes a series of portions of particulate material, and said resin is applied to each of said portions to bond the said particulate material in position.
14. A system according to claim 13 wherein different forms of particulate material are used for sa.id different portions.
A system according to claim 14 wherein said different forms are different colours of said particulate material.
16 A system according to any of the preceding claims wherein the area of hard standing is a driveway or path.
17. A resin material for use in stabilising and bonding particulate material into a substantially unitary body of particulate material when the resin is cured and wherein the said resin is a water-based resin.
18. A resin according to claim 17 wherein the resin contains di-butyl glycol, water, a thickening agent, and polymer.
19. A resin according to any of claims 17 or 18 wherein the viscosity of the resin prior to application is in the range of 20-40 cSt.
20.A resin according to any of claims 17-19 wherein the resin is formed so as to be capable of being applied, when in a liquid form, onto the particulate material using a spray applicator apparatus.
21. A resin according to any of the claims 17-20 wherein the resin, once cured, hardens so as to fill gaps between the said particulate material and bond the same and also bond particulate material to one or more adjacent surfaces of an area of hard standing so as to form the substantially unitary particulate material and resin body as an integral part of the area of hard standing.
22 A method of forming a unitary body of particulate material and resin as at least part of an area of hard standing, said method comprising the steps of placing a quantity of the particulate material over a predefined depth and area onto a surface, applying a resin in a. liquid form onto said particulate material such that when the resin cures the particulate material is bonded to each other and/or adjacent surfaces and wherein the resin which is applied is water based and is applied as a spray onto the said particulate material.