Artificial reef formation to shape sea waves

Abstract

A method of forming artificial reefs in which a set of blocks having internal cavities full of air are interconnected in the desired shape of the artificial reef. The blocks of the set float when full of air and the thus defined reef is towed to the location of use, at which time an air valve in the upper region of each block is opened, permitting the air to escape and sew water to enter the block through an opening in a lower region. In this way the set of blocks is sunk to a designated location on the sea bed adjacent a sandy beach, forming the desired reef. Depending on the configurations of the individual blocks and of the overall shape of the reef, the invention permits both the formation of waves suitable for water sports, such as surf, windsurf and the like, and also the making of an otherwise dangerous beach safe for bathers. The reefs formed in accordance with the methods of this invention may be removed by the simultaneous filling of the blocks with compressed air through the valves and respective openings, thus expelling the sea water from the interior of the blocks which will once more rise to the surface of the sea for towing to another location for dismounting or re-use.

Description

Present protection object is, as an Invention Privilege, an adequate equipment for temporary or fix use or installation in sand beaches, rock massifs and wild coasts, always designed to receive ocean waviness, for ocean sports practice, to reduce “tumble beaches” effects or other purposes.

Existing conceptions and techniques known by the state are constituted by very expensive installations, requiring filling with earth foundations of difficult fixation, which are not always efficient for the proposal objectives, due to the structure fragility against sea force impact during undertows or more strong winds. The most advanced reference is presented by patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,636 from Jun. 22, 1999, which claims for the Australian priority and lends itself to corroboration of alleged inconveniences of its application and performance. Although it is of high construction cost and of difficult fixation in the bottom of the sea in not paved or resistant ground, it facilitates its displacement, dragging in stronger currents or undertows, as mentioned before, not offering the necessary barrier or consolidation for a determined period of time for a sports event or other facilities.

Despite its efficiency, construction of developed equipment is very simple, based on molded concrete blocks that act as modulated elements in the bottom of the sea, according to the planned objective or barrier type, in regular alignment or not, in artificial reefs formation capable to act in the same way of the rocks of sandstone consolidation, coral formations or of calcareous algae, or accumulation of certain associated sea animals carapaces, generating barriers between the coast and the sea, through submerged segments of variable height, for perfect waves formation.

The artificial reef being discussed, is made of pre-molded concrete blocks, in previously designed forms and variable format in accordance with the installation local, the objectives and problems existing in each situation. Such blocks, that have irregular contours section or designed geometric forms, have an internal hollow. This hollow is filled with water for submersion in the installation local, which can be made in beaches, wild coasts and massifs.

To remove them it is necessary to drain the water from its hollow, which is done by opening foreseen valves and injecting air into the hollow, allowing water expulsion and consequent floating of the blocks for them to be moved, as soon as the water draining from the internal cameras is completed.

These cameras format, in relation to the blocks, is also variable, as they are designed to allow the blocks to fluctuate alone or together with others, provided they are stabilized among them by grooving one to another.

The blocks can be joined together through simple grooves, fixed on them by flaps, or separated by used rubber tires lines, acting as shock absorbers to avoid that direct contact between them during transport and installation causes any type of damages to the blocks. These can be obtained in simple or cyclopean concrete in always detachable units in the structure composition.

This subject will be better understood by the following description, including numbered references of graphic representations attached, which illustrate and subsidy the present documentation, offered as clarifying and non restricting items concerning blocks configuration and its application or structural formation possibilities:

FIG. 1—Upper view of the basic block with water and air entrances and exits;

FIG. 2—Sectional cut view of the piece with the hollow inside showing air and water entrance and exits;

FIG. 3—Partial upper view of two blocks supplied with fixing grooves attached by mooring ropes crossed between 2 rubber tires lines;

FIG. 4—Front view of a triangular structure forming the blocks, separated by double lines of rubber tires and attached by steel cables fixed to them, on a scissors form responsible for the format maintenance;

FIG. 5—Font view of an application involving an existent rock massif, with triangular structure, supplied with a line of rubber tires lined-up and attached with steel cables;

FIG. 6—View of a groove directly applied on a rock massif with blocks laterally disposed in straight formation;

FIG. 7—View of the practical application to a sand beach, with blocks triangular structure formation and consequent sea movement;

FIG. 8—View of previous similar application, involving a rock massif and movement provoked on the sea surface;

FIG. 9—Cut view of blocks application to a wild coast with flaps fixed into the rocky wall and attached to the structural piece in question;

FIG. 10—Lateral view of a wild coast with a sequence of superposed blocks.

As can be understood by visualizing the mentioned figures, a basic element of the present development is a pre-molded concrete block (1), of variable and previously determined forms, with a hollow inside (2), forming an internal camera with holes for water entrance and exit (3) and closing valve (4), which is opened for compressed air injection and consequent water draining to allow fluctuation; and kept opened for the element submersion. The inside camera format in relation to the block is designed according to its use.

For structural firmness of the blocks set (1), in its different practical applications, and also for maintaining its stability during transport and coupling to each other, one or more lines of rubber tires can separate them (6) and even fixing flaps (5), trespassed by mooring ropes (7), and still can form triangular or other geometric structures tied by steel cables (8), with or without scissors (9) for maintenance of the original format.

Applications of such blocks (1) are greatly diversified, and can involve existent rock massifs (10), presenting forms adaptable to those, using intermediary rubber tires (6) or being laterally fixed, through upper groove (11) junction of the referred blocks (1), using mooring steel cables (8) in both cases, being those formations preferably triangular settled in massifs (10) or not, dose to the waves breaking, in sand beaches (12), modifying waves movement on the sea surface.

If using wild coasts (14), the blocks (1) can be fixed into both through installation of groove pieces in each one (15), or they can be superposed if they have sufficient weight to stay submersed and support sea movement (13), currents, waviness or even undertows impacts.

The possibility of upper variation of the blocks (1), as well as their equally varied format, make the waves to break along their extension in a previously foreseen form, allowing the practice of sea sports such as surf, windsurf, kite surf, etc. When installing the mentioned structure in places where there are great tide variations, height complements can be adapted to the blocks surface to lessen undesirable effects of this situation.

Although the above mentioned items constitute the main purpose of the present development, the structure can also be used in order to lessen violent effects of waviness in specific regions, known as “tumble beaches”, opened to the ocean without any natural protection, in order to turn such beaches into balnearies capable to offer security with no risks to their users. This happens due to transportation of the waves breaking backwards, what promotes a soft arrival of the waves at the seashore, (12).

In any of the specific uses mentioned, the blocks (1) are previously attached among them and conducted by boat, floating plastered or by any other way that allows their transportation until the installation place. Specialized hand labor has to be used, specially for some types of places that can offer greater difficulties of access and submersion, always carried out by manipulating the air (4) and the water (3) valves, being preferably used in sand beaches (12) to receive the waves, rock massifs (10) or wild coasts (14), always with the objective of receiving and giving the ideal form to the ocean waviness (13).

Although with the same purposes of giving an ideal form to the sea waves, several arrangements have been tested and used without showing however the advantages of the present development. What makes it simple and efficient is the adaptation and installation as artificial reefs, with low cost and reduced previous studies, and the possibility of easy reversing in withdrawal process. Such disposition brings many benefits, if considered the engineering work done in “Gold Coast”, Australia, with sand bags, where the constructors had hand labor and installation equipment problems, besides the non foreseen technical and environmental difficulties, such as winds, undertows, etc.

Revendication

• 1—“ARTIFICIAL REEFS FORMATION TO SHAPE SEA WAVES”, characterized for presenting basic element, including a pre-molded concrete block (1), of variable format, having an internal hollow (2), provided with external holes for water entrance and exit (3), and closing or opening valves (4), responsible for the arrangement fluctuation after compressed air injection and its submersion when filled with water in its internal camera (2), having the possibility of being attached or not to other similar elements, in its configuration, with fixing grooves (5) and separators made of a line of rubber tires (6), trespassed by mooring ropes (7), or forming triangular structures or other, tied by steel cables (8) and intermediary scissors (9) for maintenance of the original form.
• 2—“ARTIFICIAL REEFS FORMATION TO SHAPE SEA WAVES”, characterized by the fact that the variation of blocks upper surface (1), as well as their format, allow the waves to break along their extension in a foreseen established form, for sea sports practice like surf, windsurf, kite surf, etc., with the necessary complementary height adaptations in places where the tide is highly variable.
• 313 “ARTIFICIAL REEFS FORMATION TO SHAPE SEA WAVES”, according to Rev.1, characterized by the fact that blocks set (1) can involve extent rock massifs (10), adapted upon them on preferably triangular structure, or laterally fixed by a superior groove piece (11) fixed to the massif (10), in both cases using steel mooring cables (8) or rubber tire separators (6).
• 4—“ARTIFICIAL REEFS FORMATION TO SHAPE SEA WAVES”, according to Rev.1, characterized by the fact that blocks (1) can be fixed through pieces installed in wild coasts (14) for inverted groove (15), with the cooperating elements adapted to the block (1), or superposed, always with the objective of holding back the sea movement (13).
• 5—“ARTIFICIAL REEFS FORMATION TO SHAPE SEA WAVES”, according to Rev.1, characterized by the fact that it is used as a protection structure in sand beaches known as “tumbled beaches”, moving the waves breaking backwards from the seashore (12).

Claims

1-5. (canceled)

6. A method for forming an artificial reef for shaping the waves of the sea in which blocks are placed on the sea bed, comprising the steps of: providing a set of at least two blocks, each of the blocks having an internal cavity of sufficient volume to permit the block to float, at least one entry opening with a valve for the passage of air, in an upper region of the block, and at least one opening for the passage of sea water, in a lower region of the block; arranging the set of blocks in an interconnected relationship, with the valves closed, on a surface of the sea, in suitable positions and arrangements above a location on the sea bed designated for receiving the artificial reef; and opening the valves in the blocks to permit the sea water to enter the blocks in a controlled manner through the openings for the passage of sea water, with the air being expelled through the openings for air, wherein the set of blocks sinks to the sea bed, at the designated location, to form the artificial reef.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of arranging the set of blocks on the surface of the sea above the designated location on the sea bed further comprises forming the floating set of blocks at a first location on the surface of the sea and then towing the set of blocks to another location on the surface of the sea above the designated location.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the interconnected relationship of the set of blocks includes the placement of ties between the blocks.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the ties comprise tie rods interconnecting adjacent blocks.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the ties include a steel cable interconnecting all the blocks.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the blocks are separated from each other by rows of tires.

12. The method according to claim 6, wherein the set of blocks defines a structure in the configuration of an arrowhead.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein ends of the set of blocks are interconnected by an element appropriate to maintain the arrowhead configuration.

14. The method according to claim 6, wherein the blocks are formed of concrete.

15. The method according to claim 6, wherein the set of blocks defines a structure in the configuration of an arrowhead; the blocks are separated from each other by rows of tires, the ties include a steel cable interconnecting all the blocks; and the ends of the set of blocks are interconnected by an element appropriate to maintain the arrowhead configuration.

16. A method for removing an artificial reef formed according to the method of claim 1, comprising the steps of: introducing compressed air into the air openings in the blocks, expelling the sea water through the sea water openings so that the blocks float; and towing the set of interconnected blocks to another location.

17. An artificial reef formed according to the method of claim 6.

18. A method for forming an artificial reef comprising: providing a plurality of blocks having an interior cavity; directly connecting the plurality of blocks to each other with ties to form a set of interconnected blocks in an arrowhead configuration, the interconnected blocks being separated from each other by a plurality of tires; towing the interconnected blocks to a reef-formation location; filling the interior cavity of each of the blocks with sea water; and sinking the interconnected blocks to a bottom of the sea at the reef-formation location to form the artificial reef.

19. The method for forming an artificial reef according to claim 18, wherein a shape of the blocks is triangular.

20. The method for forming an artificial reef according to claim 18, wherein the ties comprise steel cables.

22. The method for forming an artificial reef according to claim 18, wherein each of the blocks includes a plurality of openings for the entry and exit of either seawater or air.

23. An artificial reef comprising: a plurality of triangular-shaped blocks interconnected to each other in an arrowhead configuration, each of the blocks comprising: an inner cavity; a plurality of openings for the passage of sea water and air into and out of the cavity, at least one of the openings being controlled by a valve; a plurality of fixing tabs for directly connecting each of the blocks together with tie rods; and a plurality of tires arranged between each of the blocks.

24. The artificial reef according to claim 23, wherein an opening for the entry and exit of air is formed in a face of the triangular-shaped block at an uppermost point of the face; and an opening for the passage of sea water is formed in the face of the triangular-shaped block at a lowest point of the face.

25. The artificial reef according to claim 23, wherein the plurality of blocks is towable.