Water-permeable concrete pad and form

Abstract

A concrete pad with drainage holes is created using an in-situ form with a plurality of spaced, vertically aligned conduits having upper ends with removable caps and spacers connecting the conduits. The form is horizontally positioned at the area where the pad is to be created and concrete is poured into the form until the upper surface of the concrete is in a plane with the upper ends of the conduits. After the concrete has cured, the caps are removed to permit water to flow from the top of the pad through the conduits for drainage into the soil beneath the pad.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] (1) Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to concrete pads having drainage holes, and in particular to concrete pads made using a form that includes a plurality of spaced, vertically aligned conduits joined by spacers, and having removable caps covering their upper ends. [0003] (2) Description of the Prior Art [0004] Concrete pads, i.e., a layer of poured concrete having a given length, width and thickness, are highly durable and are widely used for a variety of applications including walkways, driveways, and the like. Normally, concrete pads are formed by preparing the surface on which the pad is to be poured, and then constructing a removable form or frame about the periphery of the area. [0005] The interior of the form is then filled with a pourable concrete mix and the upper surface of the poured concrete is leveled with the upper surface of the form, normally by drawing a screed supported by the form over the concrete to ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0020] After the concrete has cured, the conduit caps are removed. The resultant concrete pad has all of the attributes of a conventional concrete pad in terms of durability and support for objects placed on the pad. However, due to the conduits, water that falls or flows onto the surface of the pad will be able to drain through the conduits into the soil beneath the pad, eliminating the primary objection to such pads and permitting their use instead of the less desirable and more expensive alternatives.

Problems solved by technology

One disadvantage of concrete pads is the fact that water impinging on the pad, e.g., rainwater, is prevented from absorption into the soil beneath the pad, resulting in runoff that can cause flooding and soil erosion.

This approach is considerably more expensive than pouring a single concrete pad, and provides an inferior covering since the individual pads may shift over time.

Porous concrete is of limited value in that only a small percentage of water may penetrate the pad, particularly during a hard or heavy rain.

In addition, porous concrete is considerably more expensive than conventional concrete.

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