Abstract:
The present disclosure describes systems and methods for affixing one or more geomembrane sheets to a concrete slab. The systems and methods can include an affixing member that adheres to the one or more geomembrane sheets. The affixing member can further include gripping extensions that adhere to the concrete slab. The gripping extensions can include distal ends embedded into the concrete slab. The gripping extensions can be integral with the affixing member. The geomembrane sheets may be used in the construction of a building to prevent vapor transmission through a concrete foundation from the supporting substrate.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a system and method of affixing geomembrane to concrete. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to a system and method of utilizing an affixing member to affix geomembrane to concrete slabs used in the construction industry. The geomembranes are utilized for retarding vapor from entering a building from underneath the concrete slab of a building&#39;s foundation. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A geomembrane is a low permeability synthetic membrane liner or barrier used to prevent the transmission of fluid or gas into a structure that is in contact with the ground. Since concrete is porous, it fails to prevent the transmission of gaseous contaminants into a structure on its own. Thus, geomembranes are used in the construction of buildings to prevent the transmission of water vapor and other contaminants from entering into the building through a concrete foundation that is in contact or in proximity to the ground. Geomembranes are often constructed of polymeric films in sheet form and, in particular, are often times constructed out of polyethylene films. Geomembranes used for preventing vapor transmission through a concrete foundation are often referred to as vapor barriers or vapor retarders. 
     For a building foundation requiring a vapor barrier or vapor retarder, more than one sheet of geomembrane is typically required to cover the entire area of the building&#39;s foundation. As a result, geomembrane sheets commonly are laid adjacent to each other to cover the entire area of the foundation. The individual sheets are typically overlapped and joined to each other with the use of seaming tape. Typical seaming tape adheres the geomembrane sheets to each other but fails to provide any adhesion to the concrete slab of the foundation. Furthermore, the typical polymeric film used as a geomembrane fails to adhere to the concrete slab and may only be held in place by the supporting substrate of the construction site, such as the ground. 
     Building designers are increasingly concerned that geomembranes may not adequately be held in place against a concrete slab of a building&#39;s foundation as the ground or other supporting substrate of the foundation shifts over time. Additionally, buildings are increasingly being constructed with the use of temporary support platforms in regions with expansive soils. The temporary support platforms are used to create space between concrete foundations and expansive soils. The temporary support platforms are laid upon the ground prior to the pouring of concrete. Once the concrete hardens, the temporary support platforms gradually absorb moisture, lose strength, and deteriorate, leaving space between the ground and the concrete slab. The concrete remains supported by piers or other structural supports. Typically, a geomembrane is placed on the temporary support platforms prior to pouring the concrete. However, once the temporary support platforms deteriorate, the sheeting may not be adequately held in place against the concrete slab. An improved system and method is required to hold the geomembrane in contact with the concrete slab without support from the underlying substrate. 
     An example of a method of adhering a geomembrane to concrete is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,608,883 B2 (the &#39;883 patent) entitled “Adherent Layer.” The &#39;883 Patent discloses an “adherent layer” that has a substrate, a first adhesive layer applied to the top of the substrate, a second adhesive layer applied to a bottom of the substrate, and a textured layer applied to the top of the substrate and over the first adhesive layer. The &#39;883 patent further discloses that this adherent layer can be attached to a geomembrane acting as a vapor barrier and concrete can then be poured on to the adherent layer. According to the disclosure, a mechanical bond is formed between the concrete slab and the textured layer of the adherent layer, adhering the geomembrane to the concrete slab. However, in the &#39;883 patent, an adhesive is required to adhere the textured layer to the tape substrate. Therefore, there is an increased risk that the geomembrane will not remain adhered to the concrete slab if the adhesive bond fails. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,686,903 B2 (the &#39;903 patent) provides an example of affixing a geomembrane to concrete slabs and other building structures. The &#39;903 patent discloses a composite membrane with a layer of rubberized asphalt, a plastic film layer, and a layer of nonwoven geotextile. The nonwoven geotextile forms a mechanical bond between the membrane and concrete when the concrete is formed on the membrane. The thickness of the entire membrane can range from about 30 to 95 mils. This disclosed geomembrane may be thicker than desired for certain applications and may not be a cost effective solution for all applications. 
     In view of the foregoing, it is desired to provide a cost effective solution that addresses the need for affixing a geomembrane to a concrete slab and provides an improved bond. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a system for affixing a geomembrane to a concrete slab. The system may comprise one or more sheets of geomembrane and an affixing member. In a preferred embodiment, the one or more sheets of geomembrane may comprise a polyethylene material or various other polymers. The affixing member may comprise an affixing substrate and an adhesive on a first side of the affixing substrate. The adhesive may adhere to at least the perimeter of the one or more sheets of the geomembrane. The adhesive may be capable of adhering to polyethylene film. The affixing member may further comprise a plurality of gripping extensions. The plurality of gripping extensions may be embedded into the concrete slab. The plurality of gripping extensions may be integral with the affixing substrate and extend from a second side of the affixing substrate. The one or more sheets of geomembrane may have a first side that adheres to the affixing member and a second side that may be supported by a supporting substrate. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the affixing substrate and the plurality of gripping extensions may be formed from a homogeneous material. The plurality of gripping extensions may comprise a distal end and the distal end may be hooked shape. The plurality of gripping extensions may be organized into a plurality of rows. One hooked shaped distal end may be aligned in an opposite direction from adjacent gripping extensions located in the same row. The hook shaped distal ends may also be aligned along a single axis where the single axis may be parallel or perpendicular to a length of the affixing member. 
     It is further contemplated that the geomembrane affixing system may further comprise two or more sheets of geomembrane. A first sheet of the two more sheets of geomembrane may overlap a second sheet of the two or more sheets. The affixing member may further be applied to an edge portion of the first sheet and a portion of the second sheet. The portion of the second sheet may be located in proximity to an edge of the second sheet. 
     The present invention is also directed toward a method for affixing geomembrane to concrete. The method may include affixing a first side of an affixing member to a perimeter of one or more sheets of a geomembrane. The method may further include pouring concrete onto the perimeter of the one or more sheets. A plurality of gripping extensions may extend from a second side of the affixing member and be embedded into the concrete. The plurality of gripping extensions and an affixing substrate of the affixing member may be constructed of a solitary material. The plurality of gripping extensions may be organized into a plurality of rows. Each of the plurality of gripping extensions may further have a distal end. The distal end of each of the plurality of gripping extensions may be hooked shaped. A first hook shaped distal end may be aligned in an opposite direction from an adjacent second hook shaped distal end. The hook shaped distal ends of the plurality of gripping extensions may further be oriented along a single axis. The single axis may be aligned parallel or perpendicular to a length of the affixing member. 
     The method of affixing geomembrane to concrete may further comprise two or more sheets of geomembrane laid adjacent to each other in an overlapping fashion. The affixing member of the method may be applied to an edge portion of at least one of the two or more sheets. The one or more geomembrane sheets used in the method may comprise polyethylene and the adhesive may be capable of adhering to polyethylene. 
     The present invention is directed to another system for affixing a geomembrane to a concrete slab. The system may comprise one or more sheets of geomembrane and an affixing member. The affixing member may comprise an affixing substrate and an adhesive on a first side of the affixing substrate. The adhesive may adhere to at least the perimeter of the one or more sheets of the geomembrane. The affixing member may further comprise a plurality of gripping extensions extending from a second side of the affixing substrate. Each of the plurality of gripping extensions may comprise a distal end embedded into the concrete slab. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED DRAWINGS 
       A full and complete understanding of the present invention may be obtained by reference to the detailed description of the present invention and the described embodiments when viewed with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings can be briefly described as follows. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view, partially in cross-section, of an embodiment of the present invention with certain features shown not to scale so as to better illustrate the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a detailed side view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a cutaway top view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1  with certain sections partially removed and the concrete slab not shown to better illustrate certain aspects of the invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a partial elevation view of the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , not to scale. 
         FIG. 5  is a partial front view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a detailed partial front view of the affixing member utilized in the invention, with certain aspects not to scale. 
         FIG. 7  is a partial top view of the affixing member shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is a side view of the affixing member shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a roll of a preferred embodiment of the affixing member. 
         FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional side view of an alternative embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional side view of another alternative embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure illustrates one or more embodiments of the present invention. It is not intended to provide an illustration or encompass all embodiments contemplated by the present invention. In view of the disclosure of the present invention contained herein, a person having ordinary skill in the art will recognize that innumerable modifications and insubstantial changes may be incorporated or otherwise included within the present invention without diverging from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is understood that the present invention is not limited to those embodiments disclosed herein. The appended claims are intended to more fully and accurately encompass the invention to the fullest extent possible, but it is fully appreciated that certain limitations on the use of particular terms is not intended to conclusively limit the scope of protection. 
     Looking initially at  FIG. 1 , an embodiment of a geomembrane to concrete sheet affixing system  100  is shown. The system  100  has one or more geomembrane sheets  110  and one or more affixing members  120 .  FIG. 1  further shows a concrete slab  130  and a supporting substrate  140 . The supporting substrate may be soil, a plurality of temporary support platforms or any other substrate capable of supporting the one or more geomembrane sheets  110  against the concrete slab  130 . The supporting substrate  140  may only provide temporary support and may eventually fail to maintain the geomembrane  110  in place against the concrete slab  130 . 
     In  FIG. 2 , an adhesive  160  of the affixing member  120  is shown with the adhesive  160  on a first side of the affixing substrate  150 . The adhesive  160  is shown adhering the affixing member  120  to the geomembrane  110 .  FIG. 2  further shows a plurality of gripping extensions  170  extending from a second side of the affixing substrate  150 . The plurality of gripping extensions  170  is shown embedded into the concrete slab  130 . Each of the gripping extensions  170  includes a distal end embedded into the concrete slab  130 . The distal ends of the gripping extensions  170 , in a preferred embodiment, are hook shaped as shown in  FIG. 2 . The gripping extensions  170  are proportioned and spaced so that typical grades of concrete substantially flow around and surround each gripping extension  170 . 
     Certain aspects of the concrete to geomembrane affixing system  100  are shown more thoroughly in  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 3  shows a perimeter  180  defined by a plurality of sheets of a geomembrane  110 . The perimeter  180  shown by  FIG. 3  is generally rectangular in shape. However, the perimeter  180  may take on any shape as required for a particular installation. The affixing member  120  is shown adhered to the perimeter  180  of the geomembrane sheets  110 . Each one of the geomembrane sheets  110  is arranged so that a lengthwise edge portion of each sheet is adjacent to another sheet. In a preferred embodiment, the affixing member  120  is further used to affix the geomembrane sheets  110  to the concrete at any penetrations that pass through the geomembrane sheets  110 . 
     As more clearly shown in  FIG. 4 , the geomembrane sheets  110  may be laid next to each other in an overlapping fashion so that an edge portion of one sheet is in contact with or adjacent to a portion of another sheet. As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the affixing member  120  may be applied to an edge portion of a first sheet and to a portion of a second sheet. The portion of the second sheet that the affixing member  120  is applied to may be in proximity to the edge of the second sheet. With the affixing member  120  applied to the perimeter  180  and to portions of adjacent sheets as shown in  FIG. 3 , the system  100  may affix numerous geomembrane sheets  110  to a concrete slab  130  of any size. The geomembrane sheets  110  may be cut to size to fit the dimensions of the concrete slab  130  as dictated by the requirements of a particular installation. 
       FIG. 5  shows a detailed partial front view of certain aspects of the geomembrane to concrete affixing system  100 . The affixing member  120  is not shown to scale. The gripping members  170  are shown embedded into the concrete  130 . The geomembrane  110  is shown supported by the supporting substrate  140 . A first sheet of the geomembrane  110  is shown arranged in an overlapping fashion to a second sheet of the geomembrane  110 . In one preferred embodiment, the first sheet may overlap the second sheet by a minimum of six inches; however, it is contemplated that the overlap distance may vary considerably. 
       FIGS. 6-8  illustrate in further detail one preferred embodiment of the affixing member  120 . The height of each gripping extension  170  from the surface of the affixing substrate  150  may be within the range of 0.80 millimeter (mm) to 1.00 mm. Each of the gripping extensions  170  may comprise a rectangular cross-section. Each of the gripping extensions  170  may taper in width as the height of each gripping extension  170  increases in relation to the surface of the affixing substrate  150  as shown in  FIG. 8 . 
     In a certain embodiment, the gripping extensions  170  of the affixing member  120  shown in  FIGS. 6-8  may be sized and arranged so that for each square centimeter (cm 2 ) there are 84 gripping extensions  170 , preferably arranged in a  6  by  14  layout per each square centimeter. Thus, the affixing member  120  may be constructed so that for every centimeter (cm) of width there are 14 gripping extensions  170 . In one preferred embodiment, the width of the affixing member  120  may be approximately 15.25 cm so that there are approximately 214 gripping extensions  170  for each row of gripping extensions  170 . 
     The plurality of gripping extensions  170  may be organized into rows as illustrated by  FIG. 7 . As detailed in  FIG. 7 , each gripping extension  170  can be organized into rows from a first side to a second side of the width of the affixing member  120 . Each adjacent gripping extension  170  may have a hooked shaped distal end as illustrated by  FIG. 8 . Within each row, the location of the base of each gripping extension  170  may be aligned as shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 . The curvature of the distal end of each gripping extension  170  may be aligned along a single axis. The axis may be aligned parallel to the length of the affixing member  120  as illustrated by  FIG. 7 . Alternatively, the axis may be aligned transverse to the length of the affixing member  120 . Within a row, the hook shaped distal end of each adjacent gripping extension  170  may be oriented in an opposite direction as shown by  FIGS. 7 and 8 . 
     The thickness of the affixing substrate  150  may be approximately 0.14 mm and the thickness of the adhesive  160  may be approximately 0.20 mm. The adhesive  120  of the affixing member  120  may be a butyl rubber compound or any other adhesive that provides adequate adhesion between the affixing substrate  150  and the geomembrane  110 . As shown in  FIG. 8 , a surface of the affixing substrate  150  may vary in height, decreasing in height between each gripping extension  170  and sloping up when approaching each gripping extension  170 . In a preferred embodiment, the total width of the affixing member  120  may be approximately six inches but may vary considerably. Preferably, the length of the affixing member  120  will be much longer than the width. However, the exact length may vary a great degree, depending upon the particular application. 
       FIG. 9  illustrates an embodiment of the affixing member  120  configured into a roll.  FIG. 9  further illustrates that the affixing member  120  may include a releasable backing  190  that prevents the affixing member  120  from sticking to itself when configured into a roll. The releasable backing  190  may be constructed of a coated paper.  FIG. 9  shows the adhesive  160  located on a first side of the affixing substrate  150  of the affixing member  120 . Further depicted in  FIG. 9  are the gripping extensions  170  located on a second side of the affixing substrate  150 . 
     In one preferred embodiment, the gripping extensions  170  of the affixing member  120  and the affixing substrate  150  are a single monolithic and continuous structure, as shown by  FIG. 2 , so that the gripping extensions  170  are integral with the affixing substrate  150 . This integral structure prevents the gripping extensions  170  from detaching from the affixing member  120 . This monolithic structure may be formed as a cast polypropylene material. However, the structure may be formed from any other suitable polymer or other material and manufactured by any suitable process known in the art. The gripping extensions  170  and affixing substrate  150  may also be formed together from a homogeneous material or a solitary material. 
     As mentioned, in a preferred embodiment, the distal end of each of the gripping extensions  170  may be hooked shaped. As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 8 , each gripping extension  170  may extend above the surface of the affixing substrate  150  a majority of its height in a general perpendicular fashion relative to a plane of the affixing substrate  150 , and thereafter begin to curve into an arcuate shape with the curvature exceeding 90 degrees. However, it is contemplated that the curvature of a gripping member  170  may be less than 90 degrees and still fall within the description of a hook shaped distal end. With the curvature exceeding 90 degrees, the distal end portion of a gripping extension  170  points back towards a surface of the affixing substrate  150 . 
     Due to this amount of curvature as described above, once the concrete slab  130  is poured and cures, the shape of the gripping extensions  170 , in cooperation with the cured concrete, form an extremely strong bond due to mechanical interference. Thus, the gripping extensions  170  must either deform excessively, due to extreme forces, for the gripping extensions  170  to be detached from the concrete slab  130 , or the concrete material itself must fail. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the plurality of gripping extensions  170  may be integrally formed with the affixing substrate  120  and each of the gripping extensions  170  may comprise a hook shaped distal end. This combination of features prevents the gripping extensions  170  from separating from the concrete slab  130  and also prevents the gripping extensions  170  from separating from the affixing member  120 . Thus, such an embodiment is capable of providing an exceptionally strong bond to the concrete slab  130 . 
     The strength of the bond between the affixing member  120  and concrete  130  has been demonstrated through industry accepted testing according to ASTM D903. By this testing, a preferred embodiment with the previously described affixing member  120  has been shown to achieve 180 degree peel adhesion strength in excess of 25 lb/in. Additionally, the sheer adhesion strength of a 1 inch by 2 inch sample of the affixing member  120  embedded in concrete has been shown to achieve test results of greater than 56.0 lb/in 2 . 
     In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the geomembrane  110  may be comprised of polymeric film. The thickness of the film may vary but it may be in a range from 10 to 15 mils. The film may have multiple layers. A multilayer film may be formed by coextrusion of various polyolefin resins. Each layer of a coextruded film may comprise a different polyolefin resin. The film, in an alternative embodiment, may be constructed of a single layer. 
     In a certain embodiment the polymeric film may be a polyethylene film. The polyethylene film may comprise Very Low Density Polyethylene (VLDPE), Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE), Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE), Metallocene Based Very Low Density Polyethylene (MVLDPE), High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), or any combination of the foregoing. The polyethylene film may comprise multiple layers or a single layer. 
     Another embodiment of the present invention is disclosed in  FIG. 10 .  FIG. 10  shows an alternative affixing member  120 A. The affixing member  120 A is shown having an affixing substrate  150  and a gripping adhesive  200  on a first side of the affixing substrate  150 . A gripping member  220 A is shown adhered to the gripping adhesive  200 . The gripping member  220 A may include a first surface that adheres to the gripping adhesive  200 . The first surface may generally be laminar and flat to enable it to adhere appropriately to the gripping adhesive  200 . A second surface of the gripping member  220 A may be rough, jagged, and irregular in shape. The second surface of the gripping member  220 A may comprise a plurality of irregular peaks and valleys. The distal ends of the irregular peaks may form a plurality of irregular shaped gripping extensions  170 A. The plurality of gripping extensions  170 A is shown embedded within the concrete slab  130  in  FIG. 10 , affixing the affixing member  120 A to the concrete  130 . The irregular second surface of the gripping member  220 A may be formed in a polyolefin film by the use of blowing agents in the manufacturing process. 
     Further illustrated by  FIG. 10  is an adhesive  160  on a first side of the affixing substrate  150 . The adhesive  160  is shown adhering the affixing member  120 A to one or sheets of a geomembrane  110 . The geomembrane sheets  110  are shown supported by a supporting substrate  140 . 
       FIG. 11  depicts another embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 11  shows an alternative affixing member  120 B. The affixing member  120 B is shown with an affixing substrate  150 . A gripping member  220 B is shown extending from the affixing substrate  150 . A second surface of the gripping member  220 B may comprise a plurality of irregular peaks and valleys. The distal ends of the irregular peaks may form a plurality of irregular shaped gripping extensions  170 B. The plurality of gripping extensions  170 B are shown embedded within concrete  130  in  FIG. 11 , affixing the affixing member  120 B to the concrete  130 . The gripping member  120 B and the affixing substrate  150  may be formed from a solitary and continuous material. Thus, the gripping member  120 B may be integral with the affixing substrate  150 . The irregular second surface of the gripping member  220 B may be formed in a polyolefin film by the use of blowing agents in the manufacturing process. 
     Further illustrated by  FIG. 11  is an adhesive  160  on a first side of the affixing substrate  150 . The adhesive  160  is shown affixing the affixing member  120 B to one or sheets of a geomembrane  110 . The geomembrane sheets  110  are shown supported by a supporting substrate  140 . 
     As previously noted, the specific embodiments depicted herein are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Indeed, it is contemplated that any number of different embodiments may be utilized without diverging from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to more fully encompass the full scope of the present invention.