Deck system

A deck system is disclosed having a mounting plate with a planar support surface and at least one locating rod extending from the support surface. The locating rod extends in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the support surface. A beam having a first end and a second end is positioned on the support surface of the mounting plate. The first and second ends of the beam have a slot and the slot is disposed for receiving the locating rod. At least one tread is disposed to extend between the two spaced apart parallel oriented beams. The tread has opposed shoulders on the side of the tread that engages the spaced apart beams. The opposed shoulders are disposed for engaging a side of the spaced apart beams that are in adjacent relationship.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention is directed to a deck system that can be utilized to span areas that are not easily traversed by pedestrian or vehicle traffic. In particular, the deck system is frequently used to extend over water or marshy areas that otherwise could not easily be traversed. The deck system utilizes reinforced concrete components that can resist the elements much more readily than treated wood decking systems that have been used in the past.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A deck system is disclosed having a mounting plate with a planar support surface and at least one locating rod extending from the support surface. The locating rod extends in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the support surface. A beam having a first end and a second end is positioned on the support surface of the mounting plate. The first and second ends of the beam have a slot and the slot is disposed for receiving the locating rod. At least one tread is disposed to extend between the two spaced apart parallel oriented beams. The tread has opposed shoulders on the side of the tread that engages the spaced apart beams. The opposed shoulders are disposed for engaging a side of the spaced apart beams that are in adjacent relationship.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention is directed to a deck system designed to be used in areas that are suitable for walking or vehicle traffic. More particularly, the deck system is made primarily of reinforced concrete that can accommodate many environmental conditions and provide a safe and long-lasting deck system. The features of the invention will be more readily understood by referring to the attached drawings in connection with the following description.

The deck system5, as shown inFIGS. 1-7, is designed to be mounted on piers9that are positioned in and extend above the land or water where the deck system is to be utilized. A concrete or metal style of pier can be used in the system. A helical pier that can be screwed into the ground has been found to be particularly useful for establishing a base for the deck system. A mounting cap11is positioned on the end of each of the piers9. The mounting cap is positioned on the end of the pier that is spaced apart from the land or water where the pier is located. The mounting cap has a mounting plate15and sleeve17that extends from the mounting plate in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to a planar support surface19formed by the mounting plate15. The sleeve17is designed to fit over the pier upon which the camp11is positioned. Bolts21, or other securing devices, can extend through the sleeve17and the pier9to secure the mounting plate to the pier. At least one locating rod25extends from the side of the mounting plate15that is spaced apart from the sleeve17. The at least one locating rod extends from the planar support surface19in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the planar support surface. Reinforcing gussets27can extend between the sleeve17and the mounting plate15to provide additional reinforcement for the mounting plate15. Mounting plate15is usually made of steel or a similar material having sufficient structural strength. The steel can be galvanized or otherwise coated to protect the material of the mounting plate from environmental elements.

A support beam31is designed to extend between the mounting caps11positioned on adjacent piers9. The support beams are made of reinforced concrete and have a generally rectangular cross-section. Steel reinforcing bars33are usually positioned in the support beams to provide additional strength. The steel reinforcing bars can be galvanized or otherwise coated to protect the steel from environmental conditions. Each end of the support beam31has a radiused or curved section35and a slot37positioned in the curved section that extends from the bottom to the top of the support beam. The slot37is disposed to be in alignment with one of the locating rods25positioned on the planar support surface19of the mounting plate15. The curved section35allows one support beam to be positioned at an angle with respect to an adjacent support beam to accommodate changes in direction for the deck system. The slot37and locating rod25also facilitate the positioning of the support beams in the desired orientation for the deck system. The bottom39of the support beam31is designed to rest upon the planar support surface19of the mounting cap11.

An epoxy grout41can be positioned in the slot37on the support beam31to fill the slot around the locating rod25. The epoxy grout41can also act to position the support beam with respect to the locating rod25. A bearing pad45is positioned on the top of the support beam31, which is the side of the support beam that is spaced apart from the mounting plate15. The bearing pad45has a thickness that is from about ⅛ of an inch to about ¾ of an inch and is made from an elastomeric material such as rubber, urethane or similar resilient materials.

A plurality of treads49are positioned to extend over spaced apart support beams31that are orientated in a parallel relationship. The treads are formed of reinforced concrete with reinforcing steel53positioned substantially in the center of the treads. The reinforcing steel has a coating or protective material on the surface of the steel to protect the steel from the effects of moisture or other environmental conditions. The ends51of the treads49are designed to extend beyond the support beams31that support the treads. The concrete that is used in the treads is reinforced with reinforcing fibers55that are distributed substantially uniformly in the concrete. It has been found that a helix type of steel reinforcing fiber is particularly good at reinforcing the treads. Fibers sold by Helix Steel under the name twisted steel micro-rebar are one example of such a preferred reinforcing fiber. The use of helix type of reinforcing fibers increases the strength of the treads and allows less concrete to be used. This significantly reduces the weight of the treads. The treads can be subjected to vibration during pouring of the concrete to assist in positioning the reinforcing fibers in the treads and away from the exterior surfaces of the treads. The reinforcing fibers usually have a length from about 10 mm to about 50 mm and a diameter from about 0.25 mm to about 0.75 mm. In practice it has been found that a length of about 25 mm and a diameter of about 0.50 mm for the reinforcing fibers is preferred. The helix fibers are usually coated with zinc or other suitable material that protects the fibers from moisture and environmental chemicals. Although a helix type of steel fiber has been described, it should be appreciated that other types of reinforcing fibers can also be used. It has been found preferable to use from about 35 pounds to about 60 pounds of helix reinforcing fibers per cubic yard of concrete. The treads49have a generally rectangular cross-section width of the tread is substantially greater than the height of the tread. The bottom57of the treads49rests upon the bearing pads45that is positioned on the top of the support beams31. A shoulder61is positioned adjacent each end of the treads49. The shoulder on each end of the tread is designed to be located so that it can engage the side of the support beam31that is adjacent to the opposed support beam that supports the treads. This location for the shoulder61positions the shoulders between the parallel support beams that are used to support the treads. The shoulders extend from the bottom57of the treads49in a direction towards the mounting cap11for a distance from about 2 to about 4 inches. The shoulders61are designed to engage the support beams31and to prevent the treads from moving any substantial lateral distance with regard to the support beams. Shoulders61also function to make sure that the support beams are located a proper distance apart, so the proper support is provided for the treads. The top 59 of the treads49provide a surface upon which a pedestrian, vehicle, or other similar types of traffic can advance.

In some applications it may be desirable to have a curb65positioned on each end of the treads49. The curbs, as shown inFIG. 6, are made of precast concrete and can be secured to the treads with a threaded rod67that extends through the treads49and into the curb65. It should also be recognized that railings or similar structures can be mounted along the edges of the treads in a manner similar to the curbs. In some applications, as shown inFIG. 7, it may be desirable to position a bearing block71beneath the ends of the support beams31at the end of the deck system where the deck system transitions to the ground adjacent to the area that the deck system spanned. The bearing block is made of reinforced concrete utilizing the same type of reinforcing steel as previously described in this application. An anchor rod73extends from the top of the bearing block in a direction towards the support beam31. The anchor rod73is designed to extend into the slot37on the end of the support beam to locate the support beam with respect to the bearing block71. Epoxy grout41can be positioned in the slot37in the manner previously described.

In operation, the piers9are positioned in parallel rows in the ground where the deck system is to be utilized. Mounting caps11are positioned on each of the piers and support beams31are positioned on the planer support surface19of the mounting plate15of the mounting caps11. The locating rods25extend into the slots37on the end of the support beams to ensure that the support beams are in the desired location on the mounting caps positioned on the piers9. Epoxy grout41is used to fill the slots37and secure the support beams with respect to the locating rods25. Depending on the length of the area that the decking system will span, several support beams31may be positioned on the plurality of parallel oriented piers9. A plurality of treads49are positioned to extend between the support beams31that are positioned in spaced apart parallel relationship on the piers9. The treads49can be positioned on top of a bearing pad45that can be positioned at the top of the support beams30. The plurality of treads will extend along the length of the support beams31that span the area to be covered by the deck system5. The shoulder61that is located on the bottom57of the treads49will be positioned adjacent the inside surface of the spaced apart parallel oriented support beams31. The shoulder61is designed to engage the support beams to prevent any substantial movement of the treads in a direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the support beams31. In some applications, a bearing block71can be used at the end of the span that the deck system is to cover to provide a base upon which the ends of the support beams31can be positioned. A curb65can also be positioned adjacent the ends51of the treads49to provide a barrier to prevent pedestrians or vehicles from moving off the ends51of the treads49. The curb65can be held in place with threaded rod67that extends through the treads49into the curbs.

The above detailed description of the present invention is given for explanatory purposes. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the whole of the foregoing description is to be construed in an illustrative and not a limitative sense, the scope of the invention being defined solely by the appended claims.