Plastic detention chamber for stormwater runoff and related system and methods
A plastic, corrugated open bottom chamber includes features such as one or more of (i) sub-corrugation features on corrugation crests and/or corrugation valleys, (ii) stiffening fingers on the bottom of chamber foot portions, (iii) a viewport configuration that intersects only a single corrugation crest and (iv) a unitary end wall. A method of producing chambers with or without a unitary end wall using a common mold tool is also provided. A method of interconnecting chambers to form a chamber rows is also provided.
1. An apparatus for receiving and dispersing water, the apparatus comprising:
a plastic arch-shaped corrugated chamber having a generally open bottom and including a plurality of corrugation crests and a plurality of corrugation valleys distributed along a length of the chamber, the corrugation crests and corrugation valleys extending transverse to a lengthwise axis of the chamber, wherein multiple corrugation valleys include a respective valley sub-corrugation feature thereon, where each corrugation valley is defined by a respective inner surface and a respective outer surface, and the valley sub-corrugation feature offsets both the inner surface and the outer surface in a common raised or recessed orientation in the region of the valley sub-corrugation;
each valley sub-corrugation feature (i) is an external raised sub-corrugation located along at least a top portion of its respective corrugation valley, (ii) extends downward toward the bottom of the chamber on opposite sides of the chamber, (iii) has an upper portion with substantially uniform width and (iv) has lower portions on opposite sides of the chamber, each lower portion decreasing in width as it moves downward.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein multiple corrugation crests include a respective crest sub-corrugation feature thereon.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein each crest sub-corrugation feature comprises an external raised sub-corrugation feature with inner surface portion raised outward and outer surface portion raised outward and each valley sub-corrugation feature comprises an external raised sub-corrugation feature with inner surface portion offset outward and outer surface portion offset outward.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein:
the corrugation crests and corrugation valleys extend from side to side of the chamber between spaced apart lengthwise extending foot portions of the chamber, wherein each foot portion includes a bottom portion with a plurality of downwardly facing stiffening fingers.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein:
each foot portion includes first and second end parts at opposite lengthwise ends of the chamber, and an intermediate part between the first and second end parts, the stiffening fingers are located on the intermediate part, bottom surfaces of the first and second end parts are substantially planar.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein:
at least one viewport structure is provided on the chamber, the viewport structure configured to intersect only a single corrugation crest.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein:
the single corrugation crest connects to adjacent corrugation valleys via respective opposed webs,
the viewport structure includes outer curved wall portions, each outer curved wall portion intersects and provides structural continuity between respective portions of one of the opposed webs.
8. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein each crest sub-corrugation feature is substantially centered along a width of its respective corrugation crest, each valley sub-corrugation feature is substantially centered along a width of its respective corrugation valley.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein:
each crest sub-corrugation feature is located along at least a top portion of its respective crest,
each crest sub-corrugation feature has a crest sub-corrugation height, relative to its corrugation crest, that is less than 10% of a height of the corrugation crest relative to its adjacent corrugation valley,
each valley sub-corrugation feature is located along at least a top portion of its respective valley,
each valley sub-corrugation feature has a valley sub-corrugation height, relative to its corrugation valley, that is less than 10% of a height of the adjacent corrugation crest relative to the corrugation valley.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein:
a width of each of the multiple corrugation crests is greater toward the bottom of the chamber than at a top of the chamber,
a width of each crest sub-corrugation feature is greater toward the bottom of the chamber than at the top of the chamber,
a width of each of the multiple corrugation valleys is less toward the bottom of the chamber than at the top of the chamber,
a width of each valley sub-corrugation feature is less toward the bottom of the chamber than at the top of the chamber.
11. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein:
each crest sub-corrugation feature is located along at least a top portion of its respective corrugation crest,
each crest sub-corrugation feature has a crest sub-corrugation height, relative to its corrugation crest, that is no more than about three times a thickness of the plastic defining the corrugation crest,
each valley sub-corrugation feature is located along at least a top portion of its respective corrugation valley,
each valley sub-corrugation feature has a valley sub-corrugation height, relative to its corrugation valley, that is no more than about three times a thickness of the plastic defining the corrugation valley.
12. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein:
each crest sub-corrugation feature is located along at least a top portion of its respective corrugation crest,
each crest sub-corrugation feature has a crest sub-corrugation height, relative to its corrugation crest, that is no more than about three times a thickness of the plastic defining the corrugation crest.
13. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein:
each crest sub-corrugation feature has at least one opening therein, the opening located toward the bottom of the chamber and offset toward one side of the sub-corrugation feature.
14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
multiple corrugation crests include a respective crest sub-corrugation feature thereon;
a width of each of the multiple corrugation crests is greater toward the bottom of the chamber than at a top of the chamber,
a width of each crest sub-corrugation feature is greater toward the bottom of the chamber than higher along the chamber.
15. An apparatus for receiving and dispersing water, the apparatus comprising:
a plastic arch-shaped corrugated chamber having a generally open bottom and including a plurality of corrugation crests and valleys distributed along a length of the chamber, the corrugation crests and valleys extending transverse to a lengthwise axis of the chamber, wherein at least one viewport structure is provided on the chamber, the viewport structure configured to intersect only a single corrugation crest,
the single corrugation crest connects to adjacent corrugation valleys via respective opposed webs,
the viewport structure includes outer curved wall portions, each outer curved wall portion intersects and provides structural continuity between respective portions of one of the opposed webs,
each curved wall portion includes a top surface that connects with the single corrugation crest at each end of the curved wall portion, each end of the curved wall portion further includes a raised stiffening ridge that extends onto the adjacent portion of the single corrugation crest.
16. An apparatus for receiving and dispersing water, the apparatus comprising:
a plastic arch-shaped corrugated chamber having a generally open bottom and including a plurality of corrugation crests and a plurality of corrugation valleys distributed along a length of the chamber, the corrugation crests and corrugation valleys extending transverse to a lengthwise axis of the chamber, wherein multiple corrugation crests include a respective external raised crest sub-corrugation feature thereon, where each external raised crest sub-corrugation feature is centered along a width of its respective corrugation crest;
a width of each of the multiple corrugation crests is greater toward the bottom of the chamber than at a top of the chamber,
a width of each external raised crest sub-corrugation feature is greater toward the bottom of the chamber than higher along the chamber;
a depth of each external raised crest sub-corrugation feature becomes less as the width of its respective corrugation crest narrows,
the chamber includes a first end corrugation crest at one chamber end and a second end corrugation crest at an opposite chamber end, each of the first and second end corrugation crests lacks any sub-corrugation feature.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein:
multiple corrugation valleys include the respective sub-corrugation feature thereon in the form of an external raised valley sub-corrugation feature that (i) is located along at least a top portion of its respective corrugation valley, (ii) extends downward along opposite sides of the chamber and (iii) has lower portions on opposite sides of the chamber, each lower portion decreasing in width as it moves downward.