Floating cover with structural supports

Abstract

A floating cover for a body of water has a flexible, impermeable substrate with a bottom face and a top face opposite the bottom face. The substrate is secured laterally across the surface of the body of water while being permitted to move vertically as the level of the body of water changes. A float is affixed to the bottom face of the substrate and a structure is rigidly mounted above the float. The structure extends above the top face of the substrate. The substrate is sealed between the float and the structure. The buoyant force of the float acts against the weight of the structure to maintain the substrate immediately adjacent to the float above the top surface of the body of water so as not to interfere with precipitation drainage.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An improved tensioned floating cover that supports a structure, the floating cover comprising:
 a flexible, inelastic, impermeable substrate, the substrate having a bottom face and a top face opposite the bottom face, the substrate extending laterally across a surface of a body of water;   one or more tensioners that apply tension to a tensioned section of the substrate and bias the tensioned section of the substrate to an installed position on the body of water, the tensioners permitting the substrate to move vertically on a top surface of the body of water as the volume of water in the body of water changes; and   a precipitation drainage system for removing water from the top face of the substrate;   the tensioned floating cover being characterized in that:
 a plurality of floats are affixed to the bottom face of the tensioned section of the substrate, each float having a planar upper profile and a buoyant force in water, wherein each float is spaced from adjacent floats and dimensioned such that in use, the buoyant force maintains the upper profile of the floats at a non-disruptive height above the surface of the body of water, the non-disruptive height being a height at which water flow to the precipitation drainage system is not disrupted; 
 one or more structures are rigidly mounted above two or more floats and extend above the top face of the substrate in an upright orientation, the substrate being sealed between the floats and the structure, the structure having a weight, wherein the buoyant force of the floats acts against the weight of the structure to maintain the substrate immediately adjacent to the floats above the surface of the body of water; and 
 the one or more tensioners apply sufficient force to maintain the spacing between adjacent floats and to maintain the structures in the upright orientation when acted upon by a predetermined wind load. 
   
     
     
         2 . The improved tensioned floating cover of  claim 1 , wherein the floats are arranged in a linear or two-dimensional array. 
     
     
         3 . The improved tensioned floating cover of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is made from a material that has a tensile strength of at least 100 lb/inch. 
     
     
         4 . The improved tensioned floating cover of  claim 1 , wherein the buoyant force maintains the substrate immediately adjacent to the floats above the top surface by 4 inches or less. 
     
     
         5 . The floating cover of  claim 1 , wherein the floats have a height of less than 6 inches, and a volume extending perpendicular to the height sufficient to provide the buoyant force. 
     
     
         6 . The floating cover of  claim 1 , wherein the floats have a width that is at least 10 times greater than the height. 
     
     
         7 . The floating cover of  claim 1 , wherein the floats comprise moulded bodies, hollow bodies, foam filled bodies, or laminated structures. 
     
     
         8 . The floating cover of  claim 1 , wherein the floats comprise ballast having a density that is greater than or equal to water. 
     
     
         9 . The floating cover of  claim 1 , wherein one or more floats are laminated to the bottom face of the substrate. 
     
     
         10 . The floating cover of  claim 1 , wherein one or more floats are affixed by enclosing the floats within cavities formed by a second layer of material attached to the bottom face of the impermeable substrate. 
     
     
         11 . The floating cover of  claim 1 , wherein the structure is mounted above the floats by a mounting comprising an adhesive mounting, a mechanical mounting, welding, or combination thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The floating cover of  claim 1 , comprising a plurality of structures mounted to a plurality of floats distributed about the substrate. 
     
     
         13 . The floating cover of  claim 1 , wherein the structure comprises a body supported above the substrate by a stand. 
     
     
         14 . The floating cover of  claim 13 , wherein the stand comprises an assembled frame or a moulded frame. 
     
     
         15 . The floating cover of  claim 13 , wherein the body is supported by a plurality of stands mounted above a plurality of floats. 
     
     
         16 . The floating cover of  claim 1 , wherein the structure comprises a support for elongate bodies, a walkway, an access ramp, a working platform, a shelter, a solar module, a decorative element, a shade structure for the body of water, a thermal collector, an aerator, a water cooler, or a pump. 
     
     
         17 . The floating cover of  claim 1 , wherein the tensioner comprises length adjustable elements distributed along an outer peripheral edge of the substrate. 
     
     
         18 . The floating cover of  claim 1 , wherein the tensioner comprises weights distributed about the top face of the substrate. 
     
     
         19 . The floating cover of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a plurality of substrate sections sealably attached to form the substrate. 
     
     
         20 . The floating cover of  claim 1 , further comprising stabilizing supports connected between adjacent structures to support the structures against wind pressure. 
     
     
         21 . The floating cover of  claim 20 , comprising a plurality of floats and structures, and wherein the stabilizing supports are connected between adjacent structures. 
     
     
         22 . The floating cover of  claim 20 , comprising a plurality of floats and structures, and wherein the stabilizing supports are connected between adjacent floats. 
     
     
         23 . The floating cover of  claim 20 , further comprising one or more anchors affixed to the substrate. 
     
     
         24 . The floating cover of  claim 23 , wherein the anchors are buoyant or neutrally buoyant in water. 
     
     
         25 . The floating cover of  claim 1 , wherein the force applied by the tensioners permits the substrate to shift under wind loads greater than the predetermined wind load, and returns the substrate to the predetermined position relative to the body of water after the wind load is reduced to below the predetermined wind load. 
     
     
         26 . A floating cover for a body of water, comprising:
 a flexible, inelastic, impermeable substrate having a bottom face and a top face opposite the bottom face, the substrate being secured laterally across the top surface;   one or more tensioners that apply at least 0.5 lb/lineal foot of tension to create a tensioned section of the substrate;   a precipitation drainage system for removing water from the top face of the substrate;   a plurality of floats having a substantially planar upper profile, the upper profile being affixed to the bottom face of the tensioned section of the substrate, the floats having a buoyant force in water; and   a structure rigidly mounted above one or more floats, the structure extending above the top face of the substrate, being sealed between the floats and the structure and having a weight, wherein the buoyant force of the floats acts against the weight of the structure to maintain the substrate immediately adjacent to the floats above the top surface of the body of water by 4 inches or less.   
     
     
         27 . A method of mounting a structure above a floating cover, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a plurality of substrate sections of a flexible, inelastic, impermeable substrate, the substrate sections having a top face, a bottom face, and parallel side edges separated by a width;   affixing a plurality of floats to the bottom face of one or more substrate sections, the floats having a buoyant force in water, the floats being low profile and having a substantially planar upper profile that engages the substrate;   rigidly mounting structures to the floats such that the structures extend away from the floats and the top face of the one or more substrate sections;   attaching the plurality of substrate sections in edge to edge relation along the parallel side edges to form the substrate, the floats having a height relative to the width of the at least one section that permits adjacent substrate sections to be attached in edge to edge relation without interfering with the attachment between edges to form a sealed surface;   installing the substrate on a reservoir and filling the reservoir to form a body of water having a surface;   applying tension to the substrate to at least that portion of the substrate to which floats are affixed, the applied tension being sufficient to maintain the spacing between adjacent floats and to maintain the structures in the upright orientation when acted upon by a predetermined wind load.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein a plurality of floats are affixed to the one or more substrate sections with the one or more substrate sections inverted. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the one or more substrate sections to which the floats are affixed to the one or more substrate sections offsite. 
     
     
         30 . A method of mounting a structure above a floating cover, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a plurality of substrate sections of a flexible, inelastic, impermeable substrate, the substrate sections having a top face, a bottom face, and parallel side edges separated by a width;   affixing a plurality of floats to the bottom face of one or more substrate sections, the floats having a buoyant force in water, the floats being low profile and having a substantially planar upper profile that engages the substrate;   rigidly mounting structures to the floats such that the structures extend away from the floats and the top face of the one or more substrate sections;   attaching the plurality of substrate sections in edge to edge relation along the parallel side edges to form the substrate;   providing a precipitation drainage system for removing water from the top face of the substrate;   installing the substrate on a reservoir and filling the reservoir to form a body of water having a surface, such that the upper profile of the floats is maintained at a non-disruptive height above the surface of the body of water, the non-disruptive height being a height at which water flow to the precipitation drainage system is not disrupted;   applying tension to the substrate to at least that portion of the substrate to which floats are affixed, the applied tension being sufficient to maintain the spacing between adjacent floats, to maintain the structures in the upright orientation, and maintain the substrate in a predetermined position relative to the body of water when acted upon by a predetermined wind load, the applied tension permitting the substrate to shift under wind loads greater than the predetermined wind load, and returning the substrate to the predetermined position relative to the body of water after the wind load is reduced to below the predetermined wind load.   
     
     
         31 . An improved tensioned floating cover that supports a structure, the floating cover comprising:
 a flexible, inelastic, impermeable substrate, the substrate having a bottom face and a top face opposite the bottom face, the substrate extending laterally across a surface of a body of water, the substrate being made from a material that has a tensile strength of at least 100 lb/inch;   one or more tensioners that apply tension to a tensioned section of the substrate and bias the tensioned section of the substrate to an installed position on the body of water, the tensioners permitting the substrate to move vertically on a top surface of the body of water as the volume of water in the body of water changes; and   a precipitation drainage system for removing water from the top face of the substrate;   the tensioned floating cover being characterized in that:
 a plurality of floats are affixed to the bottom face of the tensioned section of the substrate in a linear or two-dimensional array, each float having a planar upper profile, a buoyant force in water, and a width that is at least 10 times greater than the height, wherein each float is spaced from adjacent floats and dimensioned such that in use, the buoyant force maintains the upper profile of the floats at a non-disruptive height above the surface of the body of water, the non-disruptive height being a height at which water flow to the precipitation drainage system is not disrupted; 
 a plurality of structures are rigidly mounted above a plurality of floats distributed about the substrate, the structures extending above the top face of the substrate in an upright orientation, the structure being mounted above the floats by a mounting comprising an adhesive mounting, a mechanical mounting, welding, or combination thereof, such that the substrate is sealed between the floats and the structure, the structure having a weight, wherein the buoyant force of the floats acts against the weight of the structure to maintain the substrate immediately adjacent to the floats above the surface of the body of water; and 
 the one or more tensioners apply sufficient force to maintain the spacing between adjacent floats and to maintain the structures in the upright orientation when acted upon by a predetermined wind load.