Equipment Pad Having Balanced Support

Abstract

An equipment pad generally includes a plurality of risers and a plurality of channels. Riser tops extend outwardly and broaden from a central portion of the equipment pad and comprise an equipment support surface. Channel beds and side walls extend outwardly and may curve or bend from the central portion of the equipment pad to comprise a ground support surface. Channel openings together span from 10% to 60% of the perimeter of the equipment pad and allow drainage to exit the channels. The horizontal area of the channel beds comprises from 15% to 60% of the total combined horizontal area of the channel beds and riser tops. Typically, each channel is wider at the channel opening than at the central portion of the equipment pad. The pad's corners typically have a combined length of at least 15% of the perimeter of the equipment pad.

I claim: 
     
         1 . An equipment pad comprising:
 (a) at least two risers having riser tops that extend outwardly from a central portion of the equipment pad, broaden along at least portions of the at least two risers, and turn to extend downwardly to form a perimeter side wall and a plurality of corners of the equipment pad, wherein the at least two risers comprise an equipment support surface; and   (b) at least two channels having channel beds and channel side walls that extend outwardly from the central portion of the equipment pad, wherein the at least two channels comprise a ground support surface;   wherein the channel side walls adjoin or merge into the perimeter side walls of the equipment pad to form channel openings that allow drainage to exit the at least two channels; and   wherein the ground support surface of the at least two channels supports the equipment pad on soil and the equipment support surface of the at least two risers supports the equipment placed on the equipment pad.   
     
     
         2 . The equipment pad of  claim 1 , comprising at least three risers and at least three channels. 
     
     
         3 . The equipment pad of  claim 1 , wherein a perimeter side wall between two corners comprises at least two channel openings. 
     
     
         4 . The equipment pad of  claim 1 , wherein at least one corner comprises a secondary channel. 
     
     
         5 . The equipment pad of  claim 1 , wherein the corners comprise continuous perimeter side walls that have a combined length of at least 15% of the perimeter of the equipment pad. 
     
     
         6 . The equipment pad of  claim 1 , wherein the combined area of the riser tops is greater than the combined area of the channel beds. 
     
     
         7 . The equipment pad of  claim 1 , further comprising a structural channel-spanning member. 
     
     
         8 . An equipment pad comprising:
 (a) at least two risers having riser tops that extend outwardly from a central portion of the equipment pad, broaden and curve or otherwise bend along at least portions of the at least two risers, and turn to extend downwardly to form a perimeter side wall of the equipment pad, wherein the at least two risers comprise an equipment support surface; and   (b) at least two channels having channel beds and channel side walls that extend outwardly from the central portion of the equipment pad, wherein the at least two channels comprise a ground support surface;   wherein the channel side walls adjoin or merge into the perimeter side walls of the equipment pad to form channel openings that allow drainage to exit the at least two channels; and   wherein the ground support surface of the at least two channels supports the equipment pad on soil and the equipment support surface of the at least two risers supports the equipment placed on the equipment pad.   
     
     
         9 . The equipment pad of  claim 8 , comprising at least three risers and at least three channels. 
     
     
         10 . The equipment pad of  claim 8 , wherein each channel is wider at the channel opening than at the central portion of the equipment pad. 
     
     
         11 . The equipment pad of  claim 8 , wherein the combined area of the riser tops is greater than the combined area of the channel beds. 
     
     
         12 . The equipment pad of  claim 8 , wherein the horizontal area of the channel beds comprises from about 15% to 60% of the total combined horizontal area of the channel beds and riser tops of the equipment pad. 
     
     
         13 . The equipment pad of  claim 8 , wherein the channel openings together span from about 10% to 60% of the perimeter of the equipment pad. 
     
     
         14 . The equipment pad of  claim 8 , further comprising a structural channel-spanning member. 
     
     
         15 . The equipment pad of  claim 8 , further comprising a secondary riser that branches off one of the at least two risers. 
     
     
         16 . The equipment pad of  claim 8 , the ground support surface comprising varying heights or curvatures along the channel beds. 
     
     
         17 . An equipment pad comprising:
 (a) a plurality of equipment-supporting plateaus extending from a central region of the equipment pad toward perimeter side walls of the equipment pad and flaring laterally; and   (b) a plurality of channels comprising channel openings and formed by channel side walls and channel beds that contact ground along their length between the central region and the perimeter of the equipment pad;   wherein the channel openings span sections of the perimeter of the pad where the channel side walls merge into the perimeter side walls.   
     
     
         18 . The equipment pad of  claim 17 , wherein the plateaus extend along a nonlinear path from the central region of the pad to the perimeter of the pad. 
     
     
         19 . The equipment pad of  claim 18 , wherein the nonlinear path is a curved or otherwise bent path. 
     
     
         20 . The equipment pad of  claim 17 , wherein each channel is wider at the channel opening than at the central region of the equipment pad. 
     
     
         21 . The equipment pad of  claim 17 , wherein the channel openings span from 10% to 60% of the perimeter of the pad. 
     
     
         22 . The equipment pad of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of combined area of the plateaus is greater than the combined area of the channel beds. 
     
     
         23 . The equipment pad of  claim 17 , further comprising a structural channel-spanning member. 
     
     
         24 . The equipment pad of  claim 17 , further comprising structural or other profiles on the plateaus, ground support surface, channels, or perimeter side walls. 
     
     
         25 . The equipment pad of  claim 17 , further comprising incremental risers shaped to be placed on the plurality of plateaus or in the plurality of channels.