Plate System For Sand Boil Mitigation

Abstract

A sand boil mitigation pad includes a first layer including a plurality of laminated support mats nested and attached together, and defining a deck. A second layer includes a plurality of the laminated support mats configured as runners, wherein the runners are positioned perpendicular to the laminated support mats of the deck and are attached thereto, and wherein adjacent ones of the runners are spaced apart. A third layer includes a plurality of the laminated support mats configured as bars, wherein the bars are positioned perpendicular to the runners and are attached to one or both of the runners and the deck.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sand boil mitigation pad comprising:
 a first layer including a plurality of laminated support mats nested and attached together, and defining a deck.   
     
     
         2 . The sand boil mitigation pad according to  claim 1 , wherein each laminated support mat includes a plurality of laminated billets attached together and defining a planar load-bearing face and two opposing longitudinally extending edges;
 wherein a corrugated protective edge member is attached to each of the longitudinally extending edges of the laminated support mat.   
     
     
         3 . The sand boil mitigation pad according to  claim 2 , wherein adjacent laminated support mat of the deck are connected by a chain and hook assembly. 
     
     
         4 . The sand boil mitigation pad according to  claim 3 , wherein links of the chain pass downwardly through an opening between the longitudinally extending edge of the laminated support mat and the corrugated protective edge member of one of two adjacent laminated support mats, and then up and through a bottom of an opening between the longitudinally extending edge of the laminated support mat and the corrugated protective edge member of a second of the two adjacent laminated support mats; and
 wherein a throat of each hook hung on an edge of the corrugated protective edge members in each of the adjacent laminated support mats, such that the hooks will not become dislodged due to the force of gravity.   
     
     
         5 . The sand boil mitigation pad according to  claim 4 , wherein the first layer is formed from a plurality of the decks. 
     
     
         6 . The sand boil mitigation pad according to  claim 5 , wherein adjacent ones of the plurality of the decks are connected by a chain and hook assembly;
 wherein links of the chain pass downwardly through an opening between the longitudinally extending edge of the laminated support mat and the corrugated protective edge member of a first one of two adjacent decks, and then up and through a bottom of an opening between the longitudinally extending edge of the laminated support mat and the corrugated protective edge member of a second one of the two adjacent decks; and   wherein a throat of each hook hung on an edge of the corrugated protective edge members in each of the runner and the deck, such that the hooks will not become dislodged due to the force of gravity.   
     
     
         7 . The sand boil mitigation pad according to  claim 4 , further including a second layer that includes a plurality of the laminated support mats configured as runners, wherein the runners are positioned perpendicular to the laminated support mats of the deck and are attached thereto, and wherein adjacent ones of the runners are spaced apart. 
     
     
         8 . The sand boil mitigation pad according to  claim 7 , wherein the deck and the runners are connected by a chain and hook assembly. 
     
     
         9 . The sand boil mitigation pad according to  claim 8 , wherein links of the chain pass downwardly through an opening between the longitudinally extending edge of the laminated support mat and the corrugated protective edge member of a runner, and then up and through a bottom of an opening between the longitudinally extending edge of the laminated support mat and the corrugated protective edge member of the deck; and
 wherein a throat of each hook hung on an edge of the corrugated protective edge members in each of the runner and the deck, such that the hooks will not become dislodged due to the force of gravity.   
     
     
         10 . The sand boil mitigation pad according to  claim 9 , further including a third layer that includes a plurality of the laminated support mats configured as bars, wherein the bars are positioned perpendicular to the runners and are attached to at least one of the runners and the deck. 
     
     
         11 . The sand boil mitigation pad according to  claim 10 , wherein the bars and the at least one of the runners and the deck are connected by a chain and hook assembly. 
     
     
         12 . The sand boil mitigation pad according to  claim 11 , wherein links of the chain pass downwardly through an opening between the longitudinally extending edge of the laminated support mat and the corrugated protective edge member of a bar, and then up and through a bottom of an opening between the longitudinally extending edge of the laminated support mat and the corrugated protective edge member of the at least one of the runners and the deck; and
 wherein a throat of each hook hung on an edge of the corrugated protective edge members in each of the runner and the at least one of the runners and the deck, such that the hooks will not become dislodged due to the force of gravity.   
     
     
         13 . A sand boil mitigation pad comprising:
 a first layer including a plurality of laminated support mats nested and attached together, and defining a deck;   a second layer including a plurality of the laminated support mats configured as runners, wherein the runners are positioned perpendicular to the laminated support mats of the deck and are attached thereto, and wherein adjacent ones of the runners are spaced apart; and   a third layer including a plurality of the laminated support mats configured as bars, wherein the bars are positioned perpendicular to the runners and are attached to at least one of the runners and the deck.   
     
     
         14 . The sand boil mitigation pad according to  claim 13 , wherein each laminated support mat includes a plurality of laminated billets attached together and defining a planar load-bearing face and two opposing longitudinally extending edges;
 wherein a corrugated protective edge member is attached to each of the longitudinally extending edges of the laminated support mat.   
     
     
         15 . The sand boil mitigation pad according to  claim 14 , wherein adjacent laminated support mat of the deck are connected by a chain and hook assembly. 
     
     
         16 . The sand boil mitigation pad according to  claim 15 , wherein links of the chain pass downwardly through an opening between the longitudinally extending edge of the laminated support mat and the corrugated protective edge member of one of two adjacent laminated support mats, and then up and through a bottom of an opening between the longitudinally extending edge of the laminated support mat and the corrugated protective edge member of a second of the two adjacent laminated support mats; and
 wherein a throat of each hook hung on an edge of the corrugated protective edge members in each of the adjacent laminated support mats, such that the hooks will not become dislodged due to the force of gravity.   
     
     
         17 . The sand boil mitigation pad according to  claim 16 , wherein the deck and the runners are connected by a chain and hook assembly. 
     
     
         18 . The sand boil mitigation pad according to  claim 17 , wherein links of the chain pass downwardly through an opening between the longitudinally extending edge of the laminated support mat and the corrugated protective edge member of a runner, and then up and through a bottom of an opening between the longitudinally extending edge of the laminated support mat and the corrugated protective edge member of the deck; and
 wherein a throat of each hook hung on an edge of the corrugated protective edge members in each of the runner and the deck, such that the hooks will not become dislodged due to the force of gravity.   
     
     
         19 . The sand boil mitigation pad according to  claim 18 , wherein the bars and the at least one of the runners and the deck are connected by a chain and hook assembly. 
     
     
         20 . The sand boil mitigation pad according to  claim 19 , wherein links of the chain pass downwardly through an opening between the longitudinally extending edge of the laminated support mat and the corrugated protective edge member of a bar, and then up and through a bottom of an opening between the longitudinally extending edge of the laminated support mat and the corrugated protective edge member of the at least one of the runners and the deck; and
 wherein a throat of each hook hung on an edge of the corrugated protective edge members in each of the runner and the at least one of the runners and the deck, such that the hooks will not become dislodged due to the force of gravity.