Rapid Deployment Enclosures

(i) A rapid deployment system of lightweight, environmentally-controlled enclosures (rooms) and inter-connecting corridors, to create, for example, a full medical facility in a disaster zone.

(ii) The system differs from those currently used in the following ways:-

Although not a pre-built rigid structure, it has the capabilities of internal environmental control.

Expansion and connection of the number of enclosures is not limited and can progress, whilst not compromising the activities being carried on within the enclosures already built. The connection of enclosures is achieved externally, so the integrity of the internal environment within the enclosure to be mated to is maintained.

Similar to other systems, activities within the enclosures can commence immediately upon the erection of the enclosure. However, due to the semi translucent properties of the membrane covering the enclosures, daylight would be sufficient to illuminate the interior, and during the hours of darkness, non-specialist lighting provided externally (similar to site/stadium lighting) would also illuminate the interior.

(iii) The object of this system is to provide a more sophisticated facility than is currently available. The system is made up of enclosures to satisfy the demands of an emergency/disaster situation, taking into account the necessary, desired and potential requirements demanded by such an event.

(iv) The basic elements of the system are:-

• a six metre diameter, three metre high, hemispherical, eight-sided enclosure/pod/dome or cell , which can act as anything from a store-room to an environmentally-controlled operating theatre, and

• a modular corridor element, which can mate and spur off any or all eight faces of the cell and which can be connected to the cell externally, enabling the functioning environment within the cell to be undisturbed.

The cells and corridors are in kit form, extremely lightweight and share common parts, which minimizes manufacturing costs and storage space. The ease of handling, due to the light weight, speeds transportation to site by whatever means the acting organization responsible for delivery chooses, or has available.

(v) One application of the system would be a full medical facility in a disaster zone; the details of the cells and corridors , the multiplicity of their usage, and the application are as follows:-

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the cell structure.

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the cell structure including the floor.

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the cell membrane.

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the cell membrane including the doors.

Figure 5 shows a perspective view of the corridor , and the cell to corridor interface .

Figure 6 shows an aerial view illustrating an application of the system.

Perspective view of the cell structure

As shown in Figure 1, the structure comprises of a base element 1, 2 and 3 ; ‘wishbone' ribs 4 , which form the hemispherical profile and an inner ring beam 5 .

The base element comprises of a central hub 3 from which eight tube sections 2 of lightweight material are fixed in a radial manner, which in turn are connected to each other at their outer ends by eight circumferential tube sections 1 of lightweight material. The base element 1, 2 and 3 has the facility to self level by means of hydraulic fluid contained in ‘soft' expandable containers fixed to the underside of the circumferential tube sections 1 at the eight junctions where the ‘wishbone' ribs 4 connect to the circumferential tube sections 1 .

The eight ‘wishbone' ribs 4 of tubular section lightweight material fix to the base 1 & 2 and inner ring beam 5 , again of lightweight material, as well as to each other. The ‘wishbone' ribs 4 also act as air conditioning inlet ducts, the air (ultra-clean, cool, warm or refrigerated) being fed into the cell via a vertical array of holes on the inside faces of the ‘wishbone' ribs 4 .

Roof mounted equipment, eg operating lamp, is fixed to the inner ring beam 5 .

CGI/Movie of build

Perspective view of the cell structure including the floor

Figure 2 shows eight floor panels 6 , of honeycomb construction with a non-slip durable top surface. The panels have profiled edges which sit on and mate with the circumferential 1 and radial tube sections 2 and central hub 3 of the base element 1, 2 and 3 respectively.

Each floor panel 6, has in-built apertures and ducts that serve as air exhaust outlets.

CGI/Movie of build

Perspective view of the cell membrane

Figure 3 shows the siting of the cell membrane 7 which is fixed to the circumferential tube sections 1 of the base element 1, 2 and 3 , the ‘wishbone' ribs 4 and the inner ring beam 5 . The preferred material is of known design and meets the following criteria - opacity level, high tensile strength at low weight, structural rigidity, high chemical resistance, low thermal shrinkage, high toughness, excellent dimensional stability, high cut resistance, flame resistance and self extinguishing.

CGI/Movie of build

Perspective view of the cell membrane including doors

Figure 4 illustrates the positions of the cell membrane door covering 8 ; the door coverings are a fixed yet detachable part of the cell membrane 7 . There are two covers per door aperture, one internal and one external. The material is identical to the cell membrane 7 . The method of fixing of both the internal and external cell membrane door coverings 8 is two fold: a heavy duty ‘hook and loop' type tape (an integral part of the door covering), positioned around the cell membrane door cover 8 mates with a corresponding tape on the cell membrane 7 to form a ‘mechanical' seal, and a magnetic strip enclosed in a profile gasket which runs parallel to the inside edge of the ‘hook and loop' tape, (also an integral part of the door covering), mates with a corresponding ferrous strip bonded to the cell membrane 7 to form a hermetic seal.

CGI/Movie of build

A perspective view of the corridor , and the cell to corridor interface

Figure 5 shows a typical corridor 9 comprising of and similar to the cell in material usage, a base, structural arched ribs, linear ties, surface membrane with door apertures and membrane door coverings. The corridor 9 has manual mechanical levelling mechanisms.

The cell to corridor interface 10 is again similar to the cell in material usage and comprises of a structural arched rib with an integrated base member that can rotate on its ‘Z' axis in side elevation to accommodate deviations in ground gradients and levels, and a surface membrane which has an extended length at the cell mating end to accommodate the aforementioned deviations.

The method of fixing cell to corridor interface 10 to the cell membrane 7 and corridor 9 is identical to the method of fixing the cell membrane door coverings 8 to the cell membrane 7 , enabling the connection of corridors or other cells without affecting the integrity of the internal environment of the established or parent cell .

Corridor 9 and cell to corridor interface 10 can be sited on any or all of the eight sides of the cell .

CGI/Movie of build

Aerial view illustrating an application of the system

Figure 6 illustrates an aerial view of an example of an application of the system, a medical facility. The surface area required for this example would be approximately a quarter the size of a football pitch. Clean and dirty areas are delineated by the two long corridors 18 and the function of each cell is as follows;

Cell 17, the four cells shown could function as staff, administration, equipment storage etc, all cells and the connecting corridors are sited in the ‘dirty' area.

Cells 11,12,13,14,15 and the connecting corridors are sited in the ‘clean' area.

Cell 11 is an Anaesthetic Room, Cell 12 a Scrub-up Room, Cell 13 Triage, Cells 14 Primary Operating Theatres, the three Cells 15 are Secondary Operating Theatres and the five Cells 16 are Recovery Wards

Within a short space of time, a specialist team could build such an ever-expanding interconnecting complex, whilst as mentioned earlier, importantly, work can be performed immediately and undisturbed in the units built whilst the development and expansion is on going .

The translucency of the cell and corridor membrane enables the use of external lighting which can be provided by standard site/stadium lighting, providing sufficent luminoscity internally for non-specialist procedures, substantially reducing the build procedure time and minimising the interference of build personnel, cabling and contamination within the cells and corridors internal working environment. Air conditioning, cool, warm, refrigerated, and ultra-clean, is supplied to the cells and corridors by flexible ducting from strategically placed mobile generators.

CGI/Movie of build