Standard techniques for making concrete pavement involve pouring liquid concrete over a wire mesh that is suspended above a subgrade surface. The subgrade surface may include gravel, sand, and other materials, depending on the application. The wire mesh reinforces and strengthens the concrete. To prevent water from collecting on the surface of the cured concrete, the concrete must be graded prior to curing so that water flows in a desired direction, often toward a dedicated collection area such as a sewer grate or drain. The process of properly grading concrete requires a skilled hand and can be quite time consuming. Furthermore, the use of dedicated collection areas, particularly when dealing with large areas of pavement, can lead to overflows and backups, and requires a significant amount of additional infrastructure to properly manage the large amounts of collected water.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds