Constructional works

Claim 2

A cladding consisting of a mosaic arrangement of adjacent cladding elements in the form of a plate or slab for cladding a free surface of a mass of particles of a reinforced earth structure comprising flexible reinforcement members each of which reinforcement members extends from said surface into said mass of particles and is in contact with adjoining particles of said particles and in spaced and separate relation to the other members, said members and said adjoining particles being maintained in relative position in said mass solely by the effect of friction between said adjoining particles and said reinforcement members, means for fixing at least some of said cladding elements to ends of said reinforcement members, said slabs having edge portions which define with edge portions of adjacent slabs joints adapted and arranged to allow a relative displacement between adjacent slabs, and means defining a seal for preventing said particles from passing between adjacent slabs.

Claim 3

The cladding of claim 1, wherein the slabs comprise in an edge portion thereof at least one pin extending out of the slab and in an opposite edge portion of the slab at least one aperture in which a pin of an adjacent slab is engaged for assembling two adjacent slabs.

Claim 4

The cladding of claim 1, wherein the slabs have a shape in the form of a cross, each slab having a branch portion and at least one pin extending out of said branch portion and an opposite branch portion and for example at least one aperture in which is enGaged a pin of an adjacent slab for assembling two adjacent slabs.

Claim 5

The cladding of claim 2, wherein said pin extends through an end of a reinforcement inserted in the corresponding joint between adjacent slabs.

Claim 6

The cladding of claim 4, wherein the end of the reinforcement is disposed in a recess in one of the adjacent edge portions of assembled adjacent slabs.

Claim 7

The cladding of claim 1, wherein the slabs have the shape of a dish having side walls which can be fixed to the reinforcements.

Claim 8

The cladding of claim 1, wherein said fixing means are rings embedded in the slabs.

Claim 9

The cladding of claim 1, wherein said sealing means comprise joint covers.

Claim 10

The cladding of claim 8, wherein said joint covers are section members.

Claim 11

The cladding of claim 8, wherein said joint covers comprise section members having a portion inserted in the corresponding joint in contact with edges of adjacent slabs and another portion in abutting relation with inner faces of the adjacent slabs and thus retaining the section member.

Claim 12

The cladding of claim 1, wherein at least one of the adjacent edge portions of two adjacent slabs comprises a tongue inserted in a recess of the corresponding edge portion of the adjacent slab.

Claim 13

The cladding of claim 1, comprising a band of flexible material disposed flat in horizontal joints between adjacent slabs.

Claim 14

The cladding of claim 12, wherein assembly pins engaged in adjacent slabs extend through the band.

Claim 15

The cladding of claim 1, wherein each cladding element is fixed to at least one reinforcement.

Claim 16

The cladding of claim 1, wherein said cladding elements have a polygonal shape.

Claim 17

The cladding of claim 1, wherein the slabs have a plane outer face.

Claim 18

The cladding of claim 1, wherein ends of the reinforcements are embedded in the material of the slabs.

Claim 19

The cladding of claim 1, comprising at least one fork member embedded in each slab, said fork member having branches which extend out of the slab on a face thereof adjacent said mass for fixing the reinforcements thereto.

Claim 20

The cladding of claim 1, comprising sealing elements of flexible material inserted in vertical joints between the adjacent cladding elements.

Claim 21

Constructional work comprising an assemblage of first elements and second elements, the first elements being particles constituting a mass of particles having an outer surface and the second elements being flexible reinforcement elements each of which reinforcement element extends from adjacent said outer surface inwardly of said mass and is in spaced and separate relation to the other reinforcement elements, said reinforcement elements and said adjoining particles being maintained in relative position in said mass solely by the effect of friction between said adjoining particles and said reinforcement elements, and cladding disposed on said outer surface of said mass for preventing the particles adjacent the cladding from falling away, the cladding consisting of substantially plane cladding elements arranged in adjacent relation to one another to form a mosaic arrangement of said cladding elements and constitute a continuous cladding structure capable of retaining said adjacent particles, means for anchoring said substantially plane cladding elements in the mass of particles, and means associated with edge portions of said cladding elements which are so adapted and arranged as to allow a relative displacement between adjacent slabs so that said cladding structure is capable of being deformed in a direction parallel to the planes of said cladding elements and said reinforcements having ends remote from said outer surface which are freely disposed in said mass.

Claim 22

Constructional work comprising an assemblage of first elements and second elements, the first elements being particles constituting a mass of particles having an outer surface and the second elements being flexible reinforcement elements each of which reinforcement element extends from adjacent said outer surface inwardly of said mass and is in spaced and separate relation to the other reinforcement elements, said reinforcement elements and said adjoining particles being maintained in relative position in said mass solely by the effect of friction between said adjoining particles and said reinforcement elements, and cladding disposed on said outer surface of said mass for preventing the particles adjacent the cladding from falling away, the cladding consisting of substantially plane cladding elements arranged in adjacent relation to one another to form a mosaic arrangement of said cladding elements and constitute a continuous cladding structure capable of retaining said adjacent particles, means for anchoring said substantially plane cladding elements in the mass of particles, and means associated with edge portions of said cladding elements which are so adapted and arranged as to allow a relative displacement between adjacent slabs so that said cladding structure is capable of being deformed in a direction parallel to the planes of said cladding elements and said reinforcements having ends remote from said outer surface which are freely disposed in said mass.

Claim 23

Constructional work as claimed in claim 20, wherein said substantially plane cladding elements have marginal portions in overlapping relation to marginal portions on adjacent substantially plane cladding elements.

Claim 24

Constructional work as claimed in claim 20, wherein said cladding elements are aRranged in overlapping relation to one another, and said anchoring means including means connecting said substantially plane cladding elements to said reinforcements.

Claim 25

The cladding of claim 1 wherein a band of textile material comprises two vertically spaced main portions providing said reinforcement members and an intermediate portion extending at right angles from said main portions and embedded in the thickness of the slab.

Claim 26

The cladding of claim 1 wherein the slabs are of concrete.

Claim 27

The cladding of claim 1 wherein said seal means includes sealing elements of flexible material inserted in horizontal joints between the adjacent cladding elements.