Retaining wall construction and method for construction of such a retaining wall

Claim 2

An improved retaining wall construction comprising, in combination: (a) a granular, compactable fill defining a three dimensional earthenwork bulk form having a generally planar front face extending upwardly from a datum plane; (b) said earthenwork bulk form including a plurality of tensile members dispersed within the bulk form and extending in a generally horizontal straight line array through the bulk form and projecting beyond the front face into a region forward of the front face, sets of said tensile members defining generally spaced horizontal planes of elevation through the bulk form, said tensile members at least in part frictionally engaging the fill; (c) said earthenwork bulk form also including a plurality of gridforms, each gridform including a first run extending from the front face of the bulk form partially into the bulk form along a horizontal plane of elevation and connected to at least some of the tensile members at an elevation, each gridform also including a second run along the generally planar front face joined to the horizontal first run; said second run extending upwardly from the first run; said second runs of said gridforms forming a pattern of grid material defining the planar front face of the bulk form; (d) a plurality of separate preformed panels defining a complete wall surface generally parallel to and spaced outwardly from the planar front face of the bulk form, to define the region, each of said panels including a front side and a back side, and reinforcing means integral with each panel and extending into the region, said panels being stacked one on top of the other and side by side to form the complete wall with a complete front side; (e) means connecting the panel reinforcing means to select tensile members in the region; and (f) cast colloidal means in the region filling the space between the back side of the panels and the front face, said cast colloidal means enveloping the connected reinforcing means and tensile means within the region, said cast colloidal means formed as separate layers one atop the other from the bottom to the top of the wall, each layer having a height no greater than the height of an integral number of panels, whereby the panels and the front face of the bulk form define the area for the cast colloidal means; said tensile means and gridforms being generally independently deformable relative to the panels and cast colloidal means, whereby consolidation of the bulk form will minimally stress or distort the panels and cast colloidal means.

Claim 3

The construction of claim 1 wherein the tensile members comprise elongate planar strips extending in parallel from the region through the bulk form.

Claim 4

The construction of claim 1 wherein the gridforms comprise wire mesh grids.

Claim 5

The construction of claim 1 wherein the gridforms are uniformly sized and define a series of coplanar first horizontal runs.

Claim 6

The construction of claim 4 wherein the first runs are uniformly spaced.

Claim 7

The construction of claim 1 wherein the tensile members are arrayed in a plurality of generally uniformly spaced horizontal planes.

Claim 8

The construction of claim 1 wherein the tensile members are arrayed in layers to define a plurality of generally horizontal planes in the bulk form and wherein the gridforms are connected to each layer.

Claim 9

The construction of claim 7 wherein the second runs of gridforms associated with adjacent layers overlap.

Claim 10

The construction of claim 1 wherein each gridform is an integral, L-shaped wire mesh unit.

Claim 11

The construction of claim 1 including a flexible fabric layer separating the front face of the gridforms from the region.

Claim 12

The construction of claim 1 wherein the panel reinforcing means comprises at least one plate like member, integrally attached at one end to the panel; and extending from the back side of the panel into the region in a cantilevered like fashion, to define the free end.

Claim 13

The construction of claim 1 wherein the means connecting the panel reinforcing means to select tensile members in the region comprises a member whose overall length adjusts to the proper dimension to connect the reinforcing means to select tensile members.

Claim 14

The construction of claim 11 wherein the means connecting the panel reinforcing means to select tensile members in the region comprises a member whose overall length adjusts to the proper dimension to provide a connection between the free end of the reinforcing member and the select tensile members.

Claim 15

The construction of claim 1 wherein the panel reinforcing means is a generally "U" shaped reinforcing bar extending from the back side of the panel into the region, wherein said reinforcing bar and the back side of the panel essentially form a loop.

Claim 16

The construction of claim 14 wherein the tensile members include openings positioned in the region and wherein the means connecting the panel reinforcing means to select tensile members includes bar members passing through the reinforcing bar loop and through select openings defined in the tensile members.

Claim 17

The construction of claim 14 wherein the openings of at least pairs of tensile members are aligned with a bar loop of a panel.

Claim 18

The construction of claim 1 including additional means for connecting the panels to each other directly.

Claim 19

The improvement of claim 1 wherein the means connecting the first run of a gridform to select tensile members comprises a generally "U" shaped connection member whose open end is connected by a bolt arrangement, the curvature in the "U" serving to loop around a part of the gridform and said member, to attach in part to select tensile member.

Claim 20

The improvement of claim 1 wherein the means connecting the panel reinforcing means to select tensile members comprises separate means within each separate layer of cast colloidal means.

Claim 21

The improvement of claim 1 wherein the cast colloidal means comprises concrete.

Claim 24

The method of claim 21 wherein the filling step comprises filling concrete as said aggregate.

Claim 25

An improved retaining wall construction comprising, in combination: (a) a granular, compactable fill defining a three dimensional earthenwork bulk form having a generally planar front face extending upwardly from a datum plane; (b) said earthenwork bulk form including a plurality of tensile members dispersed within the bulk form and extending in a generally horizontal straight line array through the bulk form and projecting beyond the front face into a region forward of the front face, sets of said tensile members defining generally spaced horizontal planes of elevation through the bulk form, said tensile members at least in part frictionally engaging the fill; (c) said earthenwork bulk form also including a plurality of gridforms, each gridform including a first run extending from the front face of the bulk form partially into the bulk form along a horizontal plane of elevation and connected to at least some of the tensile members at that elevation, each gridform also including a second run along the generally planar front face joined to the horizontal first run; said second run extending upwardly from the first run; said second runs of said gridforms forming a pattern of grid material defining the planar front face of the bulk form; (d) a plurality of separate preformed panels defining a complete wall surface generally parallel to and spaced outwardly from the planar front face of the bulk form, to define the region, each of said panels including a front side and a back side, and reinforcing means integral with each panel and extending into the region, said panels being stacked one on top of the other and side by side to form the complete wall with a complete front side; (e) means connecting the panel reinforcing means to select tensile members in the region; wherein said means comprises a construction whose length may be adjusted to the dimension necessary for connecting said panel reinforcing means to select tensile members. (f) cast colloidal means in the region filling the space between the back side of the panels and the front face, said cast colloidal means enveloping the connected reinforcing means and tensile means within the region, said cast colloidal means formed as separate layers one atop the other from the bottom to the top of the wall, each layer having a height no greater than the height of an integral number of panels, whereby the panels and the front face of the bulk form define the area for the cast colloidal means; said tensile means and gridforms being generally independently deformable relative to the panels and cast colloidal means, whereby consolidation of the bulk form will minimally stress or distort the panels and cast colloidal means.

Claim 26

An improved retaining wall construction comprising, in combination: (a) a granular, compactable fill defining a three dimensional earthenwork bulk form having a generally planar front face extending upwardly from a datum plane; (b) said earthenwork bulk form including a plurality of tensile members dispersed within the bulk form and extending in a generally horizontal straight line array through the bulk form and projecting beyond the front face into a region forward of the front face, sets of said tensile members defining generally spaced horizontal planes of elevation through the bulk form, said tensile members at least in part frictionally engaging the fill; (c) said earthenwork bulk form also including a plurality of gridforms, each gridform including a first run extending from the front face of the bulk form partially into the bulk form along a horizontal plane of elevation and connected to at least some of the tensile members at that elevation, each gridform also including a second run along the generally planar front face joined to the horizontal first run; said second run extending upwardly from the first run; said second runs of said gridforms forming a pattern of grid material defining the planar front face of the bulk form; (d) a plurality of separate preformed panels defining a complete wall surface generally parallel to and spaced outwardly from the planar front face of the bulk form, to define the region, each of said panels including a front side and a back side, and reinforcing means integral with each panel and extending into the region, said panels being stacked one on top of the other and side by side to form the complete wall with a complete front side; (e) means connecting the panel reinforcing means to select tensile members in the region; wherein said means comprises a construction whose length may be adjusted to the dimension necessary for connecting said panel reinforcing means to select tensile members. (f) cast colloidal means in the region filling the space between the back side of the panels and the front face, said cast colloidal means enveloping the connected reinforcing means and tensile means within the region, said cast colloidal means formed as separate layers one atop the other from the bottom to the top of the wall, each layer having a height no greater than the height of an integral number of panels, whereby the panels and the front face of the bulk form define the area for the cast colloidal means; said tensile means and gridforms being generally independently deformable relative to the panels and cast colloidal means, whereby consolidation of the bulk form will minimally stress or distort the panels and cast colloidal means.

Claim 27

A construction of claim 23 wherein the continued adjustment of the construction means connecting the panel reinforcing means to select tensile members in the region is achieved by a construction comprising at least one threaded connection.

Claim 28

An improved retaining wall construction comprising, in combination: (a) a granular, compactable fill defining a three dimensional earthenwork bulk form having a generally planar front face extending upwardly from a datum plane; (b) said earthenwork bulk form including a plurality of tensile members dispersed within the bulk form and extending in a generally horizontal straight line array through the bulk form and projecting beyond the front face into a region forward of the front face, sets of said tensile members defining generally spaced horizontal planes of elevation through the bulk form, said tensile members at least in part frictionally engaging the fill; (c) said earthenwork bulk form also including a plurality of gridforms, each gridform including a first run extending from the front face of the bulk form partially into the bulk form along a horizontal plane of elevation and connected to at least some of the tensile members at that elevation, each gridform also including a second run along the generally planar front face joined to the horizontal first run; said second run extending upwardly from the first run; said second runs of said gridforms forming a pattern of grid material defining the planar front surface of the bulk form; (d) a plurality of separate preformed panels defining a complete wall surface generally parallel to and spaced outwardly from the planar front face of the bulk form, to define the region, each of said panels including a front side and a back side, and reinforcing means integral with each panel and extending into the region, said panels being arranged side by side to form the complete wall with a complete front side; (e) means connecting the panel reinforcing means to select tensile members in the region; and (f) cast colloidal means in the region filling the space between the back side of the panels and the front face, said cast colloidal means enveloping the connected reinforcing means and tensile means within the region, said cast colloidal means formed as separate layers one atop the other from the bottom to the top of the wall, each layer having a height no greater than the height of an integral number of panels, whereby the panels and the front face of the bulk form define the area for the cast colloidal means; said tensile means and gridforms being generally independently deformable relative to the panels and cast colloidal means whereby consolidation of the bulk form will minimally stress or distort the panels and cast colloidal means.

Claim 29

An improved retaining wall construction comprising, in combination: (a) a granular, compactable fill defining a three dimensional earthenwork bulk form having a generally planar front face extending upwardly from a datum plane; (b) said earthenwork bulk form including a plurality of tensile members dispersed within the bulk form and extending in a generally horizontal straight line array through the bulk form and projecting beyond the front face into a region forward of the front face, sets of said tensile members defining generally spaced horizontal planes of elevation through the bulk form, said tensile members at least in part frictionally engaging the fill; (c) said earthenwork bulk form also including a plurality of gridforms, each gridform including a first run extending from the front face of the bulk form partially into the bulk form along a horizontal plane of elevation and connected to at least some of the tensile members at that elevation, each gridform also including a second run along the generally planar front face joined to the horizontal first run; said second run extending upwardly from the first run; said second runs of said gridforms forming a pattern of grid material defining the planar front surface of the bulk form; (d) a plurality of separate preformed panels defining a complete wall surface generally parallel to and spaced outwardly from the planar front face of the bulk form, to define the region, each of said panels including a front side and a back side, and reinforcing means integral with each panel and extending into the region, said panels being arranged side by side to form the complete wall with a complete front side; (e) means connecting the panel reinforcing means to select tensile members in the region; and (f) cast colloidal means in the region filling the space between the back side of the panels and the front face, said cast colloidal means enveloping the connected reinforcing means and tensile means within the region, said cast colloidal means formed as separate layers one atop the other from the bottom to the top of the wall, each layer having a height no greater than the height of an integral number of panels, whereby the panels and the front face of the bulk form define the area for the cast colloidal means; said tensile means and gridforms being generally independently deformable relative to the panels and cast colloidal means whereby consolidation of the bulk form will minimally stress or distort the panels and cast colloidal means.

Claim 30

An improved retaining wall construction comprising, in combination: (a) a granular, compactable fill defining a three dimensional earthenwork bulk form having a generally planar front face extending upwardly from a datum plane; (b) said earthenwork bulk form including a plurality of tensile members dispersed within the bulk form and extending in a generally horizontal straight line array through the bulk form and projecting beyond the front face into a region forward of the front face, said tensile members at least in part frictionally engaging the fill; (c) said earthenwork bulk form also including a gridform, said gridform connected to at least some of the tensile members, said gridform extending over and defining the generally planar front face; (d) a plurality of separate preformed panels defining a complete wall surface generally parallel to and spaced outwardly from the planar front face of the bulk form, to define the region, each of said panels including a front side and a back side, and reinforcing means integral with each panel and extending into the region, said panels being stacked one on top of the other and side by side to form the complete wall with a complete front side; (e) means connecting the panel reinforcing means to select tensile members in the region; and (f) cast colloidal means in the region filling the space between the back side of the panels and the front face, said cast colloidal means enveloping the connected reinforcing means and tensile means within the region, said cast colloidal means formed as separate layers one atop the other from the bottom to the top of the wall, each layer having a height no greater than the height of an integral number of panels, whereby the panels and the front face of the bulk form define the area for the cast colloidal means; said tensile means and gridforms being generally independently deformable relative to the panels and cast colloidal means, whereby consolidation of the bulk form will minimally stress or distort the panels and cast colloidal means.

Claim 31

An improved retaining wall construction comprising, in combination: (a) a granular, compactable fill defining a three dimensional earthenwork bulk form having a generally planar front face extending upwardly from a datum plane; (b) said earthenwork bulk form including a plurality of tensile members dispersed within the bulk form and extending in a generally horizontal straight line array through the bulk form and projecting beyond the front face into a region forward of the front face, said tensile members at least in part frictionally engaging the fill; (c) said earthenwork bulk form also including a gridform, said gridform connected to at least some of the tensile members, said gridform extending over and defining the generally planar front face; (d) a plurality of separate preformed panels defining a complete wall surface generally parallel to and spaced outwardly from the planar front face of the bulk form, to define the region, each of said panels including a front side and a back side, and reinforcing means integral with each panel and extending into the region, said panels being stacked one on top of the other and side by side to form the complete wall with a complete front side; (e) means connecting the panel reinforcing means to select tensile members in the region; and (f) cast colloidal means in the region filling the space between the back side of the panels and the front face, said cast colloidal means enveloping the connected reinforcing means and tensile means within the region, said cast colloidal means formed as separate layers one atop the other from the bottom to the top of the wall, each layer having a height no greater than the height of an integral number of panels, whereby the panels and the front face of the bulk form define the area for the cast colloidal means; said tensile means and gridforms being generally independently deformable relative to the panels and cast colloidal means, whereby consolidation of the bulk form will minimally stress or distort the panels and cast colloidal means.

Claim 32

An improved retaining wall construction comprising, in combination: (a) a granular, compactable fill defining a three dimensional earthenwork bulk form having a generally planar front face extending upwardly from a datum plane; (b) said earthenwork bulk form including a plurality of tensile members dispersed within the bulk form and extending in a generally horizontal straight line array through the bulk form and projecting beyond the front face into a region forward of the front face, sets of said tensile members defining generally spaced horizontal planes of elevation through the bulk form, said tensile members at least in part frictionally engaging the fill; (c) said earthenwork bulk form also including a plurality of gridforms, each gridform including a first run extending from the front face of the bulk form partially into the bulk form along a horizontal plane of elevation and connected to at least some of the tensile members at that elevation, each gridform also including a second run along the generally planar front face joined to the horizontal first run; said second run extending upwardly from the first run; said second runs of said gridforms forming a pattern of grid material defining the planar front face of the bulk form; (d) a plurality of separate preformed panels defining a complete wall surface generally parallel to and spaced outwardly from the planar front face of the bulk form, to define the region, each of said panels including a front side and a back side, and reinforcing means integral with each panel and extending into the region, said panels being stacked one on top of the other and side by side to form the complete wall with a complete front side; (e) means connecting the panel reinforcing means to select tensile members in the region; and (f) aggregate means in the region filling the space between the back side of the panels and the front face, said aggregate means enveloping the connected reinforcing means and tensile means within the region, said aggregate means formed as separate layers one atop the other from the bottom to the top of the wall, each layer having a height no greater than the height of an integral number of panels, whereby the panels and the front face of the bulk form define the area for the aggregate means; said tensile means and gridforms being generally independently deformable relative to the panels and aggregate means whereby consolidation of the bulk form will minimally stress or distort the panels and aggregate means.

Claim 33

An improved retaining wall construction comprising, in combination: (a) a granular, compactable fill defining a three dimensional earthenwork bulk form having a generally planar front face extending upwardly from a datum plane; (b) said earthenwork bulk form including a plurality of tensile members dispersed within the bulk form and extending in a generally horizontal straight line array through the bulk form and projecting beyond the front face into a region forward of the front face, sets of said tensile members defining generally spaced horizontal planes of elevation through the bulk form, said tensile members at least in part frictionally engaging the fill; (c) said earthenwork bulk form also including a plurality of gridforms, each gridform including a first run extending from the front face of the bulk form partially into the bulk form along a horizontal plane of elevation and connected to at least some of the tensile members at that elevation, each gridform also including a second run along the generally planar front face joined to the horizontal first run; said second run extending upwardly from the first run; said second runs of said gridforms forming a pattern of grid material defining the planar front face of the bulk form; (d) a plurality of separate preformed panels defining a complete wall surface generally parallel to and spaced outwardly from the planar front face of the bulk form, to define the region, each of said panels including a front side and a back side, and reinforcing means integral with each panel and extending into the region, said panels being stacked one on top of the other and side by side to form the complete wall with a complete front side; (e) means connecting the panel reinforcing means to select tensile members in the region; and (f) aggregate means in the region filling the space between the back side of the panels and the front face, said aggregate means enveloping the connected reinforcing means and tensile means within the region, said aggregate means formed as separate layers one atop the other from the bottom to the top of the wall, each layer having a height no greater than the height of an integral number of panels, whereby the panels and the front face of the bulk form define the area for the aggregate means; said tensile means and gridforms being generally independently deformable relative to the panels and aggregate means whereby consolidation of the bulk form will minimally stress or distort the panels and aggregate means.

Claim 34

An improved retaining wall construction comprising, in combination: (a) a granular, compactable fill defining a three dimensional earthenwork bulk form having a generally planar front face extending upwardly from a datum plane; (b) said earthenwork bulk form including a plurality of tensile members dispersed within the bulk form and extending in a generally horizontal straight line array through the bulk form and projecting beyond the front face into a region forward of the front face, sets of said tensile members defining generally spaced horizontal planes of elevation through the bulk form, said tensile members at least in part frictionally engaging the fill; (c) said earthenwork bulk form also including a plurality of gridforms, each gridform including a first run extending from the front face of the bulk form partially into the bulk form along a horizontal plane of elevation and connected to at least some of the tensile members at that elevation, each gridform also including a second run along the generally planar front face joined to the horizontal first run; said second run extending upwardly from the first run; said second runs of said gridforms forming an overlapping pattern of grid material defining the planar front face of the bulk form; (d) a plurality of separate preformed panels defining a complete wall surface generally parallel to and spaced outwardly from the planar front face of the bulk form, to define the region, each of said panels including a front side and a back side, and reinforcing means integral with each panel and extending into the region, said panels being stacked one on top of the other and side by side to form the complete wall with a complete front side; (e) means connecting the panel reinforcing means to select tensile members in the region; and (f) cast colloidal means in the region filling the space between the back side of the panels and the front face, said cast colloidal means enveloping the connected reinforcing means and tensile means within the region, said cast colloidal means formed as separate layers one atop the other from the bottom to the top of the wall, each layer having a height no greater than the height of an integral number of panels, whereby the panels and the front face of the bulk form define the area for the cast colloidal means; said tensile means and gridforms being generally independently deformable relative to the panels and cast colloidal means whereby consolidation of the bulk form will minimally stress or distort the panels and cast colloidal means.

Claim 35

An improved retaining wall construction comprising, in combination: (a) a granular, compactable fill defining a three dimensional earthenwork bulk form having a generally planar front face extending upwardly from a datum plane; (b) said earthenwork bulk form including a plurality of tensile members dispersed within the bulk form and extending in a generally horizontal straight line array through the bulk form and projecting beyond the front face into a region forward of the front face, sets of said tensile members defining generally spaced horizontal planes of elevation through the bulk form, said tensile members at least in part frictionally engaging the fill; (c) said earthenwork bulk form also including a plurality of gridforms, each gridform including a first run extending from the front face of the bulk form partially into the bulk form along a horizontal plane of elevation and connected to at least some of the tensile members at that elevation, each gridform also including a second run along the generally planar front face joined to the horizontal first run; said second run extending upwardly from the first run; said second runs of said gridforms forming an overlapping pattern of grid material defining the planar front face of the bulk form; (d) a plurality of separate preformed panels defining a complete wall surface generally parallel to and spaced outwardly from the planar front face of the bulk form, to define the region, each of said panels including a front side and a back side, and reinforcing means integral with each panel and extending into the region, said panels being stacked one on top of the other and side by side to form the complete wall with a complete front side; (e) means connecting the panel reinforcing means to select tensile members in the region; and (f) cast colloidal means in the region filling the space between the back side of the panels and the front face, said cast colloidal means enveloping the connected reinforcing means and tensile means within the region, said cast colloidal means formed as separate layers one atop the other from the bottom to the top of the wall, each layer having a height no greater than the height of an integral number of panels, whereby the panels and the front face of the bulk form define the area for the cast colloidal means; said tensile means and gridforms being generally independently deformable relative to the panels and cast colloidal means whereby consolidation of the bulk form will minimally stress or distort the panels and cast colloidal means.

Claim 36

In a retaining wall structure generally comprising a granular compactable fill defining a three dimensional earthen bulk form, having a generally planar front face; a plurality of tensile members embedded in said bulk form; and a plurality of gridform elements serving to cover the front face of the retained bulk form, an improved construction arrangement wherein: (a) facing elements of the bulk form are generally "L" shaped, having one leg of the facing extending upwardly generally parallel to the front face of the bulk form and a second leg extending into the bulk form serving to provide a means for attaching the facing element to the tensile members within the bulk form, at a distance generally back from the front face of the bulk form, said second leg having a generally loop shaped end. (b) means for connecting the second leg extension to select tensile members comprising a generally "U" shaped member whose ends are connected by a bolt arrangement, wherein the curvature of the "U" shaped member loops around the looped shaped end of the second leg extension, said connection member also being connected at least in part to the tensile members.

Claim 37

In a retaining wall structure generally comprising a granular compactable fill defining a three dimensional earthen bulk form, having a generally planar front face; a plurality of tensile members embedded in said bulk form; and a plurality of gridform elements serving to cover the front face of the retained bulk form, an improved construction arrangement wherein: (a) facing elements of the bulk form are generally "L" shaped, having one leg of the facing extending upwardly generally parallel to the front face of the bulk form and a second leg extending into the bulk form serving to provide a means for attaching the facing element to the tensile members within the bulk form, at a distance generally back from the front face of the bulk form, said second leg having a generally loop shaped end. (b) means for connecting the second leg extension to select tensile members comprising a generally "U" shaped member whose ends are connected by a bolt arrangement, wherein the curvature of the "U" shaped member loops around the looped shaped end of the second leg extension, said connection member also being connected at least in part to the tensile members.