STACKABLE SEGMENTAL RETAINING WALL BLOCK

• US 20120063853A1
• Filed: 09/15/2010
• Published: 03/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allan Block Corporation
• Original Assignee: Allan Block Corporation
• Inventors: Bott, Timothy A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,708,608 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 405/284
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 29/025 made up of similar modular elements stacked without mortar
• CPC Class Codes: E04C 1/395 for claustra, fences, planting walls, e.g. sound-absorbing pots for vertical horticulture A01G9/022

Abstract

A multi-component segmented retaining wall (SRW) block that may form a mortarless retaining wall. Each SRW block includes an interlocking face unit and an anchor unit that may be interlocked by complementary connector elements. The face units each have a front face that has one or more coplanar stacking surfaces to provide greater stability when the face units are stacked for shipping.

Claims

1. A mortarless retaining wall constructed of a plurality of segmental retaining wall (SRW) blocks stacked in an array of superimposed rows, each SRW block comprising:

a face unit having a front face and a rear face, the front face defining at least part of the exposed surface of the retaining wall, the rear face being located opposite the front face, the face unit having connectors;

one or more anchor units each having connectors, the anchor unit connectors being of complementary shape to interlock with respective face unit connectors, the face unit and the one or more anchor units forming the SRW block when interlocked, each anchor unit for confronting soil being retained by the retaining wall,

the face unit and each anchor unit each having upper and lower load bearing surfaces, the upper load bearing surfaces shaped to mate with the lower load bearing surfaces of a super-imposed stacked SRW block and resisting shear forces between surrounding SRW blocks, the shear forces generated by the soil retained by the retaining wall against the SRW blocks;

a portion of the rear face including a generally planar rear surface; and

a portion of the front face including one or more stacking surfaces, the one or more stacking surfaces each being coplanar and oriented in parallel to the generally planar rear surface, the maximum depth of the face unit being the distance between the stacking surfaces and the rear surface, the front face including an irregularly patterned surface simulating natural stone, the irregularly patterned surface extending from one or more of the stacking surfaces about at least a portion of the perimeter thereof in a direction toward the rear face.

2. The mortarless retaining wall of claim 1, wherein at least part of the one or more stacking surfaces and the rear surface are positioned directly opposite each other such that the rear surface of a second one of the face units confronts the one or more stacking surfaces when a second one of the face units is stacked on the face unit.

3. The mortarless retaining wall of claim 2, wherein the stacking surfaces are positioned such that the second one of the face units remains stationary relative to the face unit when the second one of the face units is stacked on the face unit.

4. The mortarless retaining wall of claim 1, wherein the stacking surfaces each comprise a relatively sharp point

5. The mortarless retaining wall of claim 1, wherein the stacking surfaces are each defined by irregular perimeters.

6. The mortarless retaining wall of claim 1, wherein the one or more stacking surfaces include at least three stacking surfaces.

7. The mortarless retaining wall of claim 1, wherein the front face defines a right half-face and a left half-face separated by a line the extends between the load bearing surfaces and bisects the front face, the stacking surfaces being located on both the right half-face and the left half-face.

8. The mortarless retaining wall of claim 1, wherein the front face defines an upper half-face and a lower half-face separated by a line the extends between opposing right and left ends of the face unit and bisects the front face, the stacking surfaces being located on both the upper half-face and the lower half-face.

9. The mortarless retaining wall of claim 1, wherein the front face defines a rightmost one-third face and a leftmost one-third face separated by a central one-third face, the one-third faces defined by lines extending between the load bearing surfaces and together trisecting the front face, the stacking surfaces being located on both the rightmost one-third face and the leftmost one-third face.

10. The mortarless retaining wall of claim 1, wherein the one or more stacking surfaces comprise at least 20% of the front face.

11. The mortarless retaining wall of claim 1, wherein the one or more stacking surfaces comprise less than 80% of the front face.

12. The mortarless retaining wall of claim 1, the rear face having recesses extending towards the front face and forming the connector elements.

13. The mortarless retaining wall of claim 1, wherein the one or more stacking surfaces are separated by the irregularly patterned surface.

14. A plurality of segmental retaining wall (SRW) blocks for stacking in an array of superimposed rows to form a retaining wall, each SRW block comprising:

a face unit having a front face and a rear face, the front face defining at least part of the exposed surface of the retaining wall, the rear face being located opposite the front face, the face unit having connectors;

one or more anchor units each having connectors, the anchor unit connectors being of complementary shape to interlock with respective face unit connectors, the face unit and the one or more anchor units forming the SRW block when interlocked, each anchor unit for confronting soil being retained by the retaining wall,

the face unit and each anchor unit each having upper and lower load bearing surfaces, the upper load bearing surfaces shaped to mate with the lower load bearing surfaces of a super-imposed stacked SRW block and resisting shear forces between surrounding SRW blocks, the shear forces generated by the soil retained by the retaining wall against the SRW blocks;

a portion of the rear face including a generally planar rear surface; and

a portion of the front face including one or more stacking surfaces, the one or more stacking surfaces each being coplanar and oriented in parallel to the generally planar rear surface, the maximum depth of the face unit being the distance between the stacking surfaces and the rear surface, the front face including non-planar surfaces, the non-planar surfaces extending from one or more of the stacking surfaces about at least a portion of the perimeter thereof in a direction toward the rear face.

15. The plurality of SRW blocks of claim 14, wherein the front face defines a right half-face and a left half-face separated by a line the extends between the load bearing surfaces and bisects the front face, the stacking surfaces being located on both the right half-face and the left half-face.

16. The plurality of SRW blocks of claim 14, wherein the front face defines an upper half-face and a lower half-face separated by a line the extends between opposing right and left ends of the face unit and bisects the front face, the stacking surfaces being located on both the upper half-face and the lower half-face.

17. The plurality of SRW blocks of claim 14, wherein the front face defines a rightmost one-third face and a leftmost one-third face separated by a central one-third face, the one-third faces defined by lines extending between the load bearing surfaces and together trisecting the front face, the stacking surfaces being located on both the rightmost one-third face and the leftmost one-third face.

18. A plurality of segmental retaining wall (SRW) blocks for stacking in an array of superimposed rows to form a retaining wall, each SRW block comprising:

a face unit having a front face and a rear face, the front face defining at least part of the exposed surface of the retaining wall, the rear face being located opposite the front face, the face unit having connectors;

one or more anchor units each having connectors, the anchor unit connectors being of complementary shape to interlock with respective face unit connectors, the face unit and the one or more anchor units forming the SRW block when interlocked, each anchor unit for confronting soil being retained by the retaining wall;

a portion of the rear face including a generally planar rear surface; and

a portion of the front face including one or more stacking surfaces, the one or more stacking surfaces each being coplanar, oriented in parallel to the generally planar rear surface, and defined by irregular perimeters, the maximum depth of the face unit being the distance between the stacking surfaces and the rear surface, the front face including non-planar surfaces, the non-planar surfaces extending from one or more of the stacking surfaces about at least a portion of the perimeter thereof in a direction toward the rear face.

19. The plurality of SRW blocks of claim 18, wherein the one or more stacking surfaces comprise at least 20% of the front face.

20. The plurality of SRW blocks of claim 18, wherein the one or more stacking surfaces comprise less than 80% of the front face.

21. The plurality of SRW blocks of claim 18, the rear face having recesses extending towards the front face and forming the connector elements.

22. The plurality of SRW blocks of claim 18, wherein the one or more stacking surfaces are separated by the irregularly patterned surface.