Wall structure and method of construction

• US 4,557,634 A
• Filed: 12/28/1983
• Issued: 12/10/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Societe Civile Des Brevets de Henri Vidal Tour Horizon QUAI de DION Bouton 92806
• Original Assignee: Henri Vidal
• Inventors: Vidal, Henri
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar, Cornelius J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stodola, Nancy J.
• Application Number:
  US06/566,471
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 405/16, 405/19, 405/20, 405/31, 405/33-35, 405/262, 405/272, 405/273, 405/284-287, 52/169.4, 52/742, 256/19, 256/12.5, 47/47, 47/82, 47/83
• US Class Current: 405/286
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 29/0241 the retention means being reinforced earth elements
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 29/025 made up of similar modular elements stacked without mortar

Abstract

A retaining wall has precast concrete wall facing elements and is constructed to accommodate vegetation masking. The structure uses panels having frontally projecting buttresses and inwardly inclined face surfaces to provide an exposed horizontal planting bed for each row of panels. Devices are provided to limit water percolation and migration of fine particles. And, rearwardly projecting bearing pads may be added to give columnar support in high wall application.

Claims

1. A retaining wall structure comprising:

a plurality of wall facing elements, said elements being elongated and having upper and lower horizontal edges, opposing ends, front and rear faces and a substantially greater height than thickness, said facing elements being arranged in end to end relation in courses;

a plurality of reinforcing elements, said reinforcing elements including means for connecting a reinforcing element with a facing element, said reinforcing elements extending rearwardly from said facing elements in substantially horizontal layers;

particulate material interposed rearwardly of said facing elements and about said reinforcing elements, said particulate material being stabilized by frictional engagement between said material and said reinforcing elements;

said facing elements being in vertically adjacent courses defining a wall face, the facing elements in one course having the lower horizontal edge spaced rearwardly of the upper horizontal edge of the next lower course, a portion of said particulate material being situated between the lower edge of facing elements in one course and the rear face of the facing elements of the next lower course, said portion defining at least one strip suitable for use as a planting area, and said facing elements having a buttress projecting from said front face intermediate of said opposing ends, said buttress projecting toward, but spaced from, the upper edge of the facing element of the next lower course and being proportioned to permit a substantially vertical face; and

wherein each facing element includes a bearing pad extending rearwardly from the facing element in general vertical alignment with the buttress such that the buttress of one wall facing element rests on the bearing pad of a second wall facing element.

2. The wall structure of claim 1 wherein:

a vertical joint exists between two adjacent wall facing panels;

each of the two wall facing panels include a rib, projecting rearwardly from the respective panel, extending substantially along the entire height of the vertical joint, and being adjacent to that joint; and

a cover member having a U-shaped cross section covers the ribs adjacent to the joint and limits water drainage through the joint.

3. The wall structure of claim 1 wherein:

the buttress extends upwardly to a point spaced below the upper edge thereby giving an apparent lack of vertical support.

4. The wall structure of claim 1 wherein the buttress has greater thickness at the base thereof than at the top thereof so as to enlarge the bearing surface thereof.

5. The wall structure of claim 1 wherein each wall element has a pair of buttresses, the buttresses being spaced from one another by one half the wall element length and being spaced from the wall element end by one fourth of the wall element length so that the buttresses of vertically adjacent wall elements are in generally vertical alignment and so that the buttresses of sidewise adjacent wall elements are uniformly spaced from one another.

6. The wall structure of claim 1 further including an embankment of soil on each of the vertically spaced strips, the embankment extending upwardly and rearwardly from the edge of the wall facing panels.

7. The wall structure of claim 1 further including vegetation plantings in each of the vertically spaced strips whereby the vegetation substantially masks the face of the structure.

8. The wall structure of claim 1 wherein:

the structure has a top elevation and a height;

a second wall face is spaced rearwardly from the wall plane, extends to the same top elevation, and has a plurality of wall facing elements; and

a portion of the plurality of reinforcing elements are attached to corresponding wall facing elements in the first and second wall faces.

9. The wall structure of claim 8 wherein the wall facing elements of the first and second wall faces are identical.

10. The wall structure of claim 8 wherein the second wall has a height which is less than the height of the first wall face.

11. The wall structure of claim 1 wherein a batter angle is defined between adjacent pairs of courses and wherein the batter angle is different between different pairs of courses.

12. A precast concrete element for use in the face of a retaining wall structure comprising:

a buttress having a generally flat supporting surface and a front portion;

a generally rectangular body portion having a frontal edge and a face surface extending downwardly from the frontal edge and defining an acute angle with a vertical plane passing through the frontal edge, the generally flat supporting surface of the buttress being disposed between the face surface and the vertical plane and protruding forwardly from the face surface;

a lug protruding from the back of the body portion, extending away from the buttress, and being operable to connect the element to another element of a retaining wall; and

a bearing pad protruding from the back of the body portion in general vertical alignment with the buttress such that the bearing pad is positioned to support the buttress of a suprajacent facing element;

whereby the element is supported by the buttress such that the face surface is an inclined position relative to the vertical plane and such that the face surface defines an exposed generally flat planting area within the vertical projection of the element.

13. The precast concrete element of claim 12 further including a pair of ribs, each rib being located along a corresponding vertical edge of the body portion, projecting rearwardly away from the face surface and cooperating with one another to define a broad water-shedding channel behind the element.

14. The precast concrete element of claim 12 further including a pair of buttresses, each spaced from an adjacent vertical edge and from the other buttresses such that the buttresses appear to be uniformly spaced when a plurality of elements are located side-by-side.