Low elevation wall construction

• US 5,474,405 A
• Filed: 10/15/1993
• Issued: 12/12/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Terre Armee Interantionale
• Original Assignee: Societe Civile Des Brevets Henri Vidal
• Inventors: Hotek, Dan J., Anderson, Peter L., Cowell, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): CORBIN, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US08/137,585
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 405/262, 405/284, 405/286, 405/285, 405/287, 52/562, 52/582.1, 52/584.1, 52/585.1, 52/596, 52/604, 52/606, 52/608
• US Class Current: 405/286
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2049/2412 outside the article
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2049/2437 Cutting
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2793/0081 before shaping
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/2408 In-mould lining or labelling
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 29/02 Retaining or protecting walls piers or quay walls E02B3/06
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 29/0225 comprising retention means in the backfill
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 29/0283 of mixed type
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2/22 using elements having a general shape differing from that of a parallelepiped
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2002/026 Splittable building elements
• CPC Class Codes: E04C 1/395 for claustra, fences, planting walls, e.g. sound-absorbing pots for vertical horticulture A01G9/022

Abstract

A retaining wall construction comprises modular facing blocks connected by fasteners to anchoring blocks positioned behind the facing blocks. The facing blocks are arranged in courses which overlap one another. The facing blocks, as well as the anchor blocks, have hollow, vertical throughbores. This enables interconnection of the back wall of the facing block with the anchor block by means of various types of fasteners. The retaining wall construction is especially useful in the construction of low height, gravity type walls.

Claims

1. A retaining wall construction comprising, in combination:

a plurality of generally modular facing blocks arranged in courses with vertically adjacent blocks laterally overlapping one another, at least in part, to define a mosaic, said blocks each having a generally rectangular front face, a front wall defining the front face, a back wall spaced from the front wall with a hollow throughbore therebetween, and sidewalls joining the back wall to the front wall, said back wall defining a generally planar contact surface;

at least one precast, hollow core, generally rectangular parallelpiped, anchor block of the type having side walls defining generally planar contact surfaces with one of said contact surfaces of said anchor block positioned against the contact surface of a back wall of a facing block;

a separate fastener element for attaching a side wall of an anchor block to the back wall of a facing block, said fastener element extending from the hollow throughbore of a facing block to the hollow core of an anchor block; and

fill material surrounding and filling the hollow anchor blocks and the region adjacent the back surface of the facing blocks.

2. The retaining wall of claim 1 including at least one additional anchor block with its side wall positioned against the side wall of the anchor block fastened to a facing block.

3. The retaining wall of claim 1 including soil reinforcing elements attached to blocks and extending into the fill material.

4. The retaining wall of claim 1 wherein the side walls of the facing block converge together from the front face.

5. The retaining wall of claim 1 further including a notch in the facing block back wall wherein the fastener includes a clip member which fits in the notch of the facing block back as well as inside of the anchor block.

6. The retaining wall of claim 1 including anchor blocks attached to alternate courses of facing blocks.

7. The retaining wall of claim 1 including vertical members extending through the hollow core of vertically adjacent facing blocks.

8. The retaining wall of claim 1 including granular particulate in the hollow core of the vertically adjacent facing blocks.

9. The retaining wall of claim 1 further including horizontal connecting cross members comprising means for interconnecting adjacent facing blocks.

10. The wall of claim 1 wherein the fastener comprises a flexible strap encircling the facing block back wall and anchor block side wall.

11. The wall of claim 1 wherein the fastener comprises a clip member including a crown joining a pair of legs and the legs are positioned to retain the facing block back wall and anchor block side wall therebetween and joined.

12. The wall of claim 1 wherein the fastener comprises a pin having flange members at its opposite ends and wherein the flange members are positioned to retain the facing block back wall and anchor block side wall therebetween and joined.

13. The wall of claim 1 defining a first wall section and further including facing blocks forming a second wall section at an angle with the first wall section and wherein the first wall section includes anchor blocks attached to facing blocks in a course of blocks different then the course of facing blocks to which anchor blocks are attached in the second wall section.

14. The retaining wall of claim 1 wherein the wall includes facing blocks forming a first wall section and facing blocks forming a connected second wall section at an angle to the first wall section.

15. The retaining wall of claim 1 wherein the wall includes facing blocks and anchor blocks of substantially equal height.

16. The retaining wall of claim 1 wherein the facing wall blocks are fabricated from dry cast concrete.

17. The retaining wall of claim 1 wherein the facing wall blocks have converging side walls, a generally flat planar front face, and a vertical hollow throughbore defining the front, back and side walls.

18. The retaining wall of claim 1 wherein the anchor block has a rectangular, parallelpiped shape with at least one throughbore from the top to the bottom surface and a height no greater than the height of the facing blocks.

19. The retaining wall of claim 18 wherein the hollow throughbores of the facing blocks and the throughbores of the anchor blocks are filled with concrete, the retaining wall further comprising a cast in place footing.

20. The retaining wall of claim 18 wherein the concrete is reinforced.