Retaining wall system

• US 6,024,517 A
• Filed: 03/25/1998
• Issued: 02/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oldcastle Building Products Canada Inc. (CRH PLC)
• Original Assignee: Groupe Permacon Inc.
• Inventors: Castonguay, Bertin, Milot, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Taylor, Dennis L.
• Application Number:
  US09/047,446
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 405/286, 405/284, 405/285, 249/52, 249/207, 125/23.01, 125/2, 225/2, 225/96, 83/879, 83/880, 52/609, 52/603, 52/604
• US Class Current: 405/286
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 2600/20 comprising details of connection between elements
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 2600/30 comprising anchoring details
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 29/0266 made up of preformed elements
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2002/0245 Pegs or pins
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/12 With preliminary weakening
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/325 With means to apply moment of force to weakened work

Abstract

A concrete slab for forming blocks for a retaining wall comprises a prism having parallel top and bottom surfaces, and opposed parallel side walls, and end walls, the prism has an X axis in the longitudinal direction extending between the end walls, a Y axis in the width direction extending between the side walls, and a Z axis perpendicular to the X and Y axes extending between the top and bottom surfaces. A first dividing line extends parallel to the X axis from one end wall to the other end wall in order to define a separating plane bisecting the prism. At least a pair of dividing lines extend parallel to the Y axis of the prism from the first dividing line to each of the opposite side walls, wherein the second dividing lines are parallel to each other but offset therefrom, whereby upon separating the slab along the first and second dividing lines, at least four blocks in the form of rectilinear prisms having different dimensions in the X axis will be formed. A molded block for a retaining wall is also defined having tapered end walls that are tapered and ears project from these end walls, parallel to the X axis and adjacent the rear wall.

Claims

1. A concrete slab for forming blocks for a retaining wall comprising:

a prism having parallel top and bottom surfaces, and opposed parallel side walls, and end walls, wherein the prism has an X axis in the longitudinal direction extending between the end walls, a Y axis in the width direction extending between the side walls, and a Z axis perpendicular to the X and Y axes, extending between the top and bottom surfaces, a first dividing line extending parallel to the X axis from one end wall to the other end wall in order to define a separating plane bisecting the prism;

at least a pair of second dividing lines each extending parallel to the Y axis of the prism from the first dividing line to one of the opposite side walls, wherein the second dividing lines are parallel to each other but offset therefrom to form blocks in the slab,

wherein upon separating the slab along the first and second dividing lines, at least four blocks in the form of prisms having different dimensions in the X axis are produced, and

wherein each of the blocks produced in the slab has at least one keyhole opening, each keyhole opening being adapted to receive an abutment member to abut against an adjacent block and provide a slope to the retaining wall.

2. The concrete slab as defined in claim 1, wherein at least two of the blocks formed have different dimensions in the X axis in the relationship of a first block having a dimension in the X axis equal to A and a second block having a dimension in the X axis at least equal to A+A/10, and at least one of the blocks in the slab having a corner at right angles wherein the length L of the at least one of the blocks in the X axis has a relationship with the width W thereof in the Y axis which is at least L=W+L/5.

3. The slab as defined in claim 2, wherein at least one of the blocks has an end surface which is between 5°

and 30°

from a plane in the Y axis.

4. The slab as defined in claim 2, wherein the slab has a thickness dimension T in the Z axis, and at least one block in the slab is useful as a jumper, and the jumper has a length L in the X axis where L is a multiple of T.

5. The slab as defined in claim 1, wherein the second dividing lines parallel to the Y axis of the slab are in the form of slots extending at least to the first dividing line parallel to the X axis such that the blocks are formed when the slab is fractured along the first dividing line parallel to the X axis.

6. The slab as defined in claim 1, wherein the second dividing lines are formed as elongated grooves which extend from the respective side walls and the grooves intersect the first dividing line.

7. The slab as defined in claim 4, wherein blocks are obtained from a variety of slabs having thickness dimensions T1, T2, T3 . . . Tn in the Z axis which are different one from the other and the block useful as a jumper has a length L in the X axis where L is a sum of at least two of T1, T2 . . . Tn.

8. The concrete slab as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the blocks formed has a dimension in the X axis which is multiple of the dimension in the Z axis of the slab.

9. The slab as defined in claim 1, wherein the second dividing lines are partly in the form of slots which extend inwardly from the opposite side walls towards the first dividing line but terminate a short distance from the first dividing line and fractionating lines extend between ends of the slots to the first dividing line such that when the slab is fractionated along the first and second dividing lines the resulting slab segments form the blocks, the exposed surfaces of the first dividing line and the fractionating lines along the second dividing lines having the same texture.

10. The slab as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one end wall has a portion which extends at an acute angle to the Y axis extending away from the first dividing line to provide at least a tapered end face to the resulting block and the tapered end face terminating at a short projection parallel to the X axis a distance not exceeding the total dimension of the block in the X axis.

11. The slab as defined in claim 10, wherein the second dividing lines are at least partly formed by slots and at least a wall of a slot forming the resulting block is at an acute angle to the Y axis so that the resulting block is a tapered block extending away from the first dividing line and the tapered block terminates at the respective side wall with short projections parallel to the X axis and extending a distance not exceeding the total dimension of the block in the X axis.

12. The slab as defined in claim 5, wherein the second dividing lines are formed as slots which extend from the side walls and intersect the first dividing line.

13. The slab as defined in claim 12, wherein the first dividing line is formed as an elongated groove.

14. A slab as defined in claim 1, wherein the keyhole openings extend inwardly from the side walls corresponding to each block formed, and the retaining member adapted to be inserted into the keyhole opening includes a stem portion to be fitted in the opening and a shank portion projecting beyond one of the top and bottom surfaces, and end walls with an abutment portion at right angles to the top and bottom walls, and the abutment portion of the shank portion is adapted to engage a side wall of an adjacent block so as to retain one block in relation to the other.

15. A slab as defined in claim 12, wherein the blocks formed in the slab are provided with retaining means for providing a slope to the retaining wall when the blocks are used to build the retaining wall and the retaining means are in the form of the keyhole opening extending inwardly from the respective side wall and the abutment means are cooperating retaining members adapted to be inserted into the keyhole opening, the retaining member including a stem portion to be fitted in the opening and a shank portion projecting beyond one of the top and bottom surfaces, and end walls with an abutment portion at right angles to the top and bottom surfaces, and the abutment portion of the shank portion is adapted to engage a side wall of an adjacent block so as to retain one block in relation to the other.

16. A concrete slab for a retaining wall, comprising:

a prism having parallel top and bottom surfaces, and opposed parallel side walls, and end walls, the prism having an X axis in the longitudinal direction extending between the end walls, a Y axis in the width direction extending between the side walls, and a Z axis perpendicular to the X and Y axes, extending between the top and bottom surfaces, a first dividing line extending parallel to the X axis from one end wall to the other end wall in order to define a separating plane bisecting the prism; and

at least a pair of second dividing lines each extending parallel to the Y axis of the prism from the first dividing line to one of the opposite side walls, the second dividing lines being parallel to each other but offset therefrom to form at least four blocks in the form of prisms having different dimensions in the X axis,

wherein the blocks formed have retaining means for providing a slope to the retaining wall, the retaining means being in the form of a lip projecting downwardly from the bottom surface of each block in the slab, and the lip is adjacent the side wall of each block,

wherein when adjacent overlying blocks are assembled to form a wall, the respective lips abut against the side wall of the adjacent block to stagger the blocks to provide a slope with the intersection of the top and front face lying in a common plane, and

wherein the slope of the plane is between a vertical and 45°

from the vertical.