Hydraulic and earth engineering – Earth treatment or control – Shoring – bracing – or cave-in prevention
Patent
1991-11-26
1994-08-02
Corbin, David H.
Hydraulic and earth engineering
Earth treatment or control
Shoring, bracing, or cave-in prevention
405 32, 405258, E02D 2902
Patent
active
053339703
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to building and shoring structures in the form of blocks, and in particular concerns building and shoring blocks which comprise a metallic mesh cage which is filled with ballast material.
Certain of each structures are known by the name "gabions" and comprise essentially wire mesh cages defining a block shape, which are filled with rock, stone and rubble and the like. The stone is generally placed immediately inside the cage surface so as to be visible through the cage, and in this connection the stone typically is dressed and laid in the nature of a wall so as to have an enhanced appearance, as frequently the stone surfaces are left exposed to view. This may apply for example when the gabions are used, as they are extensively, for the shoring up of an embankment for example adjacent a motorway or for forming a sea defence or the like.
Although these gabions are made up of wire mesh cages filled with stone and other rubble, in effect they become solid blocks which can be used for building, shorings for hillsides, sea walls and the like, for walls and for other purposes.
However, the method of filling the wire mesh cages in using facing stone is expensive, and furthermore considerable time and effort is required in filling the gabion cages. Obviously the stone and other rubble is required in accordance with the conventional method of construction, because otherwise the material would simply pass through the meshes of the wire mesh cage.
In the instant invention however, structural blocks, which can be used as gabions and for other purposes are provided whereby a much looser particulate, fluent material such as sand, concrete, ash and soil colliery waste and small particular aggregate can be used as the ballast material either singly or in combination with other material without the disadvantage of the known gabion structures arising, and furthermore the gabion cages can be easily erected on site to facilitate completion of the site work. In accordance with the invention in a first aspect there is provided a method of providing an on site structural block comprising transporting to the site a flattened cage comprising pivotally interconnected panels of open work mesh and which is erectible to the shape of the block to be provided by moving the panels apart, erecting the cage, including applying to the panels before or after erection so as to at least partially line the interior of said cage, flexible sheet material, and filling the cage at least partially with fluent solid material of a particulate nature which, but for the lining material, would pass through the meshes of the cage. The fluent solid material can in fact be any of a wide range of materials. Thus it may be mixed with water and pumped into the cage which may or may not as required allow the water to escape leaving a solid mass of small particles as the infill. Again, synthetic resin systems which may be foamable or not can be used, such systems being of a nature which are liquid when poured into the cage and solidify and fill the cage interior to form the ballast.
The flexible lining material may comprise a flexible fabric, met or a plastic film, or metallic foil or a laminate or a combination of materials, but in any event it simply forms a barrier layer whereby the ballast will be retained inside the gabion mesh even if the ballast material is something which is as loose and as small in particulate size, as builders sand. The barrier layer may be a pre-impregnated fibrous mat or felt or the like which cures hard after positioning in the cage.
By this arrangement, when the invention is used for gabion cages, the flexibility of use of gabion structures is considerably increased, because the range of ballast materials which can be used is substantially increased. It is usual for example for quantities of sand or other particulate material to be more readily available than dressed stone.
To further enhance a gabion structure according to the invention, it may after it has been placed in operative position be oversprayed or
REFERENCES:
patent: 4011728 (1977-03-01), Turzillo
patent: 4394924 (1983-07-01), Zaccheroni
patent: 4483640 (1984-11-01), Berger et al.
patent: 4572705 (1986-02-01), Vignon
patent: 4726708 (1988-02-01), Papetti
Corbin David H.
Hesco Bastion Limited
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