Hydraulic and earth engineering – Earth treatment or control – Shoring – bracing – or cave-in prevention
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-27
2001-04-10
Bagnell, David (Department: 3673)
Hydraulic and earth engineering
Earth treatment or control
Shoring, bracing, or cave-in prevention
C405S286000, C405S272000, C052S608000, C403S070000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06213688
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to structures for retaining earth to prevent erosion or to function as a sea wall or dam, and more particularly, to such a structure which is formed of replaceable panels that are held in assembled condition using retaining bars that rest in a ball socket footing positioned in the earth.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various forms of earth retaining structures or walls are known in the art to prevent erosion and/or to function as a sea wall or dam. Certain characteristics of such walls are desirable to enhance the structure and facilitate assembly and repair thereof.
For example, it is known to utilize a plurality of interconnecting panels to form such a retaining wall so that selected panels can be removed and repaired or replaced if they become damaged. Also, it is known to use reinforcing rods to facilitate support and connection of such panels when they are assembled as an earth retaining or sea wall.
Generally, the earth retaining or sea walls known in the art are positioned to rest on a foundation construction without any contemplation of, or provision for, movement of the wall with respect to the foundation. Such constructions have the disadvantage of possibly failing when the earth retained by the wall shifts during forces of nature such as earthquakes or slides, or the force of crashing water waves, thereby causing the wall to move off of the foundation and possibly collapse under the force of the earth or water.
The present invention provides an earth retaining wall which is positioned on a foundation footing with a mating ball and socket construction that permits the wall to flex or move at least a limited amount when the earth retained thereby shifts, but without resulting in the wall moving off of the foundation footing. Thereby, the earth retaining wall of the invention will not collapse and fail under the force of such earth movement, but continues to retain the earth as intended.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is characterized by a wall formed of a plurality of panels which are matingly stacked together in Jigsaw puzzle like fashion against an earth embankment. The panels can be pre-formed concrete, or the like. The panels are arranged one above another and are held together by vertical bars which pass through hollow pipes or conduits formed in peripheral portions of each panel. Each bar is formed at a terminal end with a semicircular ball foot formation which rests in a matingly engageable ball socket foundation plate or footing positioned in the embankment. The upper terminal end of the assembled wall is capped by a concrete patio member or plate. Wave breakers can be installed on the faces of the panels when the wall is employed as a sea wall.
The earth retaining wall of the invention is advantageous in that it is somewhat flexible by reason of connections of adjacent panels along vertical bars. Such connections enable adjacent panels along the horizontal direction to move or flex one with respect to another as the retained earth moves in normal course. Also, the flexibility of the adjacent panel connections permits such panels to be assembled initially along an arc in the horizontal direction to form a water dam having generally convex configuration to resist the force of water pressure upstream of the dam. Further, the ball and socket interconnection of the wall with its foundation footing enables the wall to move somewhat in the vertical plane as the earth moves, but without the wall collapsing or crumbling when there is such earth movement.
The wall of the invention also has the advantageous characteristic in that it can be assembled from the top of an earth embankment by sliding panels down the vertical retaining bars and thereby the panels are stacked one above another, to the desired elevation of the wall. By reason of such assembly, panels which may become damaged after installation of the wall are separately replaceable by reversing the assembly procedure, thus obviating the need to replace the entire wall if a portion only becomes damaged.
Various objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent in accordance with the above and ensuing disclosure in which the preferred embodiments are described in detail in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It is contemplated that minor variations may occur to the skilled artisan without departing from the scope or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.
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patent: 6088987 (2000-07-01), Simmons et al.
patent: 6089792 (2000-07-01), Khamis
Fintel, Mark, Handbook of Concrete Engineering, Second Edition, Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., New York, pp. 130-5, 1985.
Bagnell David
Mayo Tara L.
Silverman, Cass & Singer, Ltd.
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