Hydraulic and earth engineering – Earth treatment or control – Rock or earth bolt or anchor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-11
2001-10-02
Bagnell, David (Department: 3673)
Hydraulic and earth engineering
Earth treatment or control
Rock or earth bolt or anchor
C405S284000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06296422
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to an element for forming ground covering, restraining and reinforcing structures, particularly for forming retaining walls, the element being constituted by a panel of wire netting, preferably with a double twist, in particular galvanized and possibly plastic-coated, the wire-netting panel being continuous and being divided into at least three portions comprising a bottom portion, a front restraining portion, and a top end covering portion, these portions being delimited relative to one another by reinforcing bars which are inserted in the mesh of the wire netting and which extend along or define predetermined lines for the bending of the three portions relative to one another, the three portions being bent relative to one another in a manner such as to form a substantially Channel-shaped restraining element having, for its base and its top, the two end portions of the element which are disposed substantially parallel to one another and, for a substantially vertical or inclined restraining wall, the intermediate portion between the two end portions, the restraining element being filled with earth, stones or combinations of earth and stones, and several Channel-shaped restraining elements each formed by a continuous element being able to be laid on top of one another to form walls or the like.
The object of the present invention is to devise a completely prefabricated element of the type described above so that it is possible, by means of inexpensive and relatively simple measures, to form structures such as walls or the like which are stronger and of more attractive appearance, particularly walls with surfaces having predetermined inclinations, without requiring operations to assemble the various components of the element in the place of use.
The invention achieves the above-mentioned object by means of an element of the type described at the beginning, in which the intermediate portion which is to form the vertical or inclined, visible restraining wall has at least one, and preferably several, further reinforcing bars inserted in the mesh of the wire netting and extending parallel to one another and parallel to the delimiting bars between the intermediate portion and the two opposed portions which are to form the base and top of the Channel-shaped restraining or reinforcing structure.
According to an improvement, when the visible portion of the Channel-shaped restraining structure formed by the netting element has to have a predetermined inclination relative to a perfectly vertical orientation, at least one, preferably two, and possibly even several brackets may be associated with each netting element in order to support it and position it in the correct inclined position, each bracket having at least a first arm which is a reinforcing bar and supports the intermediate portion for forming the visible front wall of the restraining element and which has the corresponding inclination, and at least a second arm parallel to the portion constituting the base.
The support and positioning brackets are preferably articulated to the front portion of the Channel-shaped element so as to be pivotable from a rest and storage position in which they are laid against the portion to which they are articulated and therefore extend parallel thereto, to an operative position in which they are arranged in a substantially raised and perpendicular position relative to the portion to which they are articulated.
The brackets are advantageously formed with the shape of a right-angled triangle or a right-angled trapezium.
A further characteristic of the invention consists of the fact that the element comprises, in addition to the wire netting panel, a so-called geosynthetic fines-retainer, this layer being superimposed inside the wire netting panel which is to form the front of the restraining element.
Two different versions of the geosynthetic layer may be provided, according to the use of the element. In the so-called earth version, the geosynthetic layer is preferably constituted by a bio-matting of natural fibres or the like. The layer of natural fibres may advantageously be reinforced by a netting of plastics material.
In the so-called water type, the geosynthetic layer is formed by a geo-matting of plastics material.
The front portion of the Channel-shaped element is also reinforced by a further netting panel (of the double-twisted or electrically-welded type) connected to the Channel-shaped element by staples at the production stage and thus enclosing the geosynthetic layer between the panel and the Channel-shaped element.
The above-mentioned measures strengthen the restraining element formed by the netting element, at least on the visible front portion of any walling. This is ensured both by the reinforcing bars, and by the positioning and support brackets, as well as by the reinforcing panel. The brackets enable the portion which forms the visible front wall of the restraining element to be positioned precisely in a predetermined manner, producing retaining walls with predetermined and precise inclinations.
The further reinforcing bars may possibly be used as intermediate predetermined bending hinges thus enabling visible front walls of different heights to be formed according to requirements. In this case, the brackets for supporting and positioning the portion which forms the visible front wall may also be replaceable or simply capable of being bent to height about predetermined bending hinges or the like.
The various types of geosynthetic material allow the restraining element to be adapted to various conditions of use of the structures formed with the elements according to the invention and improve the restraining characteristics and the aesthetic appearance of the structures, as well as their durability.
If the brackets for positioning and supporting the portion constituting the visible front wall are formed so as to be pivotable alternatively to the rest position or to the operative position, the element according to the invention can be folded at least partially onto itself to a storage or transportation position in which it has a minimal size vertically and in which it can be packed together with other elements, for example, in the form of a pack of elements laid on top of one another, bound and held together by heat-shrinkable film or the like.
The features of the invention are not structurally complex, involve considerable reductions in cost, and prevent laying complications and protracted laying times.
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Bagnell David
Flynn ,Thiel, Boutell & Tanis, P.C.
Lagman Frederick L.
Officine Maccaferri S.P.A.
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