Hydraulic and earth engineering – Earth treatment or control – Shoring – bracing – or cave-in prevention
Utility Patent
1998-08-27
2001-01-02
Lillis, Eileen D. (Department: 3673)
Hydraulic and earth engineering
Earth treatment or control
Shoring, bracing, or cave-in prevention
C405S286000, C052S604000, C052S439000
Utility Patent
active
06168353
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to the construction of retaining walls used in landscaping applications. Such walls are used to provide lateral support between differing ground levels where the change in one elevation to the other occurs over a relatively short distance. More particularly, the instant invention relates to a retaining wall block and a method of wall construction from blocks so shaped that they form uninterrupted continuous vertical columns which can be filled with a particulate matter, strengthening the wall. When filled, the columns become two horizontally spaced, separately functioning columnar walls of rock. Furthermore, the laws of entropy dictate that with time and weather, these columns of rock will settle, becoming more dense and solidified, effectively forming two rock walls within the wall which becomes stronger over time. The blocks have segments or ears on the rear portion which cooperate with each other on adjacent blocks so as to form a substantially closed rear wall. This structure insures that the rock particles in the plurality of vertical columns are contained therein and cannot move outwardly. The inner columnar rock walls then alleviate the need for reenforcing members such as rods or bars. The blocks are also shaped to allow water to flow through the wall, preventing the buildup of hydrostatic pressure behind the wall.
Retaining walls are widely used in landscaping and allow abrupt changes in elevation while reducing the possibility of erosion and land slides. They can be both functional and decorative and range from small gardening applications to large-scale construction. Retaining walls are constructed of a variety of materials and shapes. Some have been constructed of wood timbers, others of rock in a natural form (such as limestone). Still others have been constructed of manufactured aggregate or concrete blocks. The present invention relates to a manufactured block.
The most important consideration when designing a retaining wall is strength. The wall must be able to support the weight of the earth it retains for many years without collapsing or becoming distorted. To achieve this, a variety of block shapes have been developed. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,802,320 and 4,825,619 issued to Forsberg, U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,918 issued to Hodel, U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,527 issued to Wagenaar, U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,363 issued to Woolford, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,653,558 issued to this inventor all show blocks that incorporate rearward projections which anchor the blocks into the retained earth. During construction of these walls, the cavities contained within, or formed between, these projections are filled with particulate matter upon completion of each course of blocks to add weight and stability to the resulting wall. Maximizing the size and height of the cavities increases the amount of fill that can be used, thereby maximizing the weight and strength of the completely filled wall, and also reduces the weight and shipping costs of the individual blocks.
A problem the prior art has failed to overcome is producing a shape that both maximizes the volume of the cavities and allows curves to be built into the wall without having to painstakingly chisel away at the back portions of the blocks or utilize a variety of differently shaped or sized blocks. Blocks made for use with curved walls typically have narrow rear portions that would not interfere with each other but would not provide optimal stability. These blocks often require the complicated use of pins or rods to add stability.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a primary object of this invention to provide a retaining wall block and a wall constructed of a plurality of blocks shaped to form continuous, uninterrupted, substantially vertical cavity columns.
It is another object to provide a retaining wall that increases the effectiveness of an anchoring mesh.
It is a further object to provide a retaining wall block that can be used in any area of the wall, including straight portions, curves or corners.
It is another object to provide a retaining wall that retains fill material while allowing pressure and moisture from the retained earth to be dissipated throughout the wall.
It is also an object to provide a method of constructing a retaining wall such that vertical, columnar, rock walls are formed within the retaining wall while providing a means for preventing the particulate rock used in the columnar walls from escaping rearwardly from the columns.
It is a further object to provide a retaining wall block that is “self-locking” between various courses of the wall.
It is still another object to provide a retaining wall that is very resistant to shear forces along horizontal lines.
It is also an object to provide a retaining wall block that is “self-spacing” with respect to the blocks of the next lower course upon which the block is placed and supported, thereby ensuring a properly angled, uniform back-slope along the wall, wherein the angle of the back-slope may be varied according to the circumstances in which the wall is constructed.
The instant invention comprises a block and a wall constructed of a plurality of such blocks shaped to form uninterrupted, vertical columns. The block structure permits it to be used to construct curved or straight walls without requiring reshaping.
The shape of the block comprises a front portion connected to a rear portion. A pair of laterally projecting ears are formed on opposed side walls of the rear portion. When two blocks are placed next to each other such that the front portions abut, a cavity is formed between the two blocks which is defined in the rear by two adjacent ears. These ears form a tortuous path into the cavity which retains the fill material while allowing pressures exerted by the retained earth to dissipate within the wall. In a preferred embodiment, one of these ears is offset toward the front portion. Such a block construction not only assists in forming the tortuous path, but it also permits ears on adjacent blocks to overlap, thereby facilitating the construction of curved walls.
The rear portion of each block preferably has two side wall members and a rear wall member which define an inner cavity that, when a block is placed in overlapping relation on top of two adjacent blocks, aligns with the space between the two blocks below it to form a substantially vertical, uninterrupted column. When these columns are filled with particulate matter, preferably crushed rock, it will be seen that the weight and stability of the wall increases dramatically. Furthermore, if an anchoring mesh or netting is used, the weight of the particulate matter filling these vertical columns will stretch the grid of the mesh, significantly increasing the anchoring ability of the mesh. Because the back of the wall is substantially closed by the projecting ears, the crushed rock cannot escape rearwardly from the columns. Over time, forces exerted on the crushed rock can only result in the crushed rock becoming more compacted, making the columns stronger. The wall then becomes very resistant to shear forces along horizontal lines.
The rear member of the rear portion of each block may also contain a downwardly projecting abutment member which overlaps the rear face of the block below to ensure that a uniform back-slope is achieved in the wall when the blocks are vertically stacked.
The front portion and rear portion of the block may be connected by a neck which may have a downwardly projecting abutment member which acts as a spacer and an anchor when placed in the space created between two lower blocks. The neck also defines additional spaces which form cavities when placed next to adjacent blocks. The face of the front portion is decorative and can be flat, curved or multi-faceted.
REFERENCES:
patent: D. 295788 (1988-05-01), Forsberg
patent: D. 295790 (1988-05-01), Forsberg
patent: D. 296007 (1988-05-01), Forsberg
patent: D. 296365 (1988-06-01), Forsberg
patent: D. 297464 (1988-08-01), Forsberg
patent: D. 297574 (1988-09-01), Forsberg
patent: D. 297
Lillis Eileen D.
Moore & Hansen
Rockwood Retaining Walls Inc.
Singh Sunil
LandOfFree
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