Other

Societe Civile Des Brevets De Henri Vidal

Henri Vidal

Santiago Muelas-Medrano

Longine J Wojciechowski

Daniel Weinreb

David P McKittrick

Pierre Segrestin

David J Willetts

Rodney J Smith

Santiago Muelas-Madrano

A method of constructing a retaining wall structure for retaining an earth mass involves the use of a footing, at least one counterfort and a plurality of facing panels, with the facing panels and the counterfort including either a bolt cast therein and projecting therefrom or a hole formed therein. The one counterfort and the plurality of facing panels are secured together by placing each bolt through one of the holes and mounting a fixing device on the free end of the bolts. The counterfort and the facing panels are mounted on the footing so that the counterfort is vertically positioned and the facing panels are arranged vertically above one another on the counterfort to form a retaining wall structure. The retaining wall structure is then backfilled such that the rear faces of the facing panels are in contact with an earth mass to thereby retain the earth mass.

Joining of a concrete element to a support

A prefabricated concrete facing panel is connected to a prefabricated counterfort by way of a pair of bolted connections. Each connection includes a bolt projecting rearwardly from the panel and passing through a hole provided in a connecting arrangement of the counterfort, and a nut mounted on the threaded end of the bolt. The connection is not visible from the front of the facing. Both the facing panel and the counterfort are flat elements and are therefore easy to transport to the site.

Counterfort wall

An earth structure has a facing formed of a plurality of laterally spaced support members. The top and bottom of each support member is connected to a stabilizing element that extends rearwardly into an earth mass. A mesh cover extends between adjacent support members. The support members include a front portion and integral lower and upper extensions that define a C-shaped strap. The mesh cover is also somewhat C-shaped as defined by a front portion and integral upper and lower rear projections which stiffen the cover against forward movement under earth pressure.

Earth structures

A concrete facing panel is joined to a counterfort by means of a pair of bolted joints. Each joint comprises a hole in the panel through which a bolt projecting from the counterfort passes, and a nut mounted on the threaded end of the bolt. A resilient plug is located in the hole at its end facing the counterfort to form a first watertight seal, the plug including an integral spacing ring to space apart the panel and the counterfort. A second watertight seal is provided by a layer of epoxy resin applied over the nut.

A facing for an earthwork includes an array of polygonal frames that are connected to the forward ends of stabilizing elements which are embedded in the soil. The polygonal frames are flexibly connected to each other at their corners by joints which allow independent movement of each frame in the plane of the facing without movement in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the facing. Each frame includes a cover which is capable of limited resilient forward movement in a direction perpendicular to the frame and which is capable of resisting the pressure of the soil.

Facings for earthworks

Earth stabilization

A facing system for a frictionally stabilized earth structure comprises an assembly of facing units each having a sloping facing panel with a substantially horizontal upper edge and a lower edge situated rearward of said upper edge and substantially parallel thereto, the facing panel being supported by a pair of laterally spaced side panels. The facing units are assembled to form a series of superimposed substantially horizontal tiers wherein the sloping facing panels in the tiers are laterally spaced and are positioned vertically above corresponding lateral spaces between facing panels in the tier below, whereby earth immediately behind the structure in contact with the facing panels, forms an open sloping surface from the lower edge of each facing panel through the space in the tier immediately below to the upper edge of the facing panel vertically below the space, the slope of the surface being less than the angle of repose of the earth. The side panels on each of each said facing panel restrain lateral movement of the earth of the slope and are provided with a device for attachment to frictional stabilizing members embedded in the earth of the structure.

Facing system

A facing for an earthwork comprises earth pressure bearing sections 2 adapted to be held rigidly relative to the rearwardly adjacent earth, for example by means of stabilizing elements 3 embedded in the earth, and moveable of the earth 4 resiliently permitting movement of the earth substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the facing whereby earth pressure on the facing panels is reduced by establishment of arching forces between the rigidly held sections 2.

A retaining wall comprises a facing, a counterfort connected to the rear of the facing, a footing supporting the facing and the counterfort, backfill behind the facing to provide a support surface for traffic, and a traffic barrier along the top of the wall. The counterfort comprises a reinforced concrete slab having a substantially vertical front portion at right angles to a base portion, and a rear portion running from substantially the top of the counterfort to the rear of the base portion thereof, the angle between the rear portion and the front portion being smaller in the vicinity of the top of the counterfort than in the vicinity of the base. The counterfort and the traffic barrier are connected to each other such that impact loads on the traffic barrier are transferred directly to the footing. The facing comprises a plurality of substantially vertical wall elements supported side-by-side on the footing, at least one height adjustment means at the lower edge of each wall element for adjusting the orientation of the element in a lateral plane during construction, and connecting means between adjacent elements which are adjustable during construction in a first direction to vary the compression of seal means between the elements and in a second direction to adjust the relative vertical positions of the adjacent elements.

Wall systems

An apparatus for moulding prefabricated curved concrete sections for use in the construction of arched or vaulted structures comprises a curved, upwardly convex mould made up of a series of reusable substantially flat mould plates pivotally supported by vertical pillars of adjustable height. The mould plates are hingedly connected to each other such that the angle of each plate to the adjacent plate is adjustable. The spacing between the vertical pillars is also adjustable, so that the mould plates provide a polygonal mould surface adjustable for moulding prefabricated concrete sections of different curvatures.

Moulding process and apparatus for making arch-shaped concrete structures

A method of constructing a stabilised earth structure under water comprises lowering a row of base units on to a site under water, lowering into a position immediately above said base units facing units to which are attached in a row elongate flexible reinforcements for stabilising the earth, the facing units being guided during lowering by rigid guide members connected to the base units, and backfilling the base and facing units with earth to cover the reinforcements. Each base unit comprises an elongate box and fluid concrete is introduced into the elongate box and allowed to harden to support the respective facing unit with its lower edge horizontal even if the base unit rests on a slope. Each guide member is connected to a respective elongate box so as to be adjustable to a vertical orientation.

Stabilised earth structures

A rolled metal strip for use in stabilized earth structures has at periodic intervals along its length thickened reinforcement regions formed during the rolling operation. The strip is cut into required lengths such that each strip length has an end reinforced region through which an aperture is then formed to receive a bolt passing through a bracket of a facing. The strip may include transverse ribs at intervals on both faces of the strip to assist engagement with the surrounding soil.

Metal strip for use in stabilized earth structures

The invention provides a stabilized earth bridge abutment comprising a compacted earth mass containing reinforcing members therein to stabilize the mass, there being provided, in contact with said mass and close to a substantially vertical surface thereof, support means which bear the vertical load of the deck of the bridge while substantially all horizontal forces are absorbed by the stabilized earth mass. In the method of constructing the stabilized earth bridge abutment an earth mass is built up from successive layers of earth and reinforcing elements and facing elements are attached to the ends of the reinforcing elements to provide a substantially vertical face, vertical spaces being provided close to said vertical face for subsequent introduction of support means to carry the deck of the bridge, and after the earth mass has been built and deformation of the earth mass due to its own weight has taken place, support means are introduced into said spaces.

Bridge abutment

A retaining wall has precast concrete wall facing elements and is constructed to accommodate vegetation masking. The structure uses panels having frontally projecting buttresses and inwardly inclined face surfaces to provide an exposed horizontal planting bed for each row of panels. Devices are provided to limit water percolation and migration of fine particles. And, rearwardly projecting bearing pads may be added to give columnar support in high wall application.

Growing community of inventors

Neuilly-sur-Seine, France

Henri Vidal