CA1174091A - Concrete wall panel system - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE INVENTION

A prefabricated wall structure comprising in combination a plurality of wall units, each constructed of a precast concrete provided with a plurality of vertically and horizontally oriented reinforcement members cast within the unit to form a rectangular re-inforcement network. Each wall unit further comprising a panel member and a column member integrally formed on the end of said panel member, the column member defining a channel having a substantially trapezoidal cross section, and running from the top to the bottom of the column, and a weld plate member secured to the bottom of the column by welding the weld plate to a plurality of the reinforcement members. The panel member is formed with a width less than the width of the channel sufficient to allow a panel end to be placed into a column channel of an adjacent unit and be selectively angularly positioned with respect to the horizontal plane of the previously placed unit.

Description

CON CRE TE WALL PANE L S YS TEM
-~IELD O~ INVENTION

This invention relates generally to the field of wall construction and more particularly to precast concrete walls.

DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART

Fence and wall construction, being approximately as old as civilization, is a well developed art, infrequently the subject of major technological improvement. HoweveT, more recent developments in civilization, and particularly the modern superhighways, have created the need for a new type of wall, sometimes referred to as highway barrier wall.
The fundamental purpose of highway barrier wall is to effectively separate the highway from adjacent areas, but the specific purpose varies. It can be to protect the high-way form falling rocks OT erosion; or to maintain the scenic nature of a highway by screening off eyesore areas such as junkyards. Inversely, the specific purpose can be to protect adjacent populated areas from the highway. The appearance, the dangers and the sound of traffic on a highway can be eliminated or substantially reduced by effective use of high-way barrier walls.
Conventional fencing, such as wooden board or metal chain link are commonly used and may effectively function to screen off eyesores and keep people and animals away from a highway. However, such fencing is limited in function (e.g., little or no sound barrier) and deteriorates rapidly without constant maintenance.
Conventional masonry walls, such as brick, stone or cast in situ concrete can be effective for most purposes, but they are not only prohibitively costly to erect but time consuming and, once in place, equally difficult to :1~7'~
remove.
Developing prefabricated panels that can be quickly and easily assembled to form an effective highway barrier wall has been a promising solution to the aforementioned disadvantages of conventional fencing and masonry walls.
However, it is not an easily achieved solution primarily because prefabrication requires standarization whereas no two highway barrier walls are the same. Each must conform to the terrain upon which it is erected as well as the curvature of the highway. It must also be strong enough to resist the forces working against it, the most common of which is the wind, which at 80 m.p.h. exerts a force of 25 pounds per square foot.
Among the earliest and still most common pre-fabricated highway barrier walls are those formed of sheet metal panels. Such panels, generally corrugated, are ex-tended between and attached to anchored posts. The posts are anchored by being pile driven into the terrain or sunk in concrete piers. The depth to which the post is anchored is constant, so the height of the post reflects the height of the terrain in which it i5 anchored and the panels between are stepped up or down, accordingly. This makes the system adaptable to the terrain. The fact that the corrugated metal panels are to some degree horizontally flexible allows for accomodation to the curvature of the highway. Highway barrier walls of corTugated metal panels meet the require-ments of being adaptable and relatively easy to install.
However, if they are of sufficiently heavy guage to with-stand the wind forces they are correspondingly costly.
They also have to be maintained to protect from oxidization and are relatively ineffective as a sound barrier.
Precast concrete panels overcome the aforementioned disadvantages of corrugated metal panels. They are maintenance-free, relati~ely inexpensive and effective sound barriers. However, past attempts to use precast concrete panels in forming highway barrier walls have been unsuccess-ful because they are less adaptable than corrugated metal panels. They are totally inflexible and difficult to attach to the anchored posts between which they extend. WheTeas the metal panels can be bolted to gussets on the posts or welded to the posts at any angle, concrete panels cannot be so easily secured. To date, the most successful use of precast concrete panels to form highway barrieT walls has envolved the use of supporting posts OT columns having an "I" shaped configuration in cross section. The supporting posts OT columns of metal or concrete are anchored in the terrain and the precast concrete panels extend between them, with their opposite sides engaged within the channels formed on each side of the "I" shaped column. To accomodate vari-ations in the terrain, it is necessary to ~ig out the area adjacent an elevated support column and partially bury one end of the panel before stepping up to the next level.
The channels formed on each side of the "I" shaped sup-pOTting column allow for vertical mobility of the panel, that is the panels' elevational relation to the column may vary according to the elevation of the terrain. This provides adequate vertical flexibility to accomodate the terTain. HoweveT, horizontal flexibility, to accomodate curva-ture in the highway, is difficult OT impossible with this system.
The reason is that the joint between panel and supporting post must be so tight as to allow minimal horizontal move-ment. Otherwise, wind forces knocking the panel back and forth within the channel of the supporting column would WeaT away at the engaged pOTtion of the channel making the joint increasingly looser and eventually the panel would crack and become disengaged. The only way of achieving a necessary CUrVatuTe of the wall is to use two support co~umns, immediately adjacent to but angled a--ay from one another to the degree required to effect the necessary angular relationship bet-~een the adjacent panels.

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Generally the present invention seeks to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages of the prior art by providing a strong, maintenance-free, inexpensive wall suitable for use as highway barrier wall, a wall that can be easily and quickly assembled from standardized precast concrete elements and a wall, the elements of which are adaptable to such horizontal and vertical curvature as the situation may require while maintaining a totally rigid relationship after installation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention in one aspect comprehends an integral precast concrete unit for use in erecting a prefabricated wall structure comprising a rectangular panel member and at least one column member integrally positioned on one vertical end of the panel member, the column member having a greater width than the panel member and defining a channel on one side. The channel has a trapezoid cross-section with a longest side of the trapezoid opening onto the one side. The panel member having a width less than the width of the column channel whereby when a panel member of a like second unit is positioned within the column channel of the first unit, the second unit may be selectively positioned with respect to the first unit.
The invention in another aspect pertains to a prefabricated wall structure comprising in combination a plurality of wall units, each wall unit being constructed as an integral precast concrete structure comprising a rectangular panel member and at least one column member positioned on one vertical end of the panel member. The column member has a greater width than the panel member and defines a channel on one side, the channel having a trapezoid cross-section with a longest side of the trapezoid opening onto the one side. The panel member has a width less than the width of the column channel allowing the panel member to be positioned within the column channel of an adjacent unit to allow selective positioning of second unit with respect to the first unit.
The invention also pertains to a method of erecting a precast concrete wall structure comprising a plurality of members, each of which is formed with a wall unit having a panel section and a column section integral to the panel section, the o~
column section defining a channel having a width which is greater than the width of the panel section. The erecting method comprising the steps of forming a pier provided with a weld plate on its upper end in the ground, positioning a column section of the wall unit so that a weld plate on the bottom of the column section is flush against the pier weld plate, securing the pier weld plate and column weld plate together, positioning another unit adjacent the first unit so that the end of the panel section extends into the channel of the column section of the mounted unit, securing the second unit in the same manner as previously described, and securing the panel section within the channel of the column section.
More specifically, each wall unit preferably includes a panel portion of uniform thickness and along one side, a support column that is approximately three times thicker than the panel portion. In each column, on the side opposite the panel portion, is formed a channel three to four inches in depth and somewhat wider than the thickness of the panel portion. On the bottom of each column, there is a metal weld plate.
It should be emphasized that the panel portion and column form an integral wall unit. The unit is precast with metal reinforcement bars throughout.
For reasons that will be explained, some wall units are precast with support columns on each of its opposite sides.
Holes are dug in the terrain along which the wall is to run. The size of the hole is proportionate to the height of the wall to be erected. The hole is filled with concrete to form a support pier, and a metal weld plate appropriately attached to metal reinforcement bar on its underside is sunk into the pier so that its upper surface is approximately at terrain level.
The support piers, thus formed, are placed at intervals roughly equivalent to the length of the wall unit.
When erecting a wall, each column in sequence is positioned on a support pier, so the weld plate on the underside of the support column is in registry with the weld plate on the upper surface of the support pier. When correctly positioned, the two weld plates are welded together.
The unsupported edge of the panel portion of the next 1 ~7~
unit in sequence, is placed in the channel of the support column forming a tongue and groove joint. It is important that there be sufficient play in this joint to allow the panel to be angled within the channel rather than necessarily in strict alignment with the support column. Each wall unit may thus be positioned at a slight angle to the next so as to form a curved wall. Because highways, by their nature, avoid sharp turns, a relatively gentle curvature is normally all that is required of highway barrier walls. However, to provide for more extreme curves, the support columns on some units are formed with channel along its side adjacent to and at a right angle with the panel portion.
Just as the play in the tongue and groove allows for horizontal curvature of the wall, it is appreciated that vertical displacement of the panel within the channel allows for a panel to be on a lower elevation than the adjacent channel bearing support column in which it is engaged. As mentioned earlier, some wall units are formed with a support column on each of its opposite sides. This is because in installation over uneven terrain, the topmost panel unit (that is, the one on the highest relative elevation) is installed first. It has a support column on each side. The next wall unit in sequence (from either side) is cut-away on its tongue side, and its support column side is at a lower elevation than the first wall unit. The cut-away portion is easily effected at the time the unit is precast, by blocking off one corner of the mold. The required angle and extent of the cut-away depends on the steepness of the hill, but for purposes of standardization, a two foot diagonal cut-away has proved to be adaptable to most inclines.
Once the horizontal displacement and vertical angle of the tongue and groove relationship between panel and adjacent support column channel has been established, it is then secured by forcing grout into the channel to fill the voids between the tongue portion of the panel and the channel. When this cures, the joint becomes stable and secure.
One other advantage to the use of precast concrete wall units, is that the surface can be readily textured so as to increase its acoustical insulating qualities.
It will be appreciated that the wall formed according 4~
to this invention is very strong and stable. However, should circumstances require its removal, the joint between support column and pier can be unwelded and the grouted joint between panel units broken away. Thus the wall can be disassembled and removed with relatively little time and effort; and most of the panels remain intact and reusable.
While the invention has thus far been described in terms of highway barrier walls, it will be appreciated that it would be appropriate to any situation, in which it was desired to quickly and easily assemble prefabricated concrete panels to form a wall, particularly where adaptability to elevational inclines and horizontal curvatures are desirable. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent in the following discussion of the accompanying drawings, in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a front view of a wall unit of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a partial cut-away view of the panel and column taken along line A - A' of Figure l;
Figure 3 is a partial cut-away view of a wall unit secured to an anchoring pier of the present invention;
Figure 4 is a partial cut-away view of a column and panel showing one manner in which a wall unit may be secured to an adjacent wall unit to form a wall;
Figure 5 is a partial cut-away view of a column and panel showing another manner in which a wall unit may be secured to an adjacent wall unit to form a wall;
Figure 6 illustrates a manner in which a series of wall units may be secured to form a wall along a vertica~lly varying path; and Figure 7 is a top plan view of Figure 6.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The best mode and preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in Figures 1 through 7.
Turning to Figure 1, a wall unit, generally indicated at 10, comprises a panel 12 of generally rectangular form with a column 14 integrally cast along one side of panel 12. The length, height and thickness of panel 12 may vary according to the specific intended use of the wall unit 10, although a certain minimum thickness of panel 12 is necessary in order for wall unit 10 to support itself against the forces of gravity and wind.
A partial cut-away section of panel 10 is shown in Figure 2, and illustrates various construction details of the panel 10. A plurality of reinforcement rods 16 are cast within wall unit 10 to form a rectangular reinforcement network. In Figure 2, several vertical rods 16 are illustrated end-on and several horizontal rods 16 are illustrated in profile. The horizontal rods 16 which traverse the length of panel 12 extend beyond the length of panel 12 into the center of column 14, thereby reinforcing the unitary structure of wall unit 10.
A trapezoidal channel 18 is formed in one side of column 14. The channel 18 comprises back wall 15 parallel to the surface 13 of column 14 in which channel 18 is set, and two side walls 17 at an angle of up to 11~ from a line perpendicular to surface 13. A weld plate 26, shown in phantom in Figure 2, is attached to the bottom of column 14, preferably by being welded to a plurality of vertical reinforcement rods 16 prior to the casting of wall unit 10.
Turning now to Figure 3, a pier 20 is placed in the ground to be attached to the bottom of column 14. Pier 20 has a ground Ievel horizontal top surface 21 on which is placed pier weld plate 24. Pier weld plate 24 is secured to pier 20 by vertical pier rods 22. Pier weld plate 24 and pier rods 22 may be welded to one another and then placed in pier 20 immediately after the concrete of pier 20 has been poured. The concrete of pier 20 is poured in the ground at the precise site desired for placement of a column 14. The depth and diameter of the pier increase in proportion to the height of the wall unit to be attached. For instance, a wall unit that is ten (10) feet high requires a pier two and a half (2-~) feet in diameter and seven (7) feet deep, whereas a unit twenty (20) feet high requires a pier three and a half (3-~) feet in diameter and twelve (12) feet deep. These dimensions are calculated to withstand wind forces up to eighty (80) miles per hour.
Column 14 may be placed atop pier 20 so that column weld plate 26 is flush against pier weld plate 24. The lower edges of column 14 form a chamfer 19 to allow access to the weld 1~7~9~L
plate during placement. The pier 20 and column 14 are structurally joined together by bead welding the exposed side edges of the weld plates 24 and 26. Because all piers 20 must be cast at least several hours prior to the installation of wall units 10 in order to allow concrete to cure, it is frequently impossible to achieve a precise placement of piers 20 so that exact alignment of the weld plates is extremely difficult. However, this problem is overcome in the present invention by scaling the pier 20 and pier weld plate 24 to be significantly wider and longer than the column weld plate 26. Therefore, a placement error of less than several inches in the location of pier 20, which is readily achievable in the current state of construction arts, can be easily accommodated without construction delays.
Figure 4 illustrates the manner in which adjacent wall units 10 may be joined to one another to form a continuous wall.
The trapezoidal channel 18 of a column 14 surrounds the end of an adjacent panel 12', and the spaces formed between the end of panel 12' and channel 18 may be filled with grout in order to secure the connection between adjacent units. It can be seen in Figure 4 that the trapezoidal cross-sectional shape of channel 18 advantageously allows a certain degree of freedom in the angle formed between the panel 12 and panel 12'. Thus, minor wall path curvature over short distances, and a cumulative substantial wall path curvature over longer distances, may be easily accommodated during construction of a wall.
A more severe angle between adjacent wall units may be accommodated as illustrated in Figure 5. The channel 18 may be formed in the side of column 14, rather than in the end of column 14 as illustrated in Figure 4. Thus, a wall panel 12' is shown attached to column 14 in Figure S at an angle which may be adjusted to a certain extent on either side of a right angle.
When the wall unit 10 is cast with the channel 18 in the side of column 14, an alternative weld plate 27 is placed on the bottom of column 14 so as to avoid interference with channel 18 and panel 12'.
The manner of securing adjacent wall units to form a continuous wall as disclosed in Figures 4 and 5 is sufficient to accommodate minor vertical variations in the wall path.

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However, it is quite common in construction of walls to encounter significant vertical variations which cannot be accommodated by minor adjustments allowable within the system heretofore described.
Such height variations might typically be on the order of two feet of vertical drop across a panel length of twelve feet.
Figures 6 and 7 illustrate a wall unit system adapted to accommodate vertical path variation. At local peak 38 of a vertically varying path, a pair of piers 20 are placed in the ground and a dual column wall unit 30 is installed. The dual column wall unit 30 is similar to the wall unit 10 except that the panel 12 has a column 14 on each end. Other piers 20 are then placed on the sides of the hill leading away from local peak 38 so that cut-away wall units 32 may be installed leading downward from the dual columns 14 of units 30.
Each cut-away wall unit 32 had one corner adjacent to the ground opposite column 14 cut-away, preferably by being cast with a block structure in the mold. The cut-away shape is preferably diagonal as is illustrated in Figure 6, although a rectangular cut-away and other shapes may also advantageously be used. The cut-away 34 is of sufficient size to allow the panel of unit 32 to meet the column of an adjacent unit without interference with the pier 20 attached to the column of the adjacent unit, which is elevated relative to the bottom edge of the panel.
When such a construction system is used on adjacent local peaks 38, the wall systems extending toward one another between the adjacent peaks will meet in an incongruent fashion.
That is, the column 14 of one panel will face the column 14 of another panel. In this situation, a columnless wall unit may be cast so as to fit precisely between the columns 14. The columnless wall unit 36 may then be inserted in channels 18 of the adjacent columns 14 and secured with grout as described above to complete a continuous wall system.
The surfaces of the wall units described above may be cast in a variety of textures and patterns to meet requirements of decoration planning as well as acoustic preferences while maintaining the advantageous construction and installation characteristics described above. Thus, an inventive concrete wall panel system has been described which combines economy and 1~7~
ease of manufacture, ready adaptability to various terrain features, simplicity of installation and removal, sturdiness, and acoustic and appearance advantages.
In the foregoing description, the invention has been described with reference to a particular preferred embodiment although it is to be understood that the specific details shown are merely illustrative and that the invention may be carried out in other ways without departing from the true spirit and scope of the following claims.

Claims (27)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A prefabricated wall structure comprising in combination a plurality of wall units, each wall unit being constructed as an integral precast concrete structure comprising a rectangular panel member and at least one column member positioned on one vertical end of said panel member, said column member having a greater width than said panel member and defining a channel on one side, said channel having a trapezoid cross-section with a longest side of said trapezoid opening onto said one side, said panel member having a width less than the width of said column channel allowing said panel member to be positioned within the column channel of an adjacent unit to allow selective positioning of second unit with respect to the first unit.

2. A prefabricated wall structure as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said trapezoidal channel has sides which extend outward in a range of from one degree to eleven degrees from a perpendicular drawn from the end of the base of the channel.

3. A prefabricated wall structure as claimed in Claim 1 wherein each of said column members has a weld plate located at the bottom of the column member, and one or more metallic reinforcement members extending upwardly within said column member, said weld plate being attached to said one or more reinforcement members.

4. A prefabricated wall structure as claimed in Claim 1 wherein at least one of said wall units comprises a panel member with a column member on each end of the panel member.

5. A prefabricated wall structure as claimed in Claim 1 wherein at least one of said wall unit's panel members is cut away at its lower end, opposite the end integral with the column member.

6. A prefabricated wall structure as claimed in Claim 5 wherein said cutaway is diagonally formed in said wall panel.

7. A prefabricated wall structure as claimed in Claim 5 wherein said cutaway is substantially rectangular.

8. A prefabricated wall structure as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said wall units are precast with textured surfaces.

9. A prefabricated wall structure comprising in combination a plurality of wall units, each unit comprising a precast concrete structure provided with a plurality of vertically and horizontally oriented reinforcement members cast within the unit to form a rectangular reinforcement network, each wall unit further comprising a rectangular panel member and a column member integrally formed on a vertical end of said panel member, said column member defining a channel having a substantially trapezoidal cross section, the channel running from the top to the bottom of the column, and a weld plate member secured to the bottom of the column by welding the weld plate to a plurality of said reinforcement network members, said panel member being formed with a width less than the width of said channel sufficient to allow a panel end to be placed into a column channel of an adjacent unit and be selectively angularly positioned with respect to the horizontal plane of the previously placed unit.

10. A prefabricated wall structure as claimed in Claim 9 wherein said wall units are joined together to form a curved wall structure.

11. A prefabricated wall structure as claimed in Claim 9 wherein said wall units are joined together to form a staggered, vertically ascending wall structure.

12. A prefabricated wall structure as claimed in Claim 9 wherein said column member is substantially rectang-ular in cross section, said column member defining first and second opposed walls, said first opposed wall being joined to said panel member, said second opposed wall defining said channel therein.

13. A prefabricated wall structure as claimed in Claim 9 wherein said column member defines a vertical face in a plane substantially parallel to a plane in which said panel lies, and said vertical face further defines said channel therein.

14. A method of erecting a precast concrete wall structure comprising a plurality of members, each of which is formed with a wall unit having a panel section and a column section integral to the panel section, said column section defining a channel having a width which is greater than the width of the panel section, the erecting comprising the steps of:
(a) forming a pier provided with a weld plate on its upper end in the ground;
(b) positioning a column section of the wall unit so that a weld plate on the bottom of the column section is flush against the pier weld plate;
(c) securing the pier weld plate and column weld plate together;
(d) positioning another unit adjacent the first unit so that the end of the panel section extends into the channel of the column section of the mounted unit, (e) securing said second unit in the same manner as previously described; and (f) securing the panel section within the channel of the column section.

15. The method of Claim 14 including the step of angularly positioning the second wall unit in an angular relationship to the horizontal plane of the first unit.

16. The method of Claim 14 including the step of placing the second unit at a lower elevation than the first unit so that the panel section does not engage the entire height of the column section.

17. The method as claimed in Claim 14 wherein the weld plate at the bottom of the column section has a smaller surface area than the weld plate of the pier.

18. The method claimed in Claim 14, wherein step (a) comprises forming a plurality of piers each of which is provided with a weld plate on its upper end and step (b) comprises positioning a wall unit with a column section on each side so that a weld plate on the bottom of each column section is flush against a pier weld plate.

19. The method claimed in Claim 18 including positioning of the wall unit with column sections at each end on the highest elevation.

20. The method claimed in Claim 14 wherein step (f) comprises filling with grout the channel into which the panel section extends.

21. An integral precast concrete unit for use in erecting a prefabricated wall structure comprising a rectangular panel member and at least one column member in-tegrally positioned on one vertical end of said panel member, said column member having a greater width than said panel member and defining a channel on one side, said channel having a trapezoid cross-section with a longest side of said trapezoid opening onto said one side, said panel member having a width less than the width of said column channel whereby when a panel member of a like second unit is positioned within the column channel of the first unit, said second unit may be selectively positioned with respect to the first unit.

22. The integral precast concrete unit as claimed in Claim 21 wherein said trapezoidal channel has sides which extend outward in a range of from one degree to eleven degrees from a perpendicular drawn from the end of the base of the channel.

23. The integral precast concrete unit as claimed in Claim 21 wherein said column member has a weld plate located at the bottom thereof, and one or more metallic reinforcement members extend upwardly within the column member, the weld plate being attached to the one or more reinforcement members.

24. The integral precast concrete unit as claimed in Claim 1 wherein said wall unit's panel member is cut away at its lower end, opposite the end integral with the column member.

25. The integral precast concrete unit as claimed in Claim 24 wherein said cut-away is diagonally formed in said wall panel.

26. The integral precast concrete unit as claimed in Claim 24 wherein said cut-away is substantially rectangular.

27. The integral precast concrete unit as claimed in Claim 21, 22 or 23 wherein said wall units are precast with textured surfaces.