CA2583502A1

CA2583502A1 - Segmental retaining wall system

Info

Publication number: CA2583502A1
Application number: CA002583502A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Svenn Borgersen; Thomas L. Rainey; John W. Turgeon-Schramm
Original assignee: Anchor Wall Systems, Inc.; Svenn Borgersen; Thomas L. Rainey; John W. Turgeon-Schramm
Current assignee: Anchor Wall Systems Inc
Priority date: 1999-06-24
Filing date: 2000-01-27
Publication date: 2001-01-04
Anticipated expiration: 2020-01-27
Also published as: CA2583503A1; CA2583502C; CA2583503C

Abstract

The present invention relates to a wall block for use in a segmental retaining wall system(10). The wall block (12) comprises an interior face (26) for forming an interior surface of a segmental retaining wall, an exterior face (24) for forming an exterior surface of the segmental retaining wall, first and second sides (32) that extend from the exterior face to the interior face, and a top surface (28) and a bottom surface (30). Further provided in the wall block is a channel (16) defined by a front wall (36), a rear wall (38), and an arcuate bottom surface (40).
The channel extents across one of the faces and surfaces.

Claims

1. A segmental retaining wall, comprising:
a plurality of courses of concrete wall blocks stacked one atop the other, each block including an interior block face, first and second block sides that extend from the exterior block face to the interior block face, a block top surface and a block bottom from the exterior block face to the interior block face, a block top surface and a block bottom surface, each of the blocks in a plurality of adjacent blocks in at least one of the courses including a lock channel, the lock channel in each block extending across one of the interior block face and the block top surface from the first block side to the second block side, the lock channels in adjacent blocks being aligned and being adapted to receive a portion of a soil reinforcement member and a portion of a soil reinforcement member retaining bar, each of the lock channels being defined by a front wall, a rear wall, and a channel bottom surface, the front wall of each of the lock channels includes a first shoulder that extends toward the rear wall of the lock channel so as to overhang a portion of the channel front wall, wherein the channel rear wall includes a second shoulder that extends towards the front wall of the lock channel so as to overhang a portion of the channel rear wall, and wherein the shoulders run generally parallel to each other along the lock channel to define a channel opening that is narrower than the width of the lock channel in the area between the channel opening and the channel bottom surface;

a soil reinforcement member extending into soil behind the retaining wall to stabilize the soil against movement, the soil reinforcement member including a portion located in the aligned lock channels of at least two of the adjacent blocks in the at least one course; and at least one soil reinforcement member retainer bar, at least a portion of which is positioned within the aligned lock channels of at least two of the adjacent blocks in the at least one course that also contains the portion of the reinforcement member, the retainer bar having front, back, top, and bottom surfaces, the retainer bar having a front to back dimension that is greater than the width of the channel opening, the retainer bar having a top to bottom dimension that is less than the width of the narrow channel opening;

the aligned lock channels being of such size and shape as to permit the retainer bar to be inserted into the aligned channels through the channel opening between the first and second shoulders with a portion of the soil reinforcement member interposed between the retainer bar and the channel walls, and then to be rotated into a position below the first and second shoulders in which the retainer bar cannot be removed from the channel without rotation, whereby the soil reinforcement member is clamped between the retainer and the channel rear wall when a tensile force is exerted on the portion of the soil reinforcement member extending behind the channel.

2. The segmental retaining wall of claim 1, wherein the soil reinforcement member is a geogrid.

3. The segmental retaining wall of claim 1, wherein the soil reinforcement member is fabric.

4. The segmental retaining wall of claim 1, wherein the lock channel in each of the adjacent blocks extends across the top surface of each block.

5. The segmental retaining wall of claim 4, wherein each of the adjacent blocks includes an integral flock flange on the block bottom surface defined by a flange front and rear surfaces, the lock flange being sized, shaped, and positioned so that the bottom of the flange fits through the channel opening of a similarly configured block when the block is placed on top of a similarly configured block.

6. The segmental retaining wall of claim 5, wherein the lock flange extends across the block bottom surface from the first block side to the second block side.

7. The segmental retaining wall of claim 5, wherein the lock flange front surface of the adjacent blocks includes a portion that extends towards the exterior block face so as to overhang a portion of the flange front surface, the portion that extends towards the exterior block face being configured to engage the first shoulder of the lock channel of the similarly configured block such that, when the wall block is stacked atop the similarly configured block, engagement between the lock flange and the lock channel of the similarly configured block resists forward leaning or toppling of the wall block.

8. The segmental retaining wall of claim 1, wherein the channel bottom surface of each lock channel is arcuate.

9. The segmental retaining wall of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the channel front wall of each lock channel extends obliquely toward the exterior block face.

10. The segmental retaining wall of claim 1, wherein a plurality of the blocks include an interior block opening that extends from one block side to an opposite block side, and wherein the interior block openings of a plurality of blocks in at least one course are aligned so as to form an open interior passageway within the at least one course of the wall blocks.