GB2359842A

GB2359842A - Trapezoidal shaped gabion

Info

Publication number: GB2359842A
Application number: GB0102522A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Roger Denis Farmer
Original assignee: Tinsley Wire Ltd
Current assignee: Tinsley Wire Ltd
Priority date: 2000-02-04
Filing date: 2001-02-01
Publication date: 2001-09-05
Anticipated expiration: 2021-02-01
Also published as: GB0002478D0; GB2359842B; GB0102522D0

Description

1 2359842 1 FREE-STANDING SUPPORT STRUCTURES This invention relates to

free-standing support structures.

In the construction industry, containment systems for soil, aggregate, rock or concrete, utilising steel mesh are frequently required, for example to form free- standing wind and/or sound barriers, or to form retaining walls or gabions. In addition, such structures are used as lost form work in reinforced concrete.

Known structures require extensive and costly on-site assembly, employing various jointing techniques between adjacent and opposed mesh panels, e.g., lacing together adjacent panels with wire or using expensive ring connectors closed by pneumatic fixing tools. Opposed panels are known to be connected by mesh bridging members. In addition, it is frequently so, that extensive modification to the steel mesh employed in the system is required in circumstances where a sloping surface is required.

In an attempt to resolve these difficulties, it is known to take standard rectangular box gabions formed from wire mesh of different widths, and stack them to form a stepped structure with a perpendicular rear wall, and to overlay the series of upwardly receding corners with an additional mesh panel to form a sloping front face. Alternatively, standard box gabions of different widths can have their front faces modified and set at an angle, so that upwardly successive gabions combine to provide a sloping front face. These procedures still involve additional work on site, and because of the practice of keeping a perpendicular rear face, employ gabions that are larger than are needed.

The object of the invention is to provide a free-standing support structure that substantially avoids all of those difficulties and disadvantages mentioned above.

According to the present invention, a unit for use in a free-standing support structure, comprises at least a base panel and opposite, inwardly inclined front and rear panels, to form a 2 trapezoidal construction, and the front and rear panels supported in their dispositions with respect to the base panel by at least one generally U-shaped support member, with legs inclined at angles to hold the front and rear panels at their required angular dispositions.

Preferably the front and rear panels are equally and oppositely inclined to form a regular trapezoidal cross-section, and further preferably a number of U-shaped support members are provided equally spaced along the length of the structures.

The trapezoidal section may be pressed/folded to shape, but for ease of transport, the front. rear and base panels may be separately formed and transported to site, and the front and rear panels attached to the base panel by suitable means such as a wire helix engaging around the respective outermost wires of the base panel and the lowermost wires of the front and rear panels.

Similarly, the legs of the U-shaped support member may be attached by helical wire connectors to the faces of the front and rear panels.

The trapezoidal gabion may have a top panel, but preferably the top panel is formed by the base panel of a next trapezoidal gabion placed on a first or lower gabion, the width of which corresponds to the distance between the top wires of the front and rear panels of the first or lower gabion, and has front and rear panels correspondingly inclined to those of the first or lower gabion, to create continuous sloping front and rear faces.

A requisite number of successive, narrower gabions are employed to create a free standing structure of a required height.

In the circumstance where a particularly high structure is required, it could cause the need for a bottom gabion too wide for convenient use. It is therefore preferred, in this circumstance, that a bottom gabion is formed as a plurality of smaller gabions, constructed as is defined above, on a common base panel of the required width. Thus, a number of upright panels may be secured to the base panel, in spaced relationship with adjacent pairs of uprights combining to 3 form a trapezoid with the enclosed sector of the base panel. The spacing of the upright panels may be such that commencing with the outmost or front panel it and the adjacent second panel form a first upwardly narrowing trapezoid, the second and third panels combine to form a second upwardly widening trapezoid, and the third and fourth (rear) panels combine to form a third upwardly narrowing trapezoid, the uppermost wires of all of the panels being attached to the base panel of the next successive trapezoid. With structures of great height, successive gabions up from the base gabion may be similarly constructed.

Because both of the front and rear faces over the height of the structure are inwardly inclined, it allows the use of gabions of smaller width than standard box gabions at corresponding points over the height of the structure, and yet provides adequate strength to accommodate the pressure on the structure from such as a bank or earth filling behind the structure that progressively increases from substantially zero at the top of the structure to a pressure at the base determined by the height of the structure.

The structure of the invention may be filled in accordance with any and all practices common to box gabions, and the structure can be used in all circumstances as an effective alternative to box gabions, and, as is also known, linings of geotextile materials can be used inwardly of the trapezoidal gabions, as can facings to suit particular requirements.

In relatively simple manner, gabions can be formed to act as corner pier to allow a change of direction of the structures of the invention, or to simulate a curve. Here, box gabions modified to trapezoidal section can be stood on end and opposite angled side faces attached to respective structures to set those structures in planes at an angle determined by the inclinations of the side walls.

The exposed end or ends of the structures defined above may be closed by an end wire panel of appropriate shape. However, if required, at the ends of a length of structure in 4 accordance with the invention, with a number of structures suitably connected together such as by helical linking wires to form the required length, conventional box gabions may be used on end to enhance the aesthetic appearance of the structure so formed. Equally, conventional box sections can be used on end at intermediate points along the structure to give the appearance of pillars. Appearance may also be enhanced by employing a box gabion as a base member, on which is supported the trapezoidal gabion structure defined above.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Figure 1 is an end elevation of a free-standing structure formed from trapezoidal gabions, in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the structure of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the part A of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a schematic representation of a pillar and wall effect embodying the structure of Figure 1; and Figure 5 is a schematic representation of an angled wall arrangement, embodying the structure of Figure 1.

A trapezoidal gabion may be formed from a single base mesh panel, front and rear mesh panels and a top mesh panel suitably secured together, but the invention lends itself to the construction of a relatively large structure to form an effective sound or wind barrier, or to form a retaining wall.

Thus, and as is illustrated in the drawings, a large structure 1 is formed by an appropriately large base mesh panel 2 to ensure stability, and forming the base of trapezoidal gabions 3 spaced across its width, there being two trapezoidal gabions across the width of the panel, and a number of gabions 3 in longitudinal alignment (three shown) to suit a particular required length of structure.

The front and rear wire mesh panels 4, 5 of each gabion 3 are held in a required angular disposition by inverted U-shaped support members 6, the panels, the U- shaped members and the base being secured to together by helical wire coils 7 screwed along the adjacent outer wire strands of panels, and encompassing the legs of the U-shaped supports 6. The end faces of the structure are closed by end mesh panels not shown, also held in place by the wire helices.

Each gabion 3 may have a top mesh panel, but preferably the tops of the gabions 3 are closed by a base panel 8 of a trapezoidal gabion 9, the width of the base panel 8 matching the distance across the top edges of the wire panels 3 to one side of the base panel 2 and the wire panels 4 to the opposite side of the base panel. The front and rear panels 10, 11 of the gabion 9 are at the same angle of inclination as the panels 4, 5, and are supported by and secured to inverted U-shaped supports 12 and to end panels by further helical coils 7.

Above the gabion 9, further gabions 12, 13 are provided, of progressively diminishing widths to maintain their front and rear faces 14, 15 and 16, 17 respectively in alignment with those of the gabions J3 and 9, and the bases 18, 19 of the gabions forming the top panel of the gabion below. Again, helical coils 7 are used to secure the panels to each other and to U shaped supports 20, 21.

The manner of securing the panels is better illustrated in Figure 3).

At each level, a form stable structure is created. Thus, following the construction of site of the gabions 3) on the base 2, the interior of the structure can be filled with rocks or an appropriate soil or compost, and the inner faces of the gabions 3 can be lined with an appropriate geotextile material. Once filled, the gabions 2 can be closed by the base 8 of the gabion 9, and once constructed the inside of the gabion 9 can be lined and/or filled as required. The same applies to the gabions 12, 13, and the structure finally closed by a top mesh panel 22 being 6 attached to the front and rear panels and side panels of the top gabion 13.

To simplify on-site construction, it is preferred that all side panels of all gabions are the same. Evidently the bases need to be of a specific size, and end panels of specific height, but these are readily recognisable, and avoiding the need to check that a correct front/rear panel has been selected is of considerable benefit to the operative.

The structure of Figures 1 to 3) can be used as such, but from aesthetic considerations, a better effect can be provided by a pillar and wall-like appearance. Thus, as is suggested by Figure 4, a structure can be created by that of Figures 1 to 3 bounded by conventional rectangular gabions 23).

If a structure needs to accommodate a corner, trapezoidal gabions 24 can be produced and set on end, with the opposite faces attached to the end of the structure of Figures 1 to 31, as is suggested in Figure 5.

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Claims

1. A unit for use in a free-standing support structure, comprising at least a base panel and opposite, inwardly inclined front and rear panels, to form a trapezoidal construction, and the front and rear panels supported in their dispositions with respect to the base panel by at least one generally U-shaped support member, with legs inclined at angles to hold the front and rear panels at their required angular dispositions.

2. A unit as in Claim 1, wherein the front and rear panels are equally and oppositely inclined to form a regular trapezoidal cross-section.

3. A unit as in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein a number of U-shaped support members are provided equally spaced along its length to hold the front and rear panels in place.

4. A unit as in any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the trapezoidal section is pressed/folded to shape.

5. A unit as in any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the front, rear and base panels are separately formed and transported to site, and the front and rear panels attached to the base panel by suitable means.

6. A unit as in Claim 5, wherein the suitable means are wire helices engaging around the respective outermost wires of the base panel and the lowermost wires of the front and rear panels.

7. A unit as in Claim 6 when appended to Claim-3), wherein the wire helices also attach the front and rear panels to the U-shaped support member.

8. A unit as in any of Claims 1 to 7, wherein there is provided a top panel to close the unit.

9. A structure formed from the units as in any of Claims 1 to 7, wherein a first or lower gabion has placed on it a next gabion, the base member of the next gabion forming the top panel of the gabion below.

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10. A structure as in Claim 9, wherein the width of the base member of a next gabion is equal to the distance between the upper wires of the first or lower gabion, and the angle of inclination of the front and rear panels of the next gabion is the same as that of the panels of the first or lower gabion, whereby to create continuous sloping front and rear faces to the unit.

11. A structure as in Claim 9 or 10, wherein for a high structure, a wide base is required for stability, the wide base being created by a number of individual gabions across the width of a common base.

12. A structure as in any of Claims 9 to 11, wherein a number of gabions are provided in longitudinal alignment, to provide a structure of a required length.

13'. A structure as in any of Claims 9 to 12, wherein all of the front and rear faces of all of the gabions are identical.

14. A structure as in any of Claims 9 to 13, wherein it can be bounded by pillars formed from conventional box gabions.

15. A structure as in any of Claims 9 to 13, wherein two structures can be set at a required angular disposition by providing a trapezoidal gabion, set on end with its front and rear faces in abutting engagement with the end faces of adjacent structures.

16. A units substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

17. A structure when formed from a number of units substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.