US3114244A

US3114244A - Retaining wall

Info

Publication number: US3114244A
Application number: US783349A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph R Silver
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1958-12-29
Filing date: 1958-12-29
Publication date: 1963-12-17
Anticipated expiration: 1980-12-17

Description

J. R. SILVER RETAINING WALL Dec. 17, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 29, 1958 ATTORNEY Dec. 17, 1963 J. R. SILVER 3,114,244

RETAINING WALL Filed Dec. 29, 1958 IN V EN TOR. JOSEPH R. SILVER ATTORNEY Dec. 17, 1963 J. R. SILVER 3,114,244

RETAINING WALL Filed Dec. 29, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 8

INVENTOR. JOSEPH R. SILVER BY z\ \\$i W ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,114,244 RETAINING WALL Joseph R. Silver, 3342 /z S. Main St., Akron, Ohio Filed Dec. 29, 1958, Ser. No. 783,349 6 Claims. (Cl. 61--49) This invention relates to a retaining Wall, and in particular relates to a prefabricated wall structure for retaining soil or water, or both.

Heretofore, retaining walls of the character described have been constructed of stones, bricks, concrete and the like. Water retaining walls, however, generally have been of poured concrete. Stone or brick walls were expensive to build, and often failed or collapsed due to pressure of the baclcfill on the land side or due to accretion by constant pounding of water from the opposite side. Under the best conditions, where pouned concrete was used, expansion and contraction of the backfill caused cracking, and necessary repair or replacement was costly. Moreover, heavy equipment necessary for handling the prior wall materials often caused damage to landscaping, drainage tiles, and building structures.

One object of the present invention is to provide a retaining wall which is of economical, light-weight construction, which will have a minimum tendency to sink in its foundation soil to cause damage to the wall, and which is adapted to be fully installed without use of special lifting and other equipment normally required for building a wall, of concrete or natural stone blocks for example.

Another object of the invention is to provide a retaining wall of the character described which may simulate the appearance of solid stone, brick, or concrete walls, but which can be installed by persons having little or no skill in building walls or the like, and thereby reducing the labor cost for the installation to a minimum.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved wall structure of the character described which is adapted to be effectively anchored against damaging movement or displacement due to heavy pressure of soil backfill, especially after heavy rain falls, or due to heavy pounding of Waves.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wall structure of the character described which is substantially self-adjusting with expansion and contraction of land backfill retained thereby, as with freezing and thawing within the backfill, and which, therefore, is not subject to damage due to cracking of parts of the Wall, as often caused by such expansion and contraction to prior art walls.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wall structure of the character described, which is provided with an improved protective cap having resilient bumper means adapted to absorb the impact of boats tying up at the wall, and also having means for deflecting waves away from the wall to prevent the backfill from being washed away.

Other objects of the invention will be manifest from the following brief description and the accompanying drawings.

Of the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view illustrating a typical installation of a retaining wall embodying the features of the invention.

stakes. channels of each stake 13, serves as effective means for FIGURE 2 is a front elevation thereof, as viewed along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged vertical cross-section, taken substantially on the line 33 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view, on a smaller scale than FIGURE 3, of one of the anchoring wedges used in the Wall installation.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged horizontal cross-section, takensubstantially on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 2, illustrating a combined anchoring stake and panel joint in a straight portion of the wall.

FIGURE 6 is a view corresponding to FIGURE 5, but illustrating how the anchoring stake may be adapted either for formation of a bend in the wall, or for use of wall panelling of increased thickness.

FIGURE 7 is a horizontal cross-section, corresponding to FIGURE 5, but illustrating a combined anchoring stake and panel joint for use at an outside corner of the wall, but also adapted for use at an inside corner thereof.

FIGURE 8 is an exploded, cross-sectional view of a mold for forming the fluid-impervious laminated wall paneling of the invention, and .with the laminations of a wall panel correspondingly schernetically arranged.

Referring generally to FIGURES 1 to 7 of the drawings, and to FIGURES 1 to 3 in particular, the numeral 10 designates a retaining wall or seawall, adapted to support a backfill 11 of earth or soil at the inner side there of, and to retain water at the outer side of the same,

such as the water of a lake, stream or pond W. The wall may include a plurality of

rectangular panels

12, 12, of water-impervious characteristics, and supported to have the planes thereof inclined rearwardly at a slight angle to the vertical, between

anchoring stakes

13, 13, Which also serve as sealing joints for adjacent panels, in a manner to be described.

Each stake 13 may be of metal, such as aluminum, or hard plastic, such as vinyl polymer or phenolic resin materials, formed as by known extrusion methods to have thin longitudinally extending, outer, inner and

intermediate walls

14, 15 and 16, respectively, and a longitudinally extending, central connecting web 17, at right angles to said walls, defining outwardly oppositely dis- "posed

channels

18, 18 of one width, and outwardly op- 45 positely disposed

inner channels

19, 19 of greater width.

Stake 13 is adapted to be forcibly inserted or otherwise anchored in the ground to substantial depth below a low ground surface L, such as a lake bottom and to have a predetermined substantial length thereof above surface L, at a rearward inclination to the horizontal :(see FIGURE 3). A plurality of stakes 13, so anchored in requisite laterally spaced relation present pairs of inwardly oppositely disposed vertical channels 18 for reception of laterally opposite ends of a panel 12. The panel ends maybe securely bonded in said channels, as by suitable self-setting plastic adhesive material, such as VinyhStik (manufactured by B. Goodrich Co.), indicated at 20 in FIGURE 5, and which is applied before the backfill 11 is packed in behind the panels 12. Serrations 22 on inner surfaces of the

channels

18 and 19 provide a stronger bond between the edges of the panels and the anchoring A T-shaped portion, defined by the innermost anchoring the stake in the backfill along the full length thereof (see FIGURES 3 and 5).

In situation where a bend is required in the retaining wall it), the stake 13 may be inserted in the ground to have the wide channels outermost, as shown in FIG- URE 6, in which instance the extra spaces in the channels are filled with the self-setting plastic material 20. The primary purpose of the wider channels 19, however, is for use of thicker panels 12, as indicated in chain-dotted lines in FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 5, showing an anchoring stake 23 utilized for connecting two panels 12 to form an outside corner in the wall 10, the edges of connecting panels being embedded in said self-setting adhesive within

channels

24 and 25, which open in the directions of right-angularly disposed planes of the connecting panels.

The same stake 23 is adapted to be utilized in a similar manner for forming inside corners in the wall. By providing channels in stake 23 which are wider than the thickness of the panels 12, the angles of the planes of the connecting panels may be varied considerably.

For covering or capping the top of the wall 10, generally U-shaped cap sections 26, of extruded aluminum, or durable plastic material such as polyester resin reinforced with glass cloth, may be provided. Each cap section 26 may have an upwardly arched thin, concavoconvex upper wall 27, having an integral downwardly extending anchoring flange 28, adapted to extend into the backfill 11, as best shown in FIGURE 3. The forward edge of the cap section may be formed with a longitudinally extending flat, downwardly presented face 29, and a thin rearwardly off-set flange 3i providing a forwardly presented fiat face 31 at right angles to the wall 29, to define an angular seat or recess for reception of the upper edge of a panel 12, which is bonded to the cap as by means of self-setting adhesive 20.

The cap sections 26 may be protected by a cover 32 of molded thin elastic material, such as butyl or neoprene rubber, or resilient vinyl plastic, having an appropriate non-slip or other design on the upper surface thereof. For firmly attaching the cover 32 to the caps it may have, on the under side thereof, a plurality of integral T-shaped ribs 33 received in complementally shaped grooves 34 in the walls 27 of the cap sections, it being understood that the cover 32 may be in segments of different lengths than the cap sections, to locate the joints 32a of the covers intermediate the joints 26a of the cap sections 26 (see FIGURES 1 and 2). If necessary or desirable, the cover units 32 also may be cemented to the cap sections. Longitudinally extending passages 33a at the narrowest portions of the ribs 33 facilitate tight but yielding reception of the ribs in the grooves 34.

The forward edge of each cover unit 32 may have thereon a hollow, downwardly extending flange 27a, the inner face 27b of which yieldingly engages the upper portion of the panel 12, or the bonding material 20 on the same. For deflecting waves of the water W forwardly of panel '12, the forward face 27c of the flange 27a converges toward the plane of the forward face of the panel. This deflection of waves prevents the same from washing out the backfill behind the wall. Hollow flange 27a also serves as a resilient bumper for boats docking against the wall. If necessary, flange 27a may be further held in position, as shown in FIGURE 3, by means of self-tapping screws 38a inserted through the flange, the upper portion of panel 12, and flange of cap 27.

For locating and anchoring the lower edges of the panels 12 with respect to ground surface L, elongated, tapered stakes 35, best shown in FIGURE 4, may have stepped

recesses

36 and 37 provided at the upper ends thereof. The panel edge is received in one or other of the

recesses

36 and 37, depending upon the thickness of the panel (see chain-dotted lines in FIGURE 4). The stakes are adapted for similarly locating and anchor ing the lower edges of the rear flanges 28 of the caps 27 at spaced points by providing narrow recesses 38 inwardly of the inner face of recess 37, to receive said flanges 28, as shown in FIGURE 3.

Each panel 12 may include a central core 39 of substantially rigid orous material, such as plywood, which is made water-impervious by laminating thereon layers of certain materials which have bonding affinity for each other and for the wood core. Referring particularly to FIGURES 3 and 5 to 8, such laminations, for example may include an inner layer 40 of thin (200 to 300 cps.) viscosity resin such as those of the polyester, or epoxy resin families on both sides of the core and saturating the wood to a substantial depth. Superimposed on the inner layers 4%), on each side of the core, may be a reinforcing layer of glass-fiber or woven glass cloth 41, on which, in turn, there is attached an outer layer of resin 42 of thick (350 to 500 cps.) viscosity, such as those of the polyester or epoxy resin families. The layers may, for example, be formed about core 39 in a sectional mold (see FIGURE 8), having upper and lower sections 43 and 44, respectively, and in the presence of suitable external heat, cured to provide a high-impact, glass-fiber (woven or matted) reinforced coating of polyester or epoxy resin about the core, said coating becoming an integral part of the core due to the inner layers 40 being impregnated into the pores thereof, and due to the two layers of resin material at) and 42 integrally uniting through interstices of the reinforcing layer 41. The united polyester or epoxy materials of the layers 43 and 42 are formed about all edges of the core and into the pores of the core, by the molding process, so that the finished panel is completely water and fungus resistant. For further increasing the water-resistant quality of the panel 12, layers 45, 45 of acrylic fiber cloth, such as Dynel (by Union Carbide and Carbon Corp), may be provided over the

layers

42, 42 in the molding process, preferably with edges of the material in substantial overlapping relation around the edges of the panel. If desired, a suitable design, simulating the appearance of natural stone or bricks, or of concrete, may be accomplished in the molding process, either by means of design configuration in the mold surface or by incorporation of sheets of decorative or figuratively printed porous paper or the like which is saturated or impregnated with polyester or epoxy resin material of layer 42.

In use of the invention, as for building a sea wall, stakes 12 are driven into the previously prepared or levelled ground surface L, preferably while the water W is at a level below surface L, the stakes being predeterminately spaced in alignment and projected into the ground L to have the upper ends in desired horizontal alignment. Any number of the Wedges 35 may be driven into the ground L intermediate adjacent stakes 13, as shown in FIGURE 2, to have the bottoms of recesses 37, for example, in horizontal alignment at or below the surface L. Next, the panels are inserted in the inwardly oppositely disposed recesses 18 of adjacent stakes 13, as shown in FIGURES 1, 2, 3 and 5, and downwardly into seating positions in grooves 37 of the wedges 35. When each panel is properly fitted the lateral edges are caulked or bonded in the channels 18 of the respective stakes 13, by means of the bonding filler 20. Corners and angles are similarly formed, as described above in connection with FIGURES 6 and 7, respectively. At this point the space behind the panels 12 may be filled in, so that the stakes 13 will be further anchored in place by fill dirt packed around the T-shaped inner portions of the same with the stakes 13 (or 23) and the panels 12 firmly in place, and the backfill 11 piled behind the same to a suitable level near the top edges thereof, the cap section 26 may be installed in lateral edge-to-edge relation, to have the upper edges of the panels seated in the angular seat portions formed by

faces

29 and 31, and adhered therein by bonding material 20, as shown in FIGURE 3, and with the rear anchoring flange 28 embedded in the packed backfill 11 and engaging in slots 38 of previously positioned anchoring wedges 35. It is possible to manipulate each cap section into final position and to work the backfill material from one or other of the ends of the cap sections to fill all voids under the same and behind the corresponding panels.

The resilient cover units 32 are adapted to be positioned as shown in FIGURE 3, by inserting the rib portions 33 in the grooves 34 from ends of the respective cap sections as they are installed in the wall 10, preferably to have at least a portion of each cover unit overlapping a joint between adjacent cap section 26.

The complete retaining wall is adapted to be quickly installed to have a wide variety of shapes and forms, and yet utilize relatively small number of shapes and sizes of parts. All of the parts are adapted to be economically manufactured in quantity, and being of lightweight construction does not tend to sag and break. Moreover, the improved wall, being highly water impervious, and thereby highly resistant to internal freezing and cracking, will have an extremely long term of maintenance-free use.

Modifications of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit thereof, or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A retaining wall structure of the character described, comprising a plurality of panels of water-impervious characteristics, means for supporting said panels on the ground in edgewise upright relation in continuous succession forming paneling adapted to receive and support backfill material behind the same and to have uppermost edges of the paneling extending continuously, substantially rigid capping means coextensive with said paneling and having forward seat means for seating downwardly against said uppermost edge portions of said paneling, said capping means having downturned portions rearwardly spaced from said forward seat means for anchoring reception to substantial depth in the backfill material, said capping means having attached to the upper portions thereof covering means of rubber-like elastic material, the forwardly presented portion of said covering means having an integral forwardly protruding, resilient bumper means extending lengthwise thereof along the forward portion of the capping means.

2. A retaining wall structure of the character described, comprising a plurality of panels of water-impervious characteristics, means for supporting said panels on the ground in edgewise upright relation in continuous succession forming paneling adapted to receive and support backfill material behind the same and to have uppermost edges of the paneling extending continuously, substantially rigid capping means coextensive with said paneling and having forward seat means for seating downwardly against said uppermost edge portions of said paneling, said capping means having downturned portions rearwardly spaced from said forward seat means for anchoring reception to substantial depth in the backfill material, said capping means having attached to the upper portions thereof covering means of rubber-like elastic means, the forwardly presented portion of said covering means having forwardly protruding resilient bumper means extending lengthwise thereof along the forward portion of the capping means, said bumper means having a forward face downwardly converging toward the forward portions of the paneling as for deflecting waves of water forwardly of the wall.

3. A retaining wall structure of the character described, comprising a plurality of panels of water-impervious characteristics, means for supporting said panels on the ground in edgewise upright relation in continuous successive forming paneling adapted to receive and support backfill material behind the same and to have uppermost edges of the paneling extending continuously, substantially rigid capping means coextensive with said paneling and having forward seat means for seating downwardly against said uppermost edge portions of said paneling, said capping means having means thereon for anchoring reception to substantial depth in the backfill material, said capping means having attached to the upper portions thereof covering means provided with forwardly protruding portions lengthwise thereof and having forward face portions downwardly converging toward the forward faces of the paneling as for deflecting waves of water forwardly of the wall.

4. A retaining wall structure of the character described comprising a plurality of panels of water-impervious characteristics, means for supporting said panels on the ground in edgewise upright relation in continuous succession adapted to receive and support backfill material behind the same and to have uppermost edges of the paneling extending continuously, substantially rigid capping means coextensive with said paneling and having forward seat means for seating downwardly against said uppermost edge portions of said paneling, said capping means having downturned anchoring portions rearwardly spaced from said forward seat means for anchoring reception to substantial depth in the backfill material, said means for supporting including elongated stakes of water-impervious material adapted to be driven into the ground and having oppositely disposed seat means for seating reception of adjacent edges of the panels, said seat means of the stakes including a plurality of channels at least one of which is of substantially greater width than the thickness of said panels for selective reception of edges of adjacent said panels in selectively different angular relationships within a substantial range of angles during installation of the panels and the edges of the panels being embedded in self-setting plastic adhesive material within the respective channels.

5. A retaining wall structure of the character described, comprising a plurality of panels of water-impervious characteristics, means for supporting said panels on the ground in edgewise upright relation in continuous succession forming paneling adapted to receive and support backfill material behind the same and to have uppermost edges of the paneling extending continuously, substantially rigid capping means coextensive with said paneling and having seat means for seating downwardly against said uppermost edge portions of said paneling, means for anchoring the upper portions of the paneling within the backfill material, said supporting means including at least some stakes having two aligned pairs of laterally oppositely disposed channels for selective reception of edges of adjacent said panels at installation of the paneling, with the portions of at least some of said stakes containing the other pair or channels defining outturned flanges adapted to be anchoringly embedded in backfill material.

6. A retaining wall structure of the character described, comprising relatively thin rectangular paneling of waterimpervious characteristic, means for supporting said paneling in upright position to receive a backfill behind the same and to have a top edge of the paneling extending horizontally, capping means of rigid material and having forward seat means for seating downwardly against said top edge, said capping means having means thereon for anchoring reception in the backfill material, said capping means having thereon a covering of rubberlike elastic, and means being provided for attaching said covering to said capping means, said means for attaching said capping means including a plurality of longitudinally extending keyhole-shaped grooves in said capping means and complementally shaped tongues on said covering and received in said grooves, said tongues having longitudinally extending passages at the narrowest portions thereof adapted to be yieldingly compressed by the complementally narrow portions of the grooves.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Gilpin June 4, 1867 Upson Ian. 17, 1911 Langworthy Nov. 13, 1923 Weber Feb. 11, 1930 Cahill Mar. 13, 1934 Upson June 23, 1936 Westrope Jan. 12, 1943 Morris Jan. 2, 1945 8 Nehcr et a1. Mar. 22, 1949 Malmstrom Aug. 21, 1951 Vogel May 1, 1956 Elmendorf Apr. 22, 1958 Reid May 10, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS Austria July 10, 1906 Germany June 30, 1915 Canada Oct. 28, 1953

Claims

1. A RETAINING WALL STRUCTURE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF PANELS OF WATER-IMPERVIOUS CHARACTERISTICS, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID PANELS ON THE GROUND IN EDGEWISE UPRIGHT RELATION IN CONTINUOUS SUCCESSION FORMING PANELING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND SUPPORT BACKFILL MATERIAL BEHIND THE SAME AND TO HAVE UPPERMOST EDGES OF THE PANELING EXTENDING CONTINUOUSLY, SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID CAPPING MEANS COEXTENSIVE WITH SAID PANELING AND HAVING FORWARD SEAT MEANS FOR SEATING DOWNWARDLY AGAINST SAID UPPERMOST EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID PANELING, SAID CAPPING MEANS HAVING DOWNTURNED PORTIONS REARWARDLY SPACED FROM SAID FORWARD SEAT MEANS FOR ANCHORING RECEPTION TO SUBSTANTIAL DEPTH IN THE BACKFILL MATERIAL, SAID CAPPING MEANS HAVING ATTACHED TO THE UPPER PORTIONS THEREOF COVERING MEANS OF RUBBER-LIKE ELASTIC MATERIAL, THE FORWARDLY PRESENTED PORTION OF SAID COVERING MEANS HAVING AN INTEGRAL FORWARDLY PROTRUDING RESILIENT BUMPER MEANS EXTENDING LENGTHWISE THEREOF ALONG THE FORWARD PORTION OF THE CAPPING MEANS.