US3472031A

US3472031A - Precast concrete body

Info

Publication number: US3472031A
Application number: US691084A
Authority: US
Inventors: Rai B Kelso
Original assignee: RAI B KELSO
Current assignee: RAI B KELSO
Priority date: 1967-11-06
Filing date: 1967-11-06
Publication date: 1969-10-14
Anticipated expiration: 1986-10-14

Description

Oct. 14, 1969 R. B. KELSO PRECAST CONCRETE BODY 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 6. 1967 Fax 5. //e/-$0 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Oct. 14, 1969 R. B. KELSO 3,472,031

PRECAS'I CONCRETE BODY Filed Nov. 6. 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I T l,

F0! 5. #0 /J a INVENTOR.

Oct. 14, 1969 R. B. KELSO 3,472,031

PRECAST CONCRETE BODY Filed Nov. 6. 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Ma da hone! HAW & MafllewA HTTORNE YS 0a. 14, 1969 R. B. KELS'O 3, 7 ,031

' I PRECAST CONCRETE BODY Filed Nov. 6. 1967 I 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 gfy 7 Hg/ 5. ffe/Jo INVENTOR a Jan xnuel Willow & MaHLewA w a HTTOR/VE YS United States Patent U.S. CI. 61-39 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A body of precast concrete of a particular configuration to form bulkheads, retaining walls, pilings, and other similar structures.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This invention is a continuation-in-part of my prior copending application filed on Mar. 12, 1965, hearing Ser. No. 439,333, and now abandoned, for Structure for Use in Bulkheads, Retaining Walls, or the Like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention Retaining walls or other barriers are often necessary to protect the shore line against the eroding efiect of water, ocean waves and breakers. Such retaining walls are subjected to a variety of adverse conditions, not the least of which is the repetitive movement of water and pounding of ocean breakers on the protective retaining wall placed at the edge of the water.

In piling, it is desirable to get as much surface area as possible exposed to the soil in which the pile is placed. Also, the more perimeter in a pile, the more resistance per foot of length of piling, and thus the more effective is the piling.

The present invention provides a precast concrete member of a particular configuration that enables it to be used as a retaining wall, bulkhead, or piling which uses a relative minimum of volume of precast concrete while providing a relative maximum of perimeter for the pile.

Description of the prior art There are several types of devices presently available for use as piling such as a wooden cylindrical or square members, concrete cylindrical or square members, and a piling which is tapered so that it is smaller at its lower end than at its upper end. While it may be advantageous to have larger pile members spaced farther apart, and while a concrete pile can be precast to any desired size, the volume of present concrete piles increases at a faster value than the perimeter for any volume, thus increasing the cost of the concrete pile. Also, as the perimeter of a pile member increases, the resistance of the pile to the soil increases, and the resistance per linear foot of the pile member in the soil determines the force necessary to drive it into the soil, generally speaking. Also, the length of the pile member affects the resistance to the soil as it is driven therein and this in turn is an additional factor to be taken into consideration in determining the force required to position it.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a precast concrete body of a particular configuration which reduces the volume of concrete without reducing the perimeter for any given size of comparable square or round precast concrete piling and which increases the perimeter of the pile in relation to the volume of the precast concrete body. The present invention enables the use of fewer piles for a given load as compared with other piling members.

Thus, the present invention overcomes the disadvan- 3,472,031 Patented Oct. 14, 1969 ice tages of precast concrete piling members heretofore used in that it utilizes a relative minimum volume of precast concrete while attaining a relative maximum perimeter, thus decreasing the cost of the piling while obtaining a piling member at least equally as good as, or possibly better than a square or round precast member of the same perimeter.

Yet another object of the present invention is to pr0- vide a precast concrete 'body of a particular generally triangular configuration that can be made in predetermined sizes and lengths to form a piling of a desired size and length or to provide a precast concrete body which can be joined with similar bodies in end to end relation to form a piling or which can be positioned to form a retaining wall.

Another feature of this invention is a precast concrete body of a desired predetermined length which is provided with three concave main side surfaces extending longitudinally which can be prestressed or reinforced to form a piling, or which can be formed of a desired length so a plurality of bodies can be stacked in end to end relation with similarly configured bodies and then placed in abutting end to end relationship and prestressed to form a piling, or which can be used to form a retaining wall, the assembled bodies being stable in either arrangement.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from a consideration of the following description and drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view taken through a bulkhead or piling fabricated from a plurality of precast concrete bodies in accordance with the present invention and illustrates one configuration and relationship of the bodies to each other and to the surrounding soil and a water covered area;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the arrangement of FIG. 1 and illustrates one embodiment of the configuration of the precast concrete bodies of this invention and the manner in which the bodies may be joined to adjacent, identical precast concrete bodies;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective of a single precast concrete body of a form of the present invention illustrating in greater detail the arrangement of the edges and surfaces;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of another form of the precast concrete body of the present invention and includes in dotted line a triangle to illustrate the difference in volume between the precast concrete body of this invention and a triangular body;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the precast concrete bodies of the present invention in end relation and positioned to form another type of retaining wall;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view diagrammatically illustrating a plurality of the precast concrete bodies positioned in soil to function as load bearing piles;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view on the line 77 of FIG. 8 and illustrates one manner of forming a prestressed piling with the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view on the line 8-8 of FIG. 6 and includes in dotted line a circle to illustrate the difierence in volume with a circular concrete pile of similar perimeter dimensions;

FIG. 9 illustrates the precast concrete bodies in a water covered area as load bearing piles;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of a solid precast concrete body of the present invention which is prestressed;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a form of a mold which might be used to form the precast concrete bodies of the present invention; and

FIG. 12 is a sectional view on the line 1212 of FIG.

showing the present invention in the form of a solid precast concrete body of the present invention with reinforcing therein.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Considering the invention, attention is directed to FIG. 1 which illustrates a retaining wall or piling generally at 10 which is positioned adjacent a body of water 12 with the lower end thereof embedded in the subsurface designated generally at 14, which subsurface extends upwardly at the rear of the bulkhead 10 as illustrated at 16 to form a land mass which is to be protected from erosion and other deleterious effects of waves or movement in the body of water 12. The soil 16 may extend sutficiently vertically to abut the rear face of the retaining wall 10 along its full height or, if desired, fill material represented at 18 (which may be soil or other debris) may be added on top of the soil 16 to back the bulkhead 10 to the desired height.

Attention is directed to FIG. 4 which illustrates in cross-section a form of the precast concrete body of this invention generally designated at 20b. For purposes of illustration, precast concrete body 20b is shown as being enclosed in an equilateral triangle represented generally at 20 and further illustrated by the dotted lines 21. The body 20b is formed by three

main side surfaces

22, 24, and 26 which extend longitudinally from the end surface 40 shown in FIG. 3 to the other end surface (not shown) which is preferably generally parallel to the end surface 40. The

main side surfaces

22, 24, and 26 are curved inwardly to define concave surfaces throughout their longitudinal extent which, in the preferred embodiment, are arcs of circles having a radius which generally approximate the length of the sides of the triangle 21 represented in dotted line. The side 24 defines a front face for the body 20b, and the remaining two

sides

22 and 26 may be designated as rear faces of the unit, or any side may be considered as forming the front face.

Edge surfaces

28, 30, and 30' are provided which extend lengthwise of the body 20b as shown in FIG. 4. The edge surfaces extend longitudinally of each of said three main side surfaces and join the adjacent ends of adjacent main side surfaces. In the form shown in FIG. 4, the edge surface 28 is shown as being provided with a longitudinally extending groove or recess 28a, and the edge surface 30 is shown as being provided with a tongue or longitudinally extending projection 30a whereby adjacent units may be interconnected and positioned to form a unitary structure. By way of further description, it can be seen as illustrated in FIG. 2 that a structure of any suitable height and width may be formed by fitting the tongue or projection 30a within the groove or recess 28a of an adjacent body. The joinder of adjacent identical bodies 20b such as the body 20b with the illustrated means provides an arrangement whereby rearward or forward forces on the resulting structure are communicated or transmitted to the other bodies 20b and thereby inhibit or eliminate the movement of the resulting structure. Other forms of interconnecting means for the units may be used in lieu of the tongue and groove shown in the preferred embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention.

It will be recognized that the tongue and groove connective and coacting means also provides a seal between adjacent structural units which, while not perfectly watertight, does prevent water from flowing between adjacent units in sufficient amounts that might cause erosion behind the bulkhead. If a complete seal between adjacent units is desired, various sealants such as tar may be added to the connection between adjacent structural units.

The

main sides

22, 24, and 26 of each unit are concave as shown in FIG. 4 and overlap to form

legs

24a and 24b which are symmetrical in relation to the axis of the body 20b represented at 20a in FIG. 4. The third leg 240 is shown in the FIGS. 3 and 4 modification as being somewhat shorter in extent than

legs

24a and 24b; however, in some applications it may be desirable to have the

legs

24a, 24b, and 240 of substantially the same extent in which event the third leg 24c would be symmetrical with the axis 20a of body 20b.

A plurality of spaced openings 20d extends through the body 20b, and in the form of the invention shown in FIG. 4, extend through each

leg portion

24a, 24b, and 24c. The openings 20d are provided for receiving reinforcing means such as cables or rods therethrough as will be discussed in greater detail. The embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 4 includes three openings in each leg; however, any desired number and arrangement of openings 20d may be employed. A central opening 32 is formed in the body with the adjacent portions surrounding the opening being of suitable thickness to withstand the forces and use to which the body may be subjected.

The

walls

22 and 26 which for purposes of describing one embodiment are referred to as rear walls might be extended almost to the corner of the triangle represented at 21 as shown by the dotted line representation at 38 in FIG. 4 in which event the

rear walls

22 and 26 will be equal to the length of the front face 24. However, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, the weight of the precast concrete body 20b is reduced by terminating the rear faces 22 and 26 as shown in FIG. 4 and thereby omitting the dotted line portion of the body represented at 38 so that the rear faces 22 and 26 are somewhat shorter than the front face 24. Addition of the cross-sectional area within the dotted line 38 is particularly advantageous for certain applications of the device of this invention as will be described in greater detail hereinafter.

Reference is made to FIGS. 1 and 2 which illustrate a bulkhead, retaining wall, or piling 10 constructed in accordance with the teachings of this invention, and attention is particularly directed to FIG. 2 which illustrates four similar precast concrete bodies 20b stacked vertically to achieve a predetermined height and shows two such vertical stacks of structures joined together by the connective means and coacting means previously described. The precast concrete bodies 20b are formed by precasting concrete in suitable forms and may be delivered to the jobsite for installation. To form a retaining wall or pile, a plurality of the precast concrete bodies is placed in end to end abutting relationship to form a pile or retaining wall of desired length, and a cable or rod 50 is connected on the end surface at one end of abutted precast concrete bodies by suitable means well known in the art, such as that shown in FIG. 1 wherein a plate 54 is shown as being positioned over the ends of the rods or cables and abutting the end surface of the unit. A nut 56 or suitable locking means such as a clamp is then connected on the rods or cables so that post tension can be applied to the rods or cables and held in tension by any suitable means such as plate 54 and nut 56 or other suitable locking or clamping means. The resulting length of connected bodies can then be positioned by means well known in the art to form the structure such as a retaining wall or a pile.

Additional lengths of bodies 20b may be abutted in end to end relation to form another member of suitable length for forming adjacent rows of members, and the tongue and groove of adjacent lengths of bodies connected as shown in FIG. 2 to form a retaining wall or bulkhead. The reinforcing rods or cable 50 placed in the openings 20d and extended through each body to tie all of the bodies in each row together aid in stabilization of the structure when completed. If desired, a walkway or roadway 58 may be formed on the top of the bulkhead or piling 10 and seals over the opening 52 and covers the tips of the reinforcing members 50 which may be embedded in the walkway 58.

When the bodies 20b are arranged as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be noted that the leg 24c resists any bending movement caused by the forces resulting from the water represented at 12. Also, the

legs

24a and 24b, by reason of their relationship to each other, aid in stabilizing the resulting structure 10, and the geometry of the precast bodies is such that no additional supports or structure is necessary to accomplish the intended result. The structure will not shift or yield under the load conditions for which it is designed and will maintain its position. It also enables heavy equipment to be used immediately adjacent the structure 10 on the fill 18 or soil 16 without any fear of displacing or damaging the structure 10.

Attention is directed to FIG. 5 which illustrates a plurality of precast concrete bodies 20b placed in horizontal alignment to form what is commonly termed a horizontal retaining wall. The body 20b of this invention is particularly useful as a retaining wall and may be positioned in horizontal alignment in end to end relationship and resting on two of its legs as shown in FIG. 5 to define a retaining wall of any predetermined length. The bodies 20b illustrated in FIG. 5 are positioned with their front face 24 on the lower side and adjacent the soil. The left-hand portion 24a of the front face 24 is positioned as the leading edge exposed to action of the water so that the rear face 22 extends upright and is exposed to the surf to permit the surf to act against the face 22. The rearwardmost part of the triangle defining the cross-section is the portion 24b which is positioned away from the ocean and is embedded in the soil and fill is added to cover the edge surface 30. If desired, reinforcing rods or cables may be inserted in openings 20a.

The retaining wall illustrated in FIG. 5 may be extended in height by including the portion of the triangular crosssection within the dotted line 38 illustrated in FIG. 4.

The configuration of bodies 20b is such that they will retain their positions over extended periods of use. The relationship of

legs

24a and 24b to each other and to leg 24c when fill 70 has been added aids in stabilizing the structure and retaining it in position.

In the configuration of the precast concrete bodies 20b in FIGS. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 12 and as better illustrated in cross-section in FIG. 8, the main side surfaces 22, 24, and 26 are again represented as being concave throughout their longitudinal extent and extend in a concave manner continuously to the edge surfaces 28, 30, and 30' with the longitudinally extending edge surface 28 joining the adjacent ends of the longitudinally extending main side surfaces 22 and 24 as indicated at 22 and 24 as shown in FIG. 8. Similarly, the longitudinally extending edge surface 30 joins the

ends

24 and 26" of the main concave side surfaces 24 and 26 as shown in FIG. 8, and the edge surface 30 joins the ends 22" and 26 of the main concave side surfaces 22 and 26, respectively.

Also, the edge surfaces 28, 30, and 30 are shown as being continuous without any interruption therein.

Openings 20d extend through the precast concrete body 20b for receiving a member to prestress the bodies 20b to form a prestressed, precast concrete body.

The prestressing may be accomplished either by posttensioning or pretensioning as will be described hereinafter, depending upon the length and size of the precast concrete body and its application.

In FIG. 8, the precast concrete body 20b is shown in cross-section and as having a central opening 32 extending longitudinally therethrough and is surrounded by the main side surfaces 22, 24, and 26 as Well as the edge surfaces 28, 30, and 30'. In some instances, it may be desirable to eliminate the opening 32 to provide a configuration as shown in FIGS. 10 and 12 as will be described in greater detail hereinafter.

In FIG. 6, it will be noted that a plurality of bodies 20b is shown as being vertically stacked to form a piling represented generally by the numeral 50 to provide a load bearing member to carry the slab or structure represented at 51. The pilings 50 shown in FIG. 6 are shown as being formed of precast concrete bodies 20b which are of identical length. However, it can be appreciated that the vertical length of the precast concrete bodies 20b may vary depending upon their application and arrangement in the pile 50. Additionally, it may be desirable under some circumstances to combine the form of the precast concrete bodies shown in FIG. 8 with a solid form of the precast concrete bodies shown in FIG. 12 to form a piling 50 depending upon the soil condition and other factors which may affect it as it is being driven or otherwise positioned in the surrounding soil represented at 52.

For example, under some circumstances, it may be desirable to have the lowermost body 20b in the piling 50 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 of a solid form as shown in FIG. 12, and it may be desirable to have the uppermost body 20b also formed of a solid configuration as shown in FIGS. 7 and 12 with the intermediate bodies 20b being of the form shown in FIG. 8.

Where the piling 50 is formed by a plurality of the units 20b, they may be prestressed by posttensioning by positioning cables through the openings 20d in the abutted end to end bodies 20d and a force applied thereto and a clamp 53 as shown in FIG. 7 then applied on the ends of the cables 54 to retain the tension therein. Also, it Will be noted that in the form of the invention shown in FIGS. 8, 10, and 12, only three openings 20a are shown as extending longitudinally; however, additional openings could be provided for receiving additional posttensioning members therethrough. As a practical matter, the piling 50 would be formed by placing the bodies on the ground after they have been precast and the posttensioning cables then placed therethrough and tension applied to the cables in a manner well known in the art and the clamp 53 then positioned at each end of the pile 50 before the pile is driven or otherwise positioned in the soil.

Referring to FIG. 9, the piles 50 are shown as embedded in a water covered area, the water being represented at 55 and the soil again referred to by the number 52. In FIG. 9, the piles are shown as being formed of a plurality of individual bodies 20b which are connected together before being driven into the soil 52. If desired, the pile 50 could be formed of a single precast concrete body 20b of a suitable length having the configuration shown in FIG. 8 wherein the opening 32 is provided longitudinally thereof, and in other circumstances it may be desirable to form the piling of a single precast concrete body 20b of desired length and eliminate opening 32 to form the solid configuration as illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 12, but the solid configuration could also in addition to any prestressing by pretensioning be provided with reinforcing rods extending therethrough, such reinforcing rods being represented by the number 56 in FIG. 10 as well as in FIG. 12. Of course, reinforcing members could also be placed in the form of the invention shown in FIG. 8, if desired. In any event, generally acceped methods of reinforcement of the precast concrete body 20b may be used therein. For example, in some situations it may be desirable to eliminate both post and pretensioning of the body 20b and use only conventional reinforcing steel therein. In other situations, for example, where the precast concrete body 20b is to be pretensioned, the reinforcing steel would assume another arrangement other than that shown in FIG. 10, and well known in the art.

A support structure is shown at 71 for supporting a drilling rig 72. Of course, the form of the structure 71 may vary depending upon what is to be placed thereon.

One form represented generally at in FIG. 11 which may be utilized to precast the bodies 20b is diagrammatically illustrated in perspective in FIG. 11 comprising a plurality of side plates 58 having suitable flanges 59 thereon whereby they may be engaged together by any suitable means such as bolts 60 or the like. End caps 61 are provided for the form (one of which is not visible in FIG. 11), and where the opening 32 is to be formed in the body 20b, the member 62 shown in dotted line would be inserted in the form prior to filling it with concrete. Additionally, tubular members 63 are provided which extend through the form 70 and the end plates or positioning members 61 and are retained therein by any suitable means such as the openings 63a in the end plates or positioning members 61 so that the openings 20d will be formed in the body when completed for receiving the connecting and tensioning members through the bodies 20b when they are to be connected together to form the pile 50 as previously described with regard to FIGS. 6 and 9.

Where, however, the form is to be used for precasting a body 2012 as shown in FIGS. 10 and 12, the reinforcing rods may be positioned within the form to provide a reinforcing arrangement as shown in FIGS. 10 and 12 and in lieu of the tubular member 63, cables would be positioned within the form after it is assembled and ready to receive concrete therein and tension applied thereto for maintaining a tension in the cables and thereby prestressing the concrete body 20b by pretension. While the form is shown in vertical position in FIG. 11, it can be appreciated that the form may be horizontal, and the general arrangement of the form may be changed or altered as desired to precast the body in the configuration described herein in the most economical manner. The opening 67 in positioning member 61 would be of a configuration conforming with the solid portion of the body 20b when the body 20b assumes the configuration as illustrated in FIG. 8.

In FIGS. 4 and 8, the dotted line 20 in FIG. 4 and the dotted line 20 in FIG. 8 represent the volume of con crete has been reduced, thus resulting in the saving of 2012 as shown in FIGS. 4, 8 and 10. It can be seen that the perimeter of the body 20b is not substantially reduced, while on the other hand, the volume of the concrete has been reduced, thus resulting in the saving of concrete without sacrificing any of the desirable characteristics necessary for forming a piling member or a member to be used in a retaining wall. Therefore, the precast concrete body of the present invention provides as much surface area as possible per unit volume of concrete. It also provides a substantial surface area for receiving blows to enable the member to be driven into the earth regardless of its length when formed as shown in FIGS. 10 and 12 or regardless of its length when the pile is formed of a plurality of connected units as previously described with regard to FIGS. 6 and 9.

This invention under some circumstances enables a larger pile to be driven so that the spacing of the piles can be arranged to avoid interference of the pressure bulb formed at the bottom of the pile in the soil with adjacent pressure bulbs. This increases the group efficiency of the piles since there is less possibility for interference of the pressure bulb formed at the bottom and surrounding each pile. Therefore, under certain circumstances, a larger pile may be driven or otherwise positioned so that fewer piles are used to bear or carry a given load. The bodies 20b of this invention can be precast to any desired length as noted previously, depending upon the application which they are to be put. Similarly, the size of the opening 32 can be regulated as desired, and in some instances may be completely elimi' nated.

The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention are illustrative and explanatory thereof, and various changes in the size of the illustrated construction may be made Within the scope of the appended claim without departing from the spirit of the invention. However, the particular shape of the precast concrete body enables it to be used for many purposes such as piling, retaining walls, and the like.

I claim:

1. A retaining wall comprising:

(a) a plurality of precast units stacked vertically in end to end relation to form a first vertical column;

(b) each of said units having parallel end surfaces to enable said units to be stacked vertically one on the other;

(e) each of said units having three concave side surfaces extending between said end surfaces;

(d) said three concave side surfaces overlapping and spaced in a manner from each other to form three legs;

(e) one of said concave side surfaces extending between two of said legs to form a front face of the retaining wall, and the other two of said concave side surfaces extending rearwardly relative to said front face to form rear faces of the retaining wall and also forming the third leg;

(f) said third leg being positioned rearwardly of said two legs and front face and forming a brace for the wall;

g) means extending vertically through said stacked units to aid in positioning them;

(h) interlocking means formed on the edges of said two legs;

(i) a plurality of precast units stacked vertically in end to end relation to form additional vertical columns adjacent said first vertical column; and

(j) said units of said additional vertical columns being similar in configuration to said units of said first column and having interlocking means for engaging with said interlocking means on said units of said first column to thereby form a retaining wall of desired height and length.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 283,683 8/1883 Thomas 61-4 919,788 4/1909 Smith 6l4 1,002,161 8/1911 Lambert 61-4 1,893,003 l/1933 Schlueter -2 6l-4 2,184,462 12/1939 Milliken 61-4 2,374,624 4/ 1945 Schwendt 52227 2,511,761 6/1950 Barber et al. 52-223 X 2,686,951 8/1954 Seaman S2-223 X PETER M. CAUN, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.