Patent ID: 6371699
Filing Date: 2002-04-16
Classification: E02D

Abstract:
An improved retaining wall system (20) for use with granular fill (22), said improved retaining wall system (20) being of the type having:a plurality of wall panels (24) each having an exposed face (26), a fill contacting face (28), a first lateral end (30), a second lateral end (32), an upper panel surface (34), a lower panel surface (36) and a plurality of mounting brackets (38) protruding from the fill contacting face (28) thereof; at least two upright frame members (40) in the form of I-beam support columns, each such column (40) having two parallel flanges (54) and a transverse web (56) extending therebetween, and being positioned such that its web (56) is substantially parallel to the web (56) of every other frame member (40) and is substantially normal to a notional wall line (58) defined by the plurality of frame members (40), each of said upright frame members (40) having a first end (42) secured within the ground (43) and a second end (44) vertically disposed thereto, said frame members (40) being positioned and dimensioned to support said retaining wall panels (24) in mechanically retained vertical orientation therebetween; said plurality of wall panels (24) being positioned in vertically stacked relation to one another, and being laterally separated one from another respectively by said frame members (40), in lateral relation to one another, so as to form a retaining wall (122) of selected height and length, wherein the improvement is characterized by: a plurality of non-rigid connecting means (46), and a plurality of anchoring means (52) each having an anchoring flange (84) directed along a plane substantially parallel to the plane of said fill contacting face (28), with each such non-rigid connecting means (46) having a proximal end (48) secured to a respective one of said mounting brackets (38) on the fill contacting face (28) and extending outwardly therefrom to a distal end (50) secured to a respective one of said anchoring means (52), with all anchoring means (52) being secured to at least a respective one of said non-rigid connecting means (46), wherein a plurality of reinforcing means (68) are positioned within each wall panel (24), wherein each said mounting bracket (38) comprises a metal tie (38) embedded within the wall panel (24) in mechanically retained wrapped engagement around at least a respective one of said plurality of reinforcing means (68) cast therein, each said mounting bracket (38) having a protruding end (76) protruding from said wall panel (24), and wherein the non-rigid connecting means (46) comprise metal straps, said metal straps being flat in cross-section.