Hollow block for a retaining wall

Abstract: The block (1) has a cambered front (2) radiused to tapering side walls (3a,3b). The side walls (3a,3b) have, in the portion radiused to the front (2), mutually opposite insertion-coupling members (5) and seats (6) for accommodating the insertion-coupling members (5) of an adjacent block (1). The block (1) furthermore has, at an upper part thereof, an abutment (7) for engagement with a supporting element defined on a lower part at the front (2) of an adjacent block (1).

Description: The present invention relates to a block particularly for building retaining walls, and especially for building loose-laid retaining walls. Special bricks or panels are used in the building of loose-laid or dry-laid walls for ground containment or for environmental decoration; said special bricks or panels have different front shapes and usually have a raised portion for engagement between successive stacked rows. Loose-laid containment or retaining walls built with these special bricks or panels usually have an awkward upward sloping orientation. Furthermore, a constant and conspicuous indentation pitch occurs between stacked rows of special bricks due to the thickness of the raised engagement portion. Said special bricks are usually not provided with mutual lateral elements for retention among flanking special bricks. If they are, they are usually obtained by means of flanges added to the row of special bricks after laying, and this entails a further expenditure of labor during the building of the loose-laid retaining wall. Said special bricks, despite having specifically executed angle elements, furthermore usually have mutually parallel side walls, thus entailing considerable problems during the building of curved containment walls. A lightweight pre-cast, reinforced module used to build a structurally engineered retaining wall system is taught by US-Patent No. 4,957,395. Each module includes a front surface with two lateral side walls extending parallel to each other, substantially perpendicular to the front surface. Alignment means are provided with complementary concave and convex cooperating surfaces. An interlocking building block is known from EP-A-267 334. Each known building block includes a plurality of webs with are disposed at an upper portion thereof and which abut by point contact the lower portion of an adjacent block such as to avoid lateral displacement. The aim of the present invention is to eliminate or substantially reduce the problems described above in known types of special bricks by providing a block particularly for building loose-laid retaining walls which substantially reduces the upward sloping of the retaining wall. Within the scope of the above aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a block which eliminates the use of flanges for connection between mutually adjacent blocks. Another object of the present invention is to provide a block which facilitates the building of curved retaining walls with curves having mutually complementary radii. Not least object of the present invention is to provide a block particularly for building loose-laid retaining walls which is relatively easy to manufacture at competitive costs. This aim, the objects mentioned and others which will become apparent hereinafter are achieved by a block, particularly for building retaining walls, as defined in the accompanying claims. Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a block according to the invention, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: figure 1 is a perspective top view of a block according to the invention with a ground retention net; figure 2 is a perspective bottom view of a block according to the invention; figure 3 is a plan view of a row of blocks arranged side by side and mutually interconnected; figure 4 is a partially sectional plan view of the stacking of layers of blocks; figure 5 is an elevation view of layers of stacked blocks; figure 6 is an elevation view of an example of a retaining wall built with blocks according to the invention and ground retention nets or the like; figure 7 is a plan view of layers of stacked blocks; and figure 8 is a perspective view of a retaining wall built with blocks according to the invention. With reference to figures 1 and 2, a block, generally indicated by the reference numeral 1, comprises a cambered front 2 which is substantially radiused to tapering side walls 3a and 3b which are in turn radiused to a back wall 4. The block 1 substantially has the shape of an equilateral trapezoid. The side walls 3a and 3b have, in their portion radiused to the front 2, insertion-coupling means, indicated by the reference numeral 5, which protrude from the radiused portion, and accommodation seats, indicated by the reference numeral 6, recessed within the radiused portion, for accommodating the insertion-coupling means 5 of an adjacent block. The block 1 furthermore has an abutment 7, which extends upwardly with respect to the block 1, for engagement with supporting means 8 defined in the lower part of the front 2 of an adjacent block. The insertion-coupling means 5 and the accommodation seats 6 substantially have the shape of a circular sector, as illustrated in the above mentioned figures. This shape allows to vary, as illustrated in figure 3, the angle of engagement between two mutually flanking blocks 1. In this manner it is possible to continuously vary the shape of the resulting wall, in particular in order to maintain, for example, the natural shape of escarpments which are thus protected and retained. The abutment 7 and the supporting means 8 have mutually different geometries; in particular, the abutment 7 is substantially shaped like a segment of a straight line, whereas the supporting means 8 have the shape of an arc of a circumference. The coupling of these different configurations, as more clearly illustrated in figure 4, allows to also build containment walls with a very slight volute-like shape; the coupling between a straight segment and an arc of circumference in fact allows a very large number of points of contact, as is well known in geometry. The block 1 furthermore comprises weight-reducing holes 9 which are defined within the body of said block and can accommodate filling material or supports of the loose-laid or dry-laid retaining walls. The supporting planes between a block 1 and the upper or lower block are planar, with upper abutments 7 and lower supporting means 8. A retaining wall, as illustrated in figures 5 to 8, comprises a plurality of blocks 1, as previously described, arranged mutually side by side in rows and stacked. Ground reinforcement means, usually constituted by ground retention nets 10 or the like, such as for example strips of appropriate fabric, or engagement brackets, can be inserted between one layer of blocks 1 and the other with no coupling to said blocks to form a containment wall. As illustrated in figure 6, the ground retention nets 10 are interposed between the layers of blocks 1 and extend into the ground. The building of a loose-laid or dry-laid containment wall with the blocks 1 according to the invention comprises the execution of the foundations, i.e. the base perimeter of the escarpment to be contained is initially removed in order to obtain a supporting plane for the ground retention nets 10 and/or a channel for accommodating the base layer of blocks 1 or a channel in which a bed for the base layer of blocks 1 is cast. Once the ground retention net 10 is deposited on the stripped ground and on the layer of blocks 1, with the ground retention net engaged between the layer of blocks and the foundations or between the layer of blocks and the supporting ground, a layer of soil is spread on said ground retention net and is compacted with a light compaction machine in the vicinity of the wall and with a heavy compaction machine elsewhere. The immediately overlying layer, and the other layers until the retaining wall is completed, are executed in the same manner, except that the ground retention net is deposited on the previously laid soil, after compaction, and on the layer of blocks, whereas the subsequent layer of blocks is placed on the preceding layer of blocks, locking the ground retention nets between the layers of blocks. The weight-reducing holes 9 can either be filled with soil or act as seats for supports or guides, such as poles and the like, for building a containment wall. It has been observed that a block according to the invention achieves the proposed aim and objects, and furthermore constitutes a valid system, in association with ground retention nets or the like, for ground containment with loose-laid walls. The block furthermore effectively contributes to the building of non-rectilinear retaining walls or more precisely of walls comprising circular sectors with complementary radii, such as for example S-shaped walls. The abutment 7 and the supporting means 8 can have an identical straight geometry to provide straight containment walls more easily. The ground retention nets or the like can furthermore be engaged with the block by means of hooks, rods or the like fixed to the blocks according to the invention. All the details may furthermore be replaced with other technically equivalent elements. In practice, the materials employed, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to the requirements.

Claims: Block particularly for building loose-laid retaining walls, comprising: a cambered front (2); tapering side walls (3a,3b) each of which has, in its portion connected to said front (2), selective insertion-coupling means (5) and seats (6) for accommodating insertion-coupling means (5) of an adjacent block (1), said insertion-coupling means (5) and said accommodation seats (6) substantially having the shape of a circular sector, said shape being suitable for varying the angle of engagement between two mutually flanking blocks (1); and an abutment (7) for supporting means (8) defined in the lower part of said front (2), characterized in that said abutment (7) is substantially shaped like a segment of a straight line and said supporting means (8) are shaped like an arc of a circumference, said block (1) further comprising weight-reducing holes (9) defined within the body of said block (1) and suitable for accommodating filling material or supports of said loose-laid containment walls, and a back wall (4) which is connected to said side walls (3a,3b). Block according to claim 1, characterized in that said abutment (7) and said supporting means (8) have mutually different geometries. Retaining wall, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of blocks (1) according to claims 1 to 2 arranged mutually side by side in rows and stacked. Retaining wall according to claim 3, characterized in that it comprises ground reinforcement means (10) interposed between said stacked rows of said blocks (1). Retaining wall according to claim 4, characterized in that said reinforcement means (10) comprise ground retention nets.

Inventors: BERETTA MARIO, BERETTA, MARIO
Applicants: RDB PLASTOTECNICA SPA, RDB PLASTOTECNICA S.P.A.
Application year: 1991
Main classification: E02D5
IPC codes: E02D29