Abstract:
A sheet piling wall includes a plurality of polymer corrugated sheet piles, such as vinyl sheet piles, connected together to form an corrugated wall structure having a front surface and a back surface. A plurality of blocks are adhesively secured to the back surface of the wall structure. Each block includes a fastener that is fastened to a bracket that is welded to a support bar extending horizontally behind the back surface. The support bar can be anchored to solid ground by use of tie back rods and an earth anchorage system.

Description:
[0001]    This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/888,779 filed on Aug. 2, 2007. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to sheet piling walls constructed by interlocked sheet piles. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The properties of golf courses, commercial and industrial properties, and luxurious homes often contain a body of water such as a lake, pond, or stream. To protect the shoreline from erosion and to add to the aesthetic appeal of the property, a shoreline wall is sometimes used. 
         [0004]    It is known to use sheet piles to construct these walls. It also known to anchor the sheet piling wall by welding a horizontal support bar to a back side of the wall, along the length of the wall, welding tie back rods to the support bar and extending the tie back rods in a direction away from the water to connect to an underground earth anchor. 
         [0005]    U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,447,393 and 6,053,666 illustrate examples of steel sheet pile configurations. According to these patents the steel sheets interlock with one another and form an undulating or corrugated wall. Although steel sheet piling is an effective method to construct a shoreline wall, under some circumstances it can rust when exposed to water and become less than aesthetically attractive. 
         [0006]    Colored vinyl sheet piling walls are known and are aesthetically attractive, but because the vinyl sheet piles cannot be welded on a back side, and it is sometimes undesirable to provide holes through the sheet piles for fasteners, a top cap is used. 
         [0007]      FIGS. 8 and 9  illustrate prior art components used to construct a typical vinyl sheet piling wall.  FIG. 8  illustrates two vinyl sheet piles  10  that each have a substantially U shape cross-section with extending side flange portions  14 ,  16 . The flange portions  14 ,  16  include interlocking formations  14   a ,  16   a  along their length such that the piles  10 ,  10  can be driven side by side sequentially, and mutually interlock as each subsequent sheet pile is driven into the ground, forming a corrugated wall. As shown in  FIG. 9 , a top cap  18  is set on the sheet piles  10  and captures the top of the vinyl sheet piles  10 . The top cap  18  is connected to tie back members  19  which are connected to earth anchorage to stabilize the sheet piling wall. The tie back members  19  are buried by backside fill. Top cap members  18  are typically provided in straight stock length. Any curvature of the wall must be accommodated by miter cutting sections of the top cap  18 . Because of the need for the top cap, a vinyl wall is difficult to construct along a curved or irregular path. 
         [0008]    The present inventor has recognized the need for a method of installing polymer or non-metallic sheet piles, such as vinyl sheet piles, that results in an attractive, stable wall. 
         [0009]    The present inventor has recognized the need for an efficient method of installing a polymer sheet piling wall, such as a vinyl wall, along a curved path. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    The present invention provides an improved method of installing a wall of polymer or plastic material, particularly vinyl material, for retaining earth or water. The method results in a wall that is efficiently and economically constructed and is usable for shoreline stabilization, dams, waterfalls, spillways, and revetments. The invention provides a wall that is attractive, long lasting, and will not rust. The wall can be installed using construction equipment such that the wall can be installed in hard-to-access areas such as lakes or ponds inside golf courses. 
         [0011]    According to the preferred embodiment, the wall is composed of vinyl sheet piles. 
         [0012]    The present invention provides a wall system that includes a wall structure formed by vertically arranged vinyl sheet piles, steel beams placed underground and set back from the wall structure that anchor the wall to earth, a horizontal steel support bar that reinforces the wall, a plurality of steel brackets, a plurality of blocks that are glued with a special adhesive to an back side of the wall structure, each of which is bolted to one of the steel brackets, the steel brackets being welded to the steel support bar, and a plurality of tie back rods that are welded to the steel bar and the steel beams. 
         [0013]    In one version of the present invention, a plurality of tubular metal stakes are driven into the ground to layout the desired path of the wall. The steel support bar is then arranged horizontally following the layout of the stakes and welded to the stakes. Steel tie back rods are welded to the support bar and extended substantially horizontal away from the support bar to be connected to steel wide flange beams or I beams which have been driven into the earth vertically to function as earth anchors. Vinyl sheet piles are then driven one at a time, side-by-side in interlocking fashion to form a wall structure against the support bar. A plurality of vinyl blocks are provided. Each vinyl block includes a countersunk hole for receiving a carriage bolt. The countersunk hole provides a recess at a side nearest the vinyl sheet pile. The recess functions to receive the head end of the bolt, recessed below a back surface of the block. The threaded shank of the carriage bolt extends out of the block on a side of the block opposite the sheet pile. The vinyl blocks are spaced apart along a length of the wall structure and glued to a back side of the wall structure by a special adhesive at positions below the support bar. During the time it takes the special adhesive to set, two screws are used to secure each vinyl block to a vinyl sheet pile of the wall structure. The two screws do not penetrate entirely through the vinyl wall and function only to clamp the block to the vinyl sheet pile while the adhesive sets. Once the special adhesive sets, the vinyl block is permanently secured to the vinyl sheet pile. 
         [0014]    The vinyl block is then bolted to the steel bracket by means of the carriage bolt. A nut is placed on the threaded shank after the threaded shank is passed through a hole through the steel bracket. The nut is tightened against the bracket which fastens the bracket tightly to the block. 
         [0015]    The recess in the vinyl block can alternately be provided with one or more flat sides and the carriage bolt can be a machine bolt with a hexagonal head or a square head such that the recess functions to prevent the bolt from turning as the nut is threaded onto the bolt. 
         [0016]    The steel brackets are then welded to the steel support bar. 
         [0017]    The vinyl blocks, the brackets, the steel bar, the tie back rods and the steel beams are then all covered with back fill material such as gravel, sand, and soil up the top of the sheet piling wall structure. 
         [0018]    The resulting wall provides a smooth front surface of colored vinyl. No fastener heads or other connecting hardware is visible on the front side. The back side of the wall is completely covered by earth, grass, or other ground cover. Only the undulating or corrugated top edge of the vinyl sheet piling is observed on the top of the wall. No top cap is required. 
         [0019]    Although the exemplary embodiment sheet piles are described as being composed of vinyl, other non-steel, plastic or polymer materials can also be used, such as a fiberglass compound. 
         [0020]    Numerous other advantages and features of the present invention will be become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the embodiments thereof, from the claims and from the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0021]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first stage of construction of a vinyl sheet piling wall according to the invention; 
           [0022]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a second stage of construction of a vinyl sheet piling wall according to the invention; 
           [0023]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a third stage of construction of a vinyl sheet piling wall according to the invention; 
           [0024]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged, exploded fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the wall shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0025]      FIG. 5  is a sectional view taken generally along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0026]      FIG. 6  is an enlarged, exploded sectional view of the vinyl block glued shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0027]      FIG. 7  is an enlarged, exploded fragmentary perspective view of another portion of the wall shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0028]      FIG. 8  is a fragmentary top perspective view of prior art vinyl sheet piles; and 
           [0029]      FIG. 9  is a fragmentary perspective view prior art vinyl sheet piling wall. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0030]    While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings, and will be described herein in detail, specific embodiments thereof with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated. 
         [0031]      FIG. 1  illustrates a shoreline reclamation project undertaken in accordance with the present invention. A receding shoreline inlet  22  is to be filled in with earth. Accordingly, a wall  20  ( FIG. 2 ) is built. Initially, a plurality of tubular steel stakes  23  are driven through the water and into the earth below. A steel support bar  24  is arranged horizontally spanning between stakes  23  and welded to the stakes  23  on a side of the stakes opposite the shoreline  25 . The support bar or whaler  24  is out of the water by a few feet. Typically, the stakes are 2 inch by 2 inch by 3/16 thick steel square tubes and the whaler  24  is a 2 inch wide by 3/16 inch thick steel bar. 
         [0032]      FIG. 2  illustrates a further stage in the shoreline reclamation project, including the completion of the construction of the wall  20 . A plurality of ¾″ steel tie back rods  26  are welded to the bar  24  and extend back to be welded to a vertical steel I beam or wide flange beam  27  that has been driven down to the point of refusal. A bracket (not shown) can be used to connect multiple tie back rods  26  to the beam  27 . As an alternative to the beam  27 , a MANTA-RAY brand earth anchor can be used, available from Foresight Products of Commerce City, Colo. 
         [0033]    A plurality of vinyl sheet piles  10  are driven through the water and into the soil below to a sufficient depth, such as to the point of refusal. The sheet piles  10  are driven in succession with their adjacent edges mutually interlocking along their lengths as they are driven down. The sheet piles  10  are driven to be against the bar  24 . The sheet piles  10  are connected to the bar  24  as described below in  FIGS. 4-7 . 
         [0034]      FIG. 3  illustrates the completed shoreline reclamation project. The wall  20  has been back filled to fill the inlet  22  shown in  FIG. 1  with sand, gravel and/or soil  29 . The fill  29  can be filled to be flush with the top edge of the wall  20 . Only the corrugated top edge of the wall  20  is seen on shore, however from the water, or from across the water, a smooth fastener-free and top cap-free colored vinyl wall  20  is observed, which is aesthetically attractive. 
         [0035]      FIGS. 4-6  illustrate one method of attachment of the vinyl sheet pile  10  to the steel support bar  24 . A vinyl block  30  and a steel bracket  36  are used to connect the vinyl sheet pile  10  to the steel support bar  24 . The vinyl block  30  is adhesively secured to the sheet pile  10 . A carriage bolt  40  carried by the block  30  fastens the block  30  to the bracket  36 . 
         [0036]    The present inventor has determined that an effective adhesive  42  useful for securing the vinyl block  30  to the vinyl sheet pile  10  is a two-component methacrylate adhesive, FUSIONBOND™  371  engineered structural adhesive, manufactured by Hernon Manufacturing, Inc. of Sanford, Fla., U.S. The adhesive  42  is applied to the sheet pile  10  back surface (see  FIG. 4 ) and or to the block  30 . While the adhesive sets, the block  30  is held to the sheet pile  10  by two screws  46 ,  47 . 
         [0037]    The vinyl block  30  has two straight-through holes  49 ,  50  for receiving the screws  46 ,  47  and a countersunk hole  52  for receiving the bolt  40 . The countersunk hole  52  includes a recess  54  for receiving the head  56  of the bolt  40 , recessed from a back surface  58  of the block  30 . Alternatively, the recess  54  could include one or more flat sides and the bolt could be a machine bolt with a square or hexagonal head such that the flat sides prevent the bolt  40  once installed from rotating when a nut is threaded onto a threaded shank  60  of the bolt  40 . 
         [0038]    The threaded shank  60  of the bolt  40  connects the vinyl block  30  to the steel bracket  36 , by use of a washer  64  and a threaded nut  66 . The bracket  36  is shaped to allow the block  30  and the bar  24  to both be flush against the sheet pile  10  as shown in  FIG. 5 . Once the nut  66  is tightened a desired amount to anchor the sheet pile to the whaler  24 , the bolt and nut are brazed to the bracket  36  to fix the relative position of the sheet pile and the whaler  24 . 
         [0039]    The bracket  36  includes a top leg  72  which contact top surface of the bar  24  which also helps to set the proper elevation of the blocks  30  against the sheet piles  10 . The bracket  36  are then welded all around, between the sides of the bracket  36  and the bar  24 . 
         [0040]    Preferably, the block  30  is about 1¾ inch wide (horizontal) by 3 inch length (vertical) by 13/16 inch thick. Preferably, one block  30  is secured to the sheet piles about every 2 to 2.5 feet along the wall  20 . Preferably, each block is fixed to each of the interfaces of the interlocking formations  14   a ,  16   a  of the flanges  14 ,  16 , or adjacent to the interface on one of the flanges  14 ,  16 . 
         [0041]      FIG. 7  illustrates another connection detail for connecting the sheet pile  10  to the bar  24 . According to this detail, the offset panel  10   a  of the vinyl sheet pile  10 , the panel that is furthest away from the support bar  24 , is connected to the bar  24  via the bolt  40 , a turnbuckle  82 , threaded rod  84 , and a steel C-shaped bracket  86 . The vinyl block  30  is installed onto the panel  10   a  in the same fashion as previously described. The C-shaped bracket  86  is connected to the threaded rod  84  by being captured between front and back nuts  90  (back nut not visible). The support bar  24  is captured within the C-shaped bracket  86  and welded all around thereto. 
         [0042]    The wall of the present invention can be installed without the need for heavy construction equipment, which could damage delicate terrain such as found within a golf course. In this regard the sheet piling can be driven by an apparatus described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,966,448, herein incorporated by reference. 
         [0043]    From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred.