Patent GB-648818-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to supporting structures
IPC: E02D19/04
Filed: 1946-11-15
Abstract: 648,818. Walls. COUARD, A F. E. Nov. 15, 1946, No. 34007. Convention date, March 8. [Class 68 (ii)] Relates to retaining walls, comprising a facing wall interconnected by spaced lateral elements to an anchorage embedded in the ground wherein the load is transferred from the facing wall onto the lateral connecting elements or from the latter onto the anchorages by one or more horizontal belts or straps each formed in one piece or from separate connected portions, the curvature of each belt being such that it is subjected substantially only to tensional stresses, these belts being identical with, embedded in, or separate from the wall elements forming their associated facing wall or anchorage surfaces. According to the invention the parts of the horizontal belts and of the lateral connecting elements are of dimensions and materials so chosen that the ratio of their working load to their breaking load is substantially the same throughout the structure. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, reinforced concrete sheet piles 21 forming arcuate facings are held at various heights by steel belts 22 located on studs 32 and riveted or welded at their ends to members 24 secured to flat steel connecting elements 26, themselves connected by members 28 to steel sheet anchoring surfaces 31 ; the radii of the belts 22 and surfaces 31, and the spacing of the elements 26, all differ; the heights of the surfaces 31 and their distances from the facings vary according to their vertical position, and the cross-sectional dimensions of the belts 22 and elements 26 and the thickness of the steel sheets 31 are so chosen that under working load they are tensioned in accordance with the stated ratio; e.g. the belts 22, lateral connecting elements 26 and anchoring surfaces 31 may all be formed of sections cut from normal metal sheet pile material (with bulb and claw interlocking edges) of various grades and heights. Metal sheet pile elements forming the belts 22 may also be embedded in the reinforced concrete piles 21 with their bulb and claw ends projecting, the gap thus caused being covered by partially overlapping flanges on the pile edges. Fig. 13 shows T-sectioned reinforced concrete sheet piles forming a plane facing wall, the rear projections 45 having apertures 47 defining the curvilinear layouts of the tension belts 51. Elements of reduced height in superposed rows may be used for the facing walls instead of vertically continuous sheet piles : a flat- or curved-face monolithic element of width covering a complete bay is described for this purpose or for use in an anchorage, the embedded reinforcement comprising vertical rods bearing on horizontal rods forming the tension belts which are secured at their ends to halfsections of metal sheet pile material whose bulb edges project from the element; the top and bottom edges of superposed rows of these elements have interengaging flanges and rabbets ; belts formed of sections cut from metal sheet pile material may be used instead of the horizontal rods, in which case the element is not monolithic, but is divided at the joints in the metal into a chain of reduced-height elements. The Specification as open to inspection under Sect. 91 comprises also the use of flat sheet metal anchoring surfaces 31 (Figs. 5 and 6) appatently subjected to horizontal flexional stresses. This subject-matter does not appear in the Specification as accepted.