Patent Publication Number: US-6908263-B1

Title: Mechanically stabilized earth wall systems and methods

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 10/213,739, filed Aug. 6, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,685,400, which claims priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/310,559, was filed on Aug. 6, 2001. 

   TECHNICAL FIELD 
   The present invention relates to stabilized earthen walls and, more specifically, to a stabilized earthen wall having face panels that define gaps in which plant material may grow. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Construction projects often require the formation of vertical or nearly vertical earthen walls. For example, the side of a hill may be excavated to obtain a suitable road grade, leaving a substantially vertical wall face on the uphill side of the road. Depending upon the composition of the earth at the wall face, the earth may require stabilization to prevent degradation or collapse of the wall face. 
   Earthen walls are stabilized using numerous methods. In some situations, a light coating or wire mesh may be applied to the face of the wall to prevent loose dirt and rocks from falling from the exposed wall face. In other situations, the face of the earthen wall may be stabilized by constructing a substantially freestanding wall and backfilling the earth against the freestanding wall. Such freestanding walls are commonly made of materials such as wood or concrete. Wood or concrete may be in the form of blocks or piles that are assembled on site; a freestanding concrete wall may also be cast in place. 
   In many situations, the earthen wall may require stabilization beyond what can be obtained by a coating, wire mesh, or a freestanding wall. In these cases, the reinforcing wall may be mechanically connected to the earthen wall. This type of reinforcing wall will be referred to herein as a mechanically stabilized earthen wall. 
   A mechanically stabilized earthen wall typically comprises a substantially vertical face wall and one or more substantially horizontal anchor members connected to the face wall and buried within the earthen wall. The face wall protects the face of the earthen wall, while the anchor members reinforce the face wall. 
   The present invention relates to mechanically stabilized earthen walls that may be decorated with plant material to improve the aesthetic value of the earthen wall. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention is a retaining wall system for stabilizing an earthen wall or a method for forming such a retaining wall system. The wall system comprises a plurality of face panels, a plurality of anchor mesh panels, and a plurality of connecting pins. The face panels each comprise first and second connecting portions. Each connecting portion comprises an upper surface and a bottom surface and defines a void system comprising a mesh opening and a locking passageway in communication with the mesh opening. The face panels further comprise a wall portion extending between the first and second connecting portions. The wall portion defines a face surface and a retaining surface. The face panels are stacked in a plurality of vertically spaced rows with the bottom surfaces of the connecting portions of a first vertically spaced row resting on the upper surfaces of the connecting portions of a second vertically spaced row. The first vertically spaced row is arranged above the second vertically spaced row. A wall face is defined by the face surfaces of the wall portions and openings formed between vertically spaced wall portions and between horizontally spaced connecting portions. A portion of the anchor mesh panels is inserted into the mesh openings. The connecting pins are inserted into the locking passageway and the mesh opening to secure the portion of the anchor mesh panel to the face panels. The earthen wall is accessible through the openings in the wall face. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       FIG. 1  is a side elevation view of a retaining wall system constructed in accordance with, and embodying, the principles of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a somewhat schematic top plan view depicting retaining wall system of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a side elevation view of a face panel used by the retaining wall system of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a top plan view of a face panel used by the retaining wall system of  FIG. 1  taken along lines  4 — 4  in  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a rear elevation view of a face panel used by the retaining wall system of  FIG. 1  taken along lines  5 — 5  in  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 6  is a section view taken along lines  6 — 6  in  FIG. 5 ; 
       FIG. 7  is a partial side elevation view of an anchor member used with the wall system of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 8  is a side elevation view similar to the view of  FIG. 6  illustrating the interconnection of the face panels and the anchor members. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring initially to  FIG. 1  of the drawing, depicted therein is a retaining wall system  20  comprising face panels  22 , anchor mesh  24 , vertical pins  26 , horizontal pins  28 , and locking pins  30 . The face panels  22  are stacked in horizontal columns and vertical rows to define a wall face  32 . The wall system  20  is particularly designed to form a reinforced earthen wall by retaining earthen material  34 . 
   The vertical pins  26  hold together face panels in the vertical columns, while the horizontal pins  28  hold together adjacent face panels in horizontal rows. The locking pins attach the anchor mesh sheets  24  to the face panels  22  with the mesh  24  extending into the fill material  34 . 
   So assembled, the face panels define gaps or openings  36 . A portion of the fill material  34 , as indicated at  38  in  FIG. 1 , is exposed through these gaps  36 . Plant material thus may grow in these gaps  36  to cover or otherwise decorate the wall system  20 . 
   Referring now to  FIG. 3 , the face panels  22  will now be described in further detail. These panels  22  comprise a wall portion  40  and first and second connecting portions  42   a  and  42   b  (FIGS.  4  and  5 ). The first and second connecting portions  42   a  and  42   b  are identical, other than being mirror images of each other, and only the connecting portion  42   a  will be described herein with the understanding that this discussion applies to the connecting portion  42   b.    
   Referring now to  FIG. 3 , it can be seen that the wall portion comprises a retaining surface  50 , a top surface  52 , a face surface  54 , and a rear surface  56 . The exemplary top and rear surfaces  52  and  56  are substantially flat, with the top surface being substantially horizontal and the rear surface being almost vertical. The exemplary retaining surface  50  comprises a ledge portion  60 , a first riser portion  62 , and a second riser portion  64 . The exemplary face surface  54  comprises a front portion  70 , a first return portion  72 , and a second return portion  74 . 
     FIGS. 4 and 5  show that the connecting portion  42  comprises a lateral portion  80  and a spacing portion  82 . The exemplary connecting portion  42  further comprises an upper surface  84  and a notch surface  86  formed in the upper surface  84 . A recess surface  88  is also formed in the upper surface  84  immediately behind the notch surface  86 . The connecting portion  42  further defines a bottom surface  90  and first and second spacing surfaces  92  extending from the upper surface  84  to the bottom surface  90 . A back surface  94  extends along the lateral and spacing portions  80  and  82  of the connecting portion  42 . A lower surface  96  is formed on the connecting portion  42  below the lateral portion  80 . A front surface  98  is formed immediately below the first returned portion  72  of the face surface  54 . 
   FIGS.  3 — 5  further show that the exemplary face panel  22  further comprises a void system  120  comprising a vertical passageway  122 , a horizontal passageway  124 , a locking passageway  126 , and mesh openings  128 . The vertical passageway  122  extends from the recess surface  88  to the lower surface  96 . The horizontal passageway  124  extends between the spacing surfaces  92 . The locking passageway  126  extends between the side surfaces  100 . The mesh openings  128  extend partially into the lateral portion  80  from the back surface  94 . As perhaps best shown in  FIG. 6 , the locking passageway  126  extends through the mesh openings  128 . 
   Referring now to  FIG. 7 , it can be seen that the anchor mesh  124  defines a loop portion  130 . In particular, the mesh comprises a plurality of tension rods  132  and lateral rods  134 . The tension rods  132  extend from the face panels  122  back into the fill material  34 . The tension rods  132  are bent to define the loop portions  130 . One of the lateral rods  134 , which will be referred to herein as the bracing rod  138 , is arranged behind a closed end  136  defined by the loop portion  130 . Referring now to  FIG. 8 , it can be seen that the loop portion  130  is inserted into the mesh openings  128  until the closed end  136  extends beyond the locking passageway  126 . The locking pin  30  is then inserted through the locking passageway  126  such that the locking pin  30  prevents the anchor mesh  24  from being withdrawn from the mesh opening  128 . The bracing rod  138  engages the back surface  94  of the connecting portion  42 . The bracing rod  138  prevents the tension rods  132  from straightening and thus possibly disengaging from the face panel  22 . so The retaining wall system  20  is thus assembled as follows. Initially, a first, lowermost, row or course of face panels  22  is laid. Horizontal pins  28  are inserted through the horizontal passageways  124  of adjacent panels  22 . A small amount of fill material  34  is back filled against the first row of face panels such that a portion of the fill material thereof extends below the face surface  54  of the panels  22  of the lowermost course or row. A lowermost layer of anchor mesh  24  is then arranged on the portion of the fill material. As shown in  FIG. 2 , every other sheet of anchor mesh  24  is inserted into a corresponding set of mesh openings  128  in the panels  22 . The locking pins  30  are then inserted through the locking passageways  126  such that every other sheet of anchor mesh  24  is connected to a connecting portion  42 , with each face panel  22  connected to two sheets of anchor mesh  24 . 
   A next row or course of face panels  22  is laid on the first row or course such that the lower surface  96  of the uppermost face panel  22  rests on the notch surface  86  and above the recess surface  88  with the vertical passageways aligned. A vertical pin  26  is then inserted into every other vertical passageway  122  to connect each face panel  22  in the upper row or course with the face panel  22  immediately therebelow. More fill material  34  is back filled against the second row or course and anchor mesh  24  attached to the face panels  22  of the second course as described above. 
   Another row or course of face panels  22  is then arranged on the second row or course of face panels  22 . Vertical pins  26  are then inserted through the vertical passageways  122  that are offset from the passageways  122  holding the pins  26  connecting the courses immediately below. This process is repeated until the wall system  20  is at a desired or maximum allowable height. 
   The vertical passageway  122  is grouted such that the vertical pins  26  attach each face panel  22  to the face panel above and/or below, while the horizontal pins  28  attach the face panels to the face panels on either side. The locking pins  30  further securely fasten the anchor mesh  24  to the face panels  22  such that loads exerted on the retaining wall system  20  by the fill material  34  pull the bracing rods  138  firmly against the back surfaces  94  as described above. The anchor mesh  24  thus reinforces the wall system  20  against the loads applied by the fill material  34 . 
   In addition, as the film material is back filled against the wall system  20 , the film material will press into the gaps  36  below the wall portions  40  to form horizontal rows of dirt that allow plants to be planted along the face  32  of the wall  20 .