Abstract:
Briefly described, the present disclosure relates to an anchor system for maintaining a driven wall structure in a given position, the wall structure including a plurality of elongated structural panels. Each structural panel has an inner surface, an outer surface, and is disposed adjacent another structural panel. The anchor system includes a first anchor member having a proximal end, a central portion and a distal end. The proximal end includes a domed head and the distal end is threaded. The anchor system further includes a force abutter disposed on the inner side of the wall structure. The first anchor member extends through the wall structure, the domed head is disposed on the outer side of the wall structure and the distal end extends inwardly away from the inner side of the wall structure toward the force abutter.

Description:
[0001]     This application is related to copending U.S Utility patent application entitled “Elongated Structural Members for Use in Forming Barrier Walls,” filed on ______ and accorded Ser. No. XX/XXX,XXX which is entirely incorporated herein by reference.  
       TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0002]     The present disclosure relates generally to driven wall structures such as sea walls, piers, dikes, barrier walls and the like, constructed of extruded structural panels. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to anchor systems and structural members used to maintain driven wall structures in their desired positions.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0003]     Barrier walls that are formed from a plurality of elongated piles typically are driven into the earth to a depth sufficient to support the panels in an upright attitude. In some cases, the piles are in the form of extruded structural panels and are formed with male and female opposed edges so that similar panels can be locked together at their adjacent edges to form a continuous barrier wall.  
         [0004]     In recent years, structural panels have been constructed of polyvinyl chloride and other plastics in order to reduce their weight and susceptibility to corrosion. However, these plastics have relatively low tensile and high compression strengths as compared to steel. To help maintain the structural panels in the desired positions, horizontally mounted structural elements, or wales, and vertically driven foundation members, such as piles, are mounted along the outer surfaces of the structural panels and tie rods extend from the wale elements/foundation members back through the panels to a force abutter disposed behind the barrier wall. Typically, the force abutter is a reinforced cement wall disposed a desired distance behind the barrier wall such that adequate retaining force is exerted from the force abutter through the tie rods against the barrier wall, thereby maintaining the barrier wall in the desired position. Instead of using a force abutter for several tie rods, individual ground anchors may be used with each tie rod.  
         [0005]     Typically, the wale elements that have been used to stabilize a retaining wall were comprised of wood. The use of wood in the wales risks significant damage from both exposure to the environment as well as from infestation of the wood elements by wood borers and other insects and organisms. Wale elements also have been comprised of steel and other metals which are susceptible to corrosion when used in aquatic environments such as those that exist near sea walls. Although the steel wale elements can be protected by coatings, these coatings must be breached when passing tie rods through the wale elements to the force abutter disposed behind the barrier wall. The points at which the protective coatings are breached leave the steel wale elements subject to corrosion.  
         [0006]     As well, the vertically driven foundation members are also frequently exposed to direct contact with bodies of water. As would be expected for structures such as piers and seawalls, the soils in which the foundation members are driven also frequently exhibit high moisture content. As such, foundation members of these structures are frequently subjected to accelerated decay and subsequent weakness, especially those made of wood. Replacement of damaged and decayed foundation members is both time consuming and expensive. Note also, soils having high moisture content are not only found near bodies of water such as lakes, streams, ponds, etc. Therefore, a need can exist for foundation members that resist decay caused by extended exposure to the elements, such as water, whether or not the structure is located near a body of water.  
         [0007]     In the past, foundation members of wood have been impregnated or coated with various chemicals to help offset decay due to exposure to the elements. As would be expected, as those foundation members eventually decay, the chemicals used to treat the wooden foundation members can enter the environment in which the foundation members are used. For example, the potential exists for treated wood foundation members used in constructing a pier to eventually leach the chemicals into both the body of water and the soil the foundation members extend into.  
         [0008]     Foundation members may also be constructed of cement and other similar materials. Foundation members constructed of such materials exhibit excellent resistance to corrosion. However, those foundation members are typically extremely heavy and therefore difficult to work with.  
         [0009]     Another alternative to chemically treated wood foundation members is foundation members constructed of metal, most frequently steel. As previously noted with regard to metal wales, since most metals typically are subject to corrosion in aquatic environments, those foundation members are frequently painted or coated so as to prevent direct exposure of the metal to the environment. However, foundation members constructed of metal are often exceedingly heavy and therefore difficult to work with, much like the foundation members constructed of cement. As well, it is often desirable to attach or pass various structural elements (bolts, support rods, etc.) through the foundation members. This often requires drilling holes into and through the members. In the case of metal foundation members, breaching the protective coating by drilling can lead to unprotected metal being exposed to the elements, and subsequent corrosion.  
         [0010]     As previously noted, tie rods are typically used to transfer retaining force from the force abutter to the barrier wall. Existing tie rods are threaded at one or both ends, or possibly threaded for their entire length, with at least a threaded section extending beyond the sea wall so that a threaded fastener and washer can be secured thereto, thereby transferring the retaining force from the force abutter to the sea wall. The tie rods are typically made of hot dipped galvanized (HDG) steel or stainless steel, both of which exhibit corrosion in salt-water environments. Corrosion is especially prevalent on that portion of the tie rod, washer, and threaded fastener which extend through and outwardly from the sea wall and are therefore exposed to air. Portions of the tie rod behind the sea wall tend to exhibit minimal corrosion as that portion is not exposed to air. Corrosion of the exposed portions of the tie rods often leads to reduced retaining force being exerted on the sea wall, and subsequent costly replacement of the corroded tie rods. Preferably, the life cycles of the various components (wales, piles, anchor system, etc.) are each maximized in that replacement of one component often requires great effort and expense, even though the remaining components still perform adequately.  
         [0011]     In the past, portions of the tie rods that are exposed on the outside of the sea wall have been coated with paint, plastics, etc., in an attempt to prevent corrosion. These coatings must be applied after securing the tie rods and related fasteners to the sea wall since coating the threaded portion of the tie rod would prevent attachment of the threaded fastener thereto. At a minimum, securing a threaded fastener to the tie rod would result in damage to the coating on the threaded portion as the threaded fastener is urged thereon. Moreover, existing tie rods pose a threat to objects and watercraft operated in their vicinity since the exposed threaded end has the potential to scrape, puncture, etc. whatever it comes in contact with.  
         [0012]     Therefore, there is a need for improved structural members which address these and other shortcomings of the prior art.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0013]     Briefly described, the present disclosure relates to an anchor system for maintaining a driven wall structure in a given position, the wall structure including a plurality of elongated structural panels. Each structural panel has an inner surface, an outer surface, and is disposed adjacent another structural panel. The anchor system includes a first anchor member having a proximal end, a central portion and a distal end. The proximal end includes a domed head and the distal end is threaded. The anchor system further includes a force abutter disposed on the inner side of the wall structure. The first anchor member extends through the wall structure, the domed head is disposed on the outer side of the wall structure and the distal end extends inwardly away from the inner side of the wall structure toward the force abutter.  
         [0014]     The present disclosure also relates to a driven wall structure for retaining soil, the wall structure including a plurality of elongated structural panels, each structural panel having an inner surface, an outer surface, and being adjacent at least another structural panel and at least one elongated wale. The wale is horizontally disposed adjacent the outer surface of the wall structure. The wall structure further includes an anchor system for maintaining the wall structure in a fixed position. The anchor system has a first anchor member having a proximal end, a central portion and a distal end, the proximal end including an enlarged head and the distal end being threaded. The anchor system also includes a force abutter disposed on the inner side of the wall structure. The first anchor member extends through the wale and the wall structure, and the enlarged head is disposed on the outer side of the wall structure and the distal end extends inwardly away from the inner side of the wall structure toward the force abutter.  
         [0015]     Yet another embodiment of the present disclosure provides a driven wall structure for retaining soil, the wall structure including a plurality of elongated structural panels, each structural panel having an inner surface, an outer surface, and being driven vertically into the soil adjacent a previously driven structural panel. The wall structure further includes at least one elongated wale, the wale being horizontally disposed adjacent the outer surface of the wall structure, and an anchor system for maintaining the wall structure in a fixed position. The anchor system includes a first anchor member, a second anchor member, and a connector. The first anchor member has a proximal end, a central portion and a distal end, the proximal end including a domed head and the distal end being threaded. The second anchor member has a first end, a middle portion, and a second end, the first end of which is threaded. The connector has a pair of threaded ends, each of the pair of threaded ends receives one of the distal end and the second end. A force abutter is disposed on the inner side of the wall structure and the first anchor member extends through the wale and the wall structure. The domed head is disposed on the outer side of the wall structure and the distal end extends inwardly away from the inner side of the wall structure. The first end of the second anchor member is secured to the force abutter and the second end extends toward the wall structure, the distal end and the second end are secured together by the connector.  
         [0016]     Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]     Many aspects of the anchor system can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present anchor system. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.  
         [0018]      FIG. 1  is a perspective fragmentary view of a barrier wall constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, used as a sea wall.  
         [0019]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a portion of the barrier wall shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0020]      FIG. 3  illustrates a partially cut-away, side elevation of the barrier wall, wale, pile, abutter and anchor rod of the present disclosure, as shown in  FIG. 1 , taken along line  3 - 3 .  
         [0021]      FIG. 4  illustrates a partially cut-away, side elevation of an alternative embodiment of the barrier wall, wale, pile, abutter and anchor rod of the present disclosure, as shown in  FIG. 1 , taken along line  3 - 3 .  
         [0022]      FIG. 5  illustrates a partially cut-away, side elevation of an alternative embodiment of the barrier wall, wale, pile, and force abutter of the present disclosure, as shown in  FIG. 1 , taken along line  3 - 3 .  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0023]     Reference will now be made in detail to the description of the anchor system as illustrated in the drawings. While the anchor system will be described in connection with these drawings, there is no intent to limit it to the embodiment or embodiments disclosed therein. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents included within the spirit and scope of the anchor system as defined by the appended claims.  
         [0024]     In particular,  FIG. 1  illustrates a driven wall structure, in the form of a sea wall  10 , constructed of elongated structural panels  12 , wales  20 , and piles  26  according to the present disclosure. The sea wall  10  forms a retainer for the soil  11  on the backside of the sea wall  10 , with water  15  at the front surface. The panels  12  extend vertically with lower ends received in the subsoil below the lower level of the body of water  15 . Wales  20  are mounted along outer surfaces of the structural panels  12  and accept anchor members  32  ( FIG. 3 ) which extend to a force abutters or similar anchors on the opposite side of the sea wall  10 . A typical force abutter would comprise an anchor wall  60  of poured reinforced concrete placed behind the barrier wall  10  and extending generally parallel to the barrier wall  10 . Several anchor members can be connected to a single force abutter  60 .  
         [0025]     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , each wale  20  forms a constant, uniform cross-section from end-to-end. In a preferred embodiment, each wale  20  includes in cross-section a wooden core  22  with an outer coating  24  of a material such as plastic, vinyl, polyethylene, polypropylene, etc. As well, each pile  26  has a wooden core (not shown) and an outer coating  24  formed of a material such as plastic, vinyl, polyethylene, polypropylene, etc. Although wooden wales  20  and piles  26  are typically square and round in cross-section, respectively, embodiments of the present disclosure include wales  20  and piles  26  of various cross-sections. As well, embodiments of the disclosed anchor system are envisioned wherein the wales  20  and/or piles  26  are constructed from materials other than wood, such as aluminum, steel, polyvinylchloride, composite materials, etc.  
         [0026]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the ends of the wales  20  show an exposed wooden core  22 , which has been done for better understanding of the present disclosure. Preferably, the outer coating  24  of each wale  20  will cover the ends of each wale  20  as well as its entire length so that no portion of the wale  20  is directly exposed to the environment. However, it may be necessary at times to cut a wale  20  to size, thereby breaching the outer coating  24 . For example, this may be necessary when bringing two wales  20  into abutment. As such, preferred embodiments of the disclosure include a sleeve  25  of a material such as plastic, vinyl, polyethylene, polypropylene, etc., to cover and protect the joint  27  (dashed line) between adjacent wales  20  with their wooden cores  22  exposed. The sleeve  25  is dimensioned such that the wales  20  are slidably received therein and minimal water, debris, insects, etc., are able to pass between the sleeve  25  and the respective outer coatings  24 . Similarly, a sleeve  25  with an end wall (not shown) can be used as an end cap for a wale  20  with an exposed wooden core  22 .  
         [0027]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of an anchor system according to the present disclosure taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 . Typically, when a structural panel  12  is to be driven into the earth at the construction site, the structural panel  12  is positioned above and adjacent a previously installed structural panel  12 . The structural panel  12  being installed is then moved downwardly so that the locking elements (not shown), typically male and female elements, guide along the length of the locking elements of the adjacent previously installed panel  12 . The structural panel  12  is progressively moved downwardly by driving, vibration, gravity or other external forces, until the upper end of the structural panel  12  becomes located approximately the desired height. If necessary, the upper ends of the structural panels  12  that do not reach the desired height can be cut away.  
         [0028]     After adjacent structural panels  12  have been driven to the desired height, an anchor system  30  is installed. Portions of the preferred anchor system  30  shown in  FIG. 3  include a first anchor member  32 , a second anchor member  40 , a turnbuckle  50 , and a threaded fastener  45 . To secure the wall  10  in a desired position, a plurality of wales  20  are positioned horizontally along the outer surface of the wall  10  for support. Note also, the wales  20  as described can also be used as vertical structural members. Preferably, however, piles  26  are used as vertical structural members that are driven into the soil at desired spacing along the wall  10 , so as to be in contact with the wales  20 . Preferably, the piles  26  are substantially parallel to the wall  10  and intersect the wales  20  at a point where the wale  20  is “sandwiched” between the outer surface  16  of the wall  10  and a pile  26 . By so positioning the piles  26 , the installer can drill holes through the piles  26  and the wales  20  that are required to receive portions of the anchor system, such as anchor members, at these points of intersection, thereby exerting maximum retention force on the wall  10 . However, these holes may also be drilled where the wales  20  are not in direct contact with the wall  10 .  
         [0029]     A plurality of second support members  40 , preferably tie rods, are installed such that one end is securely attached to a force abutter  60 , in this case, a poured reinforced concrete wall that runs substantially adjacent to the wall  10  at a desired distance in the soil  11  behind the wall  10 . The opposite end of each tie rod  40  is threadably secured to one end of a turnbuckle  50 , which has threaded receptacles at opposed ends. Next, a plurality of first anchor members  32 , preferably domed head bolts, each including a threaded end and an end with a dome-shaped head  34 , are installed. Typically, each threaded end of a bolt  32  is passed through a pile  26 , wale  20 , and structural panel  16  of the wall. The domed head  34  acts as a force spreader such that the force exerted on the wale  20  and/or pile  26  is evenly distributed. The threaded end is then secured to the threaded receptacle opposite the one to which the tie rod  40  is secured. The turnbuckle  50  is then rotated to exert either greater or less force on the wall  10 . This process is repeated until an adequate number of tie rods  22  are installed along the wall  10  such that adequate force is exerted thereon to hold the wall  10  in the desired position.  
         [0030]     As shown in  FIG. 4 , an alternate embodiment of an anchor system  30 ′ according to the present disclosure are envisioned where the first anchor member  32  having a dome shaped head  34  extends all the way from the outside of the wall  10  to the force abutter. The alternate embodiment of the anchor system  30 ′ shown in  FIG. 4  differs from that of  FIG. 3  in that the force abutter is a driven pile  26  having a wooden core  22  and a protective outer coating  28 .  
         [0031]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment of an anchor system according to the present disclosure. Similar to the previously disclosed embodiment, after adjacent structural panels  12  have been driven to the desired height, an anchor system  30 ″ is installed. The anchor system  30 ″ as shown in  FIG. 5  differs primarily from that as shown in  FIG. 3  in that the force abutter is a driven wooden pile  26  having a protective outer coating  28  and the tie rods  40 ′, threaded fasteners  45 , and ogee washers  49  are used to transfer retention forces from the force abutters to the sea wall  10 . To secure the wall  10  in a desired position, the plurality of wales  20  and piles  26  are positioned along the sea wall  10 , as previously discussed. After so positioning the wales  20  and piles  26 , the installer can drill holes through the piles  26  and the wales  20  at the points of intersection, as previously noted.  
         [0032]     Next, the plurality of tie rods  40 ′ are installed such that one end is securely attached to a force abutter, in this case, a wooden pile  26  with a protective coating  28 . The wooden pile  26  is vertically driven such that it is substantially parallel to the wall  10  at a desired distance in the soil  11  behind the wall  10 . The opposite end of each tie rod  40 ′ is passed through the structural panel  12 , the wale  20 , and the pile  26  such that it is exposed on the exterior surface of the wall  10 . Preferably, a force spreader such as an ogee washer  49  is placed about the tie rod  40 ′ such that the force exerted on the pile  26  is evenly distributed. Lastly, the ogee washer  49  is secured adjacent to the pile  26  with a threaded fastener  45 . This process is repeated until an adequate number of tie rods  40 ′ are installed along the wall  10  such that adequate force is exerted thereon to hold it in the desired position.  
         [0033]     Although preferred embodiments of the anchor system have been disclosed in detail herein, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that variations and modifications of the disclosed embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the anchor system as set forth in the following claims.