Patent ID: 6857823

Claim:
A structure for retaining and reinforcing an earthen formation and securing a face of the formation against sloughing, said structure comprising: a) successive welded wire soil reinforcing mats embedded in the formation at vertically spaced intervals, each said reinforcing mat being generally horizontally disposed and of a planar configuration without upstanding portions at the face of the formation and comprised of spaced longitudinal wires extending into the formation and transverse wires extending across and welded to the longitudinal wires at spaced intervals, said mats terminating at the face of the formation, with one of said transverse wires extending across the face; and b) a welded wire face mat disposed at the face of the formation between each successive pair of soil reinforcing mats, each of said face mats comprising transverse wires at upper and lower portions thereof and spaced generally vertical wires welded to and extending across the transverse wires, the generally vertical wires of each successive face mat extending distally therefrom to provide fingers extending over the transverse wires of the next successive face mat and behind the transverse wire of the soil reinforcing mat extending across the face between the successive face mats.