Embankments construction

A method of constructing, on a supporting surface above or below water, a water-retaining structure in the form of an embankment or the like using particulate material delivered hydraulically in a liquid medium to the intended position of the structure,

• the method including:
• providing
• a movable form having
• an exit with a cross-section shape substantially the required finished profile of a desired water-retaining structure,
• an entry for hydraulically-delivered particulate material, and
• a thrust surface for action by said particulate material and said liquid in the form, together with
• a supply of such particulate material and a supply of said liquid delivery medium;
• positioning the form, said exit to the rear, on a growth axis of the desired water-retaining structure;
• hydraulically delivering particulate material from said supply thereof into said form entry to charge the form and to exert a thrust on said thrust surface to urge the form forward along said axis;
• restraining the form to move under forward urgence of said thrust only so fast as to be accompanied by at least partial drainage of said liquid delivery medium from said particulate material in said form before said movement becomes accompanied by emergence of said at least partly-drained particulate material from said exit in said water-retaining structure profile;
• and
• thereafter
• continuing the hydraulic delivery and restraint to construct said water-retaining structure along said growth axis.

A method for constructing an embankment upon a surface, comprising:

• providing a shield having two opposed side walls which slope upwards toward one another, an upward forward end wall joining the two side walls, and a trailing rear end wall joining the two side walls in a required embankment profile, with the side walls and forward end wall extending downwards to the level of what is to be the base of the embankment and upwards at least to the level of what is to be the top surface of a core portion of the embankment and the rear end wall extending downwards to the level of what is to be the top surface of said core portion so that the upper edges of the side walls and end walls frame an upwardly open mouth for the shield;
• determining a two-ended growth axis along which said embankment is to be formed and placing said shield so that it is movably supported upon said surface at one end of said growth axis, forward end wall forwards, for movement along said growth axis to the other end thereof;
• forming a hydraulic mixture of water and solid particulate material and pumping that mixture into said shield through said upwardly open mouth at such a rate that the shield becomes and remains full of said mixture, with the solid particulate material settling out of said mixture within said shield and the water tending to flow out of said shield so that said shield gradually becomes full of wet, but settled-out solid particulate material;
• while continuing to perform said forming and pumping steps, guiding movement of said shield gradually forwards along said growth axis to said opposite end thereof, so that more room for said mixture within said shield is incrementally being made immediately to the rear of said forward end wall, until said opposite end is reached, the speed at which said shield so moves being controlled to assure that at each point along said growth axis the level of wet, but settled-out particulate material reaches at least up to the lower edge of said trailing rear wall before said lower edge passes such point, so that said lower edge acts as a doctor blade for the top surface of said core portion of the embankment.