Method and apparatus for forming reinforced concrete walls with continuous steel reinforcement

In a slurry trench method of constructing an underground concrete wall in a plurality of panel sections with continuous steel reinforcement, wherein a first panel section is excavated, an end stop pipe is placed in an end of said first panel section after excavation thereof, said end stop molding pipe has at least one concrete forming surface extending to the full length thereof, the improvement comprising,

• providing at least one groove in said concrete forming surface of said molding pipe with an expandable steel reinforcing cage in said groove, said expandable steel reinforcing cage having a concrete anchor means projecting therefrom beyond said concrete forming surface and into a body of concrete cast thereagainst,
• casting concrete in said first panel section to surround said concrete anchor means and against said concrete forming surface,
• removing said molding pipe from said first panel section,
• excavating an adjacent panel section,
• expanding said expandable steel reinforcing cage into said adjacent panel section,
• filling said adjacent panel section with concrete,
• said expandable steel reinforcing cage including a plurality of pivoted reinforcing bars which are maintained in a substantially vertical position, and after excavation of said adjacent panel section, all said pivoted reinforcing bars are simultaneously moved in a vertical direction to a horizontal position into said adjacent panel section prior to filling of said adjacent panel section with concrete.

A joint reinforcing apparatus for an underground reinforced concrete wall, comprising,

• (1) a vertical support bar member,
• (2) a horizontally extending concrete anchor means rigidly secured to one surface of said vertical support bar member,
• (3) a plurality of reinforcing bar members,
• (4) a plurality of pivot means disposed along said vertical support bar member, each said pivot means associated with one of said reinforcing bar members and pivotally coupling the one end of its associated reinforcing bar members with said vertical support bar members, respectively, and
• (5) an operating member for moving said plurality of reinforcing bar members from a substantially vertical position to a substantially horizontal position, said vertical support bar member is a first U-shaped channel member and said one surface is the base of the U-opposite the opening thereof, wherein said operating member is an operating rod and said operating rod member is a second U-shaped channel member, said first and second U-shaped channel members opening opposite each other so as to enclose and protect said reinforcing bars during excavation for said underground reinforced concrete wall.

In a steel reinforced concrete wall comprised of a plurality of concrete panels, each panel having a reinforcing cage extending to proximate the joint between concrete panels and a joint reinforcing cage bridging the gap between said reinforcing cages in adjoining panels, the improvement in said joint reinforcing cage comprising,

• a pair of oppositely facing channel members,
• a plurality of reinforcing bars, each connected between said channel members,
• one of said channel members having a face at the joint between consecutive concrete panels, and
• anchor means extending from said face and parallel to at least that portion of said reinforcing cage extending proximate said joint.