Earth-retaining module, system and method

A method of preparing an earthen embankment and to stop sand erosion, which method comprises:

• a) providing a plurality of earth-retaining, concrete modules which includes
• an upright front wall and upright side walls connected therewith, to form a generally U-shaped structure open at the top and bottom and adapted to receive fill therein;
• each of the side walls having open notches, which notches are longitudinally aligned in the top of the side walls, the notches of sufficient width to accept, in an interlocked manner, the width of the front wall of a module in a higher row in the system;
• dead-man, slab-element-mounting means on the interior, rear side walls;
• a dead-man slab element extending across the structure and mounted on the slab-element mounting means;
• and
• means to secure the side walls of the side module to the side walls of the adjoining module in a system;
• b) preparing a level-ground pad of required length and width, and aligning a first row of said modules side-to-side, to form a continuous, straight surface of the front-wall panels of said modules, and securing the modules, in an aligned, side-by-side position;
• c) back-filling the first row of said modules with earth or sand and placing a dead-man slab element in position within the modules;
• d) continuing the fill of earth or sand and compacting the same up to about the bottom side of the open notches of the side walls;
• e) aligning a second row, and further rows as required, of said modules, by fitting the center of the front walls of the modules into the open notches of the modules of the first or lower rows;
• and
• f) filling the said modules of the second and other rows with earth or sand up to about the level of the bottom of the side-wall notches, and repeating the procedure for required successive rows of said modules, to form tan earth-retaining wall system.