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US 7,114,887 B1Granted
Modular block anchoring techniques
AssigneeEarth Reinforcement Technologies, LLC
InventorThomas L. Rainey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
One embodiment of a system of the present disclosure can be implemented as follows. A modular block wall system includes a vertical passageway formed within the wall from a top surface of the wall to a bottom surface of the wall and a plurality of tieback rods adapted to be embedded into soil or rock and each having a proximal portion extending into the passageway. The system further includes at least one elongate member positioned within the vertical passageway directly adjacent the proximal portions of the tieback rods, wherein tensile forces imposed upon the tieback rods are transmitted to the at least one elongate member so as to distribute the tensile forces throughout a portion of the retaining wall. Other systems and methods are also provided.
Claims39
A modular block wall system comprising:
- a vertical passageway formed within the wall from a top surface of the wall to a bottom surface of the wall;
- a plurality of tieback rods adapted to be embedded into soil or rock and each having a proximal portion extending into the passageway, the plurality of elongate members comprising:
- a first elongate member positioned in the vertical passageway;
- and
- a second elongate member positioned in the vertical passageway at an overlapping distance above of the first elongate member within the vertical passageway;
- and
- at least one elongate member positioned within the vertical passageway directly adjacent the proximal portions of the tieback rods,
- wherein tensile forces imposed upon the tieback rods are transmitted to the at least one elongate member so as to distribute the tensile forces throughout a portion of the retaining wall.
5 more elements
A modular block wall system comprising:
- a vertical passageway formed within the wall from a top surface of the wall to a bottom surface of the wall;
- a plurality of tieback rods adapted to be embedded into soil or rock and each having a proximal portion extending into the passageway;
- at least one elongate member positioned within the vertical passageway directly adjacent the proximal portions of the tieback rods;
- a solid section of concrete filling the vertical passageway and surrounding the elongate members within the vertical passageway;
- and
- a horizontal steel member positioned within a slot that crosses the transverse length of the top surface of at least one wall block and an adjacent block, wherein the horizontal steel member is secured in place by grout.
3 more elements
A modular block wall system comprising:
- a vertical passageway formed within the wall from a top surface of the wall to a bottom surface of the wall;
- a plurality of tieback rods adapted to be embedded into soil or rock and each having a proximal portion extending into the passageway;
- at least one elongate member positioned within the vertical passageway directly adjacent the proximal portions of the tieback rods, wherein tensile forces imposed upon the tieback rods are transmitted to the at least one elongate member so as to distribute the tensile forces throughout a portion of the retaining wall;
- and
- an opening formed in a rear surface of a wall block such that a proximal portion of a tieback rod extends into the vertical passageway through the opening, wherein the opening is formed by knocking a rear portion of the wall block using blunt force, removal of the rear portion facilitated by grooves formed in a back portion of the wall block.
2 more elements
A method of constructing a retaining wall near a portion of earth to be retained thereby, comprising the steps of:
- embedding one end of at least one tieback rod within a portion of earth, whereby a protruding end extends outwardly freely from the portion of earth;
- stacking a plurality of blocks in horizontally extending tiers to define a retaining wall, a plurality of the blocks configured to define a longitudinally oriented passageway between a top and bottom of the wall;
- inserting at least one elongate member into the passageway of the wall, the elongate member defining a point at which to secure a tieback rod to the wall;
- orienting the tieback rod with respect to the at least one elongate member such that the protruding end of the rod extends within an interior of the vertical passageway;
- and
- connecting the tieback rod to the at least one elongate member to secure the retaining wall to the portion of earth, wherein the tieback rod is connected to the at least one elongate member to secure the retaining wall to the portion of earth by sliding a washer onto a distal end of the tieback rod and into contact with an attachment mechanism for the at least one elongate member and threading a nut onto the distal end of the tieback rod to bear firmly against the washer, whereby the tieback rod, being engaged to the at least one elongate member, connects the retaining wall to the portion of earth.
3 more elements
A method of constructing a retaining wall near a portion of earth to be retained thereby, comprising the steps of:
- embedding one end of at least one tieback rod within a portion of earth, whereby a protruding end extends outwardly freely from the portion of earth;
- stacking a plurality of blocks in horizontally extending tiers to define a retaining wall, a plurality of the blocks configured to define a longitudinally oriented passageway between a top and bottom of the wall;
- inserting at least one elongate member into the passageway of the wall, the elongate member defining a point at which to secure a tieback rod to the wall;
- orienting the tieback rod with respect to the at least one elongate member such that the protruding end of the rod extends within an interior of the longitudinally oriented passageway;
- and
- connecting the tieback rod to the at least one elongate member to secure the retaining wall to the portion of earth, wherein the at least one elongate member is inserted into the longitudinally oriented passageway and overlaps with a previously inserted elongate member within the passageway, the at least one elongate member providing a point for securing a tieback rod with the elongate member.
3 more elements
A method of constructing a retaining wall near a portion of earth to be retained thereby, comprising the steps of:
- embedding one end of at least one tieback rod within a portion of earth, whereby a protruding end extends outwardly freely from the portion of earth;
- stacking a plurality of blocks in horizontally extending tiers to define a retaining wall, a plurality of the blocks configured to define a longitudinally oriented passageway between a top and bottom of the wall;
- inserting at least one elongate member into the passageway of the wall, the elongate member defining a point at which to secure a tieback rod to the wall;
- knocking an opening in a rear surface of a wall block in the retaining wall such that a proximal portion of the at least one tieback rod extends into the longitudinally oriented passageway via the opening, removal of the rear surface facilitated by grooves formed in a back portion of the wall block;
- orienting the tieback rod with respect to the at least one elongate member such that the protruding end of the rod extends within an interior of the longitudinally oriented passageway;
- and
- connecting the tieback rod to the at least one elongate member to secure the retaining wall to the portion of earth.
4 more elements
A method of constructing a retaining wall near a portion of earth to be retained thereby comprising the steps of:
- embedding one end of at least one tieback rod within a portion of earth, whereby a protruding end extends outwardly freely from the portion of earth;
- stacking a plurality of blocks in horizontally extending tiers to define a retaining wall, a plurality of the blocks configured to define a longitudinally oriented passageway between a top and bottom of the wall;
- inserting at least one elongate member into the passageway of the wall, the elongate member defining a point at which to secure a tieback rod to the wall;
- orienting the tieback rod with respect to the at least one elongate member such that the protruding end of the rod extends within an interior of the longitudinally oriented passageway;
- connecting the tieback rod to the at least one elongate member to secure the retaining wall to the portion of earth, wherein blocks are stacked on top of the at least one elongate member to a height that reaches a next tieback rod, an additional at least one elongate member then being positioned in overlapping manner with at least one elongate member within the longitudinally oriented passageway;
- and
- positioning vertically atop each other a plurality of tieback rods within the longitudinally oriented passageway.
4 more elements
A method of constructing a retaining wall near a portion of earth to be retained thereby, comprising the steps of:
- embedding one end of at least one tieback rod within a portion of earth, whereby a protruding end extends outwardly freely from the portion of earth;
- stacking a plurality of blocks in horizontally extending tiers to define a retaining wall, a plurality of the blocks configured to define a longitudinally oriented passageway between a top and bottom of the wall;
- inserting at least one elongate member into the passageway of the wall, the elongate member defining a point at which to secure a tieback rod to the wall;
- orienting the tieback rod with respect to the at least one elongate member such that the protruding end of the rod extends within an interior of the longitudinally oriented passageway;
- and
- connecting the tieback rod to the at least one elongate member to secure the retaining wall to the portion of earth, wherein the at least one elongate member comprises a pair of rebar rods.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.