U.S. patent application number 09/800902 was filed with the patent office on 2001-07-26 for sheet piling-supported modular wall system.
This patent application is currently assigned to INTERSIL CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Grossman, Jesse E..
Application Number | 20010009088 09/800902 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26791642 |
Filed Date | 2001-07-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010009088 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Grossman, Jesse E. |
July 26, 2001 |
Sheet piling-supported modular wall system
Abstract
The modular wall includes a sheet pile wall 12 with support
brackets 20 that provide cantilever support to a facade of
interlocking rows of blocks 30-34. The support member 20 includes
vertical members that extend from the top of the sheet piling part
way down the length of the sheet piling. Base members 24 extend
from the vertical members and are supported by angled braces 22.
Horizontally extending key members rest on the base members and are
affixed thereto. The key members provide a key for connecting to a
slot of a first row of modular blocks. The modular blocks are
stabilized by geogrid 28 that is captured in the key and slot
interconnection of the modular blocks and is affixed to the sheet
piling 12 or embedded in concrete fill.
Inventors: |
Grossman, Jesse E.;
(Lyndonville, NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
JAECKLE FLEISCHMANN & MUGEL, LLP
39 State Street
Rochester
NY
14614-1310
US
|
Assignee: |
INTERSIL CORPORATION
|
Family ID: |
26791642 |
Appl. No.: |
09/800902 |
Filed: |
March 7, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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09800902 |
Mar 7, 2001 |
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09371987 |
Aug 11, 1999 |
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6226936 |
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60096377 |
Aug 13, 1998 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
52/741.1 ;
405/15 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E02D 29/0283
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
52/741.1 ;
405/15 |
International
Class: |
E02B 003/04 |
Claims
1. A method for constructing a retaining wall comprising the steps
of: driving sheet piling into the ground to form a wall of sheet
piling, attaching a facade support to one of the faces of the sheet
piling at; and constructing a facade on the support to cover the
face of the sheet piling.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of constructing the
facade comprises assembling blocks of facade on top of one
another.
3. The method of claim 2 comprising the further step of anchoring
the blocks to the sheet piling.
4. A method for constructing a retaining wall for separating a bank
of land from adjoining water comprising the steps of: driving sheet
piling into the ground adjacent to the water to form a wall of
sheet piling between the sheet piling and the bank of land;
attaching a facade support to the face of the sheet piling that
faces the water; and constructing a facade on the support to cover
the face of the sheet piling.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of constructing the
facade comprises assembling blocks of facade on top of one
another.
6. The method of claim 5 comprising the further step of anchoring
the blocks to the sheet piling.
7. A modular wall comprising: sheet piling driven into ground to
form a wall of sheet piling; support brackets coupled to the sheet
piling and extending along the length of the sheet piling and from
one face of the sheet piling for supporting a facade; one or more
rows of blocks of facade supported by the support brackets and
covering the face of the sheet piling.
8. The modular wall support bracket of claim 7 wherein the support
member has a key extending along it length for fitting into a
locking slot of a modular facade block.
9. The modular wall of claim 7 wherein the support bracket is a
cantilever support bracket and comprises a base member with an
inner edge extending from the sheet piling and a angled support
bracket extending at an angle from the base member to the sheet
piling for supporting the base member by transferring a vertical
load on the base member to the sheet piling.
10. The modular wall support bracket of claim 9 wherein the base
member has a key extending along it length for fitting into a
locking slot of a modular facade block.
11. The modular wall of claim 9 wherein the angled bracket extends
toward the top of the sheet piling and above the base member.
12. The modular wall of claim 9 wherein the angled bracket extends
toward the bottom of the sheet piling and below the base
member.
13. The modular wall of claim 7 wherein the support brackets
comprise an elongated vertical member coupled at a first end to the
top of the sheet piling extending vertically along the sheet piling
and coupled to a base member extending from the support bracket and
away from the bracket and the sheet piling, and a brace member
extending from the base member to the vertical member.
14. The modular wall of claim 7 wherein the support brackets
comprise an elongated vertical member extending vertically along
the sheet piling and coupled at a first end to the top of the sheet
piling, a base member extending from the support bracket at a
location between its two ends and extending and away from the
vertical member and the sheet piling, and a brace member extending
from the base member toward the vertical member and coupled to the
vertical member.
15. The modular wall of claim 7 further comprising means for tying
the rows of blocks to the sheet piling.
16. The modular wall of claim 15 wherein the means for tying the
rows of blocks to the sheet piling comprises a grid of flexible
plastic.
17. The modular wall of claim 7 wherein the sheet piling comprises
a series of undulating sheets with crests and troughs and the
support brackets are located in the troughs.
18. A modular wall support bracket for supporting a facade on sheet
piling comprising: an elongated vertical member with a first end
for coupling the bracket to the top of sheet piling, a base member
coupled at one end to the vertical member and extending generally
transversely therefrom, and a brace member extending from the base
member to the vertical member.
19. The modular wall support bracket of claim 18 wherein the brace
member extends to the vertical member at a location between the
first and the location where the base member is coupled to the
vertical member.
20. The modular wall support bracket of claim 18 wherein the brace
member extends to the vertical member at a location beyond where
the base member is coupled to the vertical member.
21. The modular wall support bracket of claim 18 wherein the base
member has a key extending along it length for fitting into a
locking slot of a modular facade block.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 09/371,987, filed Aug. 11, 1999 (Attorney
Docket No. 27645.99R207) and claims the benefit of the priority
date of Provisional Patent Application No. 60/096,377, filed Aug.
13, 1997 (Attorney Docket No. 27645.970188).
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates in general to sheet piling walls,
and, in particular, to a sheet piling supported aesthetically
pleasing modular wall system.
[0003] It is highly efficient and cost-effective to use vertical
sheet piling in order to retain a bank of land, in particular a
bank of land next to an excavation or adjacent a body of water.
Sheet piling is also used in and around harbors and canals for
establishing bulkheads against the water. Sheet piling may also be
used in highway construction for stabilizing an embankment adjacent
the highway. One drawback of sheet pile construction is its
appearance that is unpleasant and otherwise unattractive. Sheet
piling is made of steel and it usually rusts. Even if it is treated
with a coating or painted, such treatment requires periodic and
expensive maintenance.
[0004] Sheet piling walls have replaced older types of construction
that included masonry walls with large stone and/or precast
concrete blocks. Construction of such masonry walls is very
expensive and time-consuming. In order to construct the wall, a
temporary sheet pile wall is driven in order to retain the adjacent
water or soil. Then the area behind the temporary sheet pile wall
is excavated and the masonry wall is installed. The excavation
behind the masonry wall is backfilled and the temporary sheet
piling wall is removed. While such walls are attractive, they are
often prohibitively expensive.
[0005] Today many harbors and other waterways including canals,
such as the famous Erie Canal are being re-developed for commercial
and recreational purposes. As such, there is a demand for
construction techniques that will create more aesthetically
pleasing environments for these reconstructed harbors and canals.
As such, there has developed a long-felt and unfulfilled need for a
cost-effective, aesthetically-pleasing wall.
SUMMARY
[0006] The invention solves the problem of the prior art and meets
its unfelt need by providing a method of constructing an
aesthetically-pleasing wall using sheet piling. The invention also
provides a modular wall and a modular wall bracket that enables the
construction of aesthetically-pleasing sheet pile walls.
[0007] The modular wall of the invention includes sheet piling that
is driven into the ground along the location for the wall. The
location may be adjacent a body of water, such as a harbor or a
canal or adjacent a highway excavation. Sheet piling typically has
an undulating pattern characterized by crests and troughs. This
undulating pattern makes for a more durable design against the
earth and water forces that act upon the sheet pile. The invention
uses the troughs that face the excavation for supporting a support
bracket that in turn supports a modular block facade. Support
brackets are hung from the troughs of the sheet piling and extend
down into the excavation and/or below the water line of the
adjacent body of water. The support brackets provide a cantilever
support for the facade. As such, the brackets include an elongated
member that extends parallel to the sheet piling. Below the water
or excavation line the support bracket has a base member that
extends transverse to the support bracket and parallel to the
length of the wall. The base member is in turn supported by a
brace. The brace extends from the base member to the support
bracket at a position between the base member and the top of the
support bracket. In an alternate embodiment, the vertical member of
the support bracket extends beyond the base member and the brace
then extends from the base member down toward the lower portion of
the vertical member.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of the modular wall.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a section of the modular wall.
[0010] FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of a section of the wall
corresponding to the planned view shown in FIG. 2.
[0011] FIG. 4 is a detailed view of one embodiment of a support
bracket for the modular wall.
[0012] FIG. 5 is an expanded plan view showing how the support
bracket of FIG. 4 is connected to a trough of the sheet piling.
[0013] FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of an alternative embodiment
of the invention.
[0014] FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing how the embodiment of
FIG. 6 is attached to the trough of a sheet piling.
[0015] FIG. 8 is a front elevation view of the support bracket of
FIG. 6.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] Turning to FIG. 1, there is shown a modular wall assembly
10. It includes sheet piling 12 that carries a support bracket 20
which in turn supports a facade comprising rows of pre-cast,
interlocking concrete blocks 30-34 with a capping block 38. The
invention is suitable for supporting walls adjacent bodies of water
or for supporting walls adjacent any region where the subsoil has
insufficient bearing capacity to a masonry wall. The sheet piling
12 is driven into ground that is adjacent an excavation or a body
of water 40. The blocks 31-34 are tied together by interlocking
keys and slots. Between each row of blocks there is one or more
sections of tying material 28 (geogrid). This is typically a mesh
of polyethylene that covers the top of one block and is held in
place when the superior block covers the key and slot
interconnection of the lower block. The polyethylene mesh is
affixed to the sheet piling or embedded in concrete fill.
[0017] In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1, the
support bracket 20 includes a vertical member 21 that extends from
the top of the sheet piling along the vertical face of the sheet
piling to a point below the surface of the adjacent excavation or
the bottom of the adjacent body of water 40. A base member 23
extends generally transversely from the vertical support member 21.
The base member 23 supports a key element 24 that secures the slot
in the lower block 30. The base member 23 is a cantilever support.
In order to assist its supporting function, a brace 22 extends from
the base member 23 to the vertical member 21. The brace extends
below where the base member 23 is coupled to the vertical member
21.
[0018] Turning to FIG. 2, there it is seen that the sheet piling 12
forms a wall that faces the embankment 40 and presents a series of
undulations including crests 14 and troughs 16. The support
brackets 20 are located in the middle of the troughs 16 and the
sheet piling. The key member 24 is a relatively narrow member that
extends across three support brackets. In the preferred embodiment,
the modular facade blocks 30 are sized so that two blocks are
supported by three support brackets 20. The adjacent blocks 30.1
and 30.2 share a common support 21. The adjacent blocks 30.0 and
30.1, as well as 30.2 and 30.3 have a slight space between the
sequential keys 24.1 and 24.2.
[0019] Turning to FIG. 3, the series of brackets shown in FIG. 2
are presented in elevation form. The key support member 24 extends
across the three support brackets. In FIG. 4, the support bracket
20 is shown in greater detail. The bracket is made of fabricated
steel and is attached to the sheet piling by either hanging or
welding. In an alternate embodiment of the invention a top hanger
bracket 25 is mounted to one end of the vertical member 21. The
base member 23 extends beyond the crest of the sheet pile 12 at
lengths sufficient to accommodate the depth of the blocks 30-32.
The blocks 30-32 have a key and slot interlocking arrangement and
the lower block row 30 has its slot locked on the key 24 that
extends over three of the base members 23.1, 23.2 and 23.3.
[0020] Further details of the support member 20 are shown in FIG.
5. There, the support bracket 20 has a left rail 21(b) and a right
rail 21(a) that extend along an upper length of the sheet piling.
The tying mesh 28 (geogrid) is shown extending over the key 24 that
rests on the base member or over the subsequent superior keys of
the modular rows of blocks 30-34. The space between the facade of
the blocks 30-34 and the trough 16 may be filled with concrete
42.
[0021] An alternate embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS.
6-8. Here the cantilever support 60 has a brace member 61 that
extends upwardly from the base 63 to the vertical support member
61. The base member 63 also supports an elongated key member 64.
The top of the support member 60 has an L-shaped coupling bracket
66 that fits over the top of the sheet piling. A nut and bolt
assembly 67 couple the top brackets 66 to the sheet piling (not
shown). Another nut and bolt assembly 65 connects one end of the
brace 62 to the vertical support member 61. As shown in more detail
in FIG. 67, the vertical support member 61 comprises left and right
hand members 61(a), 61(b) that are coupled together by a central
member 61(c). Similar details are shown in FIG. 8.
[0022] In operation, sheet piling is driven into ground adjacent an
excavation or an area to be excavated or adjacent a body of water,
such as a river, lake, canal or harbor. Support brackets 20 or 60
are coupled from the top of the sheet piling down along the partial
length of the sheet piling. The brackets 20, 60 extend long enough
to be covered by the backfill of the excavation or by the adjacent
body of water. Each bracket includes a vertical member, a base
member, and diagonal. Thus, the bracket provides cantilever support
for modular blocks that are assembled on a key member that extends
between two or more of the base members on adjoining brackets.
Modular blocks with slots are placed over the key members in
sequential horizontal and vertical order. In between rows of
blocks, stabilizing tying material such as geogrid 28 extends
between a key and slot and is coupled at one end to the sheet
piling or embedded in concrete fill. The geogrid stabilizes the
block facade 30-36 so that it resists any torque that would
separate the facade from the piling. Upon completion, the
excavation may be backfilled to cover the bottom of the facade.
Thereafter, the resulting modular wall presents an aesthetically
pleasing appearance of a masonry wall together with the strength
and convenience of assembly provided by sheet piling.
[0023] Having thus described the two embodiments of the invention,
those skilled in the art will appreciate that further changes,
modifications, additions and omissions may be made to the disclosed
embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention.
* * * * *