U.S. patent number 3,744,255 [Application Number 05/188,713] was granted by the patent office on 1973-07-10 for canal bank retaining wall means and method.
Invention is credited to Marcellus L. Jacobs, Paul R. Jacobs.
United States Patent |
3,744,255 |
Jacobs , et al. |
July 10, 1973 |
CANAL BANK RETAINING WALL MEANS AND METHOD
Abstract
A canal bank retaining wall means and method of making same
comprising, an elongate wall poured in place on an earthen canal
bank immediately after digging said canal, said retaining wall
having expansion joint means therein at spaced intervals along the
length thereof for enabling expansion and contraction of said wall
upon temperature changes in the surrounding environment. If
desired, removable sections may be provided in said retaining wall
so that said sections may be removed after the canal is constructed
in order that a boat slip or a dock the like may be economically
built in said retaining wall. Also, the surface of the retaining
wall exposed to the water in said canal may be roughened to provide
an ecologically better environment for marine life and other
organisms, if desired.
Inventors: |
Jacobs; Paul R. (Fort Myers,
FL), Jacobs; Marcellus L. (Fort Myers, FL) |
Family
ID: |
22694219 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/188,713 |
Filed: |
October 13, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
405/84 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E02B
5/02 (20130101); E02B 3/128 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E02B
3/12 (20060101); E02B 5/00 (20060101); E02B
5/02 (20060101); E02b 005/00 (); E02b 005/08 () |
Field of
Search: |
;61/7,14,63,37,38,49,29 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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|
|
|
|
|
273,646 |
|
May 1951 |
|
CH |
|
497,334 |
|
Sep 1954 |
|
IT |
|
455,211 |
|
Feb 1950 |
|
IT |
|
Primary Examiner: Shapiro; Jacob
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A reinforced concrete, inclined canal bank retaining wall having
a top and a bottom and poured directly on an inclined earthen canal
bank, a plurality of spaced apart expansion joint strips in said
retaining wall extending from the top thereof to adjacent the water
line in the canal, said concrete being continuous and uninterrupted
below the expansion joint strips, thus resulting in a strong
retaining wall structure.
2. A concrete canal bank retaining wall as in claim 1, wherein said
concrete retaining wall has a roughened surface at least below the
water line of said canal, said roughened surface comprising a
separate layer of stone aggregate on top of the concrete, said
stones preferably comprising native rock from local sources, at
least some of the stones of the aggregate embedded at least
partially in said concrete retaining wall, thereby creating an
anchored rock canal bank lining which markedly increases the
contact surface of said canal bank retaining wall and thus creates
a multitude of ecological niches wherein marine and/or related
organisms and the like can attach, live, escape predators, and
otherwise exist, thereby greatly improving the marine environment
of said canal.
3. A concrete canal bank retaining wall as in claim 1, wherein said
retaining wall includes a substantially horizontal extension at the
top of said inclined earthen canal bank, said horizontal extension
being recessed into the ground so that the top surface thereof is
substantially flush with the surface of the ground at the top of
said canal bank.
4. A concrete canal bank retaining wall as in claim 3, wherein said
expansion joint strips are in both said horizontal extension of
said retaining wall and the inclined portion thereof.
5. A concrete canal bank retaining wall as in claim 4, wherein said
earthen canal bank and said inclined retaining wall are inclined
approximately 30.degree. to 60.degree. relative to the
vertical.
6. A concrete canal bank retaining wall as in claim 1, wherein said
retaining wall includes means therein defining removable sections
which can be removed for the construction of boat slips, or
cantilever or other type docks or the like without disturbing
adjacent portions of said retaining wall.
7. A concrete canal bank retaining wall as in claim 6, wherein a
separating means such as a sheet of plastic or the like positioned
substantially horizontally and in a plane perpendicular to the
plane of said inclined wall defines a separation area for the lower
end of said removable section, and a pair of spaced apart expansion
joint means define separation areas at the sides of said removable
section.
8. A concrete canal bank retaining wall as in claim 7, wherein said
lower end of said removable section is below the water line of said
canal.
9. A concrete canal bank retaining wall as in claim 7, wherein said
lower end of said removable section is at or suitably above the
water line of said canal.
10. A concrete canal bank retaining wall as in claim 7, wherein
said expansion joint strips comprise elongate strips of
compressible material positioned edgewise on the inclined bank of
said canal and extending perpendicularly from the earthen canal
bank to the surface of said poured concrete.
11. A concrete retaining wall means for canal banks comprising: an
inclined, elongate poured concrete wall poured directly on an
inclined earthen canal bank; expansion joint means in said wall at
spaced intervals therealong extending from the top of the wall
toward the bottom thereof substantially perpendicular to the
longitudinal axis of said wall, and separation strip means in said
wall at spaced intervals therealong defining separation areas
between adjacent sections of the wall so that sections of said wall
between adjacent separation strips can be readily slid upwardly
relative to adjacent sections on either side thereof and removed
without disturbing adjacent sections of said wall for the
construction of boat slips, boat ramps, cantilever and other design
docks, and the like.
12. A concrete canal bank retaining wall as in claim 11, wherein
said retaining wall is reinforced concrete.
13. A concrete canal bank retaining wall as in claim 11, wherein a
plurality of expansion joint means are in said wall and extend from
the top of the bank downwardly to at least approximately the water
level of said canal.
14. A concrete canal bank retaining wall as in claim 13, wherein
said expans1on joint means comprises a generally trough shaped
member opening upwardly and supported on said earthen canal
bank.
15. A concrete canal bank retaining wall as in claim 14, wherein
said expansion joint extends from the top to the bottom of the
canal bank.
16. A concrete canal bank retaining wall as in claim 15, wherein
said trough shaped member comprises a first elongate portion
extending from the top to the bottom of said inclined canal bank,
and a second portion hingedly joined thereto and extending across
the horizontal portion of said canal bank.
17. A concrete canal bank retaining wall as in claim 16, wherein
said trough shaped member is filled with a mixture of vermiculite
and cement.
18. A concrete canal bank retaining wall as in claim 17, wherein
said trough shaped member has elongate anchoring ribs in the
opposite sides thereof for holding said trough shaped member in
place in said concrete as said concrete is poured on opposite sides
thereof.
19. A concrete canal bank retaining wall as in claim 18, wherein
the surface of said concrete retaining wall is roughened at least
below the water line of said canal to provide shelter for marine
life and the like.
20. A concrete canal bank retaining wall as in claim 19, wherein
said roughened surface comprises stones placed on the surface of
said wall, at least some of said stones embedded at least partially
in said concrete retaining wall.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to unique canal bank retaining wall means
and the method of making same.
In some areas, such as along coasts and the like, it is a common
practice to dig canals extending from a body of water such as a
bay, river, ocean or the like inland into residential or
agricultural areas for both recreational and commercial use. It is
not uncommon along some coastal areas for many miles of canals to
be interconnected in a canal network extending several miles inland
and interconnecting residential areas with larger bodies of water
for boating and the like. In constructing these canals in the prior
art, a portion of a canal is dug and an earthen dam is constructed
at one end thereof. Pump means are then provided for pumping water
from the canal as it is being dug to prevent springs and the like
in the bottom of the canal from filling it with water during
construction thereof. The contractor or other person digging the
canal frequently constructs several thousand feet or more of canal
and then waits for surveyors or the like to survey the canal and
adjacent waterfront home sites in order to determine the location
of boat slips or docks and the like along the canal. After the
canals and adjacent home sites are surveyed and the location of
boat slips and the like determined, the contractor or other person
then returns and builds a retaining wall on the banks of the canal
for preventing the canal banks from collapsing. Such prior art
retaining walls are usually constructed from precast slabs of
concrete vertically installed along vertical canal banks and earth
is then stacked or piled against the retaining all to prevent it
from collapsing or falling into the canal. This earth fill
generally extends up to one-third or one-half the height of the
retaining wall and in some cases is exposed during low tide or the
like. This type of retaining wall and the construction thereof have
several serious disadvantages.
First, because the contractor building the canal has to wait for
the surveyor to survey the canal and adjacent home sites before the
retaining wall can be constructed, the canal becomes filled with
water and must be emptied before the retaining wall can be built.
This is quite expensive since the pumps used to empty the canal
generally cost as must as 200 dollars a day to use. Moreover,
during the period of time in which the canal and adjacent home
sites are being surveyed, heavy rain fall or the like may severely
damage the canal banks which then must be reshaped with equipment
brought in for that purpose. Similarly, if the canal becomes filled
with water, the wave action of the water in the canal also
deteriorates the canal banks.
Further, the location of the boat slips and docks and the like may
ultimately turn out to be undesirable or less desirable than other
locations, and the construction of boat slips in the canal bank and
retaining wall is quite expensive, often doubling the cost of a
canal bank retaining wall along a waterfront home site. Moreover,
in prior art retaining wall structures, the boat slips or the like
are sometimes used to provide expansion means to enable the
retaining wall to expand and contract with ambient temperature
changes, no other expansion means being provided in prior art
retaining wall structures.
Still further, the earth piled at the base of prior art retaining
walls creates a muddy environment under the action of waves or
wakes of boats and the like and thus tends to pollute the canal and
is damaging to marine life and other organisms therein.
Additionally, waves due to wind or the wakes of boats and the like
strike the vertical prior art retaining walls with considerable
force and create noise and spray, which can be damaging to
vegetation and the like along the canal.
The present invention provides a unique concrete inclined canal
bank retaining wall and method of making same which does not have
any of the disadvantages present with prior art retaining walls and
methods of constructing same.
According to the present invention, a canal is dug with inclined
earthen banks and a concrete, inclined retaining wall is poured
onto said canal banks immediately after the canal is dug and before
the canal becomes filled with water or the banks are caused to
deteriorate by rain storms or wave action or the like. Expansion
joint means are provided in the retaining walls of the present
invention at spaced intervals along the length thereof to provide
for expansion and contraction of the retaining walls upon changes
in ambient temperatures. In warmer climates, the expansion joints
extend only from the top of the wall to approximately the water
line of the canal, thus resulting in a substantially continuous,
cohesive mass of concrete below the water line and accordingly a
stronger and more durable retaining wall is realized. It is not
necessary to extend the expansion joint below the water line of the
retaining wall in warmer climates since the temperature does not
change sufficiently below the water line to cause damage to the
wall. In colder climates, a simple and efficient expansion joint
extends from the top all the way to the bottom of the retaining
wall to enable expansion and contraction of the wall with ambient
temperature changes.
Further, removable sections may be provided in the retaining wall
as it is built, and these sections may subsequently be removed for
the construction of boat slips or docks and the like at a
significantly lower cost than the construction of boat slips
according to the prior art.
Additionally, waves tend to wash or rise up along the sloping wall
of the present invention and do not splash against it as in prior
art vertical walls, thereby substantially reducing noise and spray
accompanied with the striking of waves against the wall. Moreover,
the sloping wall surface is preferably roughened to provide nitches
for sheltering marine life and other organisms so that the canal is
ecologically suitable for the support of marine life and other
organisms.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to provide a canal bank retaining
wall means and method wherein the wall is poured in place on the
earthen banks of a canal at the time of digging the canal, wherein
the retaining wall means is self-supporting and requires no extra
supports.
Another object of this invention is to provide a retaining wall for
a canal bank, and the method of making same, wherein the retaining
wall includes removable sections for the later construction of boat
slips and docks and the like.
A further object of this invention is to provide a concrete
retaining wall for canal banks wherein the wall has a roughened
surface and is ecologically fit for the support of marine life and
other organisms.
An even further object of this invention is to provide a concrete
inclined canal bank retaining wall and method wherein the wall has
expansion joint means therein at spaced intervals therealong for
enabling the retaining wall to expand and contract with changes in
ambient temperature.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a canal being dug and an
inclined concrete retaining wall means being constructed on the
banks thereof.
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top perspective view of a portion of the
canal and inclined concrete retaining wall means of FIG. 1 shown in
section.
FIG. 3 is an exploded fragmentary perspective view of a portion of
the inclined concrete retaining wall of FIG. 1 showing the
expansion joint means and plastic sheet means in position for
constructing a removable section in the wall.
FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of a portion of the concrete,
inclined canal bank retaining wall of FIG. 1 with one of the
removable sections being removed therefrom.
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary top perspective view of a concrete,
inclined canal bank retaining wall means such as in FIG. 1, with a
modified expansion joint means therein extending from the top to
the bottom of the wall.
FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of a portion of a form means used
to make the expansion joint of FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of an inclined concrete
canal bank retaining wall such as in FIG. 1, with stones or the
like on the surface thereof below the water line.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals
indicate like parts throughout the several views, a canal C is
shown in the process of construction in FIG. 1. The canal is
constructed with opposite, sloping earthen banks 1 and 2 and a
generally flat bottom 3. Suitable earthworking equipment such as a
crane 4 with a drag line or the like may be used to construct the
canal. In order to prevent the canal from filling with water while
it is being constructed, an earthen dam 5 is constructed across the
canal and a suitable pump means P is used to pump water from the
portion of the canal being dug into the portion of the canal on the
opposite side of the dam 5 therefrom. The opposite banks 1 and 2 of
the canal are shaped with suitable equipment so that each bank has
a relatively smooth inclined surface 6 extending upwardly and
outwardly from the bottom 3 of the canal at an angle preferably
between 30.degree. and 60.degree.. A relatively narrow, horizontal
cavity or recess 7 is excavated in the earth at the top of the
sloping banks 6 and comprises a horizontal extension of the bank 6.
Wire mesh reinforcement 8 is placed on the inclined banks 6 and on
the bottom of the extensions or recesses 7 after they are shaped.
Longitudinally extending reinforcing rods 9 are also preferably
positioned in the recesses 7 along with the wire mesh reinforcement
means 8.
A stiff mix concrete 10 is poured from a truck T directly onto the
inclined portion 6 and horizontal extension 7 of the canal banks
and is suitably shaped and finished with hand tools or the like to
provide a substantially even surface and a pleasing appearance. The
angle of inclination of the bank 6 and the stiffness of the
concrete is such that the poured concrete remains substantially in
place on the inclined portion 6 of the canal bank and does not flow
or slide off of the inclined portion to the bottom thereof.
Depending upon the size of the canal and the thickness desired, the
concrete is poured to a depth of approximately 5 inches on the
inclined portion 6 and to a depth of approximately 8 inches on the
horizontal extension 7. Further, the extension or cavity 7 is
preferably excavated to the depth of the desired concrete poured
thereon so that the top surface of the concrete is substantially
flush with the surface of the ground extending away from the top of
the canal bank.
As the concrete is being poured, a plurality of expansion joint
means 11 comprising half-inch thick fiberboard strips impregnated
with tar and having a width substantially equal to the depth of the
poured concrete are placed edgewise on the horizontal portion 7 of
the bank and downwardly along the inclined portion 6 to
approximately the water level L in the canal at spaced intervals
along the banks of the canal. The spacing between the strips is
determined by local conditions and may vary from 50 feet to several
hundred feet. The concrete is then poured around the strips 11,
with the expansion joint strips serving to separate adjacent
longitudinal sections of the canal bank retaining wall at the
portion thereof exposed above the water line L of the canal. The
concrete forms a continuous, cohesive mass below the water line
since there are no expansion strips or the like therein and
accordingly the retaining wall is much stronger and more durable
than prior art retaining walls.
The finished wall thus includes an upwardly and outwardly inclined
retaining wall 12 supported directly on the earthen canal bank 6
and a horizontal extension 13 supported in the horizontally
extending cavity or recess 7 at the top of the inclined bank 6.
If desired, the surface of the inclined retaining wall 12 may be
suitably roughened with hand tools or the like below the water line
L as at 14 to provide an ecologically suitable environment for the
support of marine life and other organisms.
An alternate means of providing an ecologically suitable
environment for the support of marine life or the like is indicated
at 15 in FIG. 7 and comprises a layer or several layers of stones
placed on the inclined retaining wall 12 immediately after it is
poured and before the concrete is cured. The bottom most layer of
stones are thus at least partially embedded in the concrete of the
inclined retaining wall 12 and are held thereon against wave action
and gravity and the like. Subsequent layers of stones placed on top
of the bottom layer of stones are held in place by the interstices
between the stones. Preferably, the stones are selected from the
area in which the canal is constructed so as to be native to the
marine life and other organisms present in the canal.
If desired, removable sections 16 may be provided in the wall at
spaced locations along the length thereof for the later
construction of boat slips or docks and the like. The removable
sections 16 are constructed by positioning a pair of spaced apart
expansion joint strips or separation strips 11' edgewise on the
inclined bank 6 and the bottom of recess 7, with the lower ends of
the strips spaced upwardly from the bottom of the canal. Concrete
is then poured onto the inclined canal bank 6 up to the level of
the lower ends of the expansion strips 11' and is made
substantially smooth and level between the expansion strips 11'
with suitable hand tools or the like. A sheet of plastic material
or the like 17 is then placed over the concrete between the
expansion strips 11' to form a separating means between concrete
poured between the strips 11' above the plastic sheet 17 and the
concrete poured below the plastic sheet. Concrete is poured onto
the inclined canal bank 6 and into the recess 7 in the space
defined between the expansion strips 11' and the plastic sheet 17
to form a removable section 16. The stones or other aggregate in
the concrete press into the plastic separating sheet to form a
roughened surface which mechanically interlocks the concrete above
and below the sheet, respectively, against relative slipping
movement therebetween. When it is intended that the removable
section is to be removed for the later construction of a boat slip,
the sheet 17 of plastic material, and accordingly the lower end of
the movable section, are spaced a suitable distance below the water
line L. If, on the other hand, it is intended that a dock, such as
a cantilever design dock, is to be constructed upon removal of the
removable section, the plastic separating sheet and accordingly the
lower end of the removable section 16, are spaced a suitable
distance above the water line L as indicated at 17' in FIG. 2. When
the dock is constructed, the cantilever design is preferred since
it avoids outer support posts and the like and is aesthetically
more pleasing.
When it is desired to remove one of the sections 16, a crane or the
like is connected thereto and the removable section is pulled
upwardly along the inclined canal bank 6 as indicated in FIG. 4. A
boat slip or dock or the like may then be constructed easily and
economically in the space left between the expansion strips 11'.
This results in a substantial savings over prior art boat slip
constructions, wherein the boat slip is formed at the time of
constructing the canal and comprises a recess in the bank of the
canal lined with concrete. Such prior art boat slips often double
the cost of a canal bank retaining wall along an adjacent home
site.
Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, a modified form of expansion joint
17 is illustrated. In this form of the invention, the inclined wall
12 and horizontal extension 13 are constructed identically to the
wall illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, except that an expansion joint
18 extends all the way from the top of the retaining wall to the
bottom of the canal and is intended to be used in colder climates
wherein the temperature change is sufficient to cause expansion and
contraction of the concrete below the water line of the canal. The
expansion joint 18 comprises a pair of generally trough shaped
forms 19 and 20 having a generally U-shaped cross sectional
configuration and pivotally joined together at adjacent ends
thereof by means of pivot pins 21 and 22 so that the angular
relationship between the portions 19 and 20 may be accommodated to
canal banks having different angles of inclination. A
longitudinally extending retaining rib 23 is formed in the opposite
walls of the portions 19 and 20 for anchoring the form in place in
the concrete as the concrete is poured therearound. The trough or
forms 19 and 20 are then filled with a mixture of cement and
vermiculite, which forms the compression material for the expansion
joint.
If desired, the removable sections 16 may extend all the way to the
bottom of the canal between a spaced pair of expansion joints 18,
although the removable sections are preferably identical to those
previously described.
Accordingly, the inclined, concrete retaining walls for canal banks
comprising the present invention are not only substantially more
economical and easier to make than prior art canal bank retaining
walls, costing only approximately one-third as much as prior art
walls, they are stronger, more durable, and ecologically better
than prior art walls.
As this invention may be embodied in several forms without
departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, the
present embodiment is therefore illustrative and not restrictive,
since the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims
rather than by the description preceding them, and all changes that
fall within the metes and bounds of the claims or that form their
functional as well as conjointly cooperative equivalents, are
therefore intended to be embraced by those claims.
* * * * *