Patent Application
20240360639
The present invention relates generally to the maintenance of retaining walls (wall, bulkhead, and the like) and, more particularly, to a novel seal wall system and method of installation.
Walls are commonly installed between bodies of water and earth to provide physical boundaries between the bodies of water and the earth and to support or retain the earth by resisting the pressure of the retained earth against the walls. Walls can be used to separate earth from various types of bodies of water of various sizes and depths. Walls can be constructed in various ways and of various materials. Typically, walls have a vertical span or height sufficient for an upper end of the wall to normally extend above the water with a lower end or toe portion of the wall embedded in the earthen floor to extend below the body of water. The distance that a wall extends above the water may vary depending on the height of the retained earth above the water and/or anticipated fluctuations in water level. The depth to which the embedded toe portion extends below the water into the earthen floor may vary in accordance with the vertical span of the wall, the height of the retained earth and/or the depth of the body of water to provide sufficient support for the wall to resist movement from the pressure of the retained earth against the wall. Accordingly, walls are usually designed for a particular depth body of water. The thickness of walls may vary depending on site-specific loads and other engineering parameters.
Over the years, there has existed the problem of land erosion caused by waterways such as rivers, streams, ponds, lakes, seas, and oceans. In order to limit and/or prevent land erosion adjacent these waterways, it is known to provide a series of wall panels that are laterally aligned, interconnected, and anchored into the ground so as to provide a barrier against a waterway. The wall panels may be subjected to enormous pressures and loads which, if forceful enough, may ultimately break the connection between adjacent wall panels. Consequently, the barrier may become less effective over time, and individual wall panels may have to be repaired or replaced. This may be expensive, and it may require the use of special heavy construction equipment. In light of the costs of repairing barriers made from wall panels, a need exists for wall panels that are better adapted to endure various pressures and loads.
Since the retained earth exerts greater pressure against walls than the pressure exerted against the walls by the water, walls are oftentimes damaged or destabilized during their lifetimes as evidenced, for example, by movement, displacement, shifting, cracking and/or misalignment of the walls. Sometimes walls are placed at risk for damage or instability due to a change in conditions occurring subsequent to installation of the walls. For instance, a body of water may be dredged and/or erosion of the earthen floor may occur subsequent to installation of a wall, resulting in a greater depth body of water and a lesser depth of penetration for the toe portion of the wall into the earthen floor. The lesser depth of penetration for the toe portion into the earthen floor may no longer be sufficient for the wall to support the pressure of the retained earth such that the wall is susceptible to damage or instability. In some cases, the height of the retained earth on the earth facing side of an existing wall may be increased, causing increased pressure of retained earth against the wall by which the wall may be damaged or destabilized. A type of damage known as “toe out” may occur in walls where the toe portion shifts or displaces outwardly in a direction away from the retained earth due to the toe portion being insufficiently embedded in the earthen floor. In addition to the pressures of retained earth, walls may be damaged or destabilized directly or indirectly due to other conditions including collisions or other impacts, corrosion, environmental factors, and age. Since removal and replacement of damaged and/or unstable walls involves significant cost and disruption, it is preferable to strengthen existing walls to repair and/or avoid damage or instability.
Walls are typically made from steel, wood, concrete, aluminum, fiberglass, or plastic. Each of these materials has disadvantages when used for a wall application. Steel is the most common material used for walls due to its inherent strength and long service life. Sometimes the steel wall material develops a patina that inhibits further corrosion of the steel material. However, the typical steel wall is subject to corrosion that is highly dependent on the environment in which the wall is placed. In marine environments, the rate of corrosion is related to the type of water to which the steel is exposed. Typically, fresh water is the least corrosive and salt water is the most corrosive, with contaminants and pollutants playing a major role in magnifying its corrosiveness.
Walls made from a plastic material are becoming more common for specific uses. Exterior-grade vinyl panels provide impervious barriers to salt water, sun damage, rot, rust, and marine borers. However, the plastic wall lacks the structural strength compared to a steel wall of like dimension. As a result, the plastic wall may sometimes be designated for installations requiring lower structural capacities as compared to steel. In addition, an anchored plastic wall will require additional anchors and walls as compared to a similarly sized steel wall counterpart. As a result, additional installation labor and materials are required for the anchored plastic wall.
The present invention provides for a solution to the problems and disadvantages of the prior apparatuses and methods. Through a novel wall panel and method of installation that is sustainable, reliable, and effective.
In a first embodiment, the present invention is a wall panel driver head comprising: a base plate, wherein the base plate is a length greater than a wall panel member, and a set of alignment members secured to the base plate and set a predetermined distance apart greater than the wall panel member, wherein the set of alignment members have a profile which is substantially the same as the wall panel member.
The present invention provides for a novel design of a wall retaining system comprised of a plurality of panels interconnected and a method of installation. The system is versatile in that it can be used for a variety of different environments, situations, and is compatible with various types of heavy construction equipment (e.g., cranes, excavators, ski steers, etc.) as well as a stand along system.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages of prior apparatus and methods for designing and installing walls. The system provides for an increased in installation efficiency, greater mobility for the installation, and a wall panel that is strong enough to withstand the weight of the ground while also allowing for easy installation and replacement of a wall panel or section.
The aforesaid objects are achieved individually and in combination, and it is not intended that the present invention be construed as requiring two or more of the objects to be combined unless expressly required by the claims attached hereto.
Some of the advantages of the present invention are that the wall panel or wall panel assemblies are made from inexpensive materials, easy to manufacture and transport, customizable for specific applications, have a simple and straight forward installation process, and can easily be replaced if one or more wall panels are broken or damages.
The present invention is directed to a wall or retaining panel that may protect against a bounding shore with its top preferably extending above ground level and its bottom preferably anchored down into the ground below the water bottom.
The wall panels 100 installation method is as follows. After the predetermined number of wall panels 100 are connected to one another, the locking plate 110 is used to secure the adjacent wall panels 100. This process is repeated for all other wall panels 100 which are secured together in the wall or portion of the wall which is installed. The section of the wall is then inserted into the ground and driven into the ground using the drive head 200 and the heavy machinery 300 to be secured in place at the desired depth. If the wall is installed in sections, the adjacent section is installed where the female or male connector is aligned with the installed section and the adjacent section is installed by locking the connector with the already installed section. This process is repeated until the wall is complete. If a panel or panels need to be removed, the panel and its adjacent panel with the locking plate is removed and replaced. Reducing the need to remove larger portions of the wall that are still intact.
The wall panel 100 is shown have an upper end and a lower end. The profile of the wall panel 100 is described in
Shown in the depicted embodiment, the locking plate 110 is used to secure two or more wall panels 100 together based on the size of the locking plate 110. The locking plate 110 is secured in place by the pins 103 of the two wall panels 100. With the wall panels 100 secured through the connectors integrated into each wall panel 100 and the locking plate 110, the wall has increased structure rigidity and strength. With the locking plate 110 installed distal to the lower end of the wall panels 100, the locking plate 110 provides the additional strength at the portion of the wall which has the highest/largest forces acting upon the wall panels. As shown in the depicted embodiment, the locking plates 110 secure two adjacent wall panels 100.
The wall panels 100, in the depicted embodiment are a single piece of material. This may be made from plastic, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene, polypropylene, or other similar, suitable, or conventional materials, carbon fiber, steel, aluminum or the like which is able to withstand the forces exerted by the land and water as well as the force exerted on them by the drive head 200. In some embodiments, a substrate may be inserted into the material 101 to reinforce the wall panel 100. The wall panels 100, in the depicted embodiment, have three panels that are at predetermined angles. The length of these panels, the angle between the panels are adjustable based on the intended use and application of the wall panels 100.
The locking plate 110 is comprised of a single piece of material. This may be made from plastic, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene, polypropylene, or other similar, suitable, or conventional materials, carbon fiber, steel, aluminum or the like which is able to withstand the forces exerted by the land and water. In some embodiments, the locking plate 110 may have a substrate may be inserted into the material to reinforce the locking plate 110. The locking plate 110 has a layout similar to that of the wall panels 100, so that the locking plate 110 is substantially similar to the contour of the wall panels 100 and sits flush against the surface of the wall panels 100 when installed. The locking plate 110 has openings which fit over pins 103 to secure the locking plates 110 in place. The size of the locking plate 110 is designed to extend across two wall panels 100 without interfering with the female and male connector portions of the wall panels 100. This allows the locking plates 110 to provide the maximum amount of additional strength to the wall panels 100 without leaving areas or sections of the wall panels 100 that are without the support.
The wall panel 100 and the locking plate 110 of the present invention may be made from a variety of materials. Metallic material such as steel, aluminum, or other similar or suitable metals, or plastic material such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene, polypropylene, or other similar, suitable, or conventional materials. The material preferably prevents and/or withstands heat, cold, pressure exerted by the water, pressure exerted by the land, corrosion, and sunlight. The material preferably makes the wall panel 100 and the locking plate 110 of the present invention relatively lightweight, easy to install, and easy to repair or replace, while being strong and durable.
The wall panel 100 and the locking plate 110 may be made from any material that has more bending strength or rigidity than the material used to make the wall panel 100 and the locking plate 110. In other words, a piece of the material used for the wall panel 100 and the locking plate 110 has a higher bending strength or rigidity than a comparable size piece of the material used for the wall panel 100 and the locking plate 110. Fiberglass is one example of a material that may be used as wall panel 100 and the locking plate 110 in the present invention. Other examples of materials that may be used as the wall panel 100 and the locking plate 110 include, but are not limited to, wood, wood composites, plastic composites (such as, but not limited to, inorganic-filled plastic composites and cellulosic-filled plastic composites), plastics, glass, concrete, other types building or construction materials, and any other similar or suitable material that has a higher bending strength or rigidity than the material used for the wall panel 100 and the locking plate 110.
A plastic or plastic composite wall panel 100 and the locking plate 110 may be made using conventional manufacturing techniques. For instance, a flexible plastic composite (with or without inorganic or cellulosic fillers) may have a higher bending strength than the material used to make the wall panel 100 and the locking plate 110. One embodiment of a flexible plastic composite is a composition comprised of at least one cellulosic filler and a plastic substance. The plastic substance may be comprised of a thermoplastic elastomer and/or a melt-processible rubber. Alternatively, the plastic substance may be comprised of a non-thermoplastic elastomer, e.g., an elastomer that includes a thermosetting material. Examples of a thermoplastic elastomer include, but are not limited to, flexible PVC, polyolefin elastomers, thermoplastic olefins, thermoplastic urethanes, thermoplastic rubbers, and other similar, suitable, or conventional elastomer materials.
The plastic substance of the flexible plastic composition may optionally include other ingredients. In one exemplary embodiment, the plastic substance further includes at least one stabilizer, at least one lubricant, and at least one process aid. An example of a process aid is a fatty acid such as stearic acid and other similar, suitable, or conventional acids.
Although some exemplary plastic composites are set forth above, other plastic composites may also be used in the present invention.
Based on the material, the drive head 200 may be a unitary piece, or may be assembled through welding of the alignment members 202 and 203 onto the base plate 201. In some embodiments, the alignment members are removable or can be adjusted on the drive head 200 through a securement means. The alignment members 202 and 203 are designed to have a contour which is substantially similar to that of the wall panels 100. In some embodiments, the drive head 200 may have a length of a predetermined number of wall panels 100 and thus the alignment members 202 and 203 match that contour. The alignment members 202 and 203 are advantageous to allow the drive head 200 to be easily set on the wall panels 100, remain in place while the installation process of occurring, and provide adequate surface area for the machinery 300 to drive the wall panels 100 into the ground without causing any damage to the wall panels 100 by applying an uneven load or by allowing the drive head 200 to move or shift during the installation. The alignment members 202 and 203 in the depicted embodiment, have substantially similar contours, but can in other embodiments have differing contours. The alignment members 202 and 203 are spaced a distance apart based on the thickness of the wall panels 100, and provide adequate space for the wall panels 100 to fit between the alignment members 202 and 203, but not to great of a space that the drive head 200 would be unstable while in place. The contour of the wall panels 100 also provides an advantage here, as the depicted contour of the wall panels 100 provides an increase in stability of the drive head 200 when placed on the wall panels 100.
The base plate 201 is sized to be large enough for the machine head 302 to easily interact with. The alignment members 202 and 203 are also positioned on the base plate 201 so that the base plate 201 is positioned to evenly distribute the force of the machine head 302 during the installation.
Inasmuch as the present invention is subject to many variations, modifications and changes in detail, it is intended that all subject matter discussed above or shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative only and not be taken in a limiting sense.
Inasmuch as the present invention is subject to many variations, modifications and changes in detail, it is intended that all subject matter discussed above or shown in the accompanying images be interpreted as illustrative only and not be taken in a limiting sense.
While this invention has been described in conjunction with the specific embodiments outlined above, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the preferred embodiments of the invention, as set forth above, are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.
