Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6821058
-
Patent Number
6,821,058
-
Date Filed
Tuesday, June 24, 200321 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, November 23, 200419 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
- Shackelford; Heather
- Saldano; Lisa M.
Agents
- Popovich, Wiles & O'Connell, P.A.
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 405 284
- 405 286
- 405 262
- 405 16
- 405 17
- 052 606
- 052 604
- 052 607
- 052 609
- 052 611
- 052 605
- 052 608
- 403 237
- 403 238
- 403 240
- 403 241
- 403 286
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A retaining wall system and connector therefor. The system can be used with soil reinforcement material. The connector can function to hold the reinforcement material in place in addition to interlocking the blocks together.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a retaining wall block system. The system also includes a connector that is used to interlock blocks together and/or with soil reinforcement materials, such as a geogrid.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In recent years, segmental concrete retaining wall units which are dry stacked (i.e., built without the use of mortar) have become a widely accepted product for the construction of retaining walls. Examples of such products are described in U.S. Pat. No. Re. 34,314 (Forsberg '314) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,294,216 (Sievert). Such products have gained popularity because they are mass produced, and thus relatively inexpensive. They are structurally sound, easy and relatively inexpensive to install, and couple the durability of concrete with the attractiveness of various architectural finishes.
The retaining wall system described in Forsberg '314 has been particularly successful because of its use of a block design that includes, among other design elements, a unique pinning system that interlocks and aligns the retaining wall units, allowing structural strength and efficient rates of installation. This system has also shown considerable advantages in the construction of larger walls when combined with the use of geogrid tie-backs hooked over the pins, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,914,876 (Forsberg).
The construction of modular concrete retaining walls as described in Forsberg involves several steps. First, a leveling pad of dense base material or unreinforced concrete is placed, compacted and leveled. Second, the initial course of blocks is placed and leveled. Two pins are placed in each block into the pin holes. Third, core fill material, such as crushed rock, is placed in the cores of the blocks and spaces between the blocks to encourage drainage and add mass to the wall structure. Fourth, succeeding courses of the blocks are placed in a “running bond” pattern such that each block is centered over the two blocks below it. This is done by placing the blocks so that the receiving cavities of the bottom of the block fit over the pins that have been placed in the units in the course below. As each course is placed, pins are placed in the blocks, the blocks are corefilled with drainage rock, and the area behind the course is backfilled and compacted until the wall reaches the desired height.
If wall height or loading conditions require it, the wall structure may be constructed using reinforced earth techniques such as geogrid reinforcement, geosynthetic reinforcement, or the use of inextensible materials such as steel mesh or mat. The use of geogrids are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,914,876 (Forsberg). After placement of a course of blocks to the desired height, the geogrid material is placed so that the pins in the block penetrate the apertures of the geogrid. The geogrid is then laid back into the area behind the wall and put under tension by pulling back and staking the geogrid. Backfill is placed and compacted over the geogrid, and the construction sequence continues as described above until another layer of geogrid is called for in the planned design. The use of core fill in the blocks is known to enhance the wall system's resistance to pull out of the geogrid from the wall blocks.
Though the pinning system described above can aid in producing a structurally sound wall, there is a desire to provide a block that is as lightweight as possible, relatively inexpensive and easy to produce. In addition it is desirable to have a block that connects well to geogrid reinforcement particularly in the upper section of a retaining wall where the normal load on the connection of the geogrid to the block is limited.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention is a retaining wall block and system that includes connectors used to align an upper course of blocks over a lower course. The block and connectors can be used with soil reinforcement materials.
In one aspect, this invention is a wall block connection system comprising a plurality of wall blocks, each wall block having a top surface, a bottom surface opposed to the top surface, first and second opposing side surfaces, a front face, and a rear face, the front and rear faces, top and bottom surfaces and side surfaces defining a block body, the block body including a head portion including the front face, a rear portion including the rear face, and first and second neck portions defining a core between the head and rear portions adjacent the rear portion, the head portion having at least one cavity defining a first web portion between the cavity and the first side surface and a second web portion between the cavity and the second side surface and a plurality of channel shaped connectors, each connector having first and second side segments connected by a bridge segment, the bridge segment having a pin element extending therefrom and being sized such that during construction of a wall, the first and second side segments straddle a web portion of the block. Each block may further comprise a partition dividing the cavity into first and second cavities. The cross-sectional shape of the pin element may be circular.
In another aspect, this invention is a retaining wall having at least a first lower course of blocks and a second upper course of blocks comprising the wall block and plurality of channel shaped connectors described above wherein the bridge segment is accommodated within the recessed region of the web portion so that the pin element extends upwardly into a cavity of a block in the upper course to thereby stabilize the relative positions of the blocks in the upper and lower courses.
In a third aspect, this invention is a method of making a retaining wall having at least a first lower course of wall blocks and a second upper course of wall blocks comprising the wall blocks and channel connectors described above, placing the wall blocks to form the first lower course of blocks, positioning the connectors on the blocks in the first course such that the first and second side segments of each connector straddle the first and second web portions and the bridge portion is accommodated within the recessed region of the first and second web portions and the pin element extends upwardly, and placing wall blocks over the first course of blocks to form the second course of wall blocks, the second course of blocks being positioned such that the cavity of each block in the second course of blocks receives an upwardly extending pin element.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIGS. 1A and 1B
are perspective and top views, respectively, of one embodiment of the retaining wall block of this invention.
FIGS. 2A and 2B
are perspective and top views, respectively, of another embodiment of the retaining wall block of this invention.
FIGS. 3A and 3B
are perspective and top views, respectively, of another embodiment of the retaining wall block of this invention.
FIGS. 4A and 4B
are front and back perspective views of another embodiment of the retaining wall block of this invention.
FIGS. 5A and 5B
are top and bottom views, respectively, of the block shown in
FIGS. 4A and 4B
.
FIG. 6A
is across-sectional view along line a—a of FIG.
5
A and
FIG. 6B
is a cross-sectional view along line b—b of FIG.
6
A.
FIG. 7
is a side view of the block of FIG.
4
A.
FIG. 8
is a perspective view of another embodiment of the retaining wall block of this invention.
FIG. 9A
is a top view of another embodiment of the retaining wall block of this invention;
FIG. 9B
is a side view of the block of
FIG. 9A
shown as manufactured with a companion block;
FIG. 9C
is a side view of the block, and
FIG. 9D
is a side view of the block with a connector in place.
FIGS. 10A and 10B
are alternate views of the connector of this invention.
FIG. 11
is a partial perspective view of a wall in a running bond pattern constructed from the blocks of FIG.
4
A.
FIG. 12
is a top view of a curvilinear row of the blocks of FIG.
4
A.
FIG. 13
is a partial perspective view of a wall of the blocks of
FIG. 9A
with connector and geosynthetic fabric in place.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In this application, “upper” and “lower” refer to the placement of the block in a retaining wall. The lower surface faces down, that is, it is placed such that it faces the ground. In forming a retaining wall, one row of blocks is laid down, forming a course. A second course is laid on top of the first course by positioning the lower surface of one block on the upper surface of another block.
The blocks of this invention are made of a rugged, weather resistant material, such as concrete. Other suitable materials include plastic, reinforced fibers, wood, metal and stone. In the blocks of this invention, the front face is substantially parallel to the rear face of the block. The blocks of this invention are provided with a core and one or more cavities that serve to decrease the weight of the block. The core and cavities provide for ease of construction of a retaining wall. In a preferred embodiment, the top surface of the block is provided with a recessed area. This recessed area can receive the transverse bar of a geogrid. Since this transverse bar may be thicker than the rest of the geogrid, the next course of blocks will be level. In addition, this recessed area, in conjunction with one or more cavities, is configured to receive a connector that can be used with a geogrid.
Turning now to the figures, several embodiments of the block of this invention will be described.
FIG. 1A
illustrates block
100
a
in front perspective view and
FIG. 1B
shows a top view. Block
100
a
has parallel top surface
102
a
and bottom surface
103
a
(not shown), front face
104
a
, rear face
105
and first and second side wall surfaces
106
a
and
107
a
. Front face
104
a
and rear face
105
each extend from top surface
102
a
to bottom surface
103
a
and side wall surfaces
106
a
,
107
a
each extend from top surface
102
a
to bottom surface
103
a
and from front face
104
a
to rear face
105
. Block
100
a
comprises body
110
which includes front portion
108
a
and back portion
109
. Neck portions
122
and
124
connect front portion
108
a
and back portion
109
. Front portion
108
a
includes at least one front cavity. In the preferred embodiments described herein, the front cavity is two separate cavities. In block
100
a,
cavities
118
and
119
are separated by partition
117
. Partition
117
is optional, however, it provides structural stability and strength to the block. It is not required that cavities
118
and
119
extend the thickness of the block, however, it is typically preferred because of manufacturing constraints. For example, cavities
118
and
119
could be pockets or deep depressions, extending partway through the block, rather than passageways through the block. Preferably, however, the dimensions of cavities
118
and
119
are maximized so that the weight of the block is minimized. Webs
114
and
115
extend between the front cavity and side surfaces
106
a
and
107
a
, respectively.
Neck portions
122
and
124
are positioned laterally along the width of the block such that their lateral center point is spaced one-quarter of the width of the block away from the widest point of the block. This spacing allows the neck portions of each block to align with the neck portions of blocks above and below the block when a wall is built in a running bond pattern as illustrated in
FIG. 11
, which facilitates the passage of core fill materials such as crushed stone into the wall structure during construction, and effectively supports the vertical loads of the wall structure.
Block body
110
is provided with core
113
. The block is not required to have a core, however, because the presence of a core reduces the weight of the block, a core is highly desirable. In addition, preferably the size of core
113
is maximized. A large core reduces the block's weight as much as possible and increases the blocks' connection strength to geogrids when the core is filled with core fill material (typically crushed rock). Side wall surfaces
106
a
and
107
a
extend from rear face
105
to front face
104
a
and are of a compound shape. The compound shape results in side voids
111
and
112
. Such side voids are desirable in reducing the weight of the block and because they can be used to add to the stability of a wall, as described further below.
An embodiment similar to block
100
a
is block
100
b
, shown in
FIGS. 2A
and
2
B. Identical elements have the same numbers for these two blocks. Front portion
108
b
differs from
108
a
in that there are beveled corners
140
. Thus face
104
b
is smaller than face
104
a
. Block
100
b
also is shown with connector
700
in place.
In addition, saddle-shaped connector
700
is shown on blocks
100
a
and
100
b
in
FIGS. 1A and 2A
, respectively. This connector is described further below.
Another embodiment of the block of this invention is illustrated in
FIGS. 3A and 3B
wherein block
200
is shown in perspective and plan views, respectively. Block
200
is similar to block
100
a
, except that neck portions
214
and
215
have recessed areas
214
a
and
215
a
, respectively, configured to receive saddled-shaped connector
700
. Connector
700
is shown in position on block
200
in FIG,
3
A. Block
200
comprises body
210
which includes front portion
208
, back portion
209
together with neck portions
222
and
224
connect front portion
208
and back portion
209
. Partition
217
separates the front cavity into separate cavities
218
and
219
. Webs
214
and
215
extend between the front cavity and side surfaces
206
and
207
, respectively.
Block
200
has parallel top surface
202
and bottom surface
203
, front face
204
, rear face
205
and first and second side wall surfaces
206
and
207
. Front face
204
and rear face
205
each extend from top surface
202
to bottom surface
203
and side wall surfaces
206
,
207
each extend from top surface
202
to bottom surface
203
and from front face
204
to rear face
205
. Neck portions
222
and
224
are positioned laterally along the width of the block such that their lateral center point is spaced one-quarter of the width of the block away from the widest point of the block. Front face
204
forms part of head or front portion
208
, while rear face
205
forms part of back portion
209
. The block body
210
is provided with core
213
. Side wall surfaces
206
and
207
extend from rear face
205
to front face
204
and are of a compound shape, having side voids
211
and
212
.
Block
300
a
is shown in
FIGS. 4
to
7
.
FIGS. 4A and 4B
are front and back perspective views and
FIGS. 5A and 5B
show top and bottom views, respectively. Block
300
a
has parallel top surface
302
and bottom surface
303
, front face
304
a
, rear face
305
and first and second side wall surfaces
306
and
307
. Front face
304
a
and rear face
305
each extend from top surface
302
to bottom surface
303
and side wall surfaces
306
,
307
each extend from top surface
302
to bottom surface
303
and from front face
304
a
to rear face
305
. As most easily seen in side view in
FIGS. 6 and 7
, top surface
302
has recessed area
320
extending between the side wall surfaces. Recessed area
320
can receive the transverse bar of a geogrid, as discussed below.
Block
300
a
comprises a body
310
which includes front portion
308
and back portion
309
. Neck portions
322
and
324
connect front portion
308
and back portion
309
. Partition
317
separates the front cavity into separate cavities
318
and
319
. Partition
317
is optional, however, it provides structural stability and strength to the block. It is not required that cavities
318
and
319
extend the thickness of the block, however, it is typically preferred because of manufacturing constraints. Webs
314
and
315
extend between the front cavity and the side surfaces
306
and
307
, respectively. Webs
314
and
315
and partition
317
together form recessed region
320
, that is, recessed relative to top surface
302
. The recessed region can be seen in cross section in, for example,
FIGS. 5
,
6
, and
7
.
In addition, front face
304
a
is provided with a desired pattern, design, or texture. For example, a roughened surface, such as the appearance of natural stone, is a desirable appearance.
Neck portions
322
and
324
are positioned laterally along the width of the block such that their lateral center point is spaced one-quarter of the width of the block away from the widest point of the block. This spacing allows the neck portions of each block to align with the neck portions of blocks above and below the block when a wall is built in a running bond pattern as illustrated in
FIG. 11
, which facilitates the passage of core fill materials such as crushed stone into the wall structure during construction, and effectively supports the vertical loads of the wall structure.
Front face
304
forms part of head or front portion
308
, while rear face
305
forms part of back portion
309
. The block body
310
is provided with core
313
. The block is not required to have a core, however, because the presence of a core reduces the weight of the block, a core is highly desirable. In addition, preferably the size of core
313
is maximized. A large core reduces the block's weight as much as possible and increases the blocks' connection strength to geogrids when the core is filled with core fill material (typically crushed rock). Side wall surfaces
306
and
307
extend from rear face
305
to front face
304
and are of a compound shape. The compound shape results in side voids
311
and
312
. Such side voids are desirable in reducing the weight of the block and because they can be used to add to the stability of a wall, as described further below.
FIG. 6A
is a cross-sectional view along line a—a of FIG.
5
A and shows that core
313
passes from the top to the bottom of the block. Recessed area
320
is shown and discussed further below.
FIG. 6B
is a cross-sectional view of block
300
a
along line b—b of FIG.
5
A. Cavity
318
is shown extending from the top to the bottom of the block.
FIG. 5B
shows the bottom view of block
300
a
. The bottom surface
303
of block
300
a
is substantially in one plane.
FIG. 5B
illustrates that the core
313
and cavities
318
and
319
pass through the block. During manufacture of the blocks, it is typical to taper the core and cavities for ease of stripping the block from the mold. That is, for example, the core is slightly larger at the top of the block than at the bottom.
An alternate embodiment of the block is shown in FIG.
8
. Block
300
b
is substantially similar to block
300
a
except that front face
4
b
has edges
340
b
that are beveled or chamfered to provide an attractive appearance. In addition, front face
304
b
preferably is provided with a desired pattern, design, or texture. For example, a roughened surface, such as the appearance of natural stone, is a desirable appearance. The block, when made from concrete, preferably has a split or fractured front face appearance. There are several well known manufacturing techniques to accomplish this appearance.
Another embodiment of the block of this invention is illustrated in
FIGS. 9A
to
9
D. The top view of block
400
is shown in FIG.
9
A. Block
400
comprises body
410
which includes front portion
408
and back portion
409
. Neck portions
422
and
424
connect front portion
408
and back portion
409
. Webs
414
and
415
extend between the front cavity and side surfaces
406
and
407
, respectively.
Block
400
has parallel top surface
402
and bottom surface
403
, front face
404
, rear face
405
and first and second side wall surfaces
406
and
407
. Front face
404
and rear face
405
each extend from top surface
402
to bottom surface
403
and side wall surfaces
406
,
407
each extend from top surface
402
to bottom surface
403
and from front face
404
to rear face
405
. Neck portions
422
and
424
are positioned laterally along the width of the block such that their lateral center point is spaced one-quarter of the width of the block away from the widest point of the block. Front face
404
forms part of head or front portion
408
, while rear face
405
forms part of back portion
409
. The block body
410
is provided with core
413
. A Side wall surfaces
406
and
407
extend from rear face
405
to front face
404
and are of a compound shape, having side voids
411
and
412
.
Top surface
462
has recessed area
420
. This recessed area is larger than the recessed area as shown in blocks
300
a
or
300
b
, as it includes partition
417
and extends between cavities
418
and
419
and the front portion
408
of the block. Neck portions
422
and
424
connect front portion
408
and back portion
409
. Webs
414
and
415
extend between the front cavity and side surfaces
406
and
407
and are provided with indentations
414
a
and
415
a
, respectively. That is, indentations
414
a
and
415
a
are recessed even deeper in the block than is recess
420
. Saddle connectors
700
fit in these indentations.
The front face of the block preferably has the appearance of natural stone. One way to achieve this is to manufacture the block to have a split front face by forming two blocks together, as illustrated in a side view in FIG.
9
B. Here, blocks B
1
and B
2
are formed in a mold and split along line L to form two identical blocks.
Though the blocks illustrated in the Figures may have various dimensions, typical dimensions of this block are about 16 to 18 inches (40.6 to 45.7 cm) wide (i.e., the width of the front face), 12 inches (30.5 cm) deep (i.e., from front face to back face), and 6 to 8 inches (15.2 cm to 20.3 cm) thick (i.e., from top to bottom surface).
FIGS. 4
to
7
illustrate block
300
a
and show recessed region
320
to be about 1.37 inches (3.5 cm) wide and about 0.19 to about 0.25 inches (0.5 to 0.63 cm) deep. This region can have any desired dimension, but it has been found that this width and depth is a suitable size to receive a connector. Blocks of the present design typically will be lighter in weight per front face area than prior art blocks. A block of the present design that is 18 inches (45.7 cm) wide and 8 inches (20.3 cm) thick should weigh approximately 72 pounds (32.7 kg), and a block of 18 inches (45.7 cm) wide and 6 inches (15.2 cm) thick should weigh approximately 55 pounds (25 kg).
FIGS. 10A and 10B
are perspective views of different embodiments of the saddle connector of this invention. Saddle connectors are used to interlock blocks in an upper course with blocks in the next lower course. Two different embodiments of saddle connectors are shown in
FIGS. 10A and 10B
. The placement of connectors on the blocks and their use in construction of a wall are described further below. The saddle connector illustrated in these figures is about 2 inches (5 cm) wide and fits over webs (e.g.,
114
and
115
). As illustrated in the Figures, the connector may be used with blocks having no recesses; however, a recessed area to accommodate the connector is preferred. Block
200
has recesses
214
a
and
215
a
designed to fit this connector. Most preferred are blocks having recessed areas such as
414
a
and
415
a
in block
400
.
The connector is about 1.5 inches (3.81 cm) deep, though any desired dimension could be used, as long as the connector fits over webs (e.g.,
114
and
115
). The connector is about {fraction (3/16)} inch (i.e., 0.187 in, 0.48 cm) thick. Connector
700
typically comprises rigid polymeric material such as polyvinyl chloride or polyethylene copolymer. It also may comprise fiberglass, steel, aluminum, or other suitable materials. Connector
700
may be formed by extruding or casting a suitable material into the desired shape. Typically, connectors of the present design are less expensive to produce than alternative, prior art connectors.
Connector
700
a
includes a channel-shaped saddle portion
702
a
and a substantially cylindrical pin element
704
a
. The pin element defines a longitudinal axis. Saddle portion
702
a
comprises support segments
705
a
and
707
a
joined by bridge segment
709
a
. The connector fits over and rests on the surface of a web (i.e.,
314
and
315
of block
300
or
414
and
415
of block
400
). The length and/or bias of the support segments should be sufficient to hold the connector on a web. Connector
700
b
in
FIG. 10B
is similar to connector
700
a
except that the shape of the pin element
704
b
is different. Saddle portion
702
b
comprises support segments
705
b
and
707
b
joined by bridge segment
709
b
. In cross section, pin element
704
a
has the shape of a circle and pin element
704
b
has the shape of an oval. Any cross-sectional shape of pin element could be used, as long as it serves to connect blocks in adjacent courses together and to attach geogrid to a wall. Also, though the pin element of
FIGS. 10A and 10B
is centered on bridge segment
709
a
/
709
b
, the pin element could be at any location on the bridge segment.
FIG. 11
illustrates the wall
950
constructed of blocks
300
a
. The blocks are arranged in a running bond pattern wherein the shape of side voids
311
and
312
of two adjacent blocks in one course coincides with the shape of core
313
in a block in a lower course. In this way, the side voids vertically align with the cores. Also, webs
314
and
315
rest on webs of the blocks on a lower course, and neck portions
322
and
324
rest on neck portions of the blocks in a lower course, thus transferring loads evenly through the wall structure. This overlap provides continuous cavities in the wall which extends through successive courses of blocks, improving the ease with. These continuous cavities can be filled with core fill material such as crushed rock to encourage drainage and add stabilizing mass to the wall. Continuous cavities also allow for the placement of guardrail posts or fences at the top of a wall, or for the reinforcement of the wall with rebar and concrete grout.
The blocks of this invention are designed such that free standing, straight, or curved walls can be formed.
FIG. 12
is a top view of a curvilinear or serpentine row
952
of blocks
300
a
and illustrates how the shape of the block permits construction of various curves while maintaining a smooth front face of the wall. The curved walls may have both convex and concave curves, as shown in the figure.
During construction of a wall, the blocks illustrated above can be used with reinforcement materials, such as geosynthetic fabrics or relatively more rigid geogrids.
Various reinforcement materials are known in the art, and they may be inextensible, such as steel mesh, or extensible geosynthetic materials, such as mats and oriented polymeric materials. Geosynthetics are relatively flexible. Such includes rectilinear polymer constructions characterized by large (e.g., 1 inch (2.5 cm) or greater) openings. In these open structure geosynthetics, polymeric strands are woven or “welded” (by means of adhesives and/or heat) together in a grid. Polymers used for making relatively flexible geosynthetics include polyester fibers. The polyester typically is coated with a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or a latex topcoat. The coating may contain carbon black for ultraviolet (UV) stabilization. Some open structure geosynthetics comprise polyester yarn for the warp fibers and polypropylene as the fill fibers. Another flexible reinforcing geosynthetic material is fabric, i.e., woven constructions without large openings. These fabrics typically comprise polymers and are referred to as geofabrics. The geofabric can be laid between courses of blocks in a wall, and typically is tied into the wall and held there. When blocks are configured to have pin connectors, for example, a hole or slit is formed in the geofabric at the construction site and the geofabric is held on the blocks by fitting it over the pins.
FIG. 13
shows a cut-away view of wall
960
showing geosynthetic fabric
965
laid over connectors
700
a
in position in recesses
414
a
and
415
a
of block
400
. In this case, the connectors not only help secure the geosynthetic fabric, but they also add to the stability of the wall, since the pin elements on the lower course extend into cavities
418
and
419
on the upper course. Geosynthetic fabric
965
extends behind the retaining wall so that it can tie into the earth behind the wall, thus increasing the structural strength of the wall.
Geofabrics, such as shown in
FIG. 13
, are generally more flexible than materials formed from flat polymeric sheets of high density polyethylene (HDPE). These relatively rigid geogrids are commercially available under the trade designation “TENSAR”. Holes are formed in the HDPE sheets and then the sheet is drawn or pulled to orient the polymer and increase the modulus. HDPE geogrids are not readily compatible with many prior art wall systems because HDPE geogrids have a relatively thick transverse bar, which will cause the next layer of blocks to be out of level, unless shimming or other means are utilized to compensate for this tendency. The present invention allows the use of HDPE geogrids without shimming because the transverse bar of the geogrid is laid into the recessed areas of adjacent blocks. A connector can then placed over the geogrid, connecting it to the block. The geogrid will then lie flat and the blocks in an upper course will remain level.
Succeeding courses of block are then placed above the reinforcement material. Enhancing the connection strength of the reinforcement material to the block is particularly desirable where the reinforcement material is placed close to the top of a wall. Here the confining pressure of the blocks above the reinforcement material is reduced. In a preferred method of forming a wall with the blocks of this invention, connectors
700
are used (with or without reinforcement material) only in the upper section of a wall to provide optimal connection strength. They are not necessary lower in the wall where there is a higher load on the block resulting in higher connection strength.
Blocks of this invention are typically manufactured of concrete and cast in a high-speed masonry block machine. For example, cavities
418
and
419
and core
413
of block
400
all are formed using mold core elements. For ease in manufacturing, these blocks typically are made with the top surface facing up. In this way the recessed area can be easily formed by a stripper shoe head of the mold. An advantage of the present design is that it requires a relatively simple mold. In addition, because the present design does not require the formation of pin receiving holes, it is easier to produce since pin receiving holes need to be kept clear of aggregates and concrete crumbs. Typically, blocks are formed as mirror image pairs joined at front face
404
which are then subsequently split using a block splitter, as known in the art, to provide a rough appearing front surface on the split blocks. The front face may be treated further to chamfer the edges or to give it any other desired appearance. Alternatively, other methods may be utilized to form a variety of front face surface appearances. Such methods are well known in the art.
Although particular embodiments have been disclosed herein in detail, this has been done for purposes of illustration only, and is not intended to be limiting with respect to the scope of the appended claims, which follow. In particular, it is contemplated by the inventor that various substitutions, alterations, and modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims. For instance, the choice of materials or variations in the shape or angles at which some of the surfaces intersect are believed to be a matter of routine for a person of ordinary skill in the art with knowledge of the embodiments disclosed herein.
Claims
- 1. A wall block connection system comprising:a plurality of wall blocks, each wall block having a top surface, a bottom surface opposed to the top surface, first and second opposing side surfaces, a front face, and a rear face, the front and rear faces, top and bottom surfaces and side surfaces defining a block body, the block body including a head portion including the front face, a rear portion including the rear face, and first and second neck portions defining a core between the head and rear portions adjacent the rear portion, the head portion having at least one cavity defining a first web portion between the cavity and the first side surface and a second web portion between the cavity and the second side surface; and a plurality of channel shaped connectors, each connector having first and second side segments connected by a bridge segment, the bridge segment having a pin element extending therefrom and being sized such that during construction of a wall, the first and second side segments straddle a web portion of the wall block.
- 2. The connection system of claim 1 wherein each wall block further comprises a partition dividing the cavity into first and second cavities.
- 3. The connection system of claim 1 wherein the pin element defines a longitudinal axis and wherein a cross-section through the pin element perpendicular to the longitudinal axis is circular.
- 4. A retaining wall having at least a first lower course of blocks and a second upper course of blocks, the retaining wall comprising:a plurality of wall blocks, each wall block having a top surface, a bottom surface opposed to the top surface, first and second opposing side surfaces, a front face, and a rear face, the front and rear faces, top and bottom surfaces and side surfaces defining a block body, the block body including a head portion including the front face, a rear portion including the rear face, and first and second neck portions defining a core between the head and rear portions adjacent the rear portion, the head portion having at least one cavity defining a first web portion between the cavity and the first side surface and a second web portion between the cavity and the second side surface; and a plurality of channel shaped connectors, each connector having first and second side segments connected by a bridge segment, the bridge segment having a pin element extending therefrom and being sized such that the first and second side segments straddle a web portion of a wall block in the lower course of wall blocks when the bridge segment is accommodated within a recessed region of the web portion so that the pin element extends upwardly into a cavity of a wall block in the upper course to thereby stabilize the relative positions of the wall blocks in the upper and lower courses.
- 5. The retaining wall of claim 4 wherein each wall block further comprises a partition dividing the cavity into first and second cavities.
- 6. The retaining wall of claim 4 wherein the pin element defines a longitudinal axis and wherein a cross-section through the pin element perpendicular to the longitudinal axis is circular.
- 7. A method of making a retaining wall having at least a first lower course of wall blocks and a second upper course of wall blocks comprising:a plurality of wall blocks, each wall block having a top surface, a bottom surface opposed to the top surface, first and second opposing side surfaces, a front face, and a rear face, the front and rear faces, top and bottom surfaces and side surfaces defining a block body, the block body including a head portion including the front face, a rear portion including the rear face, and first and second neck portions defining a core between the head and rear portions adjacent the rear portion, the head portion having at least one cavity defining a first web portion between the cavity and the first side surface and a second web portion between the cavity and the second side surface; providing a plurality of channel shaped connectors, each connector having first and second side segments connected by a bridge segment, the bridge segment having a pin element extending therefrom; placing the wall blocks to form the first lower course of wall blocks; positioning the connectors on the wall blocks in the first course such that the first and second side segments of each connector straddle the first and second web portions and the bridge portion is accommodated within a recessed region of the first and second web portions and the pin element extends upwardly; and placing the wall blocks over the first course of wall blocks to form the second course of wall blocks, the second course of wall blocks being positioned such that the cavity of each wall block in the second course of wall blocks receives an upwardly extending pin element.
US Referenced Citations (7)