This disclosure relates to a reinforced concrete seawall, or wall, made in sections with three circumferentially spaced wall sections radially outwardly extending from a hub.
Seawalls are used to control erosion of the land adjacent bodies of water by breaking up waves that would otherwise wash away soil and infrastructure. A sectional seawall is disclosed in applicant's prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,725. This application is directed to improvements in sectional seawall s.
Seawalls must be durable to withstand the wave action for an extended period of time. Seawalls must also prevent leakage between the sections that can erode soil behind the seawall and weaken the seawall.
Forms are constructed to form the seawall, or wall, sections by assembling rebar inside the form before pouring concrete into the forms. After curing the concrete, the forms are disassembled and cleaned for reuse. The heavy seawall, or wall, sections are difficult to move and the forms must remain in place until the cast section is substantially cured. The forms are generally assembled with conventional concrete form walls and fasteners in a time-consuming assembly process.
The method of making the seawall sections disclosed in my prior patent included joining a plurality of V-shaped reinforcing bars that are welded together with longitudinally extending reinforcing bars. The V-shaped bars include a longer leg and a shorter leg. The shorter leg is joined at the terminal end of the shorter leg to an intermediate location on the longer leg. The terminal end of the longer bar is fixed to a longitudinally extending reinforcing bar. The V-shaped reinforcing bars are also welded to longitudinally extending bars within the hub and are also welded at a mid-portion of the legs. While the prior method produced an effective seawall, or wall, a more efficient method of producing a more durable seawall, or wall, is desired.
Extreme weather conditions are occurring with greater frequency such as tropical storms and hurricanes. Seawalls may be impacted by such conditions and need to be stronger and more durable.
This disclosure is directed to solving the above problems and other problems as summarized below.
According to one aspect of this disclosure a seawall section, or wall, is disclosed that comprises a central hub having an axis extending in a longitudinal direction. Circumferentially spaced walls extending radially from the central hub, each of the walls being made of cast concrete reinforced with a rebar cage having a plurality of longitudinally spaced pairs of parallel rebars extending radially from the central hub to an end rebar that extends perpendicularly relative to the parallel rebars, wherein each of the end rebars are connected to radially outer ends of one of the pairs of parallel rebars. A plurality of longitudinally spaced rings are disposed about the central hub, with a first set of the rings attached to the rebar cage and a second set of the rings attached to a plurality of ring supporting rebars that extend the longitudinal direction.
According to other aspects of this disclosure, the rebar cage may include longitudinally extending rebars connected to the end rebars. The end rebars are connected at the outer ends of the parallel rebars. The end rebars are welded to the longitudinally extending rebars.
The rebar cage may include intermediate rebars connected to the parallel rebars between and spaced from the central hub and the end rebars. The parallel rebars may be connected to each other within the central hub by a hub rebar web encircling the axis of the central hub.
A connector may be provided that has two ends that are tapered from a central portion having a diameter D that is larger than the outer ends of the connector having a dimeter less than the diameter D, wherein two adjacent seawall sections define tapered openings adapted to receive half of the connector.
At least three of the spaced pairs of the parallel rebars are longitudinally spaced from each other to reinforce the cast concrete at longitudinally spaced locations.
The connector may have two ends that are tapered to be reduced in diameter relative to a central portion of the connector, wherein the seawall section defines two tapered openings are provided on opposite ends of the seawall section that are each adapted to receive half of one of the connectors.
A pipe may be aligned with the axis and disposed within a central opening defined by the hub and extending in a longitudinal direction.
According to another aspect of this disclosure, seawall is disclosed that comprises a plurality of seawall sections, each of the seawall sections including central hub having an axis extending in a longitudinal direction. Three circumferentially spaced walls extend radially from the central hub that are made of cast concrete reinforced with a rebar cage having a plurality of longitudinally spaced parallel rebars extending radially from the central hub. A pipe is aligned with the axis and disposed with in a central opening defined by the hub that extends in a longitudinal direction, wherein the rebar cage includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced rings encircling the pipe. A plurality of connectors are attached on opposite ends to two adjacent seawall sections. A cable extends along the axis through the connectors and the central hubs of the seawall sections.
The rings may include a first set of rings attached to the rebar cage and a second set of rings attached to longitudinally extending rebars, wherein the second set of rings are nested inside the first set of rings.
A gasket formed of an elastic material may be provided between adjacent seawall sections to prevent leakage between the adjacent sections. The gasket includes a hub section and wall joining sections to form a seal between adjacent seawall section walls.
According to another aspect of this disclosure, a form for manufacturing a seawall section, or wall, is disclosed. The form includes a base including a planar plate that defines a plurality of holes. A plurality of V-shaped walls are attached at a lower end of the walls to the base with the walls being joined together to define a hub-forming space. A plurality of end walls are each secured to the radially outer ends of two adjacent V-shaped walls with a plurality of releasable fasteners. A top plate is attached to a top end of the V-shaped walls. A first tube locating protrusion is provided on the base and a second tube locating protrusion is provided on a lower surface of the top plate. First and second tube locating protrusions are adapted to retain a pipe inside the hub forming space. A plurality of spacers is assembled between adjacent V-shaped walls in alignment with two openings defined by the adjacent V-shaped sidewalls. A plurality of fasteners each secure two of the V-shaped walls to one of the spacers.
According to other aspects of the form for manufacturing the seawall section, or wall, the base may further comprise a set of channels provided on the lower surface of the base that are adapted to receive forklift tines. The base may define access openings proximate each of the plurality of holes for providing access to the lower side of the base for fastening and unfastening the V-shaped walls to the base. The spacers may be tapered from a first end to a second end of the spacers to facilitate removing the spacers from the seawall section.
The releasable fasteners may include pivotable bolts that extend between the end walls and the V-shaped walls, wherein a nut assembled to each of the pivotable bolts secures the V-shaped walls to the end walls. The form may further comprise a rebar cage received within the V-shaped walls. The rebar cage may include a plurality of longitudinally spaced pairs of parallel rebars with each pair extending radially from the central hub to an end rebar that extends perpendicularly relative to the parallel rebars. The end rebars may be connected to radially outer ends of one of the pairs of parallel rebars.
Another aspect of this disclosure relates to a method of making a seawall section, or wall. The method comprises the steps of assembling a rebar cage and welding the rebar cage together. The rebar cage has a plurality of longitudinally spaced pairs of parallel rebars each pair extending radially from a central hub to an end rebar that extends perpendicularly relative to the parallel rebars. The end rebars are connected to radially outer ends of one of the pairs of parallel rebars. Placing the rebar cage on a base. Attaching a plurality of V-shaped walls to the base around the rebar cage. The V-shaped walls define spacer attachment openings. Inserting spacers between two adjacent V-shaped walls in alignment with the spacer attachment openings. Securing the spacers with fasteners to hold the V-shaped walls together. Assembling an end wall to two adjacent V-shaped walls and filling a casting space defined by the V-shaped walls, the end plates, and the spacers with a concrete mixture.
According to other aspects of the method of making a seawall section, the method may further comprise securing a pipe within the central hub to a first protrusion attached to the base and a second projection attached to a top plate.
The step of attaching the V-shaped walls may further comprise attaching one of the V-shaped walls to the base before placing the rebar cage on the base and attaching the other V-shaped walls to the base to enclose the rebar cage.
The step of inserting spacers between adjacent V-shaped walls may further comprise holding the spacers with an elongated member having at least one magnet at one end that magnetically retains one of the spacers between the V-shaped walls and in alignment with the spacer attachment openings.
The method of making a seawall section may further comprise curing the concrete mixture to form the seawall section, disassembling the V-shaped walls from the seawall section and the base, and removing the spacers from the seawall section.
The above aspects of this disclosure and other aspects will be described below with reference to the attached drawings.
The illustrated embodiments are disclosed with reference to the drawings. However, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are intended to be merely examples that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. The specific structural and functional details disclosed are not to be interpreted as limiting, but as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art how to practice the disclosed concepts.
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The end piece 42 and legs 40 are structured to reinforce the ends of the walls 12, 14, and 16 are interconnected to form a U-shaped end reinforcement of the rebar cage 38. The holes 26 closest to the distal ends of the walls 12, 14, and 16 are disposed radially inside the end pieces 42. The holes 26 receive the fasteners 28 that are used to secure adjacent seawall sections 10 together with the attachment plates 30 that are secured to opposite side of the top wall 12. The fasteners 28 and attachment plates 30 are radially inboard of the end pieces 42 and distal ends 44 of the parallel legs 40 of the rebar cage 38 assure that the ends of the concrete walls 12 are reinforced against forces applied to the seawall that would tend to separate the seawall sections 10.
The end pieces 42 include a longitudinally extending (when deployed as a seawall) end rebar 46 and several end links 48 that extend perpendicular to the end rebar 46. When the rebar cage 18 is set up for casting the concrete, the end rebar 46 extends vertically through the form and the end links 48 extend in the horizontal direction. Two to five sets of parallel legs 40 may be stacked and spaced from each other in the vertical direction in the form before casting the concrete. It should be understood that the sets of parallel legs 40 are spaced horizontally when the seawall section 10 is set in place to form the seawall.
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Tapered spacers 66 are assembled to the form 50 with form bolts 68 and nuts 70 to hold the form side walls 52 together while the concrete is poured and cured.
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One method of making a seawall section 10 is disclosed that begins with the step of assembling a rebar cage 38 and welding the rebar cage together. The rebar cage 38 has a plurality of longitudinally spaced pairs of parallel legs 40 that radially from a central hub 20 to an end rebar 46 that extends perpendicularly relative to the parallel legs 40. The end rebars 46 are connected to distal ends 44 of one of the pairs of parallel legs 40. The rebar cage 38 is then placed on the base plate 72. A plurality of V-shaped form side walls 52 are attached to the base plate 72 around the rebar cage 38. The V-shaped form side walls 52 define spacer attachment openings 26. Spacers 66 are then inserted between two adjacent V-shaped form side walls 52 in alignment with the spacer attachment openings 26. The spacers 66 are then secured with fasteners 68, 70 that hold the V-shaped form side walls 52 together as the seawall section 10 is formed. An end form cap 58 is assembled to each of two adjacent V-shaped form side walls 52. A casting space is defined by the V-shaped form side walls, the end form cap 58, and the casting space is then filled with a concrete mixture.
In one variation of the method, a pipe 18 is secured within the central hub 20 to a first protrusion attached to the base and a second projection attached to a top plate.
In another variation of the method, a seawall section is made by attaching one of the V-shaped walls to the base before placing the rebar cage on the base, and thereafter attaching the other V-shaped walls to the base to enclose the rebar cage.
The method may further comprise holding the spacers with an elongated member having at least one magnet at one end that magnetically retains one of the spacers between the V-shaped walls in alignment with the spacer attachment openings that are then retained by fasteners inserted in the spacers.
The method is completed by curing the concrete mixture to form the seawall section, disassembling the V-shaped walls from the seawall section and the base, and removing the spacers from the seawall section.
The embodiments described above are specific examples that do not describe all possible forms of the disclosure. The features of the illustrated embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the disclosed concepts. The words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 17/443,664 filed Jul. 27, 2021, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,773,553 issued Oct. 3, 2023, which claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 63/057,198 filed Jul. 27, 2020, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference herein.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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4498805 | Weir | Feb 1985 | A |
4776725 | Brade | Oct 1988 | A |
5746036 | Angelette | May 1998 | A |
6669403 | Clark et al. | Dec 2003 | B2 |
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20080138155 | Kelley | Jun 2008 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20240026622 A1 | Jan 2024 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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63057198 | Jul 2020 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 17443664 | Jul 2021 | US |
Child | 18375322 | US |