Anchored Walled System with Rotational Interconnecting Structure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional retaining wall systems face challenges in adapting to nonlinear soil contours, providing sufficient support without weakening the wall segments, and requiring expensive and cumbersome molds for customization, while existing anchor systems are difficult to install and interfere with block contact.
Innovation Solution
The improved retaining wall system comprises wall segments with earthen anchors and a layered support structure, along with a rotational interconnecting structure that allows for contoured alignment and vertical load distribution, enabling better adaptation to soil contours and aesthetic customization without the need for multiple molds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If metal rods or spikes are used to anchor wall segments, then vertical support is provided, but the metal components corrode and break over time causing wall failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces durable but problematic metal anchors with inexpensive plastic anchors that are driven into the ground at an angle. These plastic anchors are designed to be replaced periodically if needed, eliminating the corrosion and breakage issues associated with metal while providing sufficient holding power through their angled installation and interaction with surrounding soil.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite plastic anchors instead of pure metal, combining the benefits of non-corrosive material with structural integrity. The plastic anchors work in conjunction with the masonry blocks and soil to create a composite anchoring system that distributes loads and prevents the failure modes seen with metal-only systems.
2Strength
If geogrid sheets are used to reinforce the wall, then support is provided, but they cause unnecessary voids and interfere with block contact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the geogrid sheet layer from the wall construction system entirely. Instead of inserting a separate reinforcement layer between blocks, the design relies on the interlocking geometry of the blocks themselves and the angled plastic anchors driven into the ground to provide reinforcement, thereby maintaining continuous block contact and eliminating voids.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the anchoring and reinforcement functions into the same component - the angled plastic anchors. These anchors serve both to secure individual blocks and to reinforce the overall wall structure, eliminating the need for separate geogrid sheets and maintaining uninterrupted block-to-block contact.
3Manufacturing precision
If traditional molds are used to create wall segments, then specific structures are formed, but customization requires expensive and numerous individual molds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs a universal block mold that can produce multiple wall segment configurations by adjusting the positioning of the plastic anchors during the pouring process. The same basic mold structure serves multiple customization needs through variations in anchor placement and orientation, eliminating the need for expensive custom molds for each design variation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces flexibility into the molding process by allowing the plastic anchors to be positioned dynamically at different locations and angles within the same mold cavity. This dynamic positioning capability enables a single mold to create various wall segment designs and contours without requiring physical reconfiguration of the mold itself.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides an improved retaining wall system comprising a plurality of wall segments, said system comprising at least one lower wall segment and one upper wall segment, each of said upper and lower wall segments have a top surface, a bottom surface, a rear face, and a fascia, said top surface and said bottom surface extending between said rear face and said fascia, an earthen anchor extending at least partially through each of said wall segments and from said rear face, said earthen anchor configured for extending at least a portion of said vertical load of said retaining wall rearwardly; an interstitial surface; and an interconnecting structure extending into said interstitial surface and between said upper segment and said lower segment.