Plastic Retaining Wall Support with Stone Stele Anchoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing retaining wall solutions, particularly those using natural stone, are costly, heavy, and labor-intensive due to the need for extensive anchoring and sinking, which increases financial and handling burdens.
Innovation Solution
A support device comprising a plastic foot section and holding section, designed in an L-shape, where the holding section is perpendicular to the foot section, allows for easy anchoring and backfilling, with fastening interfaces on the visible side for secure attachment of stone steles, reducing the need for extensive natural stone burial and handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If natural stone steles are used for retaining walls, then aesthetic integration into the landscape is improved, but weight and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The retaining wall system is divided into separate components: a lightweight plastic support structure (base section and upright section) and natural stone steles. The plastic support device handles the structural and anchoring functions, while the natural stone serves only as a visible cladding element, separating the functional requirements from the aesthetic requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
A plastic support device acts as an intermediary between the ground and the natural stone stele. This intermediary structure provides the necessary anchoring and support functions, allowing the natural stone to be used purely for aesthetic purposes without bearing structural loads, thus reducing the required stone weight and volume.
2Stability of the object's composition
If 30% of natural stone steles are sunk into the ground for anchoring, then stability is improved, but financial expenditure and handling difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The anchoring function is separated from the visible stone stele and transferred to a dedicated plastic base section. This base section is designed with anchoring features and can be installed independently using simple methods, while the stone stele remains a separate, easily handled cladding element that attaches to the upright section.
Solution Approach 2:
The plastic support device serves as an intermediary that provides stable anchoring to the ground through its base section, while presenting a simplified interface for attaching the natural stone stele. This mediator structure ensures stability without requiring the stone itself to be sunk into the ground.
3Strength
If extensive natural stone burial is used for anchoring, then anchoring strength is improved, but resource efficiency and cost-effectiveness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The anchoring function is assigned to a plastic base section that remains buried in the ground, while the expensive natural stone is used only for the visible above-ground portions. This segmentation allows the inexpensive plastic material to handle the anchoring requirements, preserving the valuable natural stone for aesthetic applications only.
Solution Approach 2:
The plastic support device replicates the structural and anchoring functions of traditional stone retaining walls without requiring the same amount of natural stone. The plastic base section and upright section provide the necessary mechanical strength and stability, allowing natural stone to be used as a decorative cladding rather than as the primary structural material.
Data Source
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AI summary
Support device 1 for a retaining wall, wherein the retaining wall comprises at least one stone stele 8 and forms a retaining wall for an embankment with a base section 3 and a support section 2, wherein the base section 3 and the support section 2 are arranged in an L-shape, wherein the base section 3 is designed as a foundation slab 14, wherein the support section 2 is designed as a flat surface and has an air side 6 and an earth side 5, wherein the support section 2 has at least one fastening interface 10 for a positive-locking, force-locking and/or material-locking connection of one of the stone steles 8 with the support device 1, wherein the stone stele 8 covers the air side 6 in a state connected to the support device 1, wherein the base section 3 and the support section 2 are made of a plastic.