Modular Retaining Wall Blocks with Interlocking Metal Anchors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing structures for retaining or protecting against falling rocks are not optimized, as they require complex and lengthy anchoring operations, have a large footprint, and inefficient kinetic energy dissipation, and are time-consuming to produce.
Innovation Solution
A structure comprising metal-reinforced blocks with upper and lower cavities connected by ducts, using blocking and connecting elements to form a resistant structure with a small footprint, allowing for efficient kinetic energy dissipation and quick setup.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional anchoring operations using bolts or guy wires are used, then the structure can be secured to the slope, but the operations are lengthy and complex, requiring holes to be drilled and filled with cement
Solution Approach 1:
The anchoring system is segmented into modular components: anchor elements with threaded portions that can be independently inserted into pre-drilled holes, allowing parallel installation and reducing overall anchoring time while maintaining secure attachment through distributed anchoring points
Solution Approach 2:
Holes are pre-drilled into the slope before installation, and anchor elements are pre-assembled with their threaded portions and nut portions, allowing for rapid installation without time-consuming on-site assembly or cement filling operations
2Reliability
If gravity structures formed by stacking blocks are used, then the structure can retain ground or stop movement of falling boulders, but they require a large ground area and offer limited dissipation of kinetic energy
Solution Approach 1:
The structure transitions from a two-dimensional stacked block arrangement to a three-dimensional configuration with interlocking anchor elements that extend vertically and horizontally, creating a more compact footprint while maintaining ground retention capability through volumetric distribution of mass and interlocking geometry
Solution Approach 2:
The structure combines block elements with metal anchor elements and reinforcement components to create a composite system that achieves superior ground retention and kinetic energy dissipation within a smaller ground area compared to traditional gravity structures
3Reliability
If gravity structures formed by stacking blocks are used, then the structure can retain ground, but they are time-consuming to construct
Solution Approach 1:
The structure is divided into modular block units with integrated anchor elements that can be independently manufactured and pre-assembled, allowing for parallel construction activities and significantly reducing overall construction time while maintaining ground retention reliability
Solution Approach 2:
Anchor elements and block units are pre-assembled and pre-positioned according to design specifications, allowing for rapid on-site assembly without time-consuming field measurements or adjustments, thereby increasing construction productivity
4Reliability
If traditional structures are used, then they can provide protection, but they do not protect workers during anchoring operations
Solution Approach 1:
Anchor elements are pre-assembled with all necessary components (threaded portions, nut portions, and associated hardware) before installation, allowing workers to simply insert pre-assembled units rather than performing complex assembly operations that expose them to falling materials and equipment
Data Source
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AI summary
The structure comprises a plurality of blocks (15) spread over several superimposed levels (N1, N2), each block having at least one upper cavity (70) and at least one lower cavity (55), each upper cavity being connected to a lower cavity of a same block by a duct (37) and a metallic frame comprising an assembly of blocking elements and an assembly of connecting elements (80). Each blocking element is received jointly in the upper cavity of a block and in a corresponding lower cavity of a block of the level immediately above to prevent a horizontal translation relative to such blocks, two blocking elements received in the upper and lower cavities of a same block, being simultaneously attached to a same connecting element in the duct and exerting a force on the two blocking elements in question tending to move the blocking elements closer together.