Retaining Wall Support Beams with Soil-Based Mortar Stiffness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for constructing retaining walls using soil-based mortar lack a defined strength value for transverse loads, leading to overdesign of support beams, which increases material and labor costs without ensuring the required target wall stiffness.
Innovation Solution
The support beams are arranged such that their overall beam stiffness is less than the required target wall stiffness, with an additional stiffness component contributed by the adjacent soil-based mortar, eliminating the need for additional reinforcement elements and optimizing beam design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If support beams are arranged to provide the required target wall stiffness alone (without considering soil-based mortar contribution), then the retaining wall meets the required stiffness, but material and labor costs increase due to overdesign
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the structural function of support beams with the contributing stiffness of adjacent soil-based mortar wall sections. By combining these two elements into a composite structural system, the design recognizes that the total stiffness comes from both the beams and the mortar sections they support, rather than relying solely on the beams.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the design parameter from considering only beam stiffness to considering the combined stiffness of beams plus adjacent mortar wall sections. This parameter change allows for optimized beam sizing and spacing, reducing material quantity while maintaining the required target wall stiffness.
2Reliability
If support beams are arranged to provide the required target wall stiffness alone, then the retaining wall meets the required stiffness, but labor costs increase due to additional positioning work
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the structural contribution of soil-based mortar sections with the support beams, the invention reduces the number of beams required and simplifies their arrangement. This reduces the time and labor needed for positioning beams while still achieving the required target wall stiffness.
3Reliability
If additional reinforcement elements are added to ensure wall stiffness, then the required stiffness is met, but device complexity and construction costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the stiffness contribution from the soil-based mortar sections and incorporates it into the structural design model. This eliminates the need for additional reinforcement elements beyond the necessary support beams, as the mortar sections themselves provide the required stiffness contribution.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces material and labor costs while ensuring the required wall stiffness, enhancing safety and profitability by leveraging the inherent strength of the soil-based mortar.
Implementation Method 1
a soil-based mortar, which is produced in the ground by mixing soil material and a cement suspension
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for designing and forming a retaining wall in the ground having a required target wall stiffness made of a soil-based mortar, which is produced in the ground by mixing soil material and a cement suspension, and vertically aligned support beams, which are positioned in the soil-based mortar and arranged therein, wherein the arrangement of the support beams is laid-out to have an overall beam stiffness. According to the invention, it is provided that the support beams are arranged such that the laid-out overall beam stiffness is less than the required target wall stiffness, and that, when laying-out and arranging the support beams, an additional stiffness component is added that results from at least one adjacent wall section made of soil-based mortar.