WO1996022427A1

WO1996022427A1 - Building elements for dry mounting variable-angle retaining walls

Info

Publication number: WO1996022427A1
Application number: PCT/FR1995/000051
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jacqueline Scagni
Original assignee: Jacqueline Scagni
Priority date: 1995-01-18
Filing date: 1995-01-18
Publication date: 1996-07-25
Also published as: PT804653E; ATE201911T1; AU1539495A; EP0804653A1; DE69521220D1; EP0804653B1; GR3036547T3; ES2159625T3; DE69521220T2

Abstract

A substantially box-shaped rectangular building element (1) for dry mounting retaining walls (2) and the like. The top surface of the element comprises at least two grooves (3), the bottom surface comprises at least one projection (4), and the side surfaces (5) are smooth and may be placed in abutment, whereby the front (6) and back surfaces of the building elements (1) are coplanar and both the projections (4) and the grooves (3) are mutually aligned so that some grooves (3) in the top surfaces of the elements (1) forming a lower row are engageable by some projections (4) on an adjacent upper row. The number of grooves (3) in the top surface is greater than the number of projections (4) on the bottom surface, so that the position of the projections (4) of one higher row of elements, relative to the grooves (3) of a lower row of elements, may be selected according to the desired angle of the retaining wall (2). Furthermore, each element comprises a lower space in which vegetation can develop. Said building element may be used to build retaining walls, pillar-reinforcing banks, etc.

Description

CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS FOR DRY MOUNTING VARIABLE TILT RETAINING WALLS

The present invention relates to building elements for dry mounting retaining walls. The elements have the overall shape of a rectangular parallelepiped and have means which allow a variable inclination of the retaining walls according to the thrust of the slope or the aesthetic effect that one wishes to obtain.

Among the state of the art, certain documents also propose construction elements whose overlap is variable in depth.

Thus document FR-A-2. 621. 629 relates to a device making it possible to block plugs therebetween to prevent their sliding between them in a horizontal row and between superimposed rows as well as to allow the possible installation of reinforcements. It consists of vertical grooves with a triangular profile on two or four lateral faces, triangular notches on all or part of the two or four upper and / or lower edges. These notches are also used to adjust the slope for the embankment; holes in the side walls for the possible passage of horizontal reinforcements. These three devices can be used in combination with one another or separately.

Document WO-91.14833 relates to construction elements intended to retain a mass of earth. In general, the building element comprises a front panel as well as a plurality of projecting arms. The front panel has front and rear walls, side walls, and top and bottom walls. The arms extend from the rear wall of the front panel and each arm has a wall upper, lower wall, rear wall as well as side walls. The upper and lower walls of these bra each have crenellated contacting configurations intended to facilitate stacking of at least part of the projecting bra of a building element, on at least part of the projecting arm of a other construction element and intended to prevent relative sliding movement between the construction elements. These construction elements can be used to construct a support wall and a soil reinforcement subsystem, which includes one or more free support construction elements and at least one grill structure positioned behind each of them. building elements.

The first cited document does not allow the lateral abutment of two neighboring construction elements in a coplanar manner. During a conventional abutment, there will be a shift between the upper notches of each of the adjacent elements, so that it will be impossible to place, above these two elements, another element.

The second document provides elements that do not have _^ of side faces that can be put side by side and in touch. Generally, this type of element allows an overlap between the elements with empty spaces filled by the supported slope.

The present invention provides building elements which can be brought into contact with each other laterally and whose different rows placed above are adjustable in depth, so that the inclination of the retaining wall is adjustable.

Document US-4. 860.505 proposes a building block capable of being positioned in the middle of other identical blocks, which comprises an essentially parallelepipedic body having front, rear, upper and lower faces, as well as two lateral faces. The lower face has several grooves, all of substantially identical shapes, parallel to the front face and extending over the entire width of said lower face, from one side to the other. These grooves are of constant section and spaced at regular distance from each other over this entire face. The upper face of the block comprises at least two tongues parallel to the grooves and of complementary shape, the tongues being able to be inserted in certain grooves.

The present invention proposes, unlike this document, much simpler construction elements since the number of grooves and tongues is much more reduced. A single tab is sufficient on the underside of the block, which allows for a maximum horizontal contact surface, and two grooves allow for at least two positions for adjusting the inclination of the wall. In addition, the presence on the upper face of a minimum of grooves makes it possible, at the level of a row of construction elements in the upper position not covered, to have a minimum of concavities of retention of water and detritus; it follows that the elements according to the invention better withstand contrasting climatic regions and have a longer service life. Finally, the revegetation of the blocks according to US-A-4,860,505 is not planned.

Document FR-A-2. 675. 835 has for its object an element the body of which is generally par 1 elepipedic, elongated along a longitudinal tudinal axis and having a length twice the length desired for construction. Median transverse precut grooves are provided on the two opposite main faces, which also include transverse positioning ribs. The fracture of the block in two parts produces irregular faces giving the appearance of the stone. The fracture is facilitated by the presence of certain transverse positio-π-πement ribs.

Although the number of tongues and grooves is reduced, the possibilities of adjustment by differential overlapping of the superimposed elements are zero. It is necessary to have a base whose inclination is adapted during its construction. To this end, a building element for dry mounting retaining walls or the like, of substantially rectangular rectangular shape, which comprises, on the upper face, at least two grooves, and on the lower face, at least one tongue, and whose side faces are smooth and can be butted, so that the front and rear faces of the construction elements are coplanar and that the tongues, as well as the grooves, are placed in the extension of each other, so that certain grooves upper faces of the elements forming a lower row allow the fitting of certain tabs of an upper and adjacent row, is characterized by the fact that the number of grooves on the upper face is greater than the number of tabs on the lower face, so that the position of the tabs d a row of elements, placed in the upper position relative to the grooves of a row of elements, placed in the lower position, can be chosen as a function of the inclination which it is desired to give or not to the retaining wall, and that each element comprises at least one downstream space which authorizes revegetation.

The tongues and the grooves have a cross section of semi-circular shape.

Each element is provided with at least one fracture zone so that, when the fracture has been effected, the new face of the element thus created has an aspect of exploded stone.

A fracture zone is present substantially parallel to the front and rear faces of the element and halfway between these two faces, so that each half-element is provided with at least one tongue and at least two grooves. 'A fracture zone is present substantially parallel to the front and rear faces of the element and near said ace avan.

The tongues and the grooves have a cross section of semi-circular shape.

The tongues and the grooves are parallel to each other and also to the front and rear faces of each element where they are installed.

At the level of the fracture zone, the element has a groove on its upper face and a groove on the lower face, which facilitates the fracture of the element.

The attached drawings are given as indicative and non-limiting examples. They represent a preferred embodiment according to the invention. They will allow the invention to be easily understood.

Figure 1 shows a building element in profile view.

FIG. 2 represents a front view along F of FIG. 1. Figure 3 shows the same element as in Figure 1, from the same angle but after the building element has been split in two according to a fracture zone.

Figure 4 shows a retaining wall, seen in perspective, which is constructed using the building elements.

FIG. 5 represents a retaining wall whose inclination is zero.

Figures 6, 7, 8 show retaining walls whose inclinations are increasing.

Finally, FIG. 9 represents a pillar produced using construction elements which have been previously fractured, as shown in FIG. 3.

The present invention relates to a building element 1 which allows dry mounting of retaining walls 2 or even pillars 12. No element of the prior art allows this dual use for the manufacture of walls and pillars.

This property is due to the fact that the ^elements' Building 1 are of substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. They are also characterized by the fact that they have an upper face and a lower face, each of these faces receiving grooves 3 and tongues 4 respectively. Conversely, the lateral faces 5 of the elements 1 are smooth and can be easily abutted to each other, which makes it possible to have front 6 and rear 7 faces of said construction elements 1 which are coplanar.

In this position, the tongues 4 of the elements 1 forming a row are placed in the extension of each other, this is also true for the grooves 3. This arrangement allows certain grooves 3 of the upper faces of the elements 1, forming a lower row to receive the tabs 4 of an upper and adjacent row of elements 1.

The number of grooves 3, carried by the upper face, is necessarily greater than the number of tongues 4 on the lower face, this in order to allow the tongues 4 to have a large number of positions inside the grooves 3 of the adjacent row of elements 1.

Without limitation, the number of grooves 3 is ten on each element 1 shown in the figures, while the number of tabs 4 is six.

The offset which may be brought between the lower row and the just upper row of the construction elements 1 will make it possible to have an inclination which will be adjustable as a function of the retaining wall that one wishes to obtain, or even of the force exerted by the slope on the retaining wall 2.

The construction elements 1 therefore necessarily have at least one tongue 4 and at least two grooves 3. This therefore makes it possible to have at least two possible combinations at the level of the wall.

Of course, a row may have a certain offset with respect to the underlying row while the row which is just above it will have a different offset. This may give an original aesthetic appearance to the wall 2.

Each element 1 is provided with two fracture zones 8 and 10, one 8 is located parallel to the front 6 and rear 7 faces of the element 1 and halfway between these two faces 6 and 7, the other 10 is present substantially parallel to the front 6 and rear 7 faces of the element 1, but near said front face 6.

Once the fracture has been made, the new face 9 or 16 of the element 1 thus created has the appearance of a broken stone. The front part of the construction element 1 can receive a space which makes it possible to revegetate the element 1. This downstream space is not shown in the figures.

As can be seen in Figures 1 and 3, the tongues 4 and the grooves 3 have a cross section in the form of a semicircle. These semi-circular shapes are compatible with the proper fitting of the tongues 4 into the grooves 3.

At the fracture zone 8 and in order to facilitate said fracture of the element 1, it has a groove 3 on its upper face, which is conventional, but also a groove 11 on the lower face, as is shown in Figures 1 and 3.

Without departing from the scope of the invention, it is obvious that the simple replacement of the tongues 4 by the grooves 3, in their position as well as their orientation, still falls under the coup of the present invention.

Similarly, the production of the pillar 12 shown in FIG. 9 can be the result of construction elements 1 which have been previously fractured along the fracture zone 8, which creates front construction elements 13 and rear ₁₄ . Nevertheless, it is obvious that complete elements ₁ can be used for the realization of such a pillar. Likewise, two stacks of juxtaposed elements 1, etc. can be used.

The top of the pillar 12 includes a cap 15 which protects the entire structure of said pillar 12.

REFERENCES

1. Construction elements

2. Retaining walls

3. Grooves on the upper face 4. Tabs on the lower face 5. Lateral faces

6. Front panels

7. Rear panels

8. Fracture zone in the middle position 9. Stone-like faces exploded in the front position

10.Front fracture area

11.Rainure of the underside

12.Pillar

13.Front construction element 14.Rear construction element

15.Pillar hat

16.Faces with a broken stone appearance in the middle position

Claims

1. Construction element (1) for dry mounting retaining walls (2) or the like, of substantially rectangular rectangular shape, which comprises on the upper face at least two grooves (3), and on the lower face at least one tongue (4), and the lateral faces (5) of which are smooth and can be abutted, so that the front (6) and rear faces

(7) construction elements (1) are coplanar and that the tongues (4), as well as the grooves (3), are placed in the extension of each other, so that certain grooves (3) of the upper faces of the elements (1) forming a lower row allow the interlocking of certain tabs (4) of an upper and adjacent row, characterized in that the number of grooves (3) on the upper face is greater than the number of tabs ( 4) of the lower face, so that the position of the tongues (4) of a row of elements, placed in the upper position relative to the grooves (3) of a row of elements placed in the lower position, can be chosen according to the inclination that we want to give or not to the retaining wall (2), and that it includes at least one downstream space which allows the revegetation.

2. Element according to claim 1, characterized in that the tongues (4) and the grooves (3) have a cross section of semi-circular shape.

3. Element provided with at least one fracture zone (8 and / or 10) so that when the fracture has been effected, the new face (9 or 16) of the element thus created has an aspect of exploded stone, according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that at the fracture zone (8), the element (1) has a groove (3) on its upper face and a groove (11) on the underside, which facilitates the fracture of the element (1).