JPH0536574B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention generally relates to structures such as retaining walls for installation in locations where the ground surface is significantly sloped. In particular, the present invention relates to a new and improved wall covering member whose surface can be covered with plants, a retaining wall structure using the same wall covering member, and a method for constructing the same.

Many years ago, new and improved land stabilization techniques using precast concrete cladding members to cover the exposed surfaces of gravity structures constructed with composite materials were developed and are being actively commercialized.
The composite material is reinforced by alternating layers of granular backfill material and layers of reinforcement applied to the wall covering member. The frictional action between the granular soil and the reinforcement stabilizes the composite structure, thereby creating a gravity wall. This prior art can be applied to retaining walls.
No. 3,421,326 (titled ``Construction''), issued on the same day to Henri Vidal, assignee of the present invention.

General land stabilization techniques have also been adopted for gravity walls with slopes. In this case, a wall covering element was formed which was arranged within the slope and had a surface parallel to the slope. These wall coverings have a smooth wall surface and are positioned within the wall by a pair of typically triangularly shaped gussets for supporting the wall in an inclined position. Slope walls using common land stabilization techniques and wall coverings used with the slope walls are disclosed in U.S. Pat.
No. 4125970 (named "Bulk Material Storage Facility").

Various types of wall coverings have been developed for this type of land stabilization technology. For example, a technique has been developed in which commercially available precast bridge members for cladding are installed in a connected manner and then connected to reinforcing members. Such wall covering members have a pair of continuous vertical webs projecting forwardly from the wall surface. An example of such a covering structure can be found, for example, in the second report of the International Conference on Land Reinforcement held in Paris on March 22, 1972.
Volume 447-448.

Friction-reinforced soil has also been used to create terraces within walls. An example of such a terrace is the retaining wall built at Vail Pass in Colorado. In these retaining walls, the wall covering member usually has a vertically extending cylindrical surface, and the surface is often concave. With various retaining walls, the terraces are installed in succession so that a continuous concrete surface appears.

The characteristics of the various technologies that have been used to date to create wall covering members used in land stabilization structures that utilize frictional force are as follows:
The point was to use a continuous concrete cover that is vertical or sloped at an angle with respect to the vertical. Such cladding structures are not suitable for use in environments where large exposed concrete surfaces are aesthetically inappropriate. Additionally, hard, flat walls are unsuitable for absorbing sound, which is reflected from the wall. In addition, in such a covered structure,
When used for blindfolds or barriers, it is undesirable as it is too conspicuous.

To date, there have been no reinforced earth structures capable of providing wall coverings capable of supporting plants planted to cover the land. In particular, no precast concrete components existed that were suitable for such wall coverings.

To date, there has been no method of constructing reinforced earth structures with wall coverings that have become covered with plants.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a new wall covering element which can be used for the construction of walls whose surfaces are completely covered by plants.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wall surface with vertical surfaces covered with plants.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a wall covering member that has sound absorbing properties or can be used in special environments where retaining walls made of concrete are inappropriate.

In this way, the method that has been desired but could not be realized has now been realized by using a wall formed of a wall covering member. The wall covering member includes an inclined surface extending into the wall itself and provides a generally horizontal ledge extending longitudinally of the wall. These shelf areas are very suitable for planting various plants. Plants may cover all or part of the wall surface, may grow to almost the same height as the wall surface, or may hang down beyond the wall surface.
To provide vertical support, each wall cladding member is provided with a buttress that projects forwardly from the wall cladding member but not beyond a vertical plane passing through the upper edge of the wall cladding member. has been done. In this type, the retaining wall can have a continuous horizontal row of wall covering members that can create the desired vertical or sloped surface.

In order to reduce the support pressure of the wall cladding member against the land below, the buttress wall should be formed so that it becomes wider toward the bottom to ensure a wider support area for supporting the wall cladding member. Is possible.

To increase the ability of the wall to support plants,
At the bottom of each row of wall covering members, a layer of topsoil can be placed along a horizontally extending area. This topsoil can also be piled up toward the covering surface of the wall covering member, if necessary.

In some cases, each wall sheathing member has a pair of ribs on its rear surface to prevent water on the rear surface of the wall sheathing members from seeping through the vertically extending connections between adjacent wall sheathing members. However, each rib can be formed to be disposed adjacent a vertical edge of the wall covering member. By arranging the wall covering members so that they are adjacent in the horizontal direction,
Typically, a U-shaped channel member covers the vertical connection between adjacent wall covering members.
It is arranged on a rib that projects from an adjacent wall covering member. In this case, surface water dripping down the rear surface of the wall sheathing is channeled into the granular backfill material by large channel members created between the ribs of each wall sheathing.

That is, according to the present invention, a wall covering member used on the surface of a retaining wall structure has a covering surface that makes an acute angle with a vertical plane passing through the front edge, an upper horizontal edge, a lower horizontal edge, and left and right vertical edges. a main body; and a buttress projecting forward from the covering surface between the covering surface and the vertical surface, the main body comprising:
A wall covering member is provided having a rearwardly projecting lug for connection to a reinforcement or tension member, and a pair of rearwardly projecting drainage ribs along said left and right vertical edges.

Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a wall covering member comprising a main body portion having a covering surface forming an acute angle with a vertical plane passing through a front edge, an upper horizontal edge, a lower horizontal edge, and left and right vertical edges, the thickness of which is a plurality of wall surface covering members that are larger in height and arranged in the horizontal direction and arranged in a plurality of steps in the vertical direction;
a plurality of reinforcing members having connecting devices connected to the wall covering member, the reinforcing members extending rearward from the wall covering member in a horizontal and layered manner; the embankment is stabilized by frictional contact with the reinforcing material, the embankment being stabilized by frictional contact with the reinforcement, wherein one row of the wall covering members extends from the upper horizontal edge of the horizontal row of wall covering members immediately below; having a rearwardly spaced lower horizontal edge to expose the mound between the upper horizontal edge and the lower horizontal edge to form a strip area planted with a plurality of vertically spaced plants; The wall covering member has a buttress protruding forward from the covering surface between the covering surface and the vertical surface, and a vertical connecting portion exists between two adjacent wall covering members. The main body portion has a lug that protrudes rearward from the rear surface and connects to the reinforcing member or tension member, and a pair of drainage ribs that protrudes rearward along the left and right vertical edges. and a retaining wall structure is provided, wherein the rib is in contact with the vertical connecting portion and extends over the entire height of the vertical connecting portion, and a channel member having a U-shaped cross section covers two adjacent ribs at the connecting portion. It will be done.

Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a wall covering member comprising a main body portion having a covering surface forming an acute angle with a vertical plane passing through a front edge, an upper horizontal edge, a lower horizontal edge, and left and right vertical edges, the thickness of which is a plurality of lower wall surface covering members that are larger in height than the lower wall surface covering members and are arranged horizontally and arranged in a plurality of steps in the vertical direction; a plurality of lower wall surface covering members having a connecting device that connects to the lower wall surface covering member; a reinforcing material extending horizontally and in layers rearward from the wall covering member;
and an embankment disposed behind the lower wall covering member between the reinforcing members, the embankment being stabilized by frictional contact with the reinforcing member, the row of the lower wall covering member comprising: By having a lower horizontal edge spaced rearward from the upper horizontal edge of the horizontal row of wall covering members immediately below, the embankment is exposed between the upper horizontal edge and the lower horizontal edge, and the embankment is exposed in the vertical direction. a plurality of spaced apart plants forming a strip area, the lower wall covering member having a buttress projecting forward from the covering surface between the covering surface and the vertical surface;
A vertical connecting portion is present between two adjacent lower wall covering members, and the main body portion has a lug projecting rearwardly from the rear surface and enabling connection to the reinforcement or tension member, and the left and right vertical connecting portions. a pair of drainage ribs projecting rearwardly along an edge, the ribs extending along the entire height of the vertical connecting portion in contact with the vertical connecting portion; The connecting portion covers the two adjacent ribs, and upper wall covering members having the same shape as the wall covering members are arranged horizontally above the lower wall covering member and the uppermost wall covering member. and a plurality of upper wall covering members arranged in a plurality of steps in the vertical direction, and one row of the upper wall covering members has a lower horizontal spaced apart rearwardly from the upper horizontal edge of the horizontal row of wall covering members directly below the row of upper wall covering members. The upper horizontal edge has an edge to expose the mound disposed between the upper horizontal edge and the lower horizontal edge to form a strip area in which a plurality of plants spaced apart in the vertical direction are planted, and the upper horizontal edge Behind the wall covering member, a horizontal row of rear wall covering members is arranged in a plurality of steps in the vertical direction in a back-to-back relationship with the upper wall covering member, and the upper wall covering member and the rear wall covering member are connected to the lug. A retaining wall structure is provided in which the retaining wall structure is interconnected by the tension member connected to the upper wall covering member and the rear wall covering member, and an embankment is disposed between the upper wall covering member and the rear wall covering member.

Further in accordance with the present invention, a method for constructing a retaining wall structure with an inclined surface without the use of a support structure includes a coating surface that forms an acute angle with a vertical plane passing through the front edge, an upper horizontal edge and a lower horizontal and a buttress projecting forwardly from the covering surface between the covering surface and the vertical surface, the main body part projecting rearwardly and having a reinforcement or tension member; installing a first horizontal row of wall covering members having lugs for interlocking and a pair of drainage ribs projecting rearwardly along the left and right vertical edges; closing the vertical connections existing between the wall covering members; placing a first fill behind the wall covering members of the first horizontal row up to the level of the lugs;
connecting a reinforcing member to the lug of the wall covering member so as to extend rearwardly from a rear surface of the wall covering member in the row; disposing a second fill at the rear of the wall covering member in the first horizontal row; the second embankment covers the reinforcing material and reaches the top of the first horizontal row of wall covering members;
from said first horizontal row of wall sheathing members over said second fill so as to provide an exposed swath of said second fill in cooperation with the upper horizontal edge of said horizontal row of wall sheathing members. installing a second horizontal row of wall covering members spaced apart from each other; closing a vertical connection existing between two adjacent wall covering members; placing a third fill up to lug height over the second fill at the rear; reinforcing the wall sheathing members so as to extend rearwardly from the rear face of the second horizontal row of wall sheathing members; connecting to the lugs of the second horizontal row; disposing a fourth mound on the third mound behind the wall covering members of the second horizontal row to cover the reinforcement material of the second horizontal row; reaching the top of the wall covering member and cooperating with the upper horizontal edge of the wall covering member of the second horizontal row to
arranging a next horizontal row of wall covering members spaced rearwardly from the second horizontal row of wall covering members over the fourth fill so as to obtain an exposed swath of fill; repeating the above steps in sequence until a wall covering member of the desired height is obtained; once a row of wall covering members of the desired height is obtained, placing a horizontal row of upper front wall covering members thereon; to close the vertical connecting portions of the adjacent wall covering members, and place the upper back on the embankment behind the horizontal row of the upper front wall covering members back to back with the horizontal row of the front wall covering members. horizontal rows of wall sheathing members are disposed to close the vertical connections of adjacent wall sheathing members, and tension members are connected to the lugs of the front and rear wall sheathing members; placing a new fill between horizontal rows of sheathing members; placing said new fill so as to cooperate with the upper horizontal edge of said superior front wall sheathing to provide an exposed swath of said newly placed fill; installing a horizontal row of next higher wall covering members spaced rearwardly from the upper horizontal edge of the upper front wall covering member on top of the embankment placed between the two adjacent wall covering members; occluding the existing vertical connections; spaced rearwardly from the upper edge of the upper rear wall covering over the newly placed fill so as to provide an exposed swath of the newly placed fill; closing the vertical connecting portions of the next upper rear wall covering members in the horizontal row; placing the tension members on the lugs of the next upper front and rear wall covering members; connect,
arranging a new mound between the next higher front and rear wall covering front materials; a row of the front wall covering front materials and the rear wall covering front materials having a desired height is obtained; constructing a retaining wall structure, comprising the steps of: repeating the above steps sequentially until the end; and planting plants in the strip area to cover the rows of the front wall covering section front material and the rear wall covering section front material with plants. A method is given.

The above objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the specification with reference to the drawings. Identical parts are provided with the same reference numerals in the drawings.

A retaining wall structure or wall 20 covered with plants (see FIG. 1) has a plurality of rows of wall covering members 22. Each row is usually connected horizontally and stacked vertically. The wall covering members 22 are typically arranged in vertical columns.

These wall covering members 22 may form a unique, normally horizontal shelf section at the bottom of each horizontal row;
The structure can be suitable for planting various plants 24. Preferably, the plants planted therein are
It is preferable to select one that will grow to approximately the same height as the wall covering member 22. Alternatively, plants may be selected that hang down beyond the wall covering member. In this case, plant 24
covers the concrete surface of the lower wall covering member 22, giving it a natural visual appearance. If necessary,
Evergreen plants may be selected so that the wall covering is covered all year round. Of course, even if the plants 24 do not completely cover the wall structure below, this is within the scope of the present invention.

A retaining wall coated in this manner provides a retaining wall with an aesthetically pleasing surface and is suitable for use in environments where it is undesirable to expose large areas of concrete surface. Furthermore, the plants on the surface, together with the form of the wall covering member 22, provide a soundproof wall that absorbs noise without reflecting it. This is achieved due to the slope of the wall covering member 22 and the sound absorbing properties of the plants. Also,
Plants can take root in the land behind the wall without any hindrance, promoting root growth and thereby stabilizing the land surface.

The wall (see Figure 2) creates a cliff that rises abruptly from the ground surface by the bottom 26 of the wall to the top 28. Rapid vertical elevation changes, such as those illustrated in FIG. 2, are useful and desirable when roads are required at elevated locations, or when soundproofing or blinding walls are required.

As previously mentioned, the wall 20 has a covering consisting of a plurality of horizontal rows of wall covering members 22. Each wall covering member 22 is connected to one or more reinforcements 30 extending rearwardly from the member 22 into the land located behind it. There are many suitable reinforcing materials, many examples of which are illustrated in, for example, US Pat. No. 3,421,326. Although stretched metal strips, metal grids, or the like are suitable as reinforcement in reinforced soils,
The present invention is not limited to these reinforcing materials.

The clod of soil immediately behind the wall covering member 22 is the reinforcement material 3
Preferably, it consists of a well-drained granular material extending deeply behind the wall by approximately the same length as 0. The presence of the reinforcing material 30 between the stabilizing soil clod layer 32 made of granular material stabilizes the granular material, that is, the embankment 32 by frictional force, and a gravitational force equal to the height of the wall 20 and the length of the reinforcing material 30 is generated. Define the structure.

At the top of the wall 20, a road 34 is built with a motor vehicle safety barrier 36. Many other structures formed on this top are also within the teachings of the present invention. For example, other civil engineering structures can be installed on top, which can be used for residential, architectural, recreational areas, etc.

The vertical connecting portions 40 between adjacent wall sheathing members 22 (see FIG. 1) prevent water from seeping from the inside of the wall sheathing members, microparticles of backing material leaking out, and contaminating the wall sheathing members. This can cause stains and cracks. Therefore, it is necessary to consider means to prevent this undesirable result.
Typically, as shown in FIG. 3, each wall covering member has a rib 42 projecting rearwardly from the covering surface 44 along a vertical connecting portion 40. As shown in FIG. Vertical connection part 40
Each of the pair of adjacent ribs is covered by a U-shaped channel member 46 that extends vertically along the length of the connecting portion 40 . The channel member 46 is arranged on the back side of the wall covering member 22. The channel members are made of plastic material to prevent deterioration of quality due to corrosion or decomposition caused by moisture in the ground. The channel members 46 are sized to cover both ribs 42 and allow ground water to penetrate downwardly along the rear surface 48 of each wall sheathing member 22.
Additionally, channel member 46 is sized with sufficient margin to accommodate small gaps between adjacent wall covering members and to accommodate misalignment between adjacent wall covering members.

Another example of a vertical connection is illustrated in FIG.
The wall sheathing members 23, 23' are identical to the wall sheathing member 22, except that there is no vertical rib adjacent to the connecting portion. A strip 31 covering the vertical connecting portion is a connecting portion that extends vertically to the wall covering member 2.
It extends along the back surface 48 of 3. This strip 31 may be made of rubber, plastic or metal and protrudes into the connecting portion as shown.

The details of the wall covering member 22 will be explained in detail below. Each wall covering member 22 includes a covering surface 44 (see FIG. 5), which is typically rectangular. Coated surface 4
4 and a rear surface 48, the wall covering member 22 having a height greater than its thickness constitutes the main body.
Although the coating surface 44 is shown to be rectangular in the drawings, many other shapes may be used to advantage. As an example, when using a curved wall covering member to obtain a curved wall surface, the shape of the covering surface 44 will be trapezoidal. Projecting forward from the covering surface 44 are a pair of buttresses 50 and 52. Buttress 5
0,52 slopes the covering surface 44 to support the wall covering member 22 in the vertical direction.

The center of each buttress 50,52 is spaced from an adjacent generally vertical edge 54,56 by a distance of approximately one-fourth the lateral length of the wall covering member 22. Accordingly, the centers of the buttresses 50, 52 are separated from the other buttress by approximately one-half the lateral length of the wall covering member 22. This spacing ensures that when the wall is completed, the buttresses 50, 52 of adjacent wall covering members 22 will typically
They will be spaced apart by a uniform distance (see Figure 1). This arrangement is one example of many arrangement examples regarding the spacing of the buttresses, and other arrangements such as random arrangement, asymmetrical arrangement, or alternating and regular arrangement are also possible. For example, each of the buttresses 50 and 52 can be arranged on both side edges of the wall covering member 22 (see FIG. 14), and in this case, the two adjacent wall covering members 22 A buttress looks like a single buttress. Additionally, wall coverings such as those used at the ends of walls may be spaced apart by a different distance than standard wall coverings.

In the embodiment of the wall covering shown in FIG. 6, the upper edge 58 of each buttress 50, 52 is preferably spaced vertically below the front edge 60. With the upper edge 58 arranged in this manner, each buttress 50,
52 will have approximately the same height as the layer of particulate backfill material located behind the wall covering member 22. In addition, in this arrangement, various wall covering members 2
It also produces a result that the appearance of the surface support that supports 2 becomes beautiful. The thickness of the buttresses 50, 52 in the illustrated embodiment increases downwardly from the upper edge 58 (see FIG. 6). An enlarged support surface 62 is therefore provided at the bottom of each buttress. This support surface 62 provides a vertical support that supports the wall covering member 22 in position within the wall structure.

Buttresses 50,5 remote from the covering surface 44
The ends of 2 were flattened. Alternatively, it is preferable to have a surface 67 whose apex is cut by a plane.
A surface 67 obtained by cutting this vertex with a plane (see Figure 8)
are generally parallel to the rear surface 48 of the wall covering member 22. With this arrangement, even if subsidence occurs between vertically adjacent wall sheathing members 22, the buttress 52 of the upper wall sheathing member 22 will exert contact pressure on the rear surface 48 of the lower wall sheathing member 22. It does not have a top that concentrates the . Any pressure on the lower wall sheathing 22 caused by settling is distributed over a considerably wider area by the presence of the plane-cut surface 67, thereby preventing the sheathing from breaking during settling. The chances are much less.

Various embodiments of the wall covering member 22 can be considered, two of which are shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. In FIG. 11, the buttress 52 has a front surface 53 which is generally perpendicular to the body of the wall covering and is curved in longitudinal section. In FIG. 12, the main body of the wall covering member 22 has a uniform thickness, but has ribs 65 extending horizontally. The rib 65 extends along the bottom edge of the wall covering member and is formed to project rearward and away from the rear surface 48.

A rear surface 48 (see FIG. 7) is provided with a protruding rib 42. Each rib 42 is disposed adjacent to and parallel to a corresponding vertical edge 54,56. Between these ribs 42, the rear surface 48 is
Forms a channel, usually U-shaped, that directs earth water that percolates downwards. The rear surface 48 of the wall covering member 22 is provided with a pair of lugs 64. Each lug is embedded in the concrete of wall sheathing member 22 and projects rearwardly from rear surface 48. The lug 64 is convenient for attaching a reinforcing material that uses frictional force to stabilize the granular soil placed behind the wall covering member.

These lugs 64 are just the buttresses 50, 52.
(See FIG. 6) are preferably arranged spaced apart across the width of the panel, typically in substantially the same arrangement as the panels (see FIG. 6) are arranged on the exposed surface of the wall covering member. 8th
This arrangement of the lugs 64, as shown, also allows the lugs to pass through the wall covering and into the corresponding buttresses 50, 52. In this format, the wall covering member 2
The thickness between the front surface 44 and the rear surface 48 of 2 can be selected without regard to the required pullout resistance of the lug 64. Because,
This is because the lug 64 is surrounded by the concrete portions of both the buttress 52 and the main body of the wall covering member 22.

The wall sheathing member is also preferably provided with a plurality of lifting points 66 on the rear surface 48 (see FIG. 7) for convenience in balancing the wall sheathing member 22 when lifting and positioning the member. is provided with four lifting points 66. These lifting points 66 are convenient for lifting the wall covering members from the casting mold and also for moving the members during storage. Typically, two lifting points are located next to each lug 64, one at the top of the lug 64 and one at the bottom of the lug 64. Each lifting point 66
has, for example, a head 70 embedded in the main body of the wall covering member 22 and projecting into a recess 72 provided in the rear surface 48 . metal stud 68
(See Figure 8). The provision of these lifting points 66 eliminates the need for special handling equipment when placing the wall covering member 22.

It should be noted that the front edge 74 of the buttress 52 should not protrude beyond a vertical plane 76 passing through the front edge 60 of the wall sheathing member 22, as shown in FIG. With this arrangement, the gradient of the wall covering between vertically adjacent wall covering parts 22 can be determined by the position of the front edge 60 of the wall covering parts 22. At the same time, during settlement, the front edge 74 of the buttress 52 does not engage the wall cladding below;
The wall covering member does not rotate around the horizontal axis passing through the wall covering member 22 in the vertical direction.

The slope of the wall cladding between vertically adjacent wall cladding members can be of various angles in practice. In some cases, the slope of vertically adjacent wall cladding members is
It may lie within the vertical plane 76 (see FIG. 4), or it may be set back an angle from the vertical plane (the angle being measured toward the plane 78 rather than the vertical plane 76). Additionally, the slope of the wall covering may vary between successive vertically adjacent wall coverings. In other words, different wall cladding gradients can exist within one structure.

A method of constructing a wall according to the present invention will be described below. The construction site is first excavated to the extent that the reinforcement 30 can be received behind the wall covering member (see FIG. 2). after that,
A horizontal foundation 78 is built. This foundation may be made of concrete or by leveling the ground by excavation. Wall covering member 22
are disposed on a foundation 78 extending laterally along the wall surface. Particulate material 32 is then placed behind the rows of wall covering members 22 and tamped. The particulate material 32 has a thickness from the bottom of the wall covering member to the lug 64. A layer of reinforcement material 30 is then placed on top of the layer of tamped granular material. Typically, these reinforcements consist of extended strips, usually of rectangular cross section.
Other suitable reinforcements include mats and lattices that can be connected to the wall covering member 22. Reference numbers with suffixes (','', a, b, etc.)
Indicates an element corresponding to that previously described in connection with the numeral. This suffix is added for convenience in distinguishing between different parts having the same reference number.

When the reinforcements are installed and each reinforcement is connected to the wall sheathing member 22, a second particulate material 32'' (see FIG. 4) of particulate material is placed behind the horizontal row of wall sheathing members 22. A second particulate material 32'' is placed on top of the layer of reinforcement and has a thickness from the lugs of the wall sheathing member 22 to the bottom edge of the wall sheathing member 22 located directly above it. Ru. In the vicinity of the wall covering elements 22, the surface of the second granular material 32'' is leveled so as to provide a base on which the next row of wall covering elements 22' is to be placed.

A second row of wall sheathing members 22' is then disposed and has a front edge 60 of the first wall sheathing member 22 and a front edge 60' of the wall sheathing member 22' relative to the first row. is positioned such that the completed wall covering lies within a plane 78 defining an angle of inclination in the rearward direction. It can be seen that the surface 78 of the wall covering member is inclined to the desired degree with respect to the vertical plane 76 (see FIG. 4). The front edges 60, 60' of the vertically adjacent wall covering members 22, 22' form a vertical surface 76.
It is also possible to make it exist within. This is necessary when creating cut vertical covering surfaces.

Arranging the second horizontal row 22' of wall covering elements results in a third granular material 3 consisting of granular material.
2' is placed at the rear of the wall cladding member 22' at a depth sufficient to normally reach the location of the lugs. After the third layer of granular material is compacted, the next reinforcement 30'
layer is placed on top of the particulate material 32' and connected to a lug projecting rearwardly from the wall covering member 22'.

This procedure consists of installing a row of wall covering elements, placing the granular material, tamping, arranging the layers of reinforcement, connecting them to the wall cladding, then placing the next layer of granular material and tamping. The procedure of compacting, leveling the area adjacent to the wall covering, and placing the next horizontal row of wall covering members is continued until the wall reaches the desired height.

Looking at FIG. 4, it can be seen that the inclined front surface 44' of the wall covering member 22' and the rear surface 48 of the wall covering member 22 are
On top of the tamped granular backfill material 32″
It can be seen that it defines a normally horizontal shelf section 80. Similarly, a pair of vertically adjacent wall covering members define a strip-shaped horizontal region 80 extending along the length of the wall. This strip is covered by topsoil 82, which is sloped as shown or leveled to the highest edge of the wall covering immediately below. By constructing a plurality of vertically spaced and laterally extending planting beds, plants 24 (see FIG. 1) can be planted with a high degree of certainty of growth and flourishing.

From FIG. 4 it can also be seen that the surface 84 on which the pre-coating surface 44 of the wall covering member lies is arranged so as to form an angle with the slope angle 78 of the wall covering member.
The angle between the inclined surface 78 of the wall cladding and the plane 84 of the front surface 44 of the wall cladding is: (a) the angle between the vertical plane 76 and the plane 78 of the wall cladding; (b) (i) 90°; , (ii) the vertical plane 76 and the plane 78 of the wall covering.
It is necessary to make it between the angle that is the sum of the angle between them. Preferably, front surface 84 should be positioned at about 30 degrees from vertical plane 76.

The angle between plane 76 and plane 78 is the vertical slope of the wall;
In other words, it serves as a guide for the vertical inclination. This vertical slope also has a great deal to do with the land price at the site where the wall will be built. In places where land prices are high, the slope is small (close to 0°). On the other hand, in areas where land prices are low, the slope is large (close to 90°). Generally, a smaller slope is advantageous in making use of the ground surface at the top of the wall.

There may also be cases where a relatively narrow wall structure is desired. For example, these are locations where soundproofing, blindfolding, or stabilizing walls are required (see Figure 9).
In the wall structure in such a case, the lower part 90 is
It can be constructed in the same way as described above. The upper part of the wall is built up along the first wall sheathing member by a normally horizontal row of wall sheathing members 22a parallel to but spaced apart at the rear. horizontal rows of opposite wall covering members 22b are arranged. Wall covering member 2 in the opposite row
2b is arranged with its front surface 44b facing outwardly and opposite the front surface 44a of member 22a. In such a structure, the overall height of the stacked wall covering members located at the rear is lower than the overall height of the stacked wall covering members located at the front.

In this arrangement, any suitable conventional tensioning member 92 may be connected to the lugs projecting from the rear surfaces of members 22a and 22b. Instead of using the reinforcement 30,
Wall covering members 22a, 22 facing in opposite directions
By using a layer of tension members 92 connected to b, a first wall covering is formed in the manner described above, and a second wall covering is similarly formed. In this latter embodiment, i.e. when using tension elements, the wall covering functions like a conventional retaining wall, without the friction stabilizing effect of the particulate material placed behind the wall.

In another embodiment (see FIG. 10), several rows of wall covering members are arranged in one or more horizontally extending rows between vertical portions of the wall arranged as described above. Terrace 94 has been built. The terrace 94 has a horizontal distance that typically exceeds the horizontal distance of vertically adjacent wall covering members. Other portions of the retaining wall provided with the terrace can be built sequentially upward from the terrace 94. As mentioned above, it is also possible to vary the angle of inclination between the wall covering members. The arrangement of the terraces can be thought of as a combination of horizontal rows with relatively small inclination angles, with large inclination angles interposed between them. Furthermore, it is also possible for the angle of inclination to be 0° so that there is a vertical wall covering.

Furthermore, it is also conceivable to plant plants on some shelves and not to plant on others. Furthermore, it is naturally possible to give the wall covering member a shape other than a rectangle.

In an application example in which the exposed wall covering member is high, the wall covering member 22 is arranged in a columnar manner so that the weight of the wall covering member 22 is directly applied to the lower wall covering member 22.
It is desirable that the structure be constructed in such a way that it is supported by For this purpose, the wall covering member 22 (15th
(see figure) may include a pair of support pads 100 projecting from rear surface 48. Each support pad 100
are typically arranged perpendicular to one of the corresponding buttresses 50,52. Additionally, each support pad 100 includes a support surface 102 that is generally parallel and vertically spaced from the support surface 62 of the corresponding buttress 50,52. support surface 10
2 extends rearward from the rear surface of the wall covering member by a distance sufficient to ensure a sufficient supporting area.

The support pad 100 includes an end surface 104 extending downwardly from the rearward end of the support surface 102 and generally parallel to the plane of the rear surface 48 . The bottom surface 106 is, for example, a wall covering member 2.
2 and generally perpendicular to the rear surface 48 of 2. The bottom surface 106 is typically spaced apart from the lugs 64 to which the reinforcement is attached.

Each pair of support pads 100 (see FIG. 17) are arranged vertically from the upper edge 60 of the rear surface 48 of the wall sheathing member 22 such that the vertical distance between the support surfaces 102 and 62 of the wall sheathing member are separated by a distance corresponding to the height of the backfill soil covered by the soil. The support pads 100 are preferably integrally molded with the wall covering member 22 and should be positioned so that the support surfaces 102 of each pad 100 are coplanar. In this case, the buttresses 50, 5 of vertically adjacent wall covering members
2 is placed on the support surface 102 of the support pad 100, the adjacent wall covering members 22 are held in a horizontal position.

As best seen in FIG. 15, the wall covering member 22 may include one or more drainage holes 108 extending between the front surface 44 and the rear surface 48. Although the cross-sectional shape of the drain hole 108 may be any shape, it has been found that a circular cross-section is appropriate. Drainage holes 108 are preferably arranged to capture water that is along the rear surface 48 of the wall covering member and above a collection lip 110 extending horizontally along the rear surface 48. Preferably, the drainage hole 108 should slope vertically downward from the collection edge 110 and open toward the front surface 44 of the wall sheathing member 22 (see FIG. 16).

Preferably, the drain holes 108 are evenly spaced from each other (see Figure 17). In order to uniformly form the drainage holes along the rear surface 48 of the wall sheathing 22, the spacing between the drainage holes 108 is preferably selected to be approximately four drainage holes per wall sheathing. In this way, not only can water be freely drained from the backfill material behind the wall cladding, but also the water pressure occurring behind the wall cladding can be removed.

For some configurations of wall coverings, it is desirable to have a large surface area to support the wall covering. If such an enlarged support area is desired, it is advantageous to increase the base surface area 112 (see FIG. 19) of the wall covering member 22. In such cases, ribs 114 can, and may be desirable, extend generally laterally across the entire width of the rear surface 48 of the wall sheathing member 22. rib 1
14 protrudes rearward from vertically extending ribs 42 provided on both side edges of the wall covering member 22. By deepening the portion of the wall covering member adjacent the base, the surface area of the support surface 112 of the wall covering member 22 is increased.

Using the wall coverings shown in FIGS. 15, 16, 17, and 19, walls can be constructed in the same manner as described above for the other embodiments.
However, one small difference exists during the construction process. In particular, when the first row of wall covering members 22 (see FIG. 18) is installed, backfill material is applied to support surface 102 of support pad 100.
It is tamped down to approximately the same height. At this point, a solid abutment plate 1 is placed on top of the support surface 102.
Place 16. The next row of wall sheathing members 22' is then installed on the exposed surface of the backfill material 118, with each buttress 50, 52 supported by a corresponding abutment plate 116, It is arranged so as to be supported by the support pad 100 of the wall covering member 22. With such a construction procedure, when the wall is completed, the vertical forces caused by the weight of the wall sheathing members and other loads are transferred directly to the vertical direction through the buttresses 50, 52 of the wall sheathing member 22'. It will be clear to those skilled in the art that this is transmitted to the abutment plate 116 of the wall covering member 22 adjacent to the wall covering member 22 . Similarly, vertical loads are transmitted directly to the support pads 100 of the next lower wall cladding 22'' via the buttresses of the lower wall cladding 22, and similarly, the vertical loads are transmitted directly to the support pads 100 of the next lower wall cladding 22''; The vertical load is transmitted from the covering member to the lowest wall covering member.

From the above, it is clear that a wall structure whose surface is covered, a wall covering member that is used with reinforced soil stabilized by frictional force and whose surface can be covered with plants, and a method for constructing a wall. was made into It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the steps, features, and components of the present invention may be modified or replaced without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, all modifications and substitutions of the steps, members, and features of the present invention described in the claims are included in the present invention.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a wall covered with plants according to the invention. FIG. 2 is a typical cross-sectional view of a wall constructed in accordance with the present invention. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along a vertical connection between adjacent wall covering members of FIG. 1; FIG. Figure 4 shows
2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the wall of FIG. 1; FIG.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the wall covering member. 6 is a front elevational view of the wall covering member of FIG. 5; FIG. 7 is a rear elevational view of the wall covering member of FIG. 6; FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the wall covering member of FIG. 6; FIG. FIG. 9 is a partial sectional view of a wall used as a blind wall. FIG. 10 is a partial sectional view of a retaining wall in which a terrace is provided in a portion of the wall. FIG. 11 is a side elevational view of a second embodiment of the wall covering member. FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of a third embodiment of the wall covering member. FIG. 13 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along a second embodiment of a vertical connection between adjacent wall covering members. Figure 14 shows
FIG. 7 is a front elevational view showing another buttress spacing. 15th
The figure is a sectional view of a fourth embodiment of the wall covering member. FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the wall covering member of FIG. 15 seen from the front. FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the wall covering member of FIG. 15, viewed from the rear. 1st
FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along a wall constructed with the wall covering member of FIG. 15. FIG. 19 is a detailed view of another shape of the base of the wall covering member. 20... Retaining wall structure, 22... Wall covering member, 24
... plant, 28 ... top, 30 reinforcing material, 32 ... granular material, 40 ... vertical connection part, 42 ... rib, 44 ... covering surface, 46 ... channel member, 48 ... rear surface,
50, 52...Buttress, 54, 56...Vertical edge, 60
... front edge, 62 ... support surface, 64 ... lug, 65 ...
Rib, 66... Lifting point, 67... Surface whose apex is cut by a plane, 102... Support surface, 100... Support pad,
116...Abutment plate, 108...Drainage hole.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A wall covering member used on the surface of a retaining wall structure, which has a covering surface that makes an acute angle with a vertical plane passing through the front edge, an upper horizontal edge, a lower horizontal edge, and left and right vertical edges. a lug having a buttress projecting forwardly from the covering surface between the covering surface and the vertical surface, the main body projecting rearwardly so that it can be connected to a reinforcement or tension member; and a wall covering member comprising a pair of drainage ribs projecting rearward along the left and right vertical edges. 2. The wall covering member according to claim 1, wherein a pair of said buttresses are provided, and each of said buttresses is provided at a position separated from said vertical surface. 3. In the wall covering member according to claim 1, the main body portion includes a support pad that projects rearward from the rear surface at a position corresponding to the buttress, and the support pad extends from the adjacent upper wall covering member. A wall covering member that supports buttresses. 4. A wall covering member that has a main body that has a covering surface that makes an acute angle with the vertical plane passing through the front edge, an upper horizontal edge, a lower horizontal edge, and left and right vertical edges, and whose height is greater than its thickness. a plurality of wall covering members that are large and arranged horizontally and arranged in a plurality of steps in the vertical direction; a plurality of reinforcing members having a connecting device that connects to the wall covering members; a reinforcing member extending horizontally and in layers rearward from the wall covering member; and an embankment disposed behind the wall covering member between the reinforcing members, which is stabilized by frictional contact with the reinforcing member. the row of wall covering members includes a lower horizontal edge spaced rearwardly from the upper horizontal edge of the horizontal row of wall covering members immediately below, so that the row of wall covering members has a lower horizontal edge spaced apart from the upper horizontal edge and the lower horizontal edge and forming a belt-shaped area in which a plurality of plants are planted vertically apart by exposing the embankment, and the wall covering member is arranged between the covering surface and the vertical surface to form a strip area in which a plurality of plants are planted vertically apart. a buttress projecting forward from the rear face, a vertical connecting portion being present between two adjacent wall covering members, and the main body projecting rearwardly from the rear face and connecting to the reinforcing member or tension member. and a pair of drainage ribs protruding rearward along the left and right vertical edges, the ribs being in contact with the vertical connecting portion and extending over the entire height of the vertical connecting portion. A retaining wall structure in which an extending channel member having a U-shaped cross section covers two adjacent ribs at the connecting portion. 5. The retaining wall structure according to claim 4, wherein the buttress wall extends from the lower horizontal edge of the wall covering member to a point spaced below the upper horizontal edge, and A retaining wall structure that is tilted and supported. 6. The retaining wall structure according to claim 4, wherein the buttress wall has a support surface at a lower portion, and the thickness of the buttress wall increases from its top toward the support surface. 7. The retaining wall structure according to claim 4, wherein each of the wall covering members has a pair of buttresses, and the interval between the buttresses is 1/2 of the width of the wall covering member.
and is spaced from both ends of the wall covering member by the width of the wall covering member, so that the buttresses of the vertically adjacent wall covering members are vertically aligned and horizontally spaced apart from each other by the width of the wall covering member. A retaining wall structure in which buttresses of adjacent wall covering members are equally spaced from each other. 8. The retaining wall structure according to claim 4, wherein the surface of each of the vertically separated strip areas is inclined so as to rise rearward from the upper horizontal edge of the wall covering member. body. 9. The retaining wall structure according to claim 4, wherein the plant covers the wall covering member. 10. The retaining wall structure according to claim 4, wherein an inclination angle is provided between the upper horizontal edges of the wall covering members arranged in a row in a vertical relationship, and the inclination angle is set between each of the wall covering members. A retaining wall structure that differs between stepped rows of members. 11. The retaining wall structure according to claim 4, wherein the main body includes a support pad that protrudes rearward at a position corresponding to the buttress, and the buttress of the wall covering member in the upper row is directed downwardly. A retaining wall structure adapted to rest on support pads of said wall covering members of said rows. 12. A wall covering member comprising a main body portion having a covering surface forming an acute angle with a vertical plane passing through the front edge, an upper horizontal edge, a lower horizontal edge, and left and right vertical edges,
a plurality of lower wall covering members whose height is greater than their thickness and which are arranged in the horizontal direction and arranged in a plurality of steps in the vertical direction; having a connecting device that connects to the lower wall covering members; a plurality of reinforcing members, the reinforcing members extending horizontally and in layers rearward from the wall covering member; and a mound disposed behind the lower wall covering member between the reinforcing members, the reinforcing member the row of lower wall covering members has a lower horizontal edge spaced rearwardly from the upper horizontal edge of the horizontal row of wall covering members immediately below the row of lower wall covering members; The embankment may be exposed between the upper horizontal edge and the lower horizontal edge to form a strip area planted with a plurality of plants spaced apart in the vertical direction, and the lower wall covering member has a buttress protruding forwardly from the covering surface between the covering surface and the vertical plane, a vertical connecting portion is present between two adjacent lower wall covering members, and the body portion then a lug that protrudes rearward from the surface and is connectable to the reinforcing member or tension member; and a pair of drainage ribs that protrude rearward along the left and right vertical edges, the ribs comprising: A channel member having a U-shaped cross section extends over the entire height of the vertical connecting portion in contact with the vertical connecting portion, and covers the two adjacent ribs at the connecting portion, and Above the uppermost wall covering member, upper wall covering members having the same shape as the lower wall covering member are arranged in the horizontal direction, and the upper wall covering members are arranged in a plurality of steps in the vertical direction; A row of upper wall covering members is disposed between the upper horizontal edge and the lower horizontal edge by having a lower horizontal edge spaced rearwardly from the upper horizontal edge of the horizontal row of wall covering members immediately below it. The embankment is exposed to form a strip area in which a plurality of plants spaced apart in the vertical direction are planted, and a horizontal row of rear wall covering members is arranged in a back-to-back relationship with the upper wall covering member behind the upper wall covering member. The upper wall covering member and the rear wall covering member are interconnected by the tension member connected to the lug, and the upper wall covering member and the rear wall covering member are arranged in a plurality of steps in the vertical direction. A retaining wall structure in which embankment is placed between wall covering members. 13. The retaining wall structure according to claim 12, wherein the upper wall covering member and the rear wall covering member have the same shape. 14. A method of constructing a retaining wall structure with an inclined surface without the use of a support structure, in which the covering surface forms an acute angle with the vertical plane passing through the front edge, the upper horizontal edge, the lower horizontal edge, and the left and right vertical edges. a buttress projecting forwardly from the covering surface between the covering surface and the vertical surface; arranging a first horizontal row of wall covering members, the first horizontal row comprising a lug for lining the wall covering and a pair of drainage ribs projecting rearwardly along the left and right vertical edges; between two adjacent wall covering members; occluding the existing vertical connections; placing a first fill behind the first horizontal row of wall covering members to the level of the lugs; extending rearwardly from the rear surface of the first row of wall covering members; connecting a stiffener to the lug of the wall covering member so as to extend the wall covering member;
arranging an embankment so that the second embankment covers the reinforcing material and reaches the top of the first horizontal row of wall covering members; said first embankment on top of said second embankment so as to cooperate with the edges to obtain an exposed strip of said second embankment.
installing a second horizontal row of wall covering members spaced rearwardly from the horizontal row of wall covering members; closing a vertical connection existing between two adjacent wall covering members; placing a third fill to lug height above the second fill behind the horizontal row of wall covering members; extending rearwardly from the rear surface of the second horizontal row of wall covering members; connecting reinforcement to the lugs of the wall sheathing member; placing a fourth mound over the third mound behind the second horizontal row of wall covering members to cover the reinforcement; the second horizontal row of wall covering members, and cooperates with the upper horizontal edges of the wall covering members of the second horizontal row to provide an exposed strip of the fourth fill. arranging a next horizontal row of wall covering members on the fourth embankment so as to be spaced rearward from the second horizontal row of wall covering members; a row of wall covering members having a desired height; repeating the above steps in sequence until a row of wall covering members of the desired height is obtained; installing an upper horizontal row of front wall covering members thereon and vertically aligning the adjacent wall covering members; The connecting portion is closed, and a horizontal row of upper rear wall covering members is installed on the embankment behind the horizontal row of upper front wall covering members, back to back with the horizontal row of front wall covering members. the vertical connecting portions of the adjacent wall covering members are closed, tension members are connected to the lugs of the front and rear wall covering members, and a new mound is added between the horizontal rows of the upper front and rear wall covering members. placing said upper layer of fill over said newly placed fill so as to cooperate with the upper horizontal edge of said upper front wall covering to provide an exposed swath of said newly placed fill; installing a horizontal row of the next upper wall covering member spaced rearwardly from the upper horizontal edge of the front wall covering member; closing the vertical connection existing between two adjacent wall covering members; The next higher rear wall covering member is spaced rearwardly from the upper edge of the upper rear wall covering member on top of the newly placed embankment so that an exposed strip area of the newly placed embankment is obtained. connecting the tension members to the lugs of the next superior front and rear wall covering front members; arranging new mounds between the wall covering front materials; repeating the above steps one after another until rows of the front wall covering front materials and the rear wall covering front materials of desired height are obtained; and a step of planting plants in the strip area to cover the rows of the front wall covering section front material and the rear wall covering section front material with plants.