Elements, methods, and systems are presented for facilitating construction of a tiered wall of elements most or all of which are oriented along the wall. Such elements may each have a front, for example, that extends between opposite sides of the wall. Such walls may include localized widening or graduated element weights, for example, engineered to allow advantageous pressure distributions over those of conventional retaining walls. Alternatively or additionally such elements may include frontal projections that stabilize a curvilinear wall by allowing an element to penetrate an adjacent element of the same tier in one or two dimensions.

In an exemplary embodiment, a system for making tied block mat with a border includes a mold having an array of mold cavities; and a hopper that receives a hardenable paste and is spaced from the mold to receive a sheet of mesh material therebetween, the hopper having an opening for depositing the hardenable paste into selected mold cavities, the hopper forming a filling zone with the mold wherein the hardenable paste flows through the opening into the selected mold cavities, and a blocked zone where the hardenable paste is prevented from entering other selected mold cavities of the mold; whereby the tied block mat is formed wherein the hardenable paste in the selected mold cavities becomes embedded in the sheet of mesh material in the filling zone, and a border is formed in the blocked zone where the hardenable paste is blocked from entering the other selected mold cavities.

Extensible shells and related methods for constructing a support pier are disclosed. An extensible shell can define an interior for holding granular construction material and define a first opening at a first end for receiving the granular construction material into the interior and a second opening at a second end. The extensible shell can be flexible such that the shell expands when granular construction material is compacted in the interior of the shell. A method may include positioning the extensible shell in the ground and filling at least a portion of the interior of the shell with the granular construction material. The granular construction material may be compacted in the interior of the extensible shell to form a support pier.

A method for the construction of an improved tank base. A tank base is constructed for protection against accidental spills and/or leaks associated with a tank battery. The improved tank base comprises at least one part of a suitable substrate, which allows for the adhesion of an elastomer such as polyurea. Polyurea is preferably applied using a spray device which yields an average coverage of about 50-80 mils, and most preferably 60 mils. If more than one substrate is used, one or more substrates can be bound together with a fastening system. Once pressure is applied in the form of weight, the fastening system can be removed, resulting in an improved tank base having at least one seam and impervious to the fluid of the tank battery.

Landscaping walls, systems and methods of manufacturing and installation of such walls include in aspects a fiberglass based wall having a decorative front side and a back side having at least one conduit where the conduit receives a cable or fastener extending outward from both ends of the conduit to connect to a stake to be inserted into ground adjacent the wall. The conduit in one aspect is a PVC tube mounted vertically against the wall and in aspects is embedded within the wall. The conduit allows for self-adjustment of the cable while also providing solid anchoring of the wall to prevent movement. The wall and system is lightweight, good looking and easy to install.

A segmental wall block, soil reinforcing system, and method related thereto, wherein the wall block may be used for constructing retaining walls. In one embodiment, the segmental wall block may include: a front face; a rear face; a slot disposed along the rear face; a troughed top face; a bottom face; a first and second open core extending from the top face to the bottom face; a first side having a tongue; and an opposing second side having a groove, wherein the tongue is shaped to interlock with the groove. A soil system may include: a wall block component including a first configuration of interlocked segmented wall blocks as described, and a stabilizing component. A method of reinforcing soil may include the steps of: installing a leveling pad of concrete or gravel; and providing a soil stabilizing system.

A containing element to be used in geotechnical applications, including: a facing body made of a cementitious material having an inner face configured for contacting the ground and an outer face opposite to the inner face with respect to the body itself, a monolithic reticular structure made of plastic material having a plurality of first and second elements intersecting each other at respective nodes in order to form meshes. The reticular structure includes a first portion integrated and stably embedded in the facing body and a second portion, integral with the first portion, emerging from the inner face of the facing body; the second portion of the reticular structure defines, cooperatively with the inner face of the containing body, a closed loop.

There is disclosed a geogrid in the form of an integral, mesh structure comprising molecularly orientated polymeric material, the mesh structure formed of interconnecting mesh defining elements including elongate tensile elements wherein the molecular orientation of the mesh structure is uniform throughout the extent thereof. A method of making the geogrid is also described and its use in stabilizing, reinforcing or strengthening a mass of particulate material.

The object of the invention is a pile driving rig lower cushion, which is a piece made of a material whose modulus of elasticity is 500-3,500 MPa and which comprises two end surfaces and at least one side surface between them, and in which lower cushion the first end surface is placeable against the drive cap housing of the pile driving rig and the end of the pile to be fitted into the drive cap housing of the pile driving rig is placeable against the second end surface. The lower cushion according to the invention has at least one of other sections of the lower cushion, a flexible section that is more flexible at least in one direction for fitting the lower cushion into the drive cap housing, in which there are at least two opposite interior surfaces, the distance between which is smaller than the distance between two opposite outer surfaces of the lower cushion that come against these interior surfaces of the drive cap housing at the flexible section in its direction of deflection, whereby the lower cushion is fittable between these interior surfaces located in the drive cap housing by compressing the lower cushion at said at least one flexible section, such that it fits between said two opposite interior surfaces of the drive cap housing and remains in its place between these interior surfaces, through the effect of the compressive force P caused by said at least one flexible section and the friction forces resulting therefrom between the surfaces that are compressed against one another.

The present disclosure relates to a method for real-time compensation for ground movements which would otherwise adversely affect an existing built environment. Embodiments may include providing a plurality of holes in soil for the injection of a substance that expands as a consequence of a chemical reaction. The plurality of holes may be located between a source of movement and an asset to be protected. Embodiments may also include injecting, in at least one of the plurality of holes, the substance and monitoring, in real-time, at least one of movement of the soil or the asset to be protected. Real-time monitoring may occur during an activity that is causing the ground movements. Embodiments may further include obtaining real-time monitoring data, based upon, at least in part, the monitoring.