The present invention provides a slope repair method. The method includes pretreating a slope, so that an average roughness of the pretreated slope is not greater than ±8 cm to ±12 cm per linear meter; (2) hanging a hard protective mesh on the pretreated slope, where the distance between the hard protective mesh and the slope is 3-4 cm, and the hard protective mesh has an aperture size of 4-6 cm; and (3) spraying a loam-like matrix on the slope with the hard protective mesh hanged, where the loam-like matrix includes not less than 0.04/m.sup.2 of plant seeds; the plant seeds include tree seeds, shrub seeds and herb seeds with a mass ratio of (2.5-3.5):(4-6):(1.5-2.5). The method provided by the present invention effectively restores the mountain vegetation, and only needs 1-2 years of artificial maintenance after the restoration to form a cyclically stable ecosystem.

A pier assembly for supporting a structure includes a guide member having a base plate and a plurality of tubular guides extending from the base plate. In addition, the base plate includes a plurality of through holes and each tubular guide includes a through passage aligned with one of the through holes of the base plate. Further, the pier assembly includes a plurality of elongate members. Each elongate member extends through one through hole in the base plate and the through passage of the corresponding tubular guide.

A building element for coupling with other building elements to erect a retaining wall. Exemplary building elements have receiving spaces for receiving increased weight of fill material to provide increased stability. Optionally, each building element can have an enlarged face profile that provides efficiency in the shipping and assembly process. Optionally, each building element can define alignment voids that receive portions of alignment posts for ensuring vertical alignment between adjacent building elements or portions of building elements.

The foundation system includes a below ground rigid raft foundation to bear a load for an above ground structure, and granular cushions and piles formed below the raft foundation. The granular cushions are configured for uniform load distribution of the raft foundation and the piles are configured to bear a load of the above ground structure and the raft foundation. The foundation system further includes stone columns encapsulated with a non-woven geofabric and configured to stabilize the raft foundation. The raft foundation is disposed adjacent and above the stone columns, the granular cushions are present between neighboring stone columns, and the granular cushions are present between the stone columns and the piles. The stone columns have a cementing agent for stabilization.

A hexagonal wire netting (7), a process for manufacturing such a wire netting and a device for manufacturing a hexagonal wire netting (7), the device comprising an assembly of tubes (5) for leading the wires (1) of which every other is twisted into a spiral shape, a spindle (6) assembly and a drum (8) receiving the wire netting (7), the drum (8) being provided with &tent elements (21). Between each tube (5) leading the spirally twisted wire (I) and the cooperating spindle (6) a straightening guide (IO, IO′) is located having an inlet opening (13, 15) cooperating with the tube (5) and an outlet opening (12, 20) cooperating with the spindle (6). The detent elements (21) are arranged on the drum (8) in such a way that the produced wire netting (7) has meshes in which the proportion of the width (A) to the length (B) is less than 0.75.

The foundation system includes a below ground rigid raft foundation to bear a load for an above ground structure, and granular cushions and piles formed below the raft foundation. The granular cushions are configured for uniform load distribution of the raft foundation and the piles are configured to bear a load of the above ground structure and the raft foundation. The foundation system further includes stone columns encapsulated with a non-woven geofabric and configured to stabilize the raft foundation. The raft foundation is disposed adjacent and above the stone columns, the granular cushions are present between neighboring stone columns, and the granular cushions are present between the stone columns and the piles. The stone columns have a cementing agent for stabilization.

The invention discloses a load cell component for improving the structural strength of a pile body after self-balanced testing of a pile foundation, which comprises a loading unit component, upper displacement rod components fixed on the upper part of the loading unit component, and lower displacement rod components fixed on the lower part of the loading unit component, and further comprises telescopic rod components and a grouting component; there is a plurality of telescopic rod components, the telescopic rod components are fixed to the loading unit component, and the telescopic direction of the telescopic rod components is parallel to the loading direction of the loading unit component; each telescopic rod component comprises an inner rod and an outer sleeve, wherein a part of the inner rod is positioned in the outer sleeve, a slurry cavity is formed between the outer wall of the inner rod positioned in the outer sleeve and the inner wall of the outer sleeve, and the outer sleeve is provided with a slurry inlet; and the grouting component communicates with the slurry inlets, and when in use, slurry is introduced into the slurry cavities through the grouting component.

A rotomolded lid for a meter box and a method of making the same are provided. The lid is formed in a rotomold process that embeds a pair of rebars within a hollow lid product. Concrete is then poured into the hollow portion and allowed to cure. The end result is a reinforced meter box lid that is configured to handle loads of up to 16,000 lbs. In addition, the presence of the rebars, which are ferromagnetic, allows a metal detector to detect the presence of the lid should it ever be inadvertently covered over or otherwise obscured from view. Furthermore, the central lid portion may also include a passageway covered by a hinged door to permit access to the meter box without having to lift up the lid itself. Another passageway, along with an associated countersunk portion in an upper lid surface, permits a wireless transponder to be positioned therein and connected to meter equipment in the box.

A building element for coupling with other building elements to erect a retaining wall. Exemplary building elements have receiving spaces for receiving increased weight of fill material to provide increased stability. Optionally, each building element can have an enlarged face profile that provides efficiency in the shipping and assembly process. Optionally, each building element can define alignment voids that receive portions of alignment posts for ensuring vertical alignment between adjacent building elements or portions of building elements.

The embodiments and methods of the invention provide for an effective protection of a bank of a body of water that reduces or eliminates the erosion effect of animal-burrowing below the mudline and behind the bank. An exemplary embodiment includes a guard that includes a top cross member and a plurality of spaced apart rods welded or otherwise attached to the top cross member. An intermediate cross member can also be welded or otherwise attached to the rods between the top member and a bottom end of the rods. The rods are spaced apart to have a specific clearance that prevents adult animals, such as muskrats from passing through the guard. Particularly, the spacing is such that the shoulder width of muskrats is too large to fit through adjacent rods. Plural guards can be driven into the bank side-by-side along the body of water to create a wall of guards.