Connector for soil reinforcing and method of manufacturing

Abstract

An apparatus, system and method of connecting an earthen formation to a facing of a mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) structure in which a connector includes a single piece of wire that defines an opening for coupling the connector to an anchor and a pair parallel legs for mechanically connecting the to a soil reinforcing element.

Claims

1. Soil reinforcing elements for attachment to mechanically stabilized earth structures, comprising: a plurality of reinforcing gridworks for attachment to anchors of the mechanically stabilized earth structures, each comprising a first wire extending in a longitudinal direction having a proximal end, and a second wire extending in the longitudinal direction having a proximal end spaced apart by a width orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, wherein the first and second wires of different reinforcing gridworks are spaced apart by different widths; a plurality of connection elements, each comprising a single length of wire forming a first leg attached to the proximal end of the first wire, a fastener receptacle in unitary construction with the first leg, and second leg in unitary construction with the fastener receptacle attached to the proximal end of the second wire; wherein each fastener receptacle comprises a bend about an axis orthogonal to the longitudinal direction forming a swivel comprising a loop of the single length of wire of at least 365 degrees for connection to the anchor; wherein the first and second legs of each connector element are bendable to selectively align, abut and weld the connector element to the first and second wires of the different reinforcing gridworks spaced apart by different widths.

2. The soil reinforcing element of claim 1, wherein the first wire is substantially parallel to the second wire.

3. The soil reinforcing element of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of transverse wires connecting the first and second wires.

4. The soil reinforcing element of claim 1, wherein the single length of wire defines a cross-section that is round, square, rectangular, hexagonal, octagonal, or a combination thereof.

5. The soil reinforcing element of claim 1, wherein the swivel comprises a loop of the single length of wire of at least 540 degrees.

6. The soil reinforcing element of claim 1, wherein: the first leg further comprises a first a section extending in the longitudinal direction to a distal end, and a second section extending orthogonally from the distal end; and the second leg further comprises a first section extending in the longitudinal direction to a distal end, and a second section extending orthogonally from the distal end.

7. A mechanically stabilized earth structure comprising: a facing comprising a back face located adjacent to an earthen formation or backfill; a plurality of anchors extending from the back face; a plurality of soil reinforcing elements, each attached to a respective anchor and comprising: a reinforcing gridwork extending into the earthen formation or backfill comprising a first wire extending in a longitudinal direction having a proximal end, and a second wire extending in the longitudinal direction having a proximal end spaced apart by a width orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, a connection element comprising a single length of wire forming a first leg attached to the proximal end of the first wire, a fastener receptacle in unitary construction with the first leg, and second leg in unitary construction with the fastener receptacle attached to the proximal end of the second wire, wherein the fastener receptacle comprises a bend about an axis orthogonal to the longitudinal direction forming a swivel comprising a loop of the single length of wire of at least 365 degrees connected to the anchor; and wherein the first and second wires of different reinforcing gridworks are spaced apart by different widths; and wherein the first and second legs of each connection element are bent to selectively align, abut and weld the connector element to the first and second wires of respective reinforcing gridworks spaced apart by different widths.

8. The mechanically stabilized earth structure of claim 7, wherein the first wire is substantially parallel to the second wire.

9. The mechanically stabilized earth structure of claim 7, further comprising a plurality of transverse wires connecting the first and second wires.

10. The mechanically stabilized earth structure of claim 7, wherein the single length of wire defines a cross-section that is round, square, rectangular, hexagonal, octagonal, or a combination thereof.

11. The mechanically stabilized earth structure of claim 7, wherein the swivel comprises a loop of the single length of wire of at least 540 degrees.

12. The mechanically stabilized earth structure of claim 7, wherein: the first leg further comprises a first a section extending in the longitudinal direction to a distal end, and a second section extending orthogonally from the distal end; and the second leg further comprises a first section extending in the longitudinal direction to a distal end, and a second section extending orthogonally from the distal end.

13. A method for reinforcing mechanically stabilized earth structures, comprising: providing a plurality of reinforcing gridworks, each comprising a first wire extending in a longitudinal direction having a proximal end, and a second wire extending in the longitudinal direction having a proximal end, the first and second wires spaced apart from each other by a width orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, wherein the first and second wires of different reinforcing gridworks are spaced apart by different widths; providing a plurality of connection elements, each comprising a single length of wire forming a first leg, a fastener receptacle in unitary construction with the first leg comprising a loop of the single length of wire of at least 365 degrees, and second leg in unitary construction with the fastener receptacle; for each of a plurality of selected connection elements: bending one or both of the first and second legs of a selected coupling element to be spaced apart from each other by a displacement corresponding to the width of a selected gridwork to align and abut the connector element to the first and second wires; resistive welding the first leg of the selected connection element to the first wire of the selected gridwork; resistive welding the second leg of the selected connection element to the second wire of the selected gridwork; coupling the fastener receptacle of the selected connection element to an anchor of a mechanically stabilized earth structure.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of coupling the fastener receptacle to the anchor comprises bolting.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1A is an exploded perspective view of a prior art soil reinforcing system.

(2) FIG. 1B is a side view of the system shown in FIG. 1A.

(3) FIG. 1C is a side view of the system shown in FIG. 1A coupled together.

(4) FIG. 2A is a plan view of a proximal end connector plate shown coupled to longitudinally extending soil reinforcing wires according to the prior art.

(5) FIG. 2B is a plan view of a proximal end connector plate shown coupled to longitudinally extending soil reinforcing wires according to the prior art.

(6) FIG. 3 is a plan view of an embodiment of a single wire connector shown coupled to longitudinally extending soil reinforcing wires according to the present disclosure.

(7) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a single wire connector shown coupled to longitudinally extending soil reinforcing wires according to the present disclosure.

(8) FIG. 5 is a plan view of a further embodiment of a single wire connector of FIG. 3.

(9) FIG. 6 is a side view of a still further embodiment of a single wire connector according to the present disclosure.

(10) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the single wire connector of FIG. 6.

(11) FIG. 8 is a plan view of the single wire connector of FIG. 6.

(12) FIG. 9 is a plan view of another embodiment of a single wire connector.

(13) FIGS. 10A-10C depict the single wire connector of FIG. 3 having legs spaced apart by different widths from one another and coupled to longitudinally extending soil reinforcing wires.

(14) FIG. 11 is a plan view of the connector of FIG. 8 shown coupled to longitudinally extending soil reinforcing wires.

(15) FIG. 12 is a plan view of the connector of FIG. 9 shown coupled to longitudinally extending soil reinforcing wires.

(16) FIG. 13 Is a perspective view of the single wire connector of FIG. 4 shown coupled to longitudinally extending soil reinforcing wires and coupled to a connection place.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(17) Various embodiments and aspects of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like or similar features are labeled with the same reference number. The following description and drawings are illustrative of the present disclosure and are not to be construed as limiting the disclosure. Numerous specific details are described to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of the present disclosure. However, well-known or conventional details are not described in order to provide a concise discussion of embodiments of the present disclosure.

(18) The present disclosure presents a connector that is advantageous over such prior art connectors as are described above for a variety of reasons including more efficient use of material and time as a unitary length of wire may be configured in a greater variety of sizes and can be coupled to the MSE faster and more cheaply. For example, in FIG. 2B, the connector 10 includes a stem that is narrower than the spacing between longitudinal wires 112 such that welding the longitudinal wires 112 to the stem of the connector 10 would require compressing the longitudinal wires 112 toward one another and in contact with the stem of the connector 10, which would increase the time required for installation. In contrast, the connector 5 has a rectangular shape and may be pre-formed to correspond to the spacing of the longitudinal wires 112. The connector 5 would necessarily require more material than the connector 10, and for both of the connectors 5, 10, a hole would have to be drilled through the material for a receptacle for securing the connectors 5, 10 to an anchor. The connectors known in the art that utilize a plate, e.g., connector 5, are known to be attached to soil reinforcing elements with longitudinal wires that are spaced at two inches. The narrow plate controls the cost of the system it is therefore advantageous to have as narrow as plate as possible. Most welding fabrication machines are not constructed to weld a narrow element, such as the two-inch element. Because of this the number of fabricators diminishes and the need for a specialized welded wire machines increase.

(19) The present disclosure provides a connector that is advantageous over the connectors 5, 10 in that it uses material efficiently and can be configured in a variety of sizes such that there is a greater number of options for spacing between the longitudinal wires 112. For example, it may be preferable to have a relatively narrow spacing between the wires such that the MSE structure is relatively rigid. The present disclosure provides for a greater variety of configurations of the connector while using materials efficiently and not necessitating any change in the manufacturing process. Conventionally, the connectors 5, 10, in contrast may only be readily available in certain sizes as it would be inefficient for a factory to make a great variety of connectors having different sizes.

(20) The present disclosure provides various embodiments of a one-piece MSE connector that facilitate soil reinforcing with a variety of longitudinal wire spacings to be connected to a variant of the connector without an increase in the component cost. Another advantage of the connector is that it is a single point connector that allows soil reinforcing to swivel in order to avoid vertically-disposed obstructions, such as drainage pipes, catch basins, bridge piles, or bridge piers, which may be encountered in the adjacent compacted backfill. Still another advantage of the connector is it can be attached to varying width soil reinforcing elements providing a distinct advantage that allows the system to be attached to welded wire fabricated on almost any automated mesh welder by most welded wire suppliers.

(21) In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, a connector 200A that may be used instead of the connectors 5, 10 (FIGS. 1-2B) is now described with reference to FIGS. 3-5.

(22) The connector 200A may have a unitary construction and may be formed from a single length of wire. As used herein, the term “unitary” means formed of a single piece, e.g., a single length of wire. The wire may be formed of a material including a metal material, such as, stainless steel or other metals or metal alloys. The cross section of the wire for the connector can be round, square, rectangular, hexagonal, octagonal, or a combination thereof. The modification of the terminal end profile allows for an increase in area to apply different types of mechanical attachment processes such as metal added welding, or resistance welding.

(23) The connector 200A may include a first leg 202 and a second leg 204. Distal sections 202x, 204x of respective ones of the first and second legs 202, 204 may be substantially parallel to one another and may be spaced apart by a distance X1 at the distal end D of the connector 200A, which may be greater than the width of the connector 200A at the proximal end P. The connector 200A may include a receptacle 201, at a proximal section of the connector 200A. The receptacle 201 may define an opening 201a through which a fastener, e.g., a bolt, may be received to secure the connector 200A to an anchor (e.g., anchor 108). The first and second legs 202, 204 may be secured to respective longitudinal wires 112, e.g., via resistive welding, which is advantageous such that there is no added metal in forming the weld.

(24) As shown in FIGS. 6-7, a connector 200B is substantially similar except that the distal end defines a narrower width or space X2 between leg sections 212x, 214x of the first and second legs 212, 214 relative to its proximal end. The connector 200B is similarly formed in other respects and also includes a receptacle 210 defining an opening 210a.

(25) Another embodiment of a connector 200C will now be described with reference to FIG. 8. Similarly to the connectors 200A and 200B, the connector 200C includes a receptacle 221 that defines an opening 221a therethrough. The receptacle 221 is similar to the receptacles 201 and 210 of the connectors 200A and 200B, respectively. The connector 200C may include a pair of substantially parallel sections 222x, 224x extending from the receptacle 221. At distal ends of each of the sections 222x, 224x, sections 222y, 224y may extend substantially orthogonally from each of the sections 222x, 224x.

(26) As shown in FIG. 9, another embodiment of a connector 200D may include a single length of wire that is bent symmetrically about an axis x-x centrally extending along a length of the connector 200D. A first point 230 of the wire may be bent toward a second point 231 of the wire to form a substantially closed proximal section that defines a receptacle 232P having an opening 232, and an open section that includes a pair of two substantially parallel, distal sections 233, 234 which may be welded or otherwise secured to the longitudinal wires 112 of the MSE.

(27) The connectors 200A-200D may be configured and/or adjusted to have varying dimensions by bending the wire forming the connector in different ways. As shown in FIGS. 10A-10C, the connector 200A is bent in such that the distal sections 202x, 204x of respective first and second legs 202, 204 are spaced apart by different widths Y1 (FIG. 10A), Y2 (FIG. 10B), and Y3 (FIG. 10C) corresponding to the spacing of the longitudinal wires 112 apart from one another to which the connector is be coupled (e.g., resistive welded).

(28) As shown in FIG. 11, the connector 200C provides multiple points for securing (e.g., welding) the connector to the longitudinal wires 112. The sections 222x and 224x may be welded along substantially their entire lengths to respective ones of the longitudinal wires 112 and the orthogonally extending sections 224y, 224y may facilitate stabilizing the connector 200C relative to the longitudinal wires 112 when welding the connector 200C to the longitudinal wires 112.

(29) As shown in FIG. 12, the connector 200D may be secured to the longitudinal wires 112 by securing the distal sections 233, 234 of the legs to respective ones of the longitudinal wires 112. The distal sections 233, 234 may also be secured to the transverse wire 114, and the area in which the first and second points 230, 231 are drawn together to form a distal end of the opening 232 may be secured to another transverse wire 114 to stabilize the connector 200D relative to the longitudinal wires 112.

(30) FIG. 13 illustrates the connector 200B being coupled to the anchor 108 via fastener such as the bolt of the nut and bolt assembly 130. Any of the connectors 200A, 200C, 200D may be similarly connected or coupled to the anchor 108. When one of the connectors 200A-200D is coupled to the anchor 108, the connector may be hingedly coupled to the anchor 108 such that the combined connection allows the soil reinforcing element to swivel in a horizontal plane.

(31) A method of manufacturing the connectors 200A, 200B may include: providing a length of wire, which may be a metal (e.g., stainless steel); and bending the wire into a shape defining a central opening 201a at a proximal end and including two substantially parallel longitudinally extending distal sections 202x, 204x at a distal end thereof. Preferably, the distal sections 202x, 204x defines a suitable length for welding (e.g., via resistive welding) the distal sections 202x, 204x to longitudinal wires 112 of the MSE. For example, the tensile strength of the assembly of the connector 200A and the longitudinal wires 112 should be roughly the same as that of the longitudinal wires 112 such that the weld is not a weakened. Although preferably the coupling of the connector 200A to the longitudinal wires 112 at the distal end of the connector 200A is achieved via welding, e.g., resistive welding in which metal is not added, other techniques including metal added welding techniques may alternatively or additionally be utilized. Preferably, distal sections 202x, 204x which are to be welded to the longitudinal wires 112 have a suitable length for welding them to the longitudinal wires 112 such that the strength of the weld is sufficient to resist tensile and/or shear forces that might be applied.

(32) The wire which forms the connector 200A may be bent using a mandrel (not shown) and the receptacle 201, defining the opening 201a, at the proximal end may be formed by turning the wire a number a desired number of turns or degrees (e.g., 180 degrees or 540 degrees) such that the proximal end of the connector is coiled and defines a shape having an opening extending lengthwise through the coil. The opening 201a may be configured to accept a fastener, e.g., a bolt, when placed in an anchoring system at the wall face. Immediately after the bend the two wires continue and extend substantially horizontal to one another for a slight distance. The bottom horizontal wire is then deflected up while the top horizontal wire is deflected down so they deflect and continue in the same plane. The two wires are then deflected at an angle then are deflected back so they are parallel to the longitudinal wires of the soil reinforcing. The first deflected angel is a function of the distance the longitudinal wires are spaced from one another. The second deflection angle is a function of the angle required to bring them parallel with the longitudinal wires. By allowing the first deflection angle to vary the length of the connection wire can be limited keeping the cost of the connection uniform.

(33) While the present disclosure may have been shown and described with reference to various embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. In other words, the various exemplary embodiments disclosed in the present specification and drawings are merely specific embodiments to facilitate an understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the particular ordering of the steps may be modified or changed without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure is defined not by the detailed description of the disclosure but by the appended claimed, and all differences in the scope should be construed as being included in the present disclosure.