Compressible mechanically stabilized earth retaining wall system and method for installation thereof

Abstract

A compressible mechanically stabilized earth retaining wall system and installation thereof is described.

1 . A system using wire mesh elements formed of vertical and horizontal wires for reinforcing soil, the system comprising: 
 a first wire mesh element having a first bend formed therein at a first angle to form first and second panels, wherein the second panel is oriented substantially horizontally and the first panel extends upwards from the second panel at the first angle, and wherein a top-most horizontal wire of the first panel is at least a distance D+X from the top of the vertical wires of the first panel; and    a second wire mesh element having a second bend formed therein at a second angle to form third and fourth panels, wherein the fourth panel is oriented substantially horizontally and the third panel extends upward from the fourth panel at the second angle,    wherein the second element is positioned above the first element so that at least a portion of the vertical wires of the first panel penetrate the fourth panel to at least the distance D when the second panel is covered with a material to a height of X above the top-most horizontal wire of the first panel, wherein X represents a maximum distance separating the top-most horizontal wire of the first panel from the fourth panel, and wherein the first and second elements are not fastened together but move relative to one another as the value of X decreases due to compression of the material.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the vertical wires of the first panel penetrate the fourth panel proximate to the second bend.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein a value of X is determined based on properties of the material.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the vertical and horizontal wires of the first panel are uniformly spaced to create a grid that has an apparent opening of uniform dimensions.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a backing mat attached to the first panel, wherein the backing mat includes a plurality of substantially uniformly spaced vertical and horizontal wires that create a grid with openings smaller than the openings formed by the vertical and horizontal wires of the first panel.  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a substantially planar cap mat placed horizontally over the second L-shaped element, wherein the cap map comprises a mesh formed of a plurality of vertical and horizontal wires.  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the first and second angles are identical.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the first and second angles are different.  
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the second and fourth panels are substantially parallel.  
   
   
       10 . A method for constructing a mechanically stabilized earth welded wire soil-reinforcing system using a plurality of wire mesh L-shaped elements each having a substantially horizontal wire mesh soil reinforcing (SR) portion and a face panel extending upwards from the SR portion at an angle α, wherein each face panel includes horizontal wires and vertical wires having distal ends that extend a distance D beyond the top-most horizontal wire, the method comprising: 
 placing material on at least part of a first SR portion of a first L-shaped element, wherein a void is left between the material and a first face panel of the first L-shaped element;    positioning a second L-shaped element above the first L-shaped element, wherein the positioning of the second L-shaped element includes: 
 resting at least a part of a second SR portion of the second L-shaped element on the material;  
 placing at least some of the distal ends of the vertical wires of the first face panel through the wire mesh of the second SR portion and proximate to a back face of a second face panel of the second SR portion, wherein the second SR portion is supported by the material at a distance X from the top-most horizontal wire of the first face panel and does not bear on the first face panel, and wherein the first and second L-shaped elements are not fastened together.  
   
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising: 
 placing material on at least part of the second SR portion, wherein a void is left between the material and the second face panel of the second L-shaped element; and    filling the void between the material and the first face panel of the first L-shaped element using the material.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising monitoring the filling of the void to ensure that the second SR portion remains substantially horizontal.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising monitoring the filling of the void to ensure that the second SR portion remains substantially parallel to the first SR portion.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising calculating the distance X based on a compressibility of the material.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising attaching a backing mat to the first face panel, wherein the backing mat includes a plurality of substantially uniformly spaced vertical and horizontal wires that create a grid with openings smaller than the openings formed by the vertical and horizontal wires of the first face panel.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising placing a substantially planar cap mat horizontally over the second L-shaped element, wherein the cap map comprises a mesh formed of a plurality of vertical and horizontal wires.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising calculating the angle α for each of the first and second L-shaped elements, wherein each angle α is calculated based on a desired shape of the soil-reinforcing system.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the calculated angles are identical.  
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 17  wherein the calculated angles are different.