Modular Wall Elements, Systems, and Methods

Abstract

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.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wall-related method, comprising:
 configuring a first prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element to interface between a second prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element and a third prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element and also between a fourth prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element and a fifth prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element in proximity to said second, third, fourth, and fifth prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall elements; so that said first, second, third, fourth, and fifth prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall elements each have first and second alignment features, a receiving end, and a protruding end; so that said first alignment feature of said first prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element is configured to allow said second prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element to engage said first prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element adjacent said first alignment feature; so that said second alignment feature of said first prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element is configured to allow said third prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element to engage said first prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element adjacent said second alignment feature so that said first prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element interfaces between said second prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element and said third prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element; and so that said first prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element is configured to allow said protruding end to extend into a receiving end of said fourth prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element while allowing said receiving end of said first prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element to receive a protruding end of said fifth prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element so that said first prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element is held between said fourth and fifth prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall elements;   installing said third prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element of a first tier; and   installing said first, fourth, and fifth prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall elements all on a second tier atop said first tier and so that said first and fourth prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall elements are directly contacting said third prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element.   
     
     
         2 . The wall-related method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 receiving more than 0.5 millimeters of said protruding end of said fourth prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element into an arcuate recess of said receiving end of said first prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element so as to provide a pivotable engagement therebetween.   
     
     
         3 . The wall-related method of  claim 1 , performed so that said installing said first, fourth, and fifth prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall elements all on said second tier atop said first tier comprises:
 installing said first, fourth, and fifth prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall elements before installing said second prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element, performed so that said second prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element is later placed on a third tier atop said second tier after installing said first and third prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall elements and so that said first and fourth prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall elements directly support said second prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element.   
     
     
         4 . The wall-related method of  claim 1 , performed so that another prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element assembled with said first, second, and third prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall elements is directed substantially across a primary path of said first tier so as to form a localized widening of a wall system thereby assembled, so that said wall system includes many prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall elements including said second and third prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall elements, and so that a majority of said many prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall elements are aligned along said wall system. 
     
     
         5 . The wall-related method of  claim 1 , performed so that a preparatory component thereof comprises:
 molding said first, fourth, and fifth prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall elements all as width-transitional prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall elements, so that said first width-transitional prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element is configured to allow said protruding end of said fourth width-transitional prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element to extend into said receiving end of said first width-transitional prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element while said protruding end of said first width-transitional prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element extends into said receiving end of said fifth width-transitional prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element so that said first width-transitional prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element is held between said fourth and fifth width-transitional prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall elements.   
     
     
         6 . The wall-related method of  claim 1 , performed so that all of said first, second, third, fourth, and fifth prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall elements are assembled into a completed wall without any larger-than-regular prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall elements and without a poured foundation. 
     
     
         7 . The wall-related method of  claim 1 , performed so that said second and third prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall elements visually resemble said first prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element after assembly thereof into a wall. 
     
     
         8 . The wall-related method of  claim 1 , performed so that a preparatory component thereof comprises:
 molding said first, fourth, and fifth wall elements all as width-transitional prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall elements that are all identical; and   molding said second and third wall elements as prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall elements so that said first, second, and third prefabricated regular oblong and bilaterally symmetric wall element are each non-identical to said others.   
     
     
         9 . A wall-related method, comprising:
 configuring a first prefabricated oblong wall element to interface between a second prefabricated oblong wall element and a third prefabricated oblong wall element and also between a fourth prefabricated oblong wall element and a fifth prefabricated oblong wall element in proximity to said second, third, fourth, and fifth prefabricated oblong wall elements; so that said first prefabricated oblong wall element has first and second alignment features, a receiving end, and a protruding end; so that said first alignment feature of said first prefabricated oblong wall element is configured to allow said second prefabricated oblong wall element to engage said first prefabricated oblong wall element adjacent said first alignment feature; so that said second alignment feature of said first prefabricated oblong wall element is configured to allow said third prefabricated oblong wall element to engage said first prefabricated oblong wall element adjacent said second alignment feature so that said first prefabricated oblong wall element interfaces between said second prefabricated oblong wall element and said third prefabricated oblong wall element; and so that said first prefabricated oblong wall element is configured to allow said protruding end to extend into a receiving end of said fourth prefabricated oblong wall element while allowing said receiving end of said first prefabricated oblong wall element to receive a protruding end of said fifth prefabricated oblong wall element so that said first prefabricated oblong wall element is held between said fourth and fifth prefabricated oblong wall elements.   
     
     
         10 . The wall-related method of  claim 9 , comprising:
 configuring a wall system to include said first, second, third, fourth, and fifth prefabricated oblong wall elements to be taller than 2 meters and completing said wall system as a wall by including one or more finish elements into said wall system all without any of said finish or prefabricated oblong wall elements in said wall system having been formed locally or cut locally.   
     
     
         11 . The wall-related method of  claim 9 , performed so that a wall system that includes said first, second, and third prefabricated oblong wall elements is aligned along a curvilinear path of which a first part is curved away from a hillside and a second part is curved toward said hillside and so that another prefabricated oblong wall element assembled with said first, second, and third prefabricated oblong wall elements is directed substantially across a primary path of said first tier and on said first tier so as to form a localized widening of a wall system thereby assembled. 
     
     
         12 . The wall-related method of  claim 9 , wherein a preparatory component thereof comprises:
 molding said first prefabricated oblong wall element to have an arcuate recess configured to receive a protrusion of said fourth prefabricated oblong wall element even if said protrusion has a cross-section thereof such that a frontmost edge thereof is an arc of a circle exceeding half a circle.   
     
     
         13 . A wall element, comprising:
 a first prefabricated oblong wall element configured to interface between a second prefabricated oblong wall element and a third prefabricated oblong wall element and also between a fourth prefabricated oblong wall element and a fifth prefabricated oblong wall element and in proximity to said second, third, fourth, and fifth prefabricated oblong wall elements; wherein said first prefabricated oblong wall element has first and second alignment features, a receiving end, and a protruding end; wherein said first alignment feature of said first prefabricated oblong wall element is configured to allow said second prefabricated oblong wall element to engage said first prefabricated oblong wall element adjacent said first alignment feature; wherein said second alignment feature of said first prefabricated oblong wall element is configured to allow said third prefabricated oblong wall element to engage said first prefabricated oblong wall element adjacent said second alignment feature so that said first prefabricated oblong wall element interfaces between said second prefabricated oblong wall element and said third prefabricated oblong wall element; and wherein said first prefabricated oblong wall element is configured to allow said protruding end to extend into a receiving end of said fourth prefabricated oblong wall element while allowing said receiving end of said first prefabricated oblong wall element to receive a protruding end of said fifth prefabricated oblong wall element so that said first prefabricated oblong wall element is held between said fourth and fifth prefabricated oblong wall elements.   
     
     
         14 . The wall element of  claim 13 , wherein said first prefabricated oblong wall element is a molded width-transitional prefabricated oblong wall element configured to transition from a smaller element width to a larger element width that is greater by more than 3%. 
     
     
         15 . The wall element of  claim 13 , wherein said receiving end of said first prefabricated oblong wall element has an arcuate recess configured to receive more than 0.5 millimeters of said protruding end of said fourth prefabricated oblong wall element so as to provide a wall-bend-implementing engagement therebetween having a bend angle greater than 2 degrees. 
     
     
         16 . A wall system including said first prefabricated oblong wall element of  claim 13 , comprising:
 said second, third, fourth, and fifth regular prefabricated oblong wall elements, all being (nominally) identical to said first prefabricated oblong wall element and wherein sufficient vertical alignment exists so that a substantially vertical line passing through said first, second, and third prefabricated oblong wall elements thereof does not pass through said fourth or fifth prefabricated oblong wall elements after assembly.   
     
     
         17 . A wall system including said first prefabricated oblong wall element of  claim 13 , comprising:
 said second, third, fourth, and fifth regular prefabricated oblong wall elements; and   a prefabricated spacer wall element adjacent said third prefabricated oblong wall element and supporting said first prefabricated oblong wall element, wherein all of said first, second, third, fourth, and fifth prefabricated oblong wall elements are regular and bilaterally symmetric and wherein said third prefabricated oblong wall element includes one or more metal strengthening rods.   
     
     
         18 . A wall system including said first prefabricated oblong wall element of  claim 13 , comprising:
 many prefabricated oblong wall elements including said second, third, fourth, and fifth prefabricated oblong wall elements, wherein a sixth prefabricated oblong wall element of said many prefabricated oblong wall elements is directed substantially across a path of said wall system so as to form a localized widening thereof that includes said third prefabricated oblong wall element; and   a structure supported by said first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth prefabricated oblong wall elements that includes one or more posts that pass down into said second prefabricated oblong wall element.