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 modular wall system having an irregular mass distribution, comprising:
 many prefabricated oblong regular wall elements including first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth prefabricated oblong regular wall elements assembled in a proximity of an installation site, wherein said first and second prefabricated oblong regular wall elements are both positioned in a first tier and each directed either along or away from a path thereof, wherein said fourth prefabricated oblong regular wall element is positioned between said third and fifth prefabricated oblong regular wall elements in a second tier, wherein said fourth prefabricated oblong regular wall element is supported by said first prefabricated oblong regular wall element, wherein a third tier of said wall system is configured to include several of said many prefabricated oblong regular wall elements, wherein said several include a sixth prefabricated oblong regular wall element supported by said second tier and of said many prefabricated oblong regular wall elements, wherein a fourth tier of said wall system is supported by said second and third tiers, wherein said wall system features one or more mass differences such that an average mass of all of said prefabricated oblong regular wall elements of said third tier is less than 98% of an average mass of all of said prefabricated oblong regular wall elements of said second tier and such that an average mass of all of said prefabricated oblong regular wall elements of said fourth tier is less than 95% of an average mass of all of said prefabricated oblong regular wall elements of said second tier, and wherein said wall system is taller than 2 meters and configured so that said irregular mass distribution alleviates a risk of breakage.   
     
     
         2 . The wall system of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a structure supported by said many prefabricated oblong regular wall elements, wherein at least one post of said structure passes down into an upper one of said one or more of said many prefabricated oblong regular wall elements.   
     
     
         3 . The wall system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said prefabricated oblong regular wall elements each have an arcuate recess configured to receive a protrusion of said fourth prefabricated oblong regular wall element so as to provide a pivotable engagement therebetween. 
     
     
         4 . The wall system of  claim 1 , comprising
 at least one prefabricated irregular bracing element positioned adjacent both said second and third prefabricated oblong regular wall elements.   
     
     
         5 . The wall system of  claim 1 , wherein a prefabricated oblong regular or other prefabricated oblong regular wall element is positioned between said fourth and fifth prefabricated oblong regular wall elements in said second tier. 
     
     
         6 . The wall system of  claim 1 , wherein said wall system is configured to implement said one or more mass differences at least partly because of a lighter prefabricated oblong regular wall element of said third tier tapering to have an upper width that is at least 4% less than a width of one or more visually similar heavier prefabricated oblong regular wall elements of said second tier, wherein said one or more visually similar heavier prefabricated oblong regular wall elements of said second tier includes said fourth prefabricated oblong regular wall elements. 
     
     
         7 . A wall system comprising:
 many regular wall elements including first, second, third, fourth, and fifth regular wall elements in a proximity, wherein said first and second regular wall elements are both positioned in a first tier and each directed either along or away from a path thereof, wherein said fourth regular wall element is positioned between said third and fifth regular wall elements in a second tier, wherein said fourth regular wall element is supported by said first regular wall element, and wherein said wall system features one or more mass differences such that an average mass of all of said regular wall elements of a third tier is less than 98% of an average mass of all of said regular wall elements of said second tier.   
     
     
         8 . The wall system of  claim 7 , wherein said proximity is an installation site and wherein said wall system is configured to implement said one or more mass differences at least partly because of a lighter regular wall element of said third tier having a smaller external width relative to that of one or more visually similar heavier regular wall elements of said second tier, wherein said lighter regular wall element is lighter than an average one of said first, second, third, fourth, and fifth regular wall elements. 
     
     
         9 . The wall system of  claim 7 , comprising:
 a structure supported by said many regular wall elements, wherein at least one post of said structure passes down into an upper one of said many regular wall elements.   
     
     
         10 . The wall system of  claim 7 , wherein at least one irregular prefabricated bracing element is positioned adjacent both said second and third regular wall elements. 
     
     
         11 . The wall system of  claim 7 , wherein a regular or other prefabricated regular wall element is positioned between said fourth and fifth regular wall elements in said second tier. 
     
     
         12 . The wall system of  claim 7 , wherein all of said many regular wall elements are bilaterally symmetric and wherein more than half of said many regular wall elements are aligned along said wall system. 
     
     
         13 . The wall system of  claim 7 , wherein said wall system is configured to implement said one or more mass differences at least partly because of a lighter regular wall element of a third tier tapering to have an upper width that is less than a width of one or more visually similar heavier regular wall elements of said second tier and wherein said one or more visually similar heavier regular wall elements of said second tier includes said third and fourth regular wall elements. 
     
     
         14 . The wall system of  claim 7 , wherein said wall system is aligned along a path at least a first part of which is curved toward a hillside and at least a second part of which is curved away from said hillside. 
     
     
         15 . The wall system of  claim 7 , constructed and arranged so that a substantially vertical axis passes through said second and fourth regular elements but not through said first, third, or fifth regular elements and wherein all of said first, second, third, fourth, and fifth regular wall elements are identical. 
     
     
         16 . The wall system of  claim 7 , wherein said third tier of said wall system is configured to include several regular wall elements of said many regular wall elements, wherein said several regular wall elements include a sixth regular wall element supported by said second tier, wherein a fourth tier of said wall system is supported by said second and third tiers, and wherein said wall system features an irregular mass distribution having one or more mass differences such that an average mass of all regular wall elements of said third tier is less than 98% of an average mass of all regular wall elements of said second tier. 
     
     
         17 . A method of using a wall system, said method comprising:
 assembling many regular wall elements including first, second, third, fourth, and fifth regular wall elements in a proximity, wherein said first and second regular wall elements are both positioned in a first tier and each directed either along or away from a path thereof, wherein said fourth regular wall element is positioned between said third and fifth regular wall elements in a second tier, wherein said fourth regular wall element is supported by said first regular wall element, and wherein said wall system features one or more mass differences such that an average mass of all of said regular wall elements of a third tier is less than 98% of an average mass of all of said regular wall elements of said second tier   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , comprising:
 completing said wall system as a wall without any onsite or other local element-cutting having been performed upon any wall element of said wall system and without any onsite or other local element-forming having been performed upon any wall element of said wall system.