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 system, comprising:
 many oblong molded regular wall elements including first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth oblong molded regular wall elements assembled in a proximity comprising an installation site, wherein said first oblong molded regular wall element is positioned in a first tier and directed either along or away from a path thereof, wherein at least said second oblong molded regular wall element is directed across said path so as to form a localized widening of said wall system that is greater than 30% of a median width of said wall system, wherein said fourth oblong molded regular wall element is positioned between said third and fifth oblong molded regular wall elements in a second tier, wherein said fourth oblong molded regular wall element is supported by said first oblong molded regular wall element, wherein a third tier of said wall system is configured to include several of said many oblong molded regular wall elements, wherein said several include a sixth oblong molded regular wall element supported by said second tier and of said many oblong molded regular wall elements, wherein a fourth tier of said wall system is supported by said second and third tiers, and wherein said many oblong molded regular wall elements are assembled into a completed wall without any larger-than-regular wall elements thereof and without a poured foundation thereof.   
     
     
         2 . The wall system of  claim 1 , wherein at least some of said many oblong molded regular wall elements each have an arcuate recess configured to receive a protrusion of another of said many oblong molded regular wall elements so as to provide a pivotable engagement therebetween. 
     
     
         3 . The wall system of  claim 1 , wherein a subset of said many oblong molded regular wall elements that support said fourth tier are each heavier than each wall element of a subset of said many oblong molded regular wall elements that comprise said fourth tier. 
     
     
         4 . The wall system of  claim 1 , wherein said wall system features one or more mass differences such that an average mass of all of said oblong molded regular wall elements of said third tier is less than 98% of an average mass of all of said oblong molded regular wall elements of said second tier. 
     
     
         5 . A wall system, comprising:
 many molded regular wall elements including first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth molded regular wall elements assembled in a proximity, wherein said first molded regular wall element is positioned in a first tier and directed either along or away from a path thereof, wherein at least said second molded regular wall element is directed across said path so as to form a localized widening of said wall system that is greater than 30% of a median width of said wall system, wherein said fourth molded regular wall element is positioned between said third and fifth molded regular wall elements in a second tier, and wherein said fourth molded regular wall element is supported by said first molded regular wall element.   
     
     
         6 . The wall system of  claim 5 , wherein a third tier of said wall system is configured to include several of said many molded regular wall elements, wherein said several include a seventh molded regular wall element supported by said second tier, and wherein a fourth tier of said wall system is supported by said second and third tiers. 
     
     
         7 . The wall system of  claim 5 , wherein more than 90% of a weight of said second tier of said wall system is directly borne by said first tier of said wall system. 
     
     
         8 . The wall system of  claim 5 , wherein said fourth molded regular wall element spans said first and second molded regular wall elements. 
     
     
         9 . The wall system of  claim 5 , wherein some of said many molded regular wall elements are directed across said path so as to form a cantilevered localized widening of said wall system that also includes one or more other elements of said wall system spanning between said two of said many regular wall elements so as to provide structural triangulation therebetween. 
     
     
         10 . The wall system of  claim 5 , wherein some of said many molded regular wall elements are directed across said path so as to form a cantilevered localized widening of said wall system that also includes one or more spanning elements of said wall system that each span said two of said many regular wall elements, wherein said one or more spanning elements are identical to said second element. 
     
     
         11 . The wall system of  claim 5 , wherein one or more other molded wall elements assembled into said wall system are not oblong and not regular. 
     
     
         12 . The wall system of  claim 5 , wherein said wall system is aligned along a path at least part of which is concave away from a hillside. 
     
     
         13 . The wall system of  claim 5 , wherein at least two of said many regular wall elements are directed across said path so as to form a cantilevered localized widening of said wall system that also includes one or more other regular wall elements that are each nominally identical to said second wall element. 
     
     
         14 . The wall system of  claim 5 , wherein 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. 
     
     
         15 . The wall system of  claim 5 , 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. 
     
     
         16 . The wall system of  claim 5 , wherein said fourth molded regular wall element is a heavier standard molded regular wall element and includes a strengthening molded regular wall element that is absent from one or more visually similar lighter standard molded regular wall elements of one or more tiers supported by said second tier. 
     
     
         17 . A method of using a wall system, said method comprising:
 assembling many molded regular wall elements including first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth molded regular wall elements in a proximity, wherein said first molded regular wall element is positioned in a first tier and directed either along or away from a path thereof, wherein at least said second molded regular wall element is directed across said path so as to form a localized widening of said wall system that is greater than 30% of a median width of said wall system, wherein said fourth molded regular wall element is positioned between said third and fifth molded regular wall elements in a second tier, and wherein said fourth molded regular wall element is supported by said first molded regular wall element.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , comprising:
 configuring said wall system 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 molded regular wall elements in said wall system having been formed locally or cut locally.