GB2364729A

GB2364729A - Embankment support means

Info

Publication number: GB2364729A
Application number: GB0017110A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Roger Denis Farmer
Original assignee: Tinsley Wire Ltd
Current assignee: Tinsley Wire Ltd
Priority date: 2000-07-13
Filing date: 2000-07-13
Publication date: 2002-02-06
Anticipated expiration: 2020-07-13
Also published as: GB0017110D0; GB2364729B

Abstract

An earth or soil support means comprises a post 1 attached to a ground contact bar 2, a facing bar 3, and a reinforcing bar 4. The facing bar extends from the forward end of the ground contact bar to the upper end of the post and the reinforcing bar is placed in a similar position at the rear of the ground contact bar. A wire mesh panel 5 is arranged below the ground contact bar and attached by a clamp 6 with the front of the mesh panel attached to a second facing mesh panel 9 via wire loop 'hinges' 8. A geofabric or geotextile sheet may be placed over the facing bar before the second mesh panel is swung into place over the top and clamped. The mesh sections may be stiffened longitudinally by bracing bars attached to the facing bars. The triangular area behind the facing mesh may be filled with soil or ballast.

Description

<Desc/Clms Page number 1> EMBANKMENT SUPPORT MEANS This invention relates to embankment support means, and particularly relates to earth faced embankments.

There are numerous occasions where an earth faced embankment is needed, to form wind or sound barriers, or to assist in the prevention of slippage of top soil or surface material, and at the same time have a generally pleasing appearance.

Hitherto, the provision of a steep faced embankment involved the provision of a wrap around system of solid reinforcement utilising geofabrics or geotextiles to provide the facing and the soil reinforcement. The facing is normally sloped at 60' to 70* from the horizontal and is formed by supporting the face with internal form work or external form work. All such systems require extensive excavation for the required length of soil reinforcement to achieve stability of the embankment and all the systems require construction from the base upward.

The object of the invention is to provide a steep faced embankment that avoids those disadvantages mentioned above, According to the present invention, embankment support means comprises a support post, a ground contact bar attached to the post, and a facing bar extending between the ground contact bar and the post, a mesh panel to lie below the ground contact bar, and a second mesh panel to lie against the facing bar. Preferably, a reinforcing bar is provided to extend between the ground contact bar and the post, to the opposite side of the post. The facing bar can be at any desired angle, but it is preferred that it is set at 600 to 700, Desirably the two mesh panels are hinged together by, for example, closed clips, for reasons that will become clear below.

In contrast to the prior art, minimal preparation of the ground is required, it only being necessary to generate a generally flat length at the desired location of an embankment. The

support means, save for the mesh panels, can be pre-formed and delivered to site.

Thus, the mesh panels can be laid on the ground at the required location, and the support means driven into the ground with the support post positioned such that the front of the ground contact bar is at the position of the joint between the two mesh panels. The exposed panel is then simply pivoted about the hinge to the panel trapped below the ground contact bar, to lay alongside the angled facing bar, to which it can be attached by suitable clips or tethers, or by clamping bars and steel purlins driven through the clamping bars and the facing bars.

Prior to being laid in position, what is to be the exposed face of the mesh panel to lie alongside the facing bar can be provided with a lining of an open weave material such as for example a geofabric or geotextile.

To assist in securing in place the mesh below the ground contact bar, it may, towards its rear be pre-drilled to receive the purlin of a U-shaped clamp.

To provide an embankment of an appreciable length, a number of support means are provided in strategically spaced relationship along that length, in conjunction with handleable lengths of mesh. At the junction between one length of mesh and the next, it is preferred to overlap adjacent lengths by, eg, one mesh opening.

Whilst the support post may simply be driven into the ground, in poor conditions where the ground is not compacted, it is preferred to concrete the post into the ground.

The generally triangular space behind the facing mesh may be filled with an appropriate material such as soil or ballast, and the filler material is preferably laid in layers and compacted. Between the filler material and the facing panel, a topsoil layer can be provided, premixed with seed, to provide a grass surface that grows through the geofabric or geotextile layer.

If a grass sod or stone face is preferred, then the fabric layer is not employed.

When more than one course of units is to be employed, each coarse should be spaced from

the next by a distance at least equal to the height of the support means from the ground contact bar to the top of the post and offset from the coarse below to put the respective front mesh panels in the same plane.

When employed in locations where ground slippage is a possibility, there can be provided a longitudinal concrete or sheet/sill cut-off located at the line of the support posts..

Dependant on the nature of a covering that can be positioned on the exposed surface of the facing mesh panel, reinforcements can be provided by drilling the facing bar to receive dowels to which a fabric or grid reinforcement can be attached. Equally, to provide stability to a mesh length extending between adjacent support means, longitudinal stiffening or bracing bars can be provided attached to the facing bars of the adjacent support means.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure I is a schematic perspective view of an embankment support means according to the invention; and Figure 2 is a side elevation of Figure 1 In the drawings, a support means for an embankment has a post I to which is attached at 90' thereto a ground contact bar 2. The ground contact bar may be in one piece and extend through a co-operating slot in the post, or may be a two piece construction with the pieces attached e.g., by welding to opposite faces of the post.

A facing bar 3 is provided, extending between the forward end of the ground contact bar 2 and the upper end of the post, and secured in place such as by welding, and to the opposite side of the support post I is a reinforcing bar 4 extending from part way up the support post to the ground contact bar towards is rearward end, the reinforcing bar also being secured in place such as by welding.

Arranged below the ground contact bar 2 is a wire mesh panel 5 attached to the rearward end of the ground contact bar 2 by a clamp 6 held in place by at least one steel purlin 7 extending through pre-drilled holes in the clamp and the ground contact bar.

At its front edge, the wire mesh panel 5 is attached by wire loops 8 to a second wire mesh panel 9 whereby the second wire mesh panel can be swung to lie over the facing bar 3 and attached thereto by a clamping bar 10 overlying the mesh and steel purlins I I extending through pre-drilled holes in the clamping bar 10 and facing bar 3.

Preferably, and before swinging of the second wire mesh panel 9 into place, a geofabric or geotextile sheet 12 is placed over the facing bar 3 such that when swung into place, the second wire mesh panel traps the geofabric or geotextile sheet in place.

Thus, and on site, an operative first creates a flat step or surface in an embankment and lays on the horizontal surface a number of wire mesh panels 5 in abutting or overlapping side by side configuration. A number of support posts I and attendant facing bars 3, reinforcing bars 4 and ground contact bars 2, are positioned in spaced relationship along the flat surface, and the lower end of the support post driven through the mesh panel 5 and into the ground, and until the ground contact bar traps the wire mesh panel to the prepared surface and the clamps 6 put in place. At this point, the second mesh panel 9 lies on the ground in front of the support. The geofabric or geotextile sheet is then laid over the facing bars of adjacent supports, and the mesh panels 9 swung into place over the geofabric or geotextile sheet, the clamping bars positioned in alignment with the facing bars, and the purlins driven into place.

The structure defined above leaves behind the wire mesh panels 9 and geofabric or geotextile sheets 12 a triangular space that can be packed with ballast and earth or just earth, and the earth can be loaded with seeds, or the outer surface of the geofabric or geotextile sheets 12 covered with seed to cause the growth of grass or an appropriate foliage to enhance the

appearance of the structure.

The lengths of the wire panels 5 and 9 are not critical, save to say that they should be of a length that is conducive to being transported and handled on site, and the spacing of the support means is equally not critical, save to say that the distance between adjacent supports is to give sufficient support to the wire mesh panels and geofabric or geotextile sheets to stop the sagging inwardly of the triangular space, prior to it being packed with ballast/earth.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Embankment support means comprising a support post, a ground contact bar attached to the post, and a facing bar extending between the ground contact bar and the post, a mesh panel to lie below the ground contact bar, and a second mesh panel to lie against the facing bar. 2. Embankment support means as in Claim 1, wherein a reinforcing bar is provided to extend between the ground contact bar and the post, to the opposite side of the post. 3. Embankment support means as in Claim I or Claim 2, wherein the facing bar is set at 600 to 700, 4. Embankment support means as in any of Claims I to 3, wherein the two mesh panels are hinged together 5. Embankment support means as in Claim 4, wherein the mesh panels are connected by closed clips or loops. 6. Embankment support means as in any of Claims I to 5, wherein the second mesh panel is attached by suitable clips or tethers, or by clamping bars and steel purlins driven through the clamping bars and the facing bars. 7. Embankment support means as in any of Claims I to 6, wherein a lining of an open weave material such as for example a geofabric or geotextile is provided below the second mesh panel. 8. Embankment support means as in any of Claims I to 7, wherein the first mesh panel is secured to the ground contact bar by a clamp . 9, Embankment support means as in any of Claims I to 8, wherein a generally triangular space behind the facing mesh is filled with an appropriate material such as soil or ballast. 10. Embankment support means as in any of Claims I to 9, wherein a concrete or sheet/sill cut-off is provided at the junction between adjacent panels.

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11. Embankment support means as in any of Claims I to 10, wherein reinforcement is provided by dowels inserted through holes in the facing bars. 12. Embankment support means as in any of Claims 1 to 11 wherein stability to a mesh length is provided by longitudinal stiffening or bracing bars are provided secured to the facing bars. 14. Embankment support means substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.