Textured geocell
A geocell for retaining infill in geotechnical structure, e.g. a protection construction on an unstable slope in mountainous areas, construction foundation, and green-making with plants, consists of several plastic plates; every two adjacent plastic plates are connected together at several spaced apart elongated joints by means of ultrasonic welding, each of which elongate joints includes several aligned points; thus, the geocell can be expanded into a honeycomb shape, and cells are formed therein for containing backfill therein; the plastic plates are formed with rough finishes so as to increase the backfill retaining capability of the present geocell.
This Patent Application is a Continuation-in-Part Application based on U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/024,694, filed on 30 Dec. 2004, currently pending.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a geocell three-dimensional confinement system for retaining infill as a protective construction for slope protection, erosion control, ground stabilization, and retaining wall. More particularly, an infill is contained in geocells in the shape of honeycombs, which are composed of several plastic plates formed with rough surfaces for increasing the infill retaining capability of the geocell.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
A common geocell structure for retaining infill in geotechnical structure includes several plastic plates. Every two adjacent ones of the plastic plates are connected by ultrasonic welding or other methods together at several joints with certain ranges such that when the geocell is expanded, it will be in the shape of a honeycomb, which includes many cells for containing the infill, e.g. sand, stones, and earth, therein.
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The manufacturing cost of the texturized cell material will increase because rollers have to be pressed against and moved along the plate-shaped main body in addition to the extrusion step. Furthermore, because the texturized surfaces are formed by means of rollers with superficial projections, they have regular projections thereon; the pattern on the rollers will repeat itself every time after the rollers turn one circle, as shown in
It is a main object of the present invention to provide a textured geocell to overcome the above disadvantages. Improved geotechnical structure can be a protection construction for slope protection, erosion control, ground stabilization, and retaining wall with plants.
The infill retained geocell of the present invention consists of several plastic plates, which have rough surfaces. Every two adjacent plastic plates are connected together at several joints by means of ultrasonic welding or other methods. Each of which elongate joints includes several aligned points; thus, the geocell can be expanded into a honeycomb-shaped three-dimenmsional confinement structure, and cells are formed for containing backfill therein. Because the plastic plates have rough surfaces, the backfill retaining capability has been significantly increased.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe present invention will be better understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a preferred embodiment 1 of a geocell for retaining infill in geotechnical structure includes several plastic plates with rough finishes 11 with irregular projections on both sides. Every two adjacent plastic plates are connected together at several spaced apart elongate joints, each of which elongate joints includes several aligned points, and in turns, the present geocell will be in the shape of a honeycomb, which includes many cells 12 for containing backfill therein, when it is expanded, as shown in
The rough finishes 11 on the plastic plates are made by means of the following steps:
1. mixing materials: plastic materials, stains, and processing aids are mixed and fed into a material barrel of a main extruding machine (A), and plastic materials, stains, processing aids, and foaming agent are mixed and fed into material barrels of second extruding machines (B) and (C);
2. extruding: the mixture of plastic materials, stains, and processing aids is melted in a material conduit of the main extruding machine (A), and extruded from the main extruding machine (A) to form a smooth basic material of the plastic plates; also, the mixtures of plastic materials, stains, processing aids, and foaming agent are melted in material conduits of the second extruding machines (B) and (C), with the foaming agent being heated and decomposed to produce gas, and the molten mixtures are extruded from the second extruding machines (B) and (C) respectively to form two pieces of rough covering materials of the plastic plates; the amount of the foaming agent is such that gas produced from the foaming agent is enough for making plastics produce bubbles and the bubbles break;
3. shaping: the smooth basic material extruded from the main extruding machine (A), and the rough covering material extruded from the second extruding machines (B) and (C) are conveyed to a mold head, and passed through the mold head together such that the rough covering materials are joined to two sides of the smooth basic parts, and a continuous sheet of plastic material forms with rough finishes;
4. cooling, rolling and severing: the continuous sheet of plastic material with rough finishes is cooled, rolled, and severed to form plural plastic plates with a predetermined size.
Because foaming agent is added to the material mixture, and the amount of the foaming agent is such that when the foaming agent is heated and decomposed, gas produced from it is enough for making plastics produce bubbles and the bubbles break, the plastic plates will form with bubbles on the surfaces thereof, and the bubbles will break randomly. In other words, the plastic plates have rough finishes with irregular projections forming a randomized pattern.
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From the above description, it can be easily understood that the textured geocell of the present invention has better retaining capability than the conventional ones as described in Background.
Claims
1. A textured geocell for retaining infill in geotechnical structure, comprising
- a plurality of plastic plates, every two adjacent said plastic plates being connected together at a plurality of spaced apart elongate joints by means of ultrasonic welding, each of said elongate joints includes a plurality of aligned points, such that said plastic plates expand to form a honeycomb shape for containing the backfill therein;
- a plurality of rough finishes on said plastic plates, said rough finishes having irregular projections forming a randomized pattern so as to have increased backfill retaining capability.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 14, 2006
Publication Date: Jul 6, 2006
Inventors: Chin-Tai Lin (Taichung), Ferdie Chen (Tainan)
Application Number: 11/353,118
International Classification: E02D 3/00 (20060101);