ANCHORING SYSTEM FOR CONCRETE PANELS IN A STABILIZED EARTH STRUCTURE
The concrete panel anchoring assembly including a concrete panel having a rear face and a connector member projecting from a rear face of the concrete panel. The connector member includes an attachment loop and a saddle element assembled together.
The present invention relates to an anchoring system and anchoring devices to anchor concrete panels in a stabilized earth structure.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIn one type of known stabilized earth structure, the earth is stabilized by a plurality of elongate stabilizing elements extending rearwardly from a facing into an earth mass.
In such stabilized earth structures, the earth is stabilized throughout the mass by frictional engagement with the stabilizing elements which may be in the form of strips. Commonly, the facing of the stabilized earth structure consists of concrete panels which are anchored to the forward ends of the strips.
Known anchoring systems comprise protrusions in the form of hooks or the like which are attached to the rear part of the concrete panels and to which the strips are tied or wrapped around. Some known systems provide for the protrusion to be cast directly into the panels during the prefabrication stage. A known type of protrusion is made of a bent steel wire having an omega-like shape.
Known anchoring systems can be difficult to put in place during the prefabrication of the concrete panels. Moreover, when made of steel wire, they are subject to oxidation, especially because of the humidity of the earth that contacts the anchoring systems when the stabilized earth structure is in place.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIt is an aim of the present invention that of providing an anchoring system and anchoring devices to anchor concrete panels in a stabilized earth structure with improved characteristics, performance, ease of use and simplicity with respect to the known art. This and other objects are achieved by an anchoring system and anchoring devices having the features set forth in the appended claims.
Further characteristics and advantages will become more evident from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, given by way of non-limiting example, for the purpose of explaining the principles of the present invention, with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:
The earth is stabilized by a plurality of elongate stabilizing elements 12 extending rearwardly from the facing F of the structure into an earth mass. In the example of
More in detail, each connector member 15 projects from a rear face 16 of the panels 10 opposite to a front face 17, which contributes to form part of the actual facing F of the stabilized earth structure E, that is, the side which remains most often visible upon completion of the work.
As shown in better detail in
The attachment loop 20 is mounted to the stiff saddle element 21 made of plastic (preferably polypropylene) which is better illustrated in
On the concave part of the arc-shaped supporting wall 22 a reinforced thick wall 25 has a substantially flat portion 26 and rounded sides 27. Also on the concave part of the saddle element 21 a plurality of ridges 29 are provided at its edges 28.
In use, a connector member 15 is made by assembling an attachment loop 20 and a saddle element 21, by introducing the saddle element 21 inside the attachment loop 20 so that part of it rests on the arc-shaped supporting wall 22, between the two lateral shoulders 24. When concrete panels 10 are cast, using a concrete mixture poured in a die, the desired number of connector members 15 is partly immersed in the fluid concrete mixture, in the desired position on the back of the panels, to the extent that the edges 28 of the saddle element 21 are immersed in the concrete but sufficient clearance is left between the thick wall 25 and the concrete surface. This can be simply accomplished by a person holding the connector member 15 with a hand around the thick wall 25 and pushing the connector member 15 into the concrete mixture until knuckles of the hand are about to touch or touching the concrete mixture. This provides for ease of manufacture of the panels 10 comprising the connector of the present invention.
The panels manufactured in this manner can then be used to build an earth reinforcing structure as described above, with a plurality of panels placed one next to the other and with stabilizing elements 12 extending into the earth and connected to the panels via the connector members 15.
The connection member of the present invention has an increased resistance, thanks to the saddle element 21 that distributes on the whole connector member 15 the force applied by the stabilizing elements 12.
Naturally, the principle of the invention remaining the same, the specific features and the embodiments of the invention can be varied without departing from what has been described and illustrated.
Claims
1. An anchoring system for concrete panels in a stabilized earth structure, comprising at least one connector member for projecting from a rear face of a panel, the connector member being formed by an attachment loop and a saddle element assembled together.
2. A connector member for an anchoring system in a stabilized earth structure comprising an attachment loop and a saddle element assembled together.
3. The connector member according to claim 2, wherein the attachment loop is made of a polymer strip rolled up.
4. The connector member according to claim 3, wherein the attachment loop is made of a polymer strip rolled up at least four times.
5. The connector member according to claim 3, wherein the polymer strip is made of discrete bundles of high strength synthetic fibers enclosed in a polymeric sheath.
6. The connector member according to claim 2, wherein the saddle element comprises a substantially arc-shaped supporting wall.
7. The connector member according to claim 6, wherein the substantially arc-shaped supporting wall includes a number of cavities.
8. The connector member according to claim 6, wherein the saddle element comprises two lateral shoulders to retain the attachment loop within a boundary of the arc-shaped supporting wall.
9. The connector member according to claim 6 wherein a plurality of ridges are provided on the saddle element.
10. The connector member according to claim 6, wherein the saddle element is made of plastic.
11. The connector member according to claim 10, wherein the saddle element is made of polypropylene.
12. A concrete panel anchoring assembly comprising:
- a concrete panel having a rear face; and
- a connector member projecting from the rear face of the concrete panel, the connector member including an attachment loop and a saddle element assembled together.
13. The concrete panel anchoring assembly according to claim 12, wherein the attachment loop is made of a polymer strip rolled up.
14. The concrete panel anchoring assembly according to claim 13, wherein the attachment loop is made of a polymer strip rolled up at least four times.
15. The concrete panel anchoring assembly according to claim 13, wherein the polymer strip is made of discrete bundles of high strength synthetic fibers enclosed in a polymeric sheath.
16. The concrete panel anchoring assembly according to claim 12, wherein the saddle element comprises a substantially arc-shaped supporting wall.
17. The concrete panel anchoring assembly according to claim 16, wherein the saddle element comprises two lateral shoulders to retain the attachment loop within a boundary of the arc-shaped supporting wall.
18. The concrete panel anchoring assembly according to claim 17 wherein the substantially arc-shaped supporting wall includes a number of cavities,
19. The concrete panel anchoring assembly according to claim 16, wherein the saddle element is made of plastic.
20. The concrete panel anchoring assembly according to claim 18, wherein the saddle element is made of polypropylene.
Type: Application
Filed: May 24, 2013
Publication Date: Nov 27, 2014
Inventor: Francesco FERRAIOLO (Bologna)
Application Number: 13/902,305
International Classification: E04B 1/41 (20060101); E04C 2/04 (20060101);