阅读说明：本技术 制造用于加筋土结构的饰面元件的方法 (Method for producing a facing element for a reinforced earth structure ) 是由 亚西内·贝娜尼·布拉奥利 马西厄·阿雷西 于 2018-10-15 设计创作，主要内容包括：空隙形成器布置在模具(30)中。所述空隙形成器包含由柔性材料制成的插入件(1),所述插入件围绕所述模具内的核心区(15)形成环路。将浇注材料以液态添加到所述模具中,以便填充包含所述核心区的所述饰面元件的预定体积。在所述浇铸材料硬化之后,将所述饰面元件(10)从所述模具中移除,并且将所述空隙形成器从所述饰面元件中移除。所述饰面元件包括由所述核心区中(15)的所述硬化浇注材料形成的锚固核心。移除所述空隙形成器包括将所述插入件(1)从所述饰面元件(10)的后表面拉开。当拉动所述至少一个插入件时,所述至少一个插入件的所述柔性材料围绕所述锚固核心(15)变形。(The void former is arranged in a mold (30). The void former comprises an insert (1) made of a flexible material, the insert forming a loop around a core region (15) within the mould. Adding a casting material in a liquid state into the mold so as to fill a predetermined volume of the veneer element comprising the core region. After the casting material has hardened, the facing element (10) is removed from the mould and the void former is removed from the facing element. The veneer element comprises an anchoring core formed by the hardened casting material in the core area (15). Removing the void former comprises pulling the insert (1) away from the rear surface of the facing element (10). The flexible material of the at least one insert deforms around the anchoring core (15) when the at least one insert is pulled.)

1. A method of manufacturing a facing element (10) for a reinforced earth structure (100), the method comprising:

arranging a void former in a mould (30), the void former comprising at least one insert (1) made of a flexible material, wherein the at least one insert forms a loop around a core region within the mould;

adding a casting material in a liquid state into the mold such that the casting material fills a predetermined volume of the veneer element, the predetermined volume including the core region;

Hardening the casting material to form the veneer element (10); and

removing the facing element from the mold, and removing the void former from the facing element,

wherein the veneer element comprises an anchoring core (15) formed by the hardened casting material in the core area,

and wherein removing the void former comprises pulling the at least one insert (1) away from a rear surface (13) of the facing element (10), the flexible material of the at least one insert deforming around the anchor core (15) when the at least one insert is pulled.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second light sources are selected from the group consisting of,

characterized in that the anchoring core (15) has a load transfer surface (15A) arranged in contact with a loop section (11A) of a reinforcing member (11) of the reinforced earth structure (100) such that on both sides of the loop section the reinforcing member is not in contact with the anchoring core and comprises two respective tightening sections (11B, 11C) protruding from the rear surface (13) of the facing element (10),

and wherein, when a casting material is added and allowed to harden, a single insert of the void former made of a flexible material extends continuously along the load transferring surface of the anchor core.

3. The method according to any one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that the facing element (10) has a channel (20) surrounding the anchoring core (15), which channel is shaped by the void former and opens out on the rear surface (13) of the facing element,

and wherein the portion (18) of the channel located on the front side of the anchoring core has a constant cross-section.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first and second light sources are selected from the group consisting of,

characterized in that said portion (18) of constant cross section of said channel (20) extends over more than half the length of said channel.

5. The method of any one of claims 1 to 2,

characterized in that the at least one insert (1) of the void former has a first end (2), a second end (3) opposite the first end, and a thickness that decreases from the first end (2) to the second end (3),

and wherein the at least one insert (1) is pulled away from the rear surface (13) of the veneer element (10) by the first end (2).

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that the at least one insert (1) of the gap former has an internal armature (6).

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that a tubular member (70) is disposed in the mould (30) around the core region, the tubular member being surrounded by the loop formed by the at least one insert (71).

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first and second light sources are selected from the group consisting of,

characterised in that the void former further comprises a support structure (72) to accommodate the tubular member (70) and the at least one insert (71) in position within the mould.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first and second light sources are selected from the group consisting of,

characterized in that said at least one insert of the void former comprises at least one flexible strip (71) held between the tubular member (70) and the inner surface of the support structure (72).

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that said at least one insert (1) made of flexible material is hollow,

wherein arranging the void former in the mold comprises injecting a fluid medium under pressure into the at least one insert,

and wherein removing the void former comprises relieving pressure in the at least one insert of the void former.

11. The method according to any one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that the insert (1) of the void former made of flexible material has ends (2, 3) provided with a first connector part (41),

wherein a second connector part (42; 43; 44) cooperates with the first connector part (41) to hold the insert (1) in place in the mould (30) around the core area when casting material is added and allowed to harden,

and wherein removing the void former comprises separating the first and second connector members from one another.

12. The method according to any one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that the void former comprises an insert (1) made of flexible material having first and second ends (2, 3) and a thickness decreasing from the first end (2) to the second end (3),

wherein arranging the void former in the mould (30) comprises disposing the first and second ends (2, 3) of the insert adjacent to a surface of the mould (30) that mates with the rear surface (13) of the veneer element to form the loop around the core region,

And wherein removing the void former comprises pulling the insert away from a rear surface (13) by the first end (3) of the insert (1).

13. The method according to any one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that said at least one insert (1A, 1B) of the void former comprises a plurality of superimposed layers (60A, 60B) of flexible material.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first and second light sources are selected from the group consisting of,

characterized in that the facing element (10) has a channel surrounding the anchoring core (15), said channel being shaped by the void former and having first and second openings (21, 22) on the rear surface of the facing element,

and wherein the plurality of superimposed layers of flexible material comprises at least one layer (60A) that is pulled out of the first opening (21) of the channel (20) when the void former is removed, and at least one layer (60B) that is pulled out of the second opening (22) of the channel when the void former is removed.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first and second light sources are selected from the group consisting of,

characterized in that the layer (60A) of flexible material drawn from the first opening (21) has a thickness that decreases from the first opening towards its distal end, while the layer (60B) of flexible material drawn from the second opening (22) has a thickness that decreases from the second opening towards its distal end, so that at least a portion of the channel (20) has a constant cross-section.

Background

The stabilized soil structure combines a compact backfill, a facing made of a plurality of facing elements, and a reinforcement by attachment to the rear side of the facing elements. The reinforcement is placed in a tight backfill having a density that depends on the stresses that may be applied to the reinforced earth structure. The thrust in the soil is balanced by friction between the reinforcement and the backfill.

Facing elements for reinforced earth structures are typically in the form of precast concrete panels or blocks and are arranged to cover the front face of the structure.

The reinforcement may take the form of a strip placed in the backfill. The reinforcement is fixed to the facing element by means of anchoring elements which may take several forms. For example, the anchoring element may be a substantially C-shaped hollow bend or channel formed in the body of the facing element and surrounding the anchoring core. The reinforcement is then introduced inside the channel of the facing element to form a loop around the anchor core.

After the reinforced earth structure is completed, the reinforcement will transmit high loads, in some cases up to several tons. The attachment of the reinforcing member to the facing element must be secure to maintain the structural cohesion.

Manufacturing the anchoring elements in the facing elements involves the use of a void former inserted into a mold that provides the shape of the facing element. Concrete or some other casting material is poured into the mold to fill the predetermined volume, excluding the volume occupied by the void former. After the casting material has hardened, this produces a channel which forms the anchoring element.

EP 2372027 a1 discusses the geometry of the channels formed in the back face of the facing element, which improves the stability of the anchoring element to the load applied by the reinforcing strip.

In EP 1662050B 1 and WO 2017/006043 a1, the void former is a hollow plastic sleeve placed in a mould which remains embedded in the concrete after it has hardened. Such sleeves can affect the cost of manufacturing the veneer element because they cannot be removed for use multiple times. Also, if some of the casting material accidentally enters the sleeve, the veneer element will not be usable.

US 5651911 a and US 7127859B 2 disclose removable inserts to form a channel around a steel anchor in the prefabrication of concrete elements. However, in reinforced earth applications, the use of metal parts should be avoided as much as possible, since corrosion of the metal parts may occur. When the anchoring core is made of concrete, the cross section of the anchoring core must be large in order that it can withstand the high tensile loads exerted by the reinforcement, so that the removable inserts disclosed in these two documents cannot be used.

US 5839855 a and EP 2850251B 1 disclose void formers comprising two halves made of a rigid material, which are joined together when the facing element is cast and then broken apart, rotated and removed after the concrete has hardened. The void former forms a channel around a concrete core cast with the facing elements. Each half has a varying cross-section to gradually enlarge the cross-section of the channel towards the rear side of the facing element to allow removal of the void former after the concrete has hardened. A disadvantage of this casting assembly is that it can produce parting lines or other surface imperfections on the anchor core at the joints between the two halves of the void former. Such defects can create friction that can damage the reinforcement over time. The manufacture of the veneer element according to EP 2850251B 1 may remain expensive, since the mounting and dismounting of the casting assembly requires several steps to connect/disconnect the two parts and remove them from the channel.

There is a need to provide a simpler and more reliable solution for manufacturing anchoring elements for use in facing elements in reinforced earth structures.

Disclosure of Invention

A method of manufacturing a facing element for a reinforced earth structure is disclosed. The method comprises the following steps:

-arranging a void former in a mould, the void former comprising at least one insert made of a flexible material, wherein the at least one insert forms a loop around a core region within the mould;

-adding a casting material in a liquid state into the mould such that the casting material fills a predetermined volume of the veneer element comprising the core area;

-hardening the casting material to form the veneer element; and

-removing the facing element from the mould and removing the void former from the facing element.

The veneer element includes an anchor core formed of a hardened casting material in the core region. Removing the void former includes pulling at least one insert away from the rear surface of the facing element, the flexible material of the at least one insert deforming around the anchor core as the at least one insert is pulled.

The shape of the channel receiving the reinforcement member of the reinforced earth structure is defined by the flexible insert of the moulded anchoring core and can be easily removed to be reused, if necessary, for making another facing element. When the void former is removed, the flexible insert is simply pulled in a belt form and deformed.

The anchor core may have a load transferring surface arranged to be in contact with a loop section of a reinforcement member of the reinforced earth structure, such that on both sides of said loop section, the reinforcement member is not in contact with the anchor core and comprises two respective tightening sections protruding from the rear surface of the facing element. Advantageously, in this arrangement, a single insert of the void former made of flexible material may extend continuously along the load transferring surface of the anchor core when the casting material is added and allowed to harden.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a reinforced earth structure including a facing element having a reinforcement connected to the facing element;

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a veneer element and its anchoring core;

FIGS. 3a and 3b are schematic cross-sectional and perspective views of a flexible insert useful in embodiments of the present invention;

FIGS. 4 to 6 are schematic cross-sectional views of other examples of the flexible insert;

figures 7 to 8 are schematic cross-sectional views of void formers according to further embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another example of a flexible insert.

FIGS. 10 through 11 are schematic cross-sectional and perspective views of a flexible insert useful in another embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 12 to 15 are schematic cross-sectional views of alternative void formers; and

fig. 16a and 16b are schematic diagrams of another example of a void former, according to an embodiment of the invention.

For purposes of clarity, the dimensions of features shown in the figures may not necessarily correspond to the actual size ratios of the corresponding elements. Like reference numbers on the drawings correspond to like elements or items.

In an embodiment, the facing element has a channel surrounding the anchor core, said channel being shaped by the void former and opening out on the rear surface of the facing element, and the portion of the channel located on the front side of the anchor core has a constant cross-section. The portion of the channel having a constant cross-section may extend over more than half the length of the channel.

Alternatively, at least one insert of the void former has a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and a thickness that decreases from the first end to the second end. Pulling the at least one insert away from the rear surface of the veneer element through the first end.

In an embodiment, at least one insert of the void former has an internal armature.

In an embodiment, a tubular member is disposed in the mold around the core region, the tubular member being surrounded by a loop formed by the at least one insert. The void former may also include a support structure to accommodate the tubular member and the at least one insert in position within the mold. The at least one insert of the void former may comprise at least one flexible strip retained between the tubular member and an inner surface of the support structure.

In an embodiment, the at least one insert made of flexible material is hollow, arranging the void former in the mold comprises injecting a fluid medium under pressure into the at least one insert, and removing the void former comprises releasing the pressure in the at least one insert of the void former.

In an embodiment, the insert of the void former made of flexible material has an end provided with a first connector part, the second connector part cooperates with the first connector part to hold the insert in place in the mould around the core area when the casting material is added and allowed to harden, and removing the void former comprises separating the first connector part and the second connector part from each other.

When the void former comprises one insert made of a flexible material, the insert may have first and second ends and a thickness that decreases from the first end to the second end. Disposing the void former in a mold may then include disposing both the first and second ends of the insert adjacent to a surface of the mold that mates with a back surface of a facing element to form a loop around a core region. Removal of the void former is then facilitated by pulling the insert away from the rear surface via the first end of the insert.

In an embodiment of the method, at least one insert of the void former comprises a plurality of superimposed layers of flexible material. A facing element has a channel around an anchor core, the channel being shaped by the void former and having first and second openings on a rear surface of the facing element, a plurality of superimposed layers of flexible material may include at least one layer that is pulled from the first opening of the channel when the void former is removed, and at least one layer that is pulled from the second opening of the channel when the void former is removed. The layer of flexible material drawn from the first opening may have a thickness that decreases from the first opening toward its distal end, while the layer of flexible material drawn from the second opening has a thickness that decreases from the second opening toward its distal end, such that at least a portion of the channel has a constant cross-section.

Other features and advantages of the methods and apparatus disclosed herein will become apparent from the following description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.