Seawall connector for attachment of geogrid material

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for joining and supporting adjacent sheet pile panels for the construction of wall structures. A connection beam is provided with male and female connectors to attach to the male and female connectors of sheet pile panels. The connection beams allow for connection of a geogrid thereto. The geogrid is secured to the connection beams with a connection rod. Each connection beam has an extension that is provided with at least one through hole for receiving the connection rod. The geogrid is then buried under the backfill of the retaining wall. The backfilled grids, which are attached to the connection beams, support and prevent deflection of the sheet pile panels of the retaining wall.

1 . A system for joining and supporting sheet pile panels so that the sheet pile panels can form a wall structure, the system comprising:
 at least two connection beams, a connection rod, a geogrid secured on or about the connection rod, wherein the geogrid is a planar mat made of plastic for supporting the connection beams when secured thereto, wherein each connection beam has a through hole which is capable of receiving the connection rod, wherein each of the connection beams has a male and a female connector, wherein the extension of each connection beam has a terminal end with a profile portion thereon, wherein the profile is selected from the group consisting of “T” shaped, “U” shaped, diamond shaped, “T” shaped where the top surface of cross bar is crowned, ring shaped, or a rectangular shape with a rectangular through hole therein, and wherein the profile of each connection beam is substantially “T” shaped in section where the section is taken perpendicular to the extension and in the plane that is parallel to each of an upper and lower end surface of the beam.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the male and female connectors is joined to a central section of the connection beam by a joining member such that the male and female members are spaced from the central section by the joining member. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the male profile is joined to a central section of the beam by a joining member and the female member is joined directly to the central section of the beam so that the male profile is spaced from the central section and the female connector is not spaced from the central section of the beam. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein each of the male and female profiles extends to an upper and to a lower terminal of their respective connection beams. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein each of the male and female profiles extends to an upper and to a lower terminal of their respective connection beams. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein each connection beam is made from a material selected from the group consisting of plastic, fiber reinforced plastic, polyvinylchloride, steel, or aluminum. 
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the connection beam is made from a material selected from the group consisting of plastic, fiber reinforced plastic, polyvinylchloride, steel, or aluminum. 
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the connection rod has a first end and a second end, the first end has male threads and the second end has female threads where the female threads of one connection rod are capable of receiving the male threads of another connection rod. 
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the connection rod has a first end and a second end, the first end has male threads and the second end has female threads where the female threads of one connection rod are capable of receiving the male threads of another connection rod. 
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 8 , including at least one sheet pile panel, wherein each of the at least one sheet pile panels has two connectors secured thereon, wherein one of the connectors is a male connector which is capable of securing to any of the female connectors on the at least two connection beams and the other connector is a female connector which is capable of securing to any of the male connectors of the at least two connection beams. 
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 9 , including at least one sheet pile panel, wherein each of the at least one sheet pile panels has two connectors secured thereon, wherein one of the connectors is a male connector which is capable of securing to any of the female connectors on the at least two connection beams and the other connector is a female connector which is capable of securing to any of the male connectors of the at least two connection beams. 
   
   
       12 . A method of joining and supporting sheet pile panels, the method comprising:
 providing at least two connection beams, wherein each connection beam has a male and a female connector thereon, said beam having an extension thereon, said extension having a width, a height and a thickness, wherein the height is greater than its width, and the width is greater than its thickness,   providing at least one sheet pile panel,   providing at least one connection rod,   providing at least one geogrid,   driving a first connection beam into the ground,   connecting a first of the at least one sheet pile panel to the first connection beam and driving the sheet pile panel into the ground,   connecting the a second of least two connection beams to first sheet pile panel and driving the second connection beam into the ground,   drilling a through hole in the extension of each of the at least first and second connection beams after the beams have been driven into the ground,   installing the connection rod in the through holes,   securing the geogrid to the connection rod, wherein the geogrid is a plurality of modular mats wherein each mat is secured to at least one adjacent mat,   burying the geogrid such that the geogrid supports the at least one sheet pile panel.   
   
   
       13 . A method of joining and supporting sheet pile panels, the method comprising:
 providing at least two connection beams, wherein each connection beam has a male and a female connector thereon, said beam having an extension thereon, said extension having a width, a height and a thickness, wherein the height is greater than its width, and the width is greater than its thickness,   providing at least one sheet pile panel,   providing at least one connection rod,   providing at least one geogrid,   driving a first of the at least one sheet pile panels into the ground,   connecting a first of the at least two connection beams to the first sheet pile panel and driving the first connection beam into the ground,   connecting the a second of least two connection beams to first sheet pile panel and driving the second connection beam into the ground,   drilling a through hole in the extension of each of the at least first and second connection beams after the beams have been driven into the ground,   installing the connection rod in the through holes,   securing the geogrid to the connection rod, wherein the geogrid is a plurality of modular mats wherein each mat is secured to at least one adjacent mat,   burying the geogrid such that the geogrid supports the at least one sheet pile panel.   
   
   
       14 . A connection beam for connection adjacent sheet pile panels, the connection beam comprising:
 an elongated member having upper and lower distal ends, a connection portion, said connection portion having male and female connectors formed therein, wherein each the male and female connectors extends to the upper and lower distal ends, an extension portion extending away from said connection portion to a profiled portion on the terminal end of the extension portion, the extension portion extending from to the upper and lower terminal ends, wherein the extension portion has a width between the upper and lower terminal ends which is greater than a thickness of the extension, wherein the profiled portion extends from to the upper and lower terminal ends   
   
   
       15 . The connection beam of  claim 14 , wherein the connection beam is made from a material selected from the group consisting of plastic, fiber reinforced plastic, polyvinylchloride, steel, or aluminum. 
   
   
       16 . The connection beam of  claim 14 , wherein the extension has at least one through hole therein. 
   
   
       17 . The connection beam of  claim 14 , wherein the extension has a plurality of through holes therein. 
   
   
       18 . The connection beam of  claim 16 , wherein the connection portion has a central section joined to the extension and each of the male and female connectors is joined to the central section by a joining member such that the male and female members are spaced from the central section by the joining member. 
   
   
       19 . The connection beam of  claim 17 , wherein the connection portion has a central section joined to the extension and each of the male and female connectors is joined to a central section of the beam by a joining member such that the male and female members are spaced from the central section by the joining member. 
   
   
       20 . The connection beam of  claim 17 , wherein the connection portion has a central section joined to the extension, the male profile is joined to the central section by a joining member and the female member is joined directly to the central section so that the male profile is spaced from the central section and the female connector is not spaced from the central section. 
   
   
       21 . The connection beam of  claim 18 , wherein the profile of the profiled portion is selected from the group consisting of “T” shaped, “U” shaped, diamond shaped, “T” shaped where the top surface of cross bar is crowned, ring shaped, or a rectangular shape with a rectangular through hole therein. 
   
   
       22 . The connection beam of  claim 19 , wherein the profile of the profiled portion is selected from the group consisting of “T” shaped, “U” shaped, diamond shaped, “T” shaped where the top surface of cross bar is crowned, ring shaped, or a rectangular shape with a rectangular through hole therein. 
   
   
       23 . The connection beam of  claim 20 , wherein the profile of the profiled portion is selected from the group consisting of “T” shaped, “U” shaped, diamond shaped, “T” shaped where the top surface of cross bar is crowned, ring shaped, or a rectangular shape with a rectangular through hole therein.