Retaining wall with rear pin system

Abstract

A retaining wall has a plurality of tiers. Each tier has a plurality of blocks. At least one pin passes through each block of at least a first tier and extends into material being retained behind at least a portion of a second tier that underlies the first tier.

1 . A retaining wall, comprising:
 plurality of tiers, each tier comprising a plurality of blocks;   wherein at least one pin passes through each block of at least a first tier and extends into material being retained behind at least a portion of a second tier that underlies the first tier.   
   
   
       2 . The retaining wall of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one pin extends into the material being retained behind the second tier without passing through or extending into any portion of any of the blocks of the second tier. 
   
   
       3 . The retaining wall of  claim 1 , wherein the blocks of the first tier are in direct contact with the blocks of the second tier. 
   
   
       4 . The retaining wall of  claim 1 , wherein a first portion of a grid is interposed between the blocks of the first tier and the blocks of the second tier, wherein the at least one pin that passes through each block of at least the first tier passes through a second portion of the grid, and wherein a third portion of the grid extends between layers of the material being retained. 
   
   
       5 . The retaining wall of  claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the grid is interposed between the first and third portions. 
   
   
       6 . The retaining wall of  claim 1 , wherein the second tier forms a base of the retaining wall. 
   
   
       7 . The retaining wall of  claim 1 , wherein at least one pin passes through each block of the second tier and extends into the material being retained behind at least a portion of a third tier that underlies the second tier. 
   
   
       8 . The retaining wall of  claim 1 , wherein each pin passes through a respective block adjacent a rear surface of that block that is in contact with the material being retained. 
   
   
       9 . The retaining wall of  claim 8 , wherein a distance between each pin and the rear surface of the respective block is less than a distance between that pin and a front surface of the respective block that forms a portion of an exposed face of the retaining wall. 
   
   
       10 . A retaining wall, comprising:
 plurality of tiers stacked one atop the other, each tier comprising a plurality of blocks;   wherein at least one first pin passes through each block of a first tier and extends directly into material being retained behind a rear surface of a block of a second tier that underlies that block of the first tier;   wherein at least one second pin passes through each block of the second tier and extends directly into the material being retained behind a rear surface of a block of a third tier that underlies that block of the second tier; and   wherein the second tier is interposed between the first and third tiers.   
   
   
       11 . The retaining wall of  claim 10 , wherein the blocks of the first tier are in direct contact with the blocks of the second tier and the blocks of the third tier are also in direct contact with the blocks of the second tier. 
   
   
       12 . The retaining wall of  claim 10 , wherein a first portion of an anchoring grid is interposed between the blocks of the first tier and the blocks of the second tier, wherein each first pin further passes through a second portion anchoring grid, and wherein a third portion of the anchoring grid extends between layers of the material being retained. 
   
   
       13 . The retaining wall of  claim 12 , wherein the blocks of the third tier are in direct contact with the blocks of the second tier. 
   
   
       14 . The retaining wall of  claim 10 , wherein the third tier forms a base of the retaining wall. 
   
   
       15 . The retaining wall of  claim 10 , wherein a head of the second pin passing through each block of the second tier directly underlies a portion of a block of the first tier. 
   
   
       16 . A method of forming a retaining wall, comprising:
 passing a first pin though at least one hole that passes completely through each first block of a plurality of first blocks of a first tier of the retaining wall so that the pin extends directly into material being retained that directly underlies a portion of that first block through which the at least one hole passes;   positioning a plurality of second blocks of a second tier of the retaining wall overlying the plurality of first blocks so that at least one hole passing completely through each of the second blocks is aligned with the material being retained that lies behind the first block which that second block overlies; and   passing a second pin through the at least one hole passing completely through each of the second blocks so that the second pin extends into the material being retained that lies behind the first block which that second block overlies.   
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprises before passing the first pin though the at least one hole that passes completely through each first block of the plurality of first blocks of the first tier:
 forming a base tier of third blocks; and   positioning the plurality of first blocks overlying the plurality of third blocks so that the at least one hole passing completely through each first block is aligned with the material being retained that directly underlies the portion of that first block through which the at least one hole passes, wherein the material being retained that directly underlies the portion of that first block through which the at least one hole passes lies behind the third block which that first block overlies.   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein a portion of each second block is in contact with the first block that that second block overlies. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein positioning a plurality of second blocks of a second tier of the retaining wall overlying the plurality of first blocks comprises positioning a portion of each second block directly overlying a head of a first pin. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 16  further comprises interposing an anchoring grid between the plurality of first blocks of the first tier and the plurality of second blocks of the second tier. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20  further comprises passing each first pin through an aperture in the anchoring grid that is aligned with the hole through which that first pin is passed. 
   
   
       22 . A method of forming a retaining wall, comprising:
 forming a base tier of first blocks; and   forming a plurality of tiers of second blocks overlying the base tier, wherein forming each tier of second blocks comprises:
 passing a pin completely through each second block so that the pin extends from a portion of that second block into material being retained that underlies the portion of that second block from which the pin extends. 
   
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the material being retained that directly underlies the portion of each second block of a first tier of second blocks from which a pin extends lies behind a second block of a second tier of second blocks that underlies the first tier of second blocks. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein each pin passes completely through a first portion of an anchoring grid before passing into the material being retained that directly underlies the portion of that second block from which the pin extends. 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein a second portion of the anchoring grid is interposed between a first tier of second blocks and a second tier of second blocks underlying the first tier of second blocks, wherein a third portion of the anchoring grid is interposed between layers of the material being retained, and wherein the first portion of the anchoring grid is interposed between the second and third portions of the anchoring grid.