Sand and soil internal reinforcement system

Abstract

A sand and soil internal reinforcement system including a plurality of individual modules removably connectable together act to reinforce sand and/or soil against shifting caused by erosive forces such as water and wind in high energy environments such as coastal beaches and watershed areas which produce large volumes of runoff or in hill sides subject to sliding due to ground water hydrostatic pressure. The modules include a cell having a front panel, rearward extending side walls which are held together by an open soil ballast and anchor membrane, and a refractor panel. Fill placed on top of the ballast and anchor membrane provides structural stability for each individual module independent of other adjoining modules of the reinforcement system. The interface established between adjacent modules requires no supplemental coupling devices, such as shear and alignment pins, to removably secure them together.

1 . A sand and/or soil internal reinforcement system comprising a plurality of modules selectable arranged and removably interlocked with one another, wherein two or more of the modules each includes:
 a. a front panel;   b. a first side panel joined to the front panel, wherein the first side panel includes a receiving port of selectable configuration;   c. a second side panel joined to the front panel and spaced from the first side panel by the front panel, wherein the second side panel includes a protrusion configured to match substantially the configuration of the receiving port of the first side panel; and   d. a bottom ballast and anchor membrane joined to the first side panel and the second side panel, further spacing the first side panel from the second side panel, wherein the internal reinforcement system is established by inserting the protrusion of one or more modules into the receiving port of one or more adjacent modules and filling one or more modules with fill placed on the bottom ballast and anchor membrane.   
   
   
       2 . The system as claimed in  claim 1  further comprising a refractor panel located on the front panel, wherein the refractor panel is arranged to refract erosive forces. 
   
   
       3 . The system as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the refractor panel includes one or more angled recesses in order to further divide erosive forces applied to the refractor panel. 
   
   
       4 . The system as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the refractor panel further includes beveled edges to redirect scouring forces in an upward and sideway direction. 
   
   
       5 . The system as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the angled recesses are angled rearwardly from a perimeter frame of the refractor panel. 
   
   
       6 . The system as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the refractor panel is coated with a friction-reducing coating selected to resist scouring forces and atmospheric corrosive elements. 
   
   
       7 . The system as claimed in  claim 2  wherein the face of the refractor panel includes a scouring lip. 
   
   
       8 . The system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the plurality of modules are oriented in a multi-tiered arrangement. 
   
   
       9 . The system as claimed in  claim 5  wherein one of the tiers of the multi-tiered arrangement is an anchor row positionable below the grade of the area where sand and/or soil is to be reinforced. 
   
   
       10 . The system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the receiving port of the first side panel is configured as a half-round tapered opening and the protrusion of the second side panel is configured as a half-round tapered extension. 
   
   
       11 . The system as claimed in  claim 10  wherein the dimensions of the half-round tapered opening are greater than the dimensions of the half-round tapered extension. 
   
   
       12 . The system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein each of the first side panel and the second side panel includes a notch at a top surface thereof, wherein the notch is configured to receive therein a bottom flange of the front panel and determines the angle of repose of a frontal face of the multi-tiered arrangement. 
   
   
       13 . The system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the bottom ballast membrane includes a fill opening arranged to permit fill to pass therethrough to form an uninterrupted vertical column of sand and/or soil. 
   
   
       14 . The system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein one or more portions of the module are made of non-metallic material. 
   
   
       15 . The system as claimed in  claim 14  wherein the non-metallic material is a geo-synthetic polymer. 
   
   
       16 . A module suitable to facilitate the internal reinforcement of sand or soil located in an erosive environment, the module comprising:
 a. a front panel;   b. a first side panel joined to the front panel, wherein the first side panel includes a receiving port of selectable configuration;   c. a second side panel joined to the front panel and spaced from the first side panel by the front panel, wherein the second side panel includes a protrusion configured to match substantially the configuration of the receiving port of the first side panel; and   d. a bottom ballast and anchor membrane joined to the first side panel and the second side panel, further spacing the first side panel from the second side panel.   
   
   
       17 . The module as claimed in  claim 16  further comprising a refractor panel located on the front panel, wherein the refractor panel is arranged to refract erosive forces. 
   
   
       18 . The module as claimed in  claim 17  wherein the refractor panel includes one or more angled recesses in order to further divide erosive forces applied to the refractor panel. 
   
   
       19 . The module as claimed in  claim 18  wherein the refractor panel further includes beveled edges to redirect scouring forces in an upward and sideway direction. 
   
   
       20 . The module as claimed in  claim 18  wherein the angled recesses are angled rearwardly from a perimeter frame of the refractor panel. 
   
   
       21 . The system as claimed in  claim 17  wherein the refractor panel is coated with a friction-reducing coating selected to resist scouring forces and atmospheric corrosive elements. 
   
   
       22 . The module as claimed in  claim 17  wherein the refractor panel includes a scouring lip. 
   
   
       23 . The module as claimed in  claim 16  wherein the receiving port of the first side panel is configured as a half-round tapered opening and the protrusion of the second side panel is configured as a half-round tapered extension. 
   
   
       24 . The module as claimed in  claim 23  wherein the dimensions of the half-round tapered opening are greater than the dimensions of the half-round tapered extension. 
   
   
       25 . The module as claimed in  claim 16  wherein each of the first side panel and the second side panel includes a notch at a top surface thereof, wherein the notch is configured to receive therein a bottom flange of the front panel. 
   
   
       26 . The module as claimed in  claim 16  wherein the bottom ballast and anchor membrane includes a fill opening. 
   
   
       27 . The module as claimed in  claim 16  wherein one or more portions of the module are made of non-metallic material. 
   
   
       28 . The module as claimed in  claim 27  wherein the non-metallic material is a geo-synthetic polymer.