Water-filled building block for temporary levee

Abstract

A hollow block in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped when filled with water, is joined with a plurality of similar water-filled blocks to form a flood barrier. Two opposite sides of each block have connection features that connect with features on the first and third sides of adjacent blocks to form a wall of connected blocks. Top and bottom walls of each block each have an inter-tier connection feature that mates with a block in each adjacent top or bottom wall. Each block includes on each of its top and bottom walls, inter-tier connection features structured to mate with an inter-tier connection feature of a similar block in the adjacent tier.

1 . A hollow block in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped to be filled with water, for joining with a plurality of with similar water-filled blocks to form a flood barrier, said block having first through fourth sides, a top, and a bottom, wherein the first and third sides have connection features that connect with features on the first and third sides of adjacent blocks to form a wall of connected blocks, and wherein the top and bottom of said block has an inter-tier connection feature suitable for mating with an inter-tier connection feature on the adjacent top or bottom of a similar block. 
     
     
         2 . The block of  claim 1 , including on its bottom, a plurality of inter-tier connection features, and the inter-tier connection feature in the block's top is structured to mate with an inter-tier connection feature of a similar block in an adjacent upper tier of a flood barrier. 
     
     
         3 . The block of  claim 2 , wherein an inter-tier connection feature of a block comprises a filler hole in the block's top. 
     
     
         4 . The block of  claim 2 , wherein the position of an inter-tier connection feature on a first block aligns with a similar adjacent second block at a position producing overlap of the first and second blocks that is greater than 50%. 
     
     
         5 . The block of  claim 4 , including a pin fitting in an inter-tier connection of each of the first and second blocks. 
     
     
         6 . The block of  claim 1 , wherein the second and fourth sides thereof have connection features that connect with features on the second and fourth sides of adjacent blocks to allow forming a wall of interlocked blocks comprising a plurality of rows of blocks. 
     
     
         7 . A plurality of the blocks of  claim 6  assembled into a wall, and having a plurality of tiers, each tier having a plurality of rows of blocks. 
     
     
         9 . The block of claim  8 , wherein the stiffening wall has an opening providing communication between spaces defined by the stiffening wall. 
     
     
         10 . The block of claim  8 , including a pair of internal stiffening walls extending between opposite sidewalls and to the top and bottom of the block. 
     
     
         11 . The block of  claim 1 , wherein two opposing sides each have a drain plug near the block bottom. 
     
     
         12 . The block of  claim 1 , including an internal stiffening wall extending between opposite sidewalls and to the top and bottom of the block.