Pilaster repair device and method for repairing seawalls

Abstract

A seawall pilaster repair device and method of use, the device having a front plate, two sides with a flange extending from each side, an open top and bottom, the sides extending perpendicular from each flange to connect to the front plate thereby forming an open area between the plates and any surface to which the device is attached. A gasket may be utilized between the flange and the seawall to prevent cementitious material from extruding from the plate during injection.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A device for repairing pilasters in seawalls, comprising:
 a front plate, two side plates, a flange extending from each side plate, a top and a bottom, said two side plates extending perpendicularly from each flange to connect to the front plate to form an open area between the front plate, side plates and a surface of the seawall to which the flanges are attached, said flanges having at least one hole in each flange for inserting means for attachment to the seawall, the front plate being dimensioned so as to extend beyond a front face of a top slab of the seawall by an amount sufficient to form an upper fill port between an inner surface of the device and the top slab to permit cementitious material to be poured into the upper fill port to fill a gap defined between the inner surface of the device and the native pilaster.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the front plate is outwardly bowed. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the means for attaching the flanges to a seawall comprise stainless steel expanding sleeve anchors. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3 , being formed of fiberglass. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , further comprising a gasket placed between the flanges and the seawall prior to inserting the means for attachment into the at least one hole in each flange. 
     
     
         6 . A method of repairing a pilaster in a seawall using a device having a front plate, two side plates, a flange extending from each side, a top and a bottom, said sides extending perpendicular from each flange to form an open area between the front plate, the two side plates and any surface to which the flanges are attached, said flanges having at least one hole for inserting means for attachment to the seawall, said method comprising the steps of:
 a. disposing the device over the pilaster such that the front plate extends at least partially beyond a top slab at the top of the seawall to define a gap between an inner surface of the front plate and an outwardly disposed face of the upper slab, the gap being sufficient to pour cementitious material into;   b. attaching the device over the pilaster by inserting the means for attachment into at least one hole in the flanges to secure the device to the seawall; and   c. pouring cementitious material into the at least one port to fill the interior space between the front plate, sideplates and seawall.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the attachment means of the device for insertion into the holes in the flanges consist of stainless steel expanding sleeve anchors. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the device is formed of fiberglass. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6  further comprising a step before ‘step a’ of placing a gasket between the flanges and the seawall prior to attachment of the device to the seawall. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising bolting reinforcing material to the pilaster prior to attaching the device to the seawall.