The present invention relates to the field of soil reinforcement apparatus. More particularly, the invention relates to geotextile and geocell deployment apparatus and method, for use in construction and renewal of roadways, railways, airfield runways, building facilities, landscape development, and reinforcement of ravines and slopes.

Background of the Invention

A geocell mesh is an array of interconnected containment cells resembling a honeycomb structure that can be filled with infill, for use in applications to prevent erosion or provide lateral support, such as a gravity retaining wall for soil that is an alternative for a sandbag wall, and for roadway and railway foundations. The mesh is a three-dimensional structure with internal force vectors acting within each cell (interchangeably referred to as a "geocell") against all the walls.

The deployment of a three-dimensional geocell mesh involves the following steps:

- Preparing the construction site such as by ballast excavation, leveling, and compacting;

- Spreading sections of the mesh around the prepared site!

- Expanding and fixating the mesh sections to a desired width to form a three- dimensional cellular structure!

- Filling the cells with selected aggregate material, such as sand and ballast of broken stone and gravel;

- Leveling and compacting the filled material; and

- Applying over ground asphalt, concrete or any other coating. Currently, these steps are implemented manually or by a specialized road- building machine at the deployment site. The geocell mesh sections, which are provided in compressed rolled form on a roll or drum, are mounted on an accessory of a deployment machine or on a platform connected to the deployment machine. Soil reinforcement may be enhanced by the use of geotextiles, or permeable fabrics, which are also mounted on the deployment machine or on a platform connected thereto.

A manual geocell mesh deployment method is more prevalent, and is implemented as follows^

After surface preparation and deploying of the mesh rolls, workers mark the desired location of the geocell rows and drive anchorage stakes into the subground, e.g. every 0.5 meter, to fixate every second geocell in an expanded condition. After being driven, the stakes should not protrude above the geocells, e.g. for more than 10 mm. Because this operation is performed before expanding other geocells, the workers use a special template to indicate the exact location and height of the stakes. In order to manually expand the geocells, the workers take geocell strips, e.g. having a length of 3.5 m, and fixate the outer cells on the stakes. A later stretched section is connected a previously stretched section by staples.

RU 2476634 and RU 2477349 disclose a mechanized method for deploying the geocell mesh. The deployment machine is positioned at a deployment site after all previous operations have been completed. The mesh is manually or electrically unwound to a required length from the spool or drum, which is movably connected to railroad tracks. An expanding device receives the geocells, and has guides for straightening and expanding the geocells to a predetermined width. After several rows have been deployed, the expanded mesh is filled with aggregate material, which firmly fixes the geocells onto the underlying soil by the weight of the filling material. This process is continued until the mesh is completely fed to the deployment site, whereupon the spool or roll on which the geocells have been wound has to be replaced or replenished.

The disadvantages of this prior art mechanized method include the need to use complicated specialized equipment, as well as the complexity to uniformly distribute this material within the cells of the mesh, the high cost of the equipment and therefore low profitability when a relatively small mesh area is deployed. Additionally, the prior art method is not suitable for a site that is not accessible to railroad tracks, particularly for geocell deployment at a relatively small area. Moreover, the deployment machine comprises equipment for winding a limited length of mesh onto a spool which is permanently mounted on a frame, requiring an inordinate amount of time for replenishing the spool while deploying the geocells and reducing productivity. In addition, the geocell expanding process should be improved.

On the other hand, manually deploying the geocells requires an inordinate amount of manual labor and time to mark the site by stakes where the geocells should be deployed, driving the stakes into the subgrade by a very physically demanding operation, spreading strips of the geocells at the site, expanding the strips, and connecting a newly provided mesh to a previously expanded and deployed one. With respect to the manual deployment method, electric, pneumatic or hydraulic tools cannot be used for driving the stakes because of the complexity of supplying the required form of energy to the deployment site.

Geotextiles enhance soil separation by separating two layers of material, for example aggregate from soil and good soil from poor soil, in order to co-exist in a structurally effective manner. Other functions of geotextiles include filtration by allowing fluids to pass while preventing the migration of soil particles, drainage by which a liquid is collected and conveyed to an outlet, and soil reinforcement by carrying tensile loads, particularly those caused by the aggregate material introduced into the various expandable geocells.

The ability of geotextiles to provide soil reinforcement is significantly reduced when wrinkles appear in the geotextiles, due to the reduced tensile strength. Mechanized apparatus for deploying geotextiles in wrinkle free fashion, both lengthwise and widthwise, is unknown to the Applicant.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for automatically deploying geotextiles in wrinkle free fashion.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a geotextile deploying apparatus that also functions as a geocell mesh deployment apparatus by which the aforementioned disadvantages are overcome.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention provides geotextile deployment apparatus, comprising a wheeled carrier! a holder of a continuous roll of geotextile material, which is connected to a forwardly disposed element of said carrier! and a tensioning unit to which is fed geotextile material unwound from said roll, for maintaining said fed geotextile material in wrinkle-free fashion while being deployed. Said carrier is releasably attachable to an industrial vehicle and is transportable thereby, so that after a free end of said geotextile material is anchored to an underlying ground surface, said roll is forced to unwind and to thereby feed additional geotextile material to said tensioning unit, during transport of said carrier.

As referred to herein, the term "geotextile" also includes geogrid or any geosynthetic material. The term "deployment" refers to the operation of discharging material so as to be in stable contact with the underlying ground surface.

The following are some of the advantages of the apparatus :

- the use of a simple and readily available wheeled carrier that is accessible to a deployment site, for supporting a supply of geotextile material;

- the ability to load and feed a supply of geotextile material without need of train tracks or a manipulator!

- the ability to mount on the wheeled carrier a roll of geocell mesh, in addition to the geotextile, to be dispensed onto the deployment site!

- the ability to use a portable and powered percussion tool for driving a stake through the deployed geotextile material into the subground just before another geotextile portion is discharged; and

- the ability to transport a plurality of stakes to the deployment site by the wheeled carrier.

The invention is also directed to a geotextile deployment method, comprising the steps of loading a continuous roll of geotextile material onto a holder which is forwardly disposed on a wheeled carrier! feeding the geotextile material unwound from said roll to a tensioning unit for maintaining said fed geotextile material in wrinkle-free fashion while being deployed; anchoring a free end of the geotextile material to an underlying ground surface! and transporting said carrier by an industrial vehicle coupled thereto to cause said roll to become unwound so that additional geotextile material will be fed to said tensioning unit and subsequently deployed onto the underlying ground surface. Brief Description of the Drawings

In the drawings:

- Fig. 1 is a perspective view from the top of geocell deployment apparatus, according to one embodiment of the invention!

- Fig. 2 is a perspective view from the top of the deployment apparatus of Fig. 1, showing the guide member when the carrier has been removed;

- Fig. 3 is a perspective view from the bottom of an enlarged portion of the deployment apparatus of Fig. 1, showing a connecting member for connecting the carrier to the guide member!

- Fig. 4 is a geocell deployment method, according to one embodiment of the invention!

^■ Fig. 5 is a schematic illustration of a portion of prior art deployment apparatus, showing in a cross sectional elevation view the cooperation of a terminal end of a geocell mesh with a hollowed wall element!

- Fig. 6 is a plan view of a horizontal cross section through one section of a rearward portion of the guide member of Fig. 2, showing a belt assembly!

^■ Fig. 7 is an enlargement of Detail A of Fig. 6!

- Fig. 8 is a schematic illustration of a portion of the deployment apparatus of the present invention, showing in a cross sectional elevation view the cooperation of a terminal end of a geocell mesh with both a hollowed wall element and two belt assemblies of Fig. 6!

- Fig. 9 is a perspective view from the side and top in the vicinity of an interface region between two wall elements of the guide member of Fig. 2, showing an angular adjusting unit!

- Fig. 10 is a method for connecting a newly loaded geocell mesh to a previously deployed mesh!

- Fig. 11 is a perspective view from the bottom of an unloaded wheeled carrier adapted for use as geotextile deploying apparatus, according to one embodiment of the invention! ^■ Fig. 12 is a perspective view from the side of a tensioning unit used in conjunction with the wheeled carrier of Fig. 11, showing the mounting of two rollers fed with geotextile material onto an end plate!

- Fig. 13 is a side view of an S-wrapped roller configuration, showing the feeding of a web of geotextile material from a roll to the tensioning unit of Fig. 12, while other the end plate and other elements of the geotextile deploying apparatus are removed;

- Fig. 14 is a perspective view from the bottom of the tensioning unit of Fig. 12, showing the underside of a deployable portion of geotextile material; and

- Fig. 15 is a perspective view from the top of a combined geocell and geotextile deploying apparatus, according to an embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments

Permeable geotextile material, often polymeric but which also may be made of natural materials, has been found suitable to constitute an inexpensive reinforced soil system, without being subjected to corrosion as is steel-based reinforcement material.

The soil reinforcing characteristics of geotextile material may be achieved only when its tensile strength is sufficiently high, for example greater than 55 kN/m. In order to ensure sufficiently high tensile strength, the geotextile material has been manually tensioned heretofore, for example stretched, after a portion thereof has been fixated such as by stakes. However, the manually tensioning and deploying of geotextile material along a selected ground surface is a time consuming operation. The apparatus of the present invention significantly increases the efficiency of the geotextile deploying process by automatically tensioning the geotextile during deployment. Fig. 11 illustrates an embodiment of the invention wherein a wheeled carrier is used to deploy geotextile onto a subground. The deployed geotextile material is generally nonwoven for its resistance to damage, but may be woven if so desired.

Wheeled carrier 131 is conformed for use as geotextile deploying apparatus with the addition of a roll holder 134 and two tensioning units 140.

Roll holder 134 may be a laterally extending rod attached to the tow rod 136 of carrier 131, e.g. from below. Spindle 132 of roll 133 is suspended by two chains 137 extending from the two lateral ends, respectively, of holder 134, as shown in Figs. 13 and 15.

Each tensioning unit 140 comprises a vertically oriented end plate 142, e.g. trapezoidal, arranged such that its narrow end 143 is upwardly directed. A cross element 146 laterally extends outwardly from a corresponding side beam 138 of carrier 131 to narrow end 143. Two spaced laterally extending cylindrical rollers 148 and 149 for tensioning the geotextile are perpendicularly positioned to, and rotatably mounted in, end plate 142. Rollers 148 and 149 are sufficiently spaced below cross element 146 to allow a guide member section, e.g. section 15B, to extend between the gap between the rollers and the cross element.

The two tensioning units 140 are angularly spaced from each other, to apply both a lengthwise and widthwise tensioning force onto the geotextile material as it is being deployed onto the subground.

Wheeled carrier 131 may be similar to carrier 1 (Fig. l) used for deploying geocells, or alternatively may be configured in any other desired fashion.

As shown in Fig. 1, a roll of compressed geocell mesh may be delivered to a deployment site by a relatively inexpensive wheeled carrier 1 having substantially unlimited mobility. Upon depletion of the supply of geocells, a new roll of geocells is quickly loaded on the carrier such that the down time is significantly reduced as compared to the prior art method. The infill material is able to be applied independently of geocell feeding, and even during geocell loading.

In contrast, a prior art mechanized geocell deployment apparatus comprises a device for feeding into a guide member a compressed geocell mesh in roll form that is synchronized with a device for supplying and distributing infill material in a way to cover the deployed geocells. Both the feeding device and the infill supplying device are transported along rails of a railroad track to the deployment site, therefore limiting the mobility of these devices and also increasing the cost of the apparatus in order to accommodate the size and dimensions of the railroad track. When the roll of geocell mesh is depleted, the deployment apparatus has to be shut down for a relatively long period of time in order to replenish the geocell supply, significantly reducing the geocell deployment rate.

Geocell mesh deployment apparatus, generally indicated by numeral 20, according to one embodiment of the invention comprises a spool 4 on which is wound a continuous roll 6 of a compressed geocell mesh, and a guide member 7 for receiving the free end of roll 6 and for inducing the expansion of the compressed geocells to an expanded form of the geocells 3. A terminal arcuate element 11 for receiving the free end of roll 6 is attached to inlet member 16, e.g. configured as a crossbeam, as shown in Fig. 3, and helps to suitably direct the compressed geocell elements into guide member 7 via the narrow opening 34 of inlet member 16. Geocells 3 are then dischargeable from spool 6 into the guide member inlet and then are expandable near or at the outlet end 19 of guide member 7. Spool 4 is rotatably mounted on two opposed, vertically oriented triangular stands 14 that are connected to wheeled carrier 1, which is releasably attachable to an industrial vehicle, such as a tractor and a utility vehicle, e.g. a Bobcat®, for displacing carrier 1.

The winding or unwinding of roll 6 about the central cylinder of spool 4 is facilitated by means of rotator 9. Rotator 9 comprises a substantially horizontal roller that may be held in position by two angled supports 13 secured to a platform 28 of carrier 1. Provided at the two ends of the roller are corresponding hydraulically powered and fractionally engageable drive units (not shown) for applying a tangentially directed force onto a flange of spool 4, the direction of which depending on a desired spool rotational direction. A multi-functional hydraulic system 23 also connected to platform 28, including a pump, accumulator and one or more releasable hydraulic lines, supplies the power for operating the drive units upon demand.

Multi-functional hydraulic system 23 may also power, when the hydraulic lines are repositioned or the configuration of one or more valves is changed, a lift unit 5 operatively connected to stand 14 for selectively raising and lowering spool 4 with respect to carrier 1 for replenishing the supply of geocells or replacing the spool after all compressed geocells have been dispensed, and also a portable percussion tool (not shown) for driving a stake into each expanded geocell.

It will be appreciated that the drive units, lift unit and percussion tool may be powered by other means as well.

Reference is now made to Fig. 12, which schematically illustrates the mounting of the two rollers 148 and 149 onto end plate 142 of the tensioning unit. Lower roller 149 is mounted to end plate 142 via circular aperture 152 formed adjacent to lower edge 144 and forwardly facing edge of end plate 142. Upper roller 148 is releasably mounted to end plate 142 via arcuate aperture 153, which is formed rearwardly and upwardly to aperture 152. A manual actuator (not shown) is used to reposition upper roller 148 within arcuate aperture 153, when desired.

Fig. 13 illustrates the feeding of a web of geotextile material 159 from roll 133 to tensioning unit 140, shown to have an S-wrapped roller configuration, while other elements of the apparatus are removed for clarity. Geotextile material 159 is fed under tension to upper roller 148, about which it is partially wrapped from above, and then extends to lower roller 149, about which it is partially wrapped from below.

After the free end 157 of geotextile material 159 is anchored to subground 154 by stakes, roll 133 is caused to unwind under the influence of the advancement of the industrial vehicle and the wheeled carrier in forward direction F, resulting in an additional amount of geotextile material 159 to be deployed onto subground 154.

When upper roller 148 and lower roller 149 are suitably and selectively separated, portion 163 of the fed geotextile material 159 between rollers 148 and 149 is also sufficiently tensioned, and upper roller 148 provides resistance to the web which is being deployed. The tension of the web is dependent upon the coefficient of static friction between the web and each of the rollers, and upon the wrap angle. The tension of the web may be modified upon adjusting the spacing between rollers 148 and 149 by means of the manual actuator.

Fig. 14 illustrates the underside of the deployable portion 161 of geotextile material 159, i.e. between the two tensioning units 140A-B and the geotextile free end 157. Since tensioning units 140A-B are angularly spaced from each other, the forward end of deployable portion 161 assumes a forwardly directed V-shaped pointed formation 164 prior to being fed to the upper roller of the tensioning units. The presence of the V-shaped formation 164 introduces a laterally directed component to the tensioning force, in addition to the longitudinally directed component resulting from the forward motion of the wheeled carrier. Thus portion 161 will be able to be deployed in wrinkle free fashion, both lengthwise and widthwise by virtue of the angularly disposed tensioning units 140A-B. Since upper roller 148 is releasably mounted in arcuate aperture 153 shown in Fig. 12, the configuration of V-shaped formation 164, and therefore the degree of the laterally directed tension component, may be adjusted by repositioning upper roller 148 within arcuate aperture 153. Portion 161 is anchored to the subground with stakes after being deployed in wrinkle-free fashion, to allow an additional portion to be fed under tension.

It will be appreciated that any other suitable tensioning unit may be also be employed, for example one comprising two sets of motorized rollers, such that each set is disposed at a different end of the geotextile material and includes two rollers that rotate in opposite directions.

Fig. 15 illustrates combined geocell and geotextile deploying apparatus 180, according to one embodiment of the invention. Wheeled carrier 131 is configured with roll holder 134 and tensioning units 140A-B for deploying geotextile material 159, and also with guide member 7 for inducing expansion of geocells 3. Guide member 7 is disposed above upper roller 148 of each tensioning unit to ensure that the geocells will be deployed on top of the geotextile material. Thus in one efficient operation as wheeled carrier 131 advances in a forwardly direction, wrinkle-free geotextile material and expanded geocells are simultaneously deployed, such that the more rearwardly deployed geotextile material being anchored at a selected subground location prior to the anchoring of the geocells at a substantially identical location.

To complement combined geocell and geotextile deploying apparatus 180, an exemplary guide member 7 illustrated in Fig. 2 may be used. Guide member 7 comprises two symmetrical sections 15A and 15B, each of which is divided into two angled portions so as to delimit, together with the two sections, forward narrow region 22 and rearward widened region 24. Forward region 22 is bounded by two parallel elements 25, according to the illustrated configuration, and by two elements 26 obliquely extending from a corresponding element 25 that are contiguous with, and connected to, inlet member 16 and gradually approach one another. The two elements 26 may be forced apart by a specialized tool to define a desired spacing therebetween and a desired angle with a corresponding element 25, and then secured to inlet member 16, which may be configured by a cross member having two spaced blocks 31 and 32 that are interconnected at their top and bottom to define a central opening 34 through which the compressed geocells are introducible. A pair of eyelet projections 37 may protrude upwardly from each of the blocks 31 and 32. Rearward region 24 is bounded by two elements 27, which are gradually more spaced from one another according to the illustrated configuration and obliquely extend from a corresponding element 25, and by two mutually parallel elements 29 extending from the rearward end of a corresponding element 27 to define outlet end 19 of guide member 7.

The presence of the two sets of oblique elements 26 and 27 allow the two lateral edges of a compressed geocell mesh introduced through inlet member 16 to be increasingly separated from one another within guide member 7, allowing the cells 3 thereof to become expanded. Although the cells 3 are shown to have a uniform density, i.e. the number of cells per unit area, within guide member 7, it will be appreciated that the cell density is reduced from the vicinity of inlet member 16 to the vicinity of outlet 19.

As shown in Fig. 3, a connecting member 39, e.g. rectangular as shown, is used to connect carrier 1 to guide member 7. A protruding element 41 of connecting member 39 is inserted within the interspace of a corresponding pair of eyelet projections 37 extending upwardly from inlet member 16 and within the interspace of a corresponding pair of eyelet projections 2 extending downwardly from the outer frame of carrier 1, and then fixedly secured by a fastening element. The use of connecting member 39 allows guide member 7 to be also displaced when the industrial vehicle propels carrier 1.

A geocell deployment method, according to one embodiment of the invention, is illustrated in Fig. 4. A plurality of spools, around each of which is rolled a corresponding compressed geocell mesh, are first dispersed throughout a given deployment site in step 70. The carrier is then coupled to an industrial vehicle in step 71, so that when transported to a certain region of the deployment site, one of the spools is loaded onto the carrier in step 72 in conjunction with the lift unit, after which the arcuate element at the free end of the geocell roll is secured to the inlet member in step 73. Compressed geocells are manually discharged from the carrier and through the inlet member in step 75. Each terminal strip of the geocell mesh is fed into the interior of a guide element wall element and is pulled to the outlet of the guide member, allowing the geocells to be expanded in step 77. A stake is driven in step 79 into expanded geocells at the guide member outlet, for example into every other geocell of several rows of expanded geocells, by a hammer drill powered by the multi-functional hydraulic system, in order to secure the longitudinal end of the geocell mesh to the underlying ground.

After the industrial vehicle is operated and is advanced in step 83, the carrier, together with the guide member connected thereto, is transported. As a result of the continuous advancement of the industrial vehicle and the previous fixation of the mesh longitudinal end to the underlying ground, the roll becomes increasingly unwound from the spool in step 85. Subsequent geocells are consequently discharged from the roll through the inlet and are introduced into the guide member in step 87. As a result of the continuous discharging of the geocells caused by advancement of the industrial vehicle, those previously discharged cells are displaced from the forward region of the guide to the rearward region thereof, whereby they become expanded to a desired degree at the outlet end, which is contiguous with those previously fixated cells.

The newly discharged cell are then fixated to the underlying ground as previously described. When all geocells are discharged and fixated, infill material is then applied to the fixated cells in step 89 and the stakes are removed in step 91, for example with the hydraulically operated hammer drill.

If the ground to be reinforced is not completely covered by geocells and the mesh is completely discharged, the carrier is transported to a different region of the deployment site in order to replace the depleted spool with another spool that is provided with a roll of compressed geocell mesh. The aforementioned steps are repeated until another geocell mesh is discharged onto the ground surface. The two meshes are then connected, for example by staples.

A difficulty encountered during prior art geocell deployment is the ability of reliably ensuring the lateral dimension of the expanded geocell mesh. An attempt has been made in the prior art to maintain the lateral dimension of the mesh at a desired value by use of the hollowed wall configuration schematically illustrated in Fig. 5.

Wall element 29 has a vertically extending outer wall 52, an upper wall 54 and lower wall 55 substantially perpendicular to outer wall 52, and two partial inner sidewalls 57 and 58 vertically extending towards each other from the corresponding horizontal wall. Thus an interior 59 is defined within wall element 29.

Geocell mesh 17 is constructed to accommodate the configuration of wall element 29. While most interconnected cells of mesh 17 are of a uniform height, such as the illustrated cells 3a-c, a second to last laterally positioned cell 3d is shorter than the others and is vertically spaced from both an upper and lower edge therefrom. Attached to the shorter cell 3d is a terminal strip 8 of substantially the same vertical dimension as cell 3a-c. Terminal strip 8 is introduced into wall element interior 59 and is generally prevented from being discharged therefrom as a result of contact with sidewalls 57 and 58. Thus sidewalls 57 and 58 are able to slide over cell 3d when the carrier is being transported, allowing the most rearwardly positioned cells to be unrestrained by the wall elements 29 and then to be anchored by stakes.

However, when the carrier continues to advance, the sidewalls contact a narrower mesh region, which is tensioned by the anchored stakes at one end and by the mobile force exerted by the industrial vehicle while transporting the carrier. The force applied by the sidewalls causes terminal strip 8 to flex, and eventually one or more of the sidewalls becomes separated therefrom and is outwardly displaced. Since the terminal strip 8 becomes unrestrained, the mesh 17 ceases to have lateral uniformity.

This drawback is obviated when the deploying apparatus employs a plurality of belt assemblies 63 illustrated in Figs. 6-8. Each belt assembly 63, which is shown to be mounted on the rearward portion of guide member section 15B (Fig. 2) but is also mounted on guide member section 15A, comprises two pulleys 66 and 67 that are rotatably mounted by a corresponding vertical shaft 69 to a horizontal wall of guide member section 15B, within the interior of wall element 29 and of wall element 27, the latter being configured similarly to wall element 29. Endless belt 61 is wound about pulleys 66 and 67, and tension pulley 64, also rotatably mounted by a vertical shaft to a horizontal wall of guide member section 15B, comes in contact with the inner peripheral surface of endless belt 61 to apply tension to the endless belt. Endless belt 61 may be a timing belt provided with tread elements 62 having a rough surface, and the pulleys may be toothed, so that the pulley teeth 76 will engage grooves 74 in the belt to prevent slippage; however, any other suitable belt configuration such as a chain is also in the scope of the invention.

Pulleys 64 and 66 are mounted in wall element 29, and pulley 67 is mounted in a rearward portion of wall element 27. According to this arrangement, endless belt 61 is sufficiently tensioned, and will substantially follow the shape of the angled guide member section 15B. As a result of the tension and accurate positioning of endless belt 61, the roughened tread elements 62 of upper and lower belt assemblies 63A-B urge terminal strip 8 of mesh 17 in abutting relation with sidewalls 57 and 58, respectively, without slippage. By being pressed against the corresponding wall element sidewall by tread elements 62, terminal strip 8 of mesh 17 is assured of not flexing and therefore of being retained within the interior of wall element 29 even though the moving sidewalls contact a narrower mesh region. To reduce friction between terminal strip 8 and the corresponding sidewall during displacement of the wall element, a layer 68 of thermoplastic material may be applied to the inner surface of sidewalls 57 and 58.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 9, an angular adjusting unit 21 interfacing with adjacent substantially vertically oriented guide member wall elements 25 and 27 may be used to customize the width of a deployed geocell mesh. Although each cell 3 of the mesh is preferably expanded to assume uniform dimensions for optimal soil compactibility, the width of the mesh may be adjusted when it is desired to provide differing zones of compactibility, or alternatively to avoid deploying the mesh along or over an obstacle protruding from the adjoining ground surface .

Angular adjusting unit 21 comprises extender member 43, which is pivotally connected at its two ends to a corresponding pair of horizontal pin holders 46 and 48, respectively, connected to, and protruding outwardly from, each of wall elements 25 and 27, respectively, and angularly disposed with respect to the longitudinal axis of extender member 43. Substantially vertically disposed pins 10a and 10b removably insertable within the aligned openings of the corresponding extender member fitting 44 and of pin holders 46 and 48, respectively, enable selective angular displacement of a guide member wall element.

Each of the guide member wall elements 25 and 27 is configured with a thin vertical lip 49 that is aligned with the inner surface of the wall element and that extends vertically from the planar upper surface 33 of the wall element. While the corresponding lip 49 of wall elements 25 and 27 are in abutting relation at interface 52, the upper surface 33 and the terminal edge 36 of the entire end of wall element 27 is angularly spaced from that of wall element 25, to allow for angular displacement therebetween. Lip 49 may be covered by, or coated with, thermoplastic material.

An L-shaped stabilizer element 42 is positioned on top of a corresponding wall element, and proximate to interface 52. Each stabilizer element 42 has a vertical supporting portion formed with a central groove 47 at its bottom for engagement with lip 49. The horizontal portion of stabilizer element 42 is formed with an aperture within which is rotatably mounted pin 10c. Vertically oriented pin 10c therefore interconnects with the two stabilizer elements 42 that are engaged with the two adjacent wall elements 25 and 27, respectively, to stabilize the wall elements during an angular displacement operation.

During linear extension of extender member 43, which may be hydraulically, pneumatically or electrically operated, a force is transmitted to the pin holder 48 connected to the rod 45 of member 43 being extended, which protrudes from wall element 27 in the illustrated example. Pin holder 48 pivots in a counterclockwise direction about its corresponding pin 10b under the action of the rod 45 being extended, so that the transmitted force causes wall member 27 to also rotate in a counterclockwise direction, thereby reducing the dimension of the guide member outlet 19 between the two opposed elements 29. When rod 45 is retracted, the spacing between the two opposed elements 29 is able to increase.

It will be appreciated that an angular adjusting unit may be provided at the interface between wall elements 27 and 29 in addition to, or instead of, the angular adjusting unit provided at the interface between wall elements 25 and 27.

The use of angular adjusting unit 21 with removable pins lOa-c facilitates the connection of a newly loaded geocell mesh to a previously deployed mesh, as described with respect to the method illustrated in Fig. 10.

After a first spool of geocells for being deployed on a selected ground surface has been depleted in step 95, the industrial vehicle is advanced in step 97 until the forward edge of the discharged cells is located within the rearward region of the guide member. The angular adjusting unit is disassembled in step 99 by removing pins 10b and 10c (Fig. 9) and separating the extender member from the corresponding pin holder, in order to separate the forward region of the guide member from its rearward region. The carrier is then transported to a location whereat a second loaded spool is lowered onto the carrier in step 101, to replace the depleted spool. The industrial vehicle travels in reverse in step 103 until the wall elements of the guide member forward region is positioned in abutting relation with the corresponding wall elements of the guide member rearward region and the two opposed angular adjusting units are reassembled in step 105. The geocells are discharged from the second spool in step 107 and expanded, as described hereinabove, whereupon the second mesh is connected to the first, previously deployed mesh in step 109 by staples, or by any suitable connecting means well known to those skilled in the art. As may be appreciated from the foregoing description, the deployment apparatus of the present invention has many advantages relative to prior art devices, and facilitates a mechanized method of speedily fixating both geotextile material and expanded geocells, as a substitute for a large number of workers, while being able to reliably customize the dimensions of the deployed geocell mesh.

While some embodiments of the invention have been described by way of illustration, it will be apparent that the invention can be carried out with many modifications, variations and adaptations, and with the use of numerous equivalents or alternative solutions that are within the scope of persons skilled in the art, without exceeding the scope of the claims.