CONNECTION DEVICE FOR FASTENING EXPANDED CELL CONFINEMENT STRUCTURES AND METHODS FOR DOING THE SAME

摘要

A connection device for fastening two expanded cellular confinement structures includes an insertion member having first and second opposite insertion ends and an insertion member extension therebetween. An integral shank extends from the insertion member extension and is spaces from each of the first and second insertion ends. A handle member extends generally from the shank at an end of the shank that is remote from the insertion member. The handle member has first and second handle ends and a handle member extension therebetween. The shank is spaced from each of the first and second handle ends. A cellular confinement system includes first and second unitary webs of cells made from elongated plastic strips bonded together in spaced apart areas. The strips form walls of the cells and at least some of the cells define open slots. At least one open slot of a first unitary web of cells is aligned with at least one open slot of a second unitary web of cells to result in a cell overlap region. The cell overlap region has opposite first and second sides. At least one connection device fastens the first unitary web of cells and the second unitary web of cells together. A method of fastening two expanded cellular confinement structures includes aligning two expanded cellular confinement structures so that at least one open slot defined by a first unitary web of cells is aligned with at least one open slot defined by a second unitary web of cells to form an overlap region having first and second sides; inserting an insertion member of a connection device from the second side of the overlap region through the aligned open slots of the overlap region to provide: the insertion member on the first side of the overlap region; a handle member of the connection device on the second side of the overlap region; and a shank member between the insert member and the handle member extending through the overlap region.