1. Field of the invention
The present invention is generally directed to a system for temporarily shoring up an excavation site. More particularly the invention is directed to a center beam connection assembly for an excavation site shoring system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a typical excavation site, workers are exposed to numerous hazards. The most common hazard is having the walls of the excavation site cave in on the workers, thus causing serious injury. Often due to soil conditions and wetness, the sides of a construction site will simply collapse. Water is a particularly dangerous hazard because it is so heavy and can destroy shoring, which has not been properly reinforced. Realizing this problem the government, at both the federal and state level, has set up specific requirements for all excavation sites to avoid the problem of cave-ins. For example, the United States Department of Labor and, more specifically, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that excavation sites be prepared with some type of shoring. Additionally, many companies are now aware of the problems involved in a typical excavation site and have developed internal policies requiring shoring for any excavations they contract to have completed.
A good example of a typical excavation project is found in replacing underground storage tanks for a gasoline station. Typically, in such an operation, sheet piling is pounded into the ground in a generally rectangular configuration around the work site. The piling has to be driven extremely deeply into the ground and arranged to provide sufficient support against potential cave-ins. Typically the sheet piling has to be driven so deep that half its total height remains underground after the excavation has been completed. Use of such large amounts of material is quite expensive. After the sheet piling has been installed, the workmen then remove the dirt and fill material from within the rectangular shoring. During the work of removing the old storage tanks and replacing them with new storage tanks, the shoring provides protection to the workmen against potential cave-ins. Once the storage tank replacement operation has been completed, the shoring can either be completely removed or simply cut down to a safe distance below ground and then left in place. Such a method of shoring an excavation site is extremely expensive.
One solution to the problem is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 6,984,092, which discloses a corner connection for temporary shoring providing a connector for interconnecting various beams used to reinforce shoring. See the prior art depiction set forth in
The following invention addresses the problem of large excavation sites by provided an improved temporary shoring arrangement including a removable center shoring beam system.
A connection assembly used to secure a center shoring beam to the main I-beams of a temporary shoring system is provided that allows a removable shoring system to be utilized with large-scale excavation sites. The connection assembly generally comprises first and second end-caps adapted to receive respective ends of a center reinforcing beam. Arms located on each of the first and second end-caps are utilized to removably connect the end-caps to opposing main shoring beams. Additionally, tabs extending from each of the first and second end-caps include apertures therein adapted to receive connecting pins. The end-caps may be utilized on their own, or in combination with reinforcing bars and spacer bars. Reinforcing bars include hooks and tabs with apertures therein placed at either end of the reinforcing bar. In use, one hook connects with the web of a main shoring beam and one hook connects with a web of the center shoring beam. Spacer bars having apertures at either end can be utilized to secure the reinforcing bars to an associated end-cap. More specifically, each end of a spacer bar is connected via a connecting pin to either the tab of an end-cap or the tab of a reinforcing bar. Advantageously, the connection assembly of the present invention can be utilized with prior art shoring systems and provides temporary, removable and reusable reinforcement for large excavation sites.
Additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will more readily be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment thereof, when taken in connection with the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to correspond parts in the several views.
Referring now to
A reinforcing structure 226 is provided behind the interlocking sheet piling 219. The reinforcing structure 226 includes the set of I-beams 220-223 that interact with the set of corner connections 211-214. Each corner connection includes a couple of corner connectors. For example, corner connection 211 includes a first shoring beam connector 229 and a second shoring beam connector 230. Additionally, a reinforcing assembly is provided, which includes a reinforcing bar 320, a first spacer bar 322 attached to the reinforcing bar 320 and first shoring beam connector 229, and a second spacer bar 324 attached to the reinforcing bar 320 and second shoring beam connector 230.
Turning now to
With reference to
As depicted in
As previously mentioned, reinforcing bars 440-443 may be utilized alone, or in combination, with spacer bars 446-453. First spacer bar 446 includes a first end 570 with an aperture 571 located therein adapted to receive connecting pin 520, and a second end 572 with an aperture 573 located therein adapted to receive a connecting pin 574. In use, respective ends 570, 572 of spacer bar 446 fit between tabs 482, 483 of end-cap 434 and tabs 516 and 529 of reinforcing bar 440; with pin 520 being inserted through aperture 571 of spacer bar 446 and apertures 517, 531 of tabs 516, 529; and pin 574 being inserted through aperture 573 of spacer bar 446 and apertures 502, 503 of tabs 482, 483. Likewise, second spacer bar 447 includes a first end 576 with an aperture 577 located therein adapted to receive connecting pin 553, and a second end 578 with an aperture 579 located therein adapted to receive a connecting pin 582. In use, respective ends 576, 578 of spacer bar 447 fit between tabs 480, 481 of end-cap 434 and tabs 550 and 564 of reinforcing bar 441; with pin 553 being inserted through aperture 577 of spacer bar 447 and apertures 551, 566 of tabs 550, 564; and pin 582 being inserted through aperture 579 of spacer bar 447 and apertures 500, 501 of tabs 480, 481.
The third and fourth spacer bars 448, 449 are also utilized to connect first end-cap 434 to reinforcing bars 440, 441. More specifically, third spacer bar 448 includes a first end 586 with an aperture 587 located therein adapted to receive connecting pin 528, and a second end 588 with an aperture 589 located therein adapted to receive a connecting pin 592. In use, respective ends 586, 588 of spacer bar 448 fit between tabs 524, 530 of reinforcing bar 440 and tabs 486, 487 of end-cap 434; with pin 528 being inserted through aperture 587 of spacer bar 448 and apertures 525, 532 of tabs 524, 530; and pin 592 being inserted through aperture 589 of spacer bar 448 and apertures 506, 507 of tabs 486, 487. Likewise, fourth spacer bar 449 includes a first end 596 with an aperture 597 located therein adapted to receive connecting pin 560, and a second end 598 with an aperture 599 located therein adapted to receive a connecting pin 602. In use, respective ends 596, 598 of spacer bar 449 fit between tabs 558 and 565 of reinforcing bar 441 and tabs 484, 485 of end-cap 434; with pin 560 being inserted through aperture 597 of spacer bar 449 and apertures 559, 567 of tabs 558, 565; and pin 602 being inserted through aperture 599 of spacer bar 449 and apertures 504, 505 of tabs 484, 485.
At this point it should be understood that, just as one end of center shoring beam 430 is supported by end-cap 434, the other end of center shoring beam 430 is supported by end-cap 435 is the same manner. More specifically, with respect to structure, end-cap 435 corresponds to end-cap 434, reinforcing beams 440 and 441 correspond to reinforcing beams 442, 443, and spacer bars 446-449 correspond to spacer bars 450-453, with various connecting pins utilized to maintain the assembly connected.
In operation, connection assembly 400 is intended to be utilized with a shoring system 410. Initially, end-caps 434, 435 are placed on respective ends of center shoring beam 430. Importantly, end-caps 434, 435 are adapted to simply slip over the ends of center shoring beam 430 and are not required to be welded thereto. As depicted in
If additional support is desired, reinforcing bar 440 is placed such that hooks 534, 535 connect to web 412 of main shoring beam 416 and web 431 of center shoring beam 430, respectively; and reinforcing bar 441 is placed such that hooks 568, 569 connect to web 412 of main shoring beam 416 and web 432 of center shoring beam 430, respectively. Corresponding structure on reinforcing bars 442 and 443 connect them to center shoring beam 430 and main shoring beam 418 in a like manner. Further support can be provided by connecting spacer bars 446-453 to shoring system 410 in the manner outlined above with respect to reinforcing bars 446-449.
Although described with respect to preferred embodiments of the invention, it should be understood that various changes and/or modifications could be made to the invention without departing from the spirit thereof. For example, although pairs of tabs are shown extending from end-caps 434, 435 and reinforcing beams 440-443, it should be understood that single tabs may optionally be utilized. Additionally, although only one center shoring beam is shown, it should be understood that large excavations sites may benefit from multiple center shoring beams utilizing the connection assembly of the present invention. Therefore, the specific embodiments disclosed herein are to be considered illustrative and not restrictive. Instead, the invention is only intended to be limited by the scope of the following claims.