This invention relates to an earth retaining system, and more particularly to a sheet pile retaining system having integral soil anchors.
Marine related bulkheads constructed along the coast of Alaska experience some of the most severe environmental conditions known, including high waves and wave scour, earthquakes, ice, high tide variations, high phreatic water levels, weak soils, heavy live loads and difficult construction conditions. The need far low-cost, high load capacity docks and structures has resulted in a development of various sheet pile retaining structures.
Flat steel sheet piles have been used in perhaps the most simple form of structures featuring tension or membrane action primarily. Foundation designs of cellular cofferdams are discussed in detail in the text by Joseph E. Bowles, Foundation Analysis and Design (1977) herein incorporated in its entirety by reference. One configuration, a closed cell flat sheet pile structure, had been successfully used for many years for a wide variety of structures including cofferdams and docks. As shown in
Yet another sheet pile retaining forum has been the tied back wall masterpile system with flat sheet piles acting as a curved tension face. Tieback anchors with deadmen are connected to the curved tension face to provide lateral retaining strength as shown in
The present invention overcomes the limitations of the prior art and provides additional benefits. Under one aspect of the invention, a soil retaining system combining flat sheet pile walls in an open cell configuration with soil anchors integral to the sheet pile provides an improved earth retaining system. In one embodiment of the invention, the integral soil anchors are angular interlock soil bearing surfaces which provide higher load resistance. Another aspect of the invention is a method of designing and installing a soil retaining system with an open sheet pile cell structure having integral soil anchors. The method includes, inter alia, calculating soil resistance by taking into account soil friction against the sheet pile in combination with the strength of the integral soil anchor, selecting sheet pile size and length based on these calculations; and installation of sheet pile to form a soil retaining system.
A soil retaining system, and in particular, an apparatus and corresponding method for design and installation of an open cell sheet pile retaining wall having integral soil anchors is described in detail herein. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided, such as specific sheet pile configurations and interlock details as well as material selection, to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art, however, will recognize that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details. In other instances, well-known structures or operations are not shown or not described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention.
Open cell structures gain strength from the portion of the sheet pile buried in the soil fill. As illustrated in
In the present invention, a soil anchor integral with the sheet pile is designed to provide increased pull-out resistance and therefore yields a higher ultimate tension force. This higher ultimate tension force or effective overburden pressure yields a stronger retaining wall. Increased strength allowed fewer materials to be used and a more cost efficient wall to be built. These modifications of the typical closed cell to an open cellular shape with integral soil anchors serve to solve the problems associated with the closed cell configured.
Operations and material cost savings are a significant improvement of the present invention over the prior art. By not closing the cell and by leaving the tail walls unconnected at the landward side, significant cost savings are realized from lower materials cost, increased construction tolerance and adjustment capability, and easier backfilling and compacting operations. Further, integral soil anchors in the sheet pile provide increased load resistance and allow shorter lengths of shells to be used or lighter weight sheet pile materials to be used. The increased load resistance can result in a shorter depth of sheet penetration or a shorter overall length of tail wall to be used depending on the soil design characteristics. Open sell sheet pile structure construction can be used for various structures including oil containment, erosion control, docks in severe ice, wave or seismic environments.
The greater the size of the soil anchor the greater the resistance. A preferable soil anchor width is greater than ½″ and a more preferable soil anchor width is 3″ to an effective over burden pressure or greater and a most preferable soil anchor width is 4″ or greater as shown in
This soil anchor may be affixed subsequent to the rolling or manufacturing of the sheet pile.
The greater the size of the soil anchor the greater the resistance. A preferable soil anchor width is greater than ½″ and a more preferable soil anchor width is 3″ to an effective over burden pressure or greater and a most preferable soil anchor width is 4″ or greater as shown in
Any variety of geometric shapes could be used to form the integral soil anchor. Further, the soil anchors may be positioned at any point along the sheet pile wall including at a connection point between adjacent sheet pile walls. Intermediate integral soil anchors may be combined with integral soil anchors at the connection point as shown, for example, in
The integral soil anchors may extend the full height of the wall or may extend down the sheet pile wall some distance less than full height. Further, the integral soil anchors may be placed vertically on the sheet pile wall or may be placed at an angle. Length and positioning of soil anchors integral to the sheet pile wall is dependent on various design load parameters.
The soil anchors 544, 550, 552, 554 shown in
The main structural components of open-cell construction are accomplished without the use of field welding, bolted connections, or an independent tieback system because the soil anchor is integral to the sheet piles of the retaining wall. Additionally, open-cell construction does not require sheet pile cell closure and allows for easy backfilling, since the cell is open in the back. This combination structure has the ability to resist large loads from ice and vehicles, and are highly insensitive to erosion conditions when compared with conventional sheet pile walls. The dock face can further be modified to include face ladders, mooring systems, fender systems, and varying access elevations. These features reduce costs and time required for construction. Construction costs for open cell structures are therefore less than for other dock or bulkhead types.
Many problems are encountered in sheet pile construction and during the life of the retaining wall. An open cell sheet pile wall with integral soil anchors is a versatile retaining system that overcomes many of these problems.
One example of a design consideration to overcome is waves. Waves will produce forces on walls, but the most critical factor is wave overtopping. Open cells can withstand wave overtopping, with damage being limited to minimal loss of backfill. Further, just as river scour occurs around bridge piers, the forces from waves and associated currents cause scour at the base of impacted bulkheads. Tied back or cantilever sheet pile structures have a significant problem with any type scour because of loss of needed toe ground support. Conversely, the open cell structure with integral soil anchors is designed independent from exterior soil support, thus, scour can progress nearly to the cell bottom without any serious consequence.
Another design consideration is phreatic water. Phreatic water refers to water levels within bulkhead fill such as from tidal action which lags or leads tide levels. Very large forces from hydraulic head can be developed on bulkhead structures. Attempts to reduce this action by use of weep holes have not been totally successful because of possible drainage channel plugging and oxygenated corrosive water introduction into backfill. Open cell structures with integral soil anchors are readily designed to handle phreatic water and the associated forces without elaborate drainage or internal cell corrosion control measures.
Along with phreatic water levels, bulkhead stability is usually controlled by seismic forces. Analysis often follows classic wedge or slip circle theory that tests the overall mass stability. Open cell anchor wall resistance outside of failure planes is used to provide bulkhead stability safety factors, an important feature of this type structure. If design conditions warrant, an end anchor such as a large “H” pile may be added as an additional safety factor.
Open cell structures with integral soil anchors may be built in ice environments where ice thickness can reach one to two meters without damage to the structure. One explanation for this and a factor in design is strength of frozen bulkhead fill. As ice growth develops on water bodies, depth of frost in granular open cell backfill will often surpass the level of ice. Since frozen ground is usually stronger than ice, a naturally reinforced structure is created. Rubble ice formation early in the season, although usually impressive, is usually not a severe loading for open cells. As with seismic design, mass stability of bulkheads subject to large lateral ice loads is important.
Open cell tail wall extension having integral soil anchors can often effectively spread out dead and live loads if weak soils are encountered. Concern with such conditions is structure settlement. Flexibility of open cell wall structures with integral soil anchors readily handle unusual deformation.
The nature of large live loads, such as from cranes, cargo, stored containers, forklifts and heavy equipment is ideally suited to open cells with integral soil anchors because compacted earth fill provides sound support and the resistance nature of tail walls with integral soil anchors actually increases from such loads.
Wall heights of about 3 meters-20 meters are easily trainable for open cell construction with integral soil anchors, although longer or shorter sheets may be used. However, practical limitations are present, for example, longer sheets are difficult to handle and drive and are therefore less preferred. Cell width is preferably about 10 meters, but can be varied to account for end conditions and low wall height transitions. Tail wall lengths vary significantly subject a wide number of design parameter.
Sheet pile construction involves driving sheets a distance below the ground surface, which by its very nature, can be difficult. If very deep driving is required, difficulty can almost always be expected. Open cell structures with integral soil anchors of the present invention do not require deep embedment for stability due to the increased soil resistance provided by the integral soil anchors, and as a result are easier to construct and have redundancy for unusual conditions such as toe scour, toe liquification or overloads. Additionally, sheets of the present invention may be driven with fast vibratory hammers. Alternatively, open-cell structures with integral soil anchors may include deep embedment for additional stability.
Usually a one level template is adequate for open cell construction and wall tolerance is maintained by close attention to position and plumbers of “wye” shapes at intersections. Attention to wye position are carried through backfill operations which consists of controlled compacted layer construction. Cells are usually filled from the land using trucks, the result being the least costly method.
Tail wall driving tolerance can be large and tail walls may be curved around obstructions. By dead ending tail walls, no close tolerance connections are required such as with closed cells. Flexibility in the position and driving tolerance of tail walls yields a significant cost savings. The cost effectiveness of this feature cannot be overemphasized.
There are numerous advantages and uses for open cell bulkheads with integral soil anchors. Higher soil resistance to pull-our forces from the integral soil anchors allow shorter tail walls to be used. This results in lower transportation and material procurement costs. Further, time and cost savings are realized because the cell is faster to construct. Furthermore, the open cell dock presents a pleasing scalloped appearance from the water side, and a neat uniform flat appearance from topside.
Open cells further include health and cleanliness advantages. An open cell dock, consists of solid earth fill, providing no access under the dock for nesting disease-carrying rats and vermin common to platform-type docks. The elimination of this health risk is particularly important around food processing plants. In areas previously subjected to use, construction of the new dock encapsulates debris and hazardous materials existing on the sea floor behind the sheet pile wall and within the fill. Additionally, the open cell dock offers no space below the dock for the collection of future debris junk, and drift. Furthermore, open cell dock surfaces can be sloped away from the water so that oil and wastes, if spilled, drain away from the water-side of the dock. If not cleaned up directly, a spill could seep into the fill where it would be contained against seeping into nearby waters by the surrounding sheet pile wall.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is with respect to the protection of utilities. Utilities and fuel lines can be buried by conventional methods in the fill, where they are protected from freezing and from vehicle and vessel impact. If utility leakage should occur, any spillage is contained in the fill. Damaged utilities are readily accessible for repair. These are great advantages over conventional docks, where utilities are normally suspended under the deck or run along surfaces.
Runoff water can be kept from draining directly into marine waters. Instead, runoff may be either collected in a drain system, or seeped into the fill where it must travel long distances through filtering fill before it enters marine waters.
The present invention is adapted well to marine habitats. The protected area between fender piles and the scalloped faces of sheet pile cells can serve as a refuge for marine life. In addition, sheet pile faces and fender pile surfaces provide clean hard surfaces where anemones, urchins, and mollusks can attach themselves. Special hanging chain fish habitats have also been devised along structure faces.
Very little maintenance is required once the present system is in place. Open cell docks of the present invention consist of essentially two materials, earth fill and sheet piles with integral soil anchors. Earth fill, properly contained behind a bulkhead, and sheet piles, if properly protected against corrosion, are virtually maintenance free. There is no need for riprap under the dock, as with pile-supported docks. Riprap under pile-supported docks often subsides or can be wave-displaced over time, and may become a difficult and expensive maintenance item.
Properly constructed, the open cell dock with integral soil anchors is capable of supporting huge loads such as large cranes, heavy forklifts and heavy storage loads, without danger of collapse. Furthermore, the steel cells which are filled with earth and nick have tremendous resistance to damage by ice pans, vessel impact, and other drift forces. There are no weak elements such as vertical bearing piles, pile caps, or waters to be damaged by drift forces. Additionally, mooring devices on open cell docks have exceptionally high capacity because they are tied to the large deadweight of the dock. The components of open cell docks, earth and sheet piles, are extremely fire resistant. In addition, the dock can be used to provide a safe platform from which fire fighters could combat fires occurring on nearby boats or in waterfront buildings.
The present system is very cost effective as compared to conventional building systems. Open cell docks having integral soil anchors typically may be built for about half the cost of a heavy-duty pile-supported dock based on an “area created” basis. Furthermore, one of the two primary dock materials, earthfill can usually be obtained locally at minimal cost.
Ease of construction of the present invention allows savings in both tune and materials. Open cell docks having integral soil anchors can be constructed entirely from the land. This eliminates the need for cumbersome barge-based construction and related oil spill hazards. Construction is so repetitive that local labor forces, inexperienced with pile driving or dock construction, have built them. Fill can be end-dumped into place since the rear side of each cell is open. Little siltation results from this construction method. No detail work such as installation of traditional waters and tiebacks is required in the tidal zone.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is that minimal embedment of sheets is required along the front face of the dock below the existing ocean bottom. This makes the open cell dock having integral soil anchors particularly attractive where bedrock is at or near the surface. Drilling and/or blasting for rock anchors or embedment would be required for other types of docks in this situation, with resulting environmental disruption. Furthermore, the open cell concept creates flat land both at the new dock and at the borrow source. If the borrow source is a hill immediately behind the dock, then valuable staging area is created. The economics of an open cell dock project look even better if the value of this additional staging area is factored in the cost.
Composite material used to construct the sheet may, for example, include formed plastics, extruded plastics, composite metal and plastic, fiberglass, carbon fibers, aluminum and the like. Composite materials have the additional advantage of flexibility of design of the coupling means.
An improved soil retaining system including an open cell design including integral soil anchors has lead to a versatile structure capable of wide adaptation. Resolution of not only design, but also construction problems has further reduced cost of these structures and created another tool for developing an economical solution.
The following failure testing example is provided as an illustration.
From the foregoing it will be appreciated that, although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made, without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/588,580, filed Jan. 2, 2015, which is a continuation of U.S. patent Ser. No. 12/348,431, filed Jan. 5, 2009, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,950,981, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/344,964, filed on Feb. 1, 2006, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,488,140 issued on Feb. 10, 2009, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/801,123, filed Mar. 15, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,018,141 issued on Mar. 28, 2006, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/918,693, filed on Jul. 30, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,715,964, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/221,594, filed Jul. 28, 2000. These applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
400155 | Williscraft | Mar 1889 | A |
912661 | Fiero | Feb 1902 | A |
923110 | Boardman | May 1909 | A |
968450 | Conkling et al. | Aug 1910 | A |
969343 | Conkling | Sep 1910 | A |
1005514 | Conkling | Oct 1911 | A |
1012124 | Conkling | Dec 1911 | A |
1032109 | Buckingham | Jul 1912 | A |
1067489 | Sederquist | Jul 1913 | A |
1071985 | Conkling | Sep 1913 | A |
1341949 | Troye | Jun 1920 | A |
1437044 | Cushing et al. | Nov 1922 | A |
1806967 | Dougherty et al. | May 1931 | A |
1834744 | Schroeder | Dec 1931 | A |
1896259 | Thackray | Feb 1933 | A |
1943800 | Morrison | Jan 1934 | A |
1951292 | Cahill et al. | Mar 1934 | A |
1951293 | Cahill et al. | Mar 1934 | A |
2004188 | Borberg | Jun 1935 | A |
2018446 | Jensen | Oct 1935 | A |
2057947 | Hausler | Oct 1936 | A |
2074906 | Hausler | Mar 1937 | A |
2128012 | O'Rourke | Aug 1938 | A |
2128428 | Murray, Jr. | Aug 1938 | A |
2909901 | Suderow | Oct 1959 | A |
3059436 | Hermann, Jr. | Oct 1962 | A |
3302412 | Hunsucker | Feb 1967 | A |
3613382 | Dickinson | Oct 1971 | A |
3751930 | Mott et al. | Aug 1973 | A |
3754403 | Mott et al. | Aug 1973 | A |
3797258 | Dubuisson et al. | Mar 1974 | A |
3822557 | Frederick | Jul 1974 | A |
3959938 | Zachariassen | Jun 1976 | A |
3999396 | Evans | Dec 1976 | A |
4419030 | Burkemper | Dec 1983 | A |
4479742 | Bruce | Oct 1984 | A |
4486125 | Reusswig | Dec 1984 | A |
4511288 | Wetmore | Apr 1985 | A |
4579481 | Gerwick et al. | Apr 1986 | A |
4596495 | Scharnell et al. | Jun 1986 | A |
4618286 | Michel et al. | Oct 1986 | A |
4647257 | Robishaw | Mar 1987 | A |
4685838 | Curt | Aug 1987 | A |
4890959 | Robishaw et al. | Jan 1990 | A |
5213447 | Srock | May 1993 | A |
5292207 | Scott | Mar 1994 | A |
5333971 | Lewis | Aug 1994 | A |
5520487 | Decker | May 1996 | A |
6234720 | Queen et al. | May 2001 | B1 |
6443659 | Patout | Sep 2002 | B1 |
6499914 | Patout | Dec 2002 | B1 |
6715964 | Nottingham | Apr 2004 | B2 |
7018141 | Nottingham | Mar 2006 | B2 |
7107225 | McClung, III | Sep 2006 | B1 |
7488140 | Nottingham | Feb 2009 | B2 |
7958835 | Srinivasan | Jun 2011 | B2 |
8444348 | Braun et al. | May 2013 | B2 |
8950981 | Nottingham | Feb 2015 | B2 |
20070163186 | Baugh et al. | Jul 2007 | A1 |
20080286053 | Baugh et al. | Nov 2008 | A1 |
20090232607 | Nottingham | Sep 2009 | A1 |
20100143044 | Kadaster et al. | Jun 2010 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
1813727 | Jan 2007 | EP |
6059228 | Aug 1994 | JP |
2000192446 | Jul 2000 | JP |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20180100281 A1 | Apr 2018 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
60221594 | Jul 2000 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 14588580 | Jan 2015 | US |
Child | 15601454 | US | |
Parent | 12348431 | Jan 2009 | US |
Child | 14588580 | US | |
Parent | 11344964 | Feb 2006 | US |
Child | 12348431 | US | |
Parent | 10801123 | Mar 2004 | US |
Child | 11344964 | US | |
Parent | 09918693 | Jul 2001 | US |
Child | 10801123 | US |