Patent Application
20240318399
Various exemplary embodiments relate to pile leads and extensions with soil displacement assemblies for forming composite pile columns.
Piles are used to support structures where surface soil is weak by penetrating the ground to a depth where a competent load-bearing stratum is found. Piles are often required to be placed into the ground for providing support for foundations or other structures. It is desirable to install such piles quickly and efficiently so as to reduce construction costs. Often it is beneficial to form the piles in place, i.e., at the job site.
One conventional method for forming piles at the job site involves rotating a shaft having a lower end screw section and a disc into the ground. The disk clears a cylindrical region around the shaft. The cylindrical region is filled with grout to encapsulate the shaft. Another conventional method for forming piles at the job site involves placing a helical pile that has an elongated pipe with a central chamber in the soil. The pipe has a helical blade with an opening in the trailing edge of the blade where grout is extruded. The grout fills the portions of the soil disturbed by the blade. A helical pile typically is made of relatively small galvanized steel shafts sequentially joined together, with a lead section having helical plates. The pile is installed by applying torque to the shaft at the pile head, which causes the plates to screw into the ground with minimal soil disruption.
In certain configurations, a soil displacement pile includes a lead shaft having a lead end and a lead head. A lead soil displacement assembly is connected to the lead shaft. The lead soil displacement assembly includes a helical plate and a canister. The helical plate extends at least partially around the lead shaft. The canister includes an outer wall extending around the lead shaft defining an interior and an opening in the outer wall to permit the ingress of soil.
In certain configurations, a soil displacement pile includes a lead shaft having a lead end and a lead head. A lead soil displacement assembly is connected to the lead shaft. The lead soil displacement assembly includes a helical plate and a canister. The helical plate extends at least partially around the lead shaft. The canister includes an outer wall extending around the lead shaft defining an interior and a divider plate is positioned in the canister to separate the interior into an upper section and a lower section.
In certain configurations, a soil displacement pile includes a lead shaft having a lead end and a lead head. A lead soil displacement assembly is connected to the lead shaft. The lead soil displacement assembly including a first helical plate and a first canister. An extension shaft has an extension end and an extension head. An extension soil displacement assembly connected to the extension shaft. The extension soil displacement assembly includes a second helical plate and a second canister. The first helical plate extends at least partially around the lead shaft. The first canister includes an outer wall extending around the lead shaft defining a first interior and a divider plate is positioned in the first canister to separate the first interior into an upper section and a lower section.
A method of forming a composite pile column can include positioning a lead shaft for ground insertion. The lead shaft has a lead end, a lead head, and a lead soil displacement assembly. The lead soil displacement assembly includes a helical plate and a canister having an open top. The lead shaft and lead soil displacement assembly are rotated to rotate the helical plate and canister and cause displacement of soil. A cavity is formed in the ground by displacement of soil by the lead shaft and lead soil displacement assembly. Filler is inserted into the cavity and at least a portion of the filler is introduced into the canister through the open top.
The aspects and features of various exemplary embodiments will be more apparent from the description of those exemplary embodiments taken with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Certain configurations include piles and systems and methods of forming piles used as support columns in construction. Examples of piles are described in: U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,115,478; 9,416,513; and 10,865,539, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
In certain implementations, piles are rotated into the ground by a machine to displace soil and form a cylindrical cavity. The piles can be left in the ground to form part of the support column. Filler can be poured in the open cavity around the pile to form the support column. The filler can include grout, cement, concrete, or other suitable material that can be poured into the cavity and hardened to form a composited pile column.
One or more extensions 202 can be connected to the lead 102. The one or more extensions 202 can include an extension shaft 204. The extension shafts 204 can extend along the longitudinal axis coaxially with the lead shaft 104. In certain configurations, the extension 202 can have at least one extension soil displacement assembly 206. In other configurations, a plain shaft 204 can be used or the extension 202 can include other features. The exemplary configuration of the extension shaft 204 is shown with a cylindrical body, although other curvilinear and rectilinear shapes can be used. For example, the extension shaft 204 can be of varying diameter or standard round corner square bar with diameter ranging from 1¼ inches to 2¼ inches. The size and shape of the extension shaft 204 can be identical to the lead shaft 104 or be different.
The extension shaft 204 can include an extension head portion 208 and an extension end portion 210. The first extension 202 added to the soil displacement pile 100 is secured to the lead 102 where the extension end portion 210 is mated with the lead head portion 108 using one or more fasteners, for example a nut and bolt assembly. Subsequent extensions 202 may be sequentially joined together where the extension end portion 210 of the next in line extension 202 is mated with the extension head portion 208 of the previous extension 202. The lead shaft 104 and the extension shaft 204 can be hollow or solid, and the shafts 104, 204 can be made of metal, e.g., steel or galvanized steel, or carbon fiber, or other suitable material known in the art.
The extensions 202 are optional such that the lead 102 may comprise the soil displacement pile 100 and a pile drive system head is used to rotate the lead 102 into the soil. If one or more extensions 202 are added to the lead 102 then the lead 102 and the one or more extensions 202 form the soil displacement pile 100, and the pile drive system head is used to first rotate the lead 104 into the soil and then each extension 202 successively into the soil.
In certain configurations, one or more lead soil displacement assemblies 106 are secured directly or indirectly to the lead shaft 104. The lead soil displacement assembly 106 can be secured directly to the lead shaft 104 by a direct connection between the respective shaft 104 and the soil displacement assembly 106, such as by welding or mechanical fasteners. Securing the lead soil displacement assembly 106 indirectly to the lead shaft 104 can include an indirect connection between the respective shaft and the soil displacement assembly, such as by using a coupler to join the respective shaft and the lead soil displacement assembly and securing the coupler to the shaft, or by mating the soil displacement assembly with a coupling already on the respective shaft. In the configuration of
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In certain configurations, the diameter of the helical plate 114 can range from between about 6 inches to about 30 inches depending upon the size of the cavity to be created by the lead soil displacing assembly 106 and thus the size of the pile column created by the cured filler (e.g. grout) and soil displacement pile 100. Smaller or larger sizes may be used as needed dependent on the operational requirements, such as load requirements and soil type.
The exemplary canister 116 has a substantially solid outer wall 124 defining a substantially hollow interior. The canister 116 is shown having a cylindrical shape with a curved outer wall 124 having a diameter less than the diameter of the helical plate 114. In other configurations, different sizes and shapes of the canister 116 can be used. As best shown in
A divider 128 can be positioned inside of the canister 116. The divider 128 can extend from the shaft 104 to the outer wall 124 to separate the canister 116 into an upper section 130 and a lower section 132. In other configurations, one or more portions of the interior of the canister 116 can be solid. The divider 128 is positioned below an upper edge 134 of the canister 116, forming an opening so that the upper section 130 can receive filler during installation. The divider 128 is shown as a substantially flat plate, although other configurations may be used depending on the application and the shape of the canister 116.
The outer wall 124 can help to push back soil during installation of the lead 102 and the opening 126 can allow soil to enter the canister 116. Allowing the soil to enter the canister 116 can help to bite out more soil which can help increase the stability of the pile 100 and decrease installation time. The divider 128 is positioned in the canister 116 to limit that amount of soil and maintain a relatively clear upper section 130. This allows the upper section 130 to receive filler during installation, helping to form and maintain a stronger pile 100 than can be achieved with just a helical plate or a combination of helical plate and paddle design.
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The helical plate 214 is positioned below the canister 216 and extends substantially around the shaft 204. The canister 216 extends around the shaft 204 and above the helical plate 216 toward the head 208 of the extension 202. The helical plate 214 and the canister 216 can be jointly or separately directly or indirectly connected to the shaft 204. The configuration (e.g., size and shape) can be varied as desired based on the size and type of helical pile to be formed.
The helical plate 214 and the canister 216 of the extension soil displacement assembly 206 can having substantially the same configuration of the lead soil displacement assembly 106. The helical plate has a first end 218, a second end 220, and a body 222 extending between the first and second ends 218, 220. The canister 216 can have an outer wall 224 defining an interior 226. In certain configurations, the interior of the canister 216 is substantially hollow and no plate is positioned in the canister 216. This allows filler to flow into the entire interior 226 of the canister 216. In certain configurations, the canister 216 does not have an opening as with the lead soil displacement assembly 106. In the illustrated embodiment, a cover 228 extends between the first end 218 and the second end 220 of the helical plate to cover the opening. The cover 228 can be directly or indirectly connected to the shaft 204, helical plate 214, or the canister 216. This allows the same type of canister 216 to be used for both the lead soil displacement assembly 106 and the extension soil displacement assembly 206.
An upper plate 230 can also be connected to the extension shaft 204. In the illustrated embodiment, the upper plate 230 is positioned above the extension soil displacement assembly 206 closer to the head 208 of the extension shaft 204. The upper plate 230 can have one or more through holes 232, allowing filler to flow through the upper plate 230. The upper plate 230 can be directly or indirectly connected to the extension shaft 204. One or more upper plates 230 can be used or no upper plates 230 can be used depending on the application.
An example of an operation to form a pile can include connecting the lead 102 to a foundation pile drilling machine or other industrial machine capable of rotating the lead 102 into the ground. The shaft 104 of the lead 102 is rotated so that the helical plate 114 grips the soil to start pulling the lead 102 into the ground. As the lead 102 rotates the soil will enter the canister 116 and the canister 116 outer wall 124 can displace the soil, forming an opening in the ground to provide a cavity in which filler is poured. The canister 116 helps to compact the soil around the cavity, which helps create a stronger, more repeatable column in different soil types. The open top of the canister 116 allows filler to flow into the upper section 130, reducing the amount of soil mixed in with the initial filler around the lead 102, allowing better filler intake as the pile 100 is being formed.
After the lead 102 is rotated to a sufficient depth, the first extension 202 can be connected to the lead 102 and the two are rotated together. The extension soil displacement assembly 206 will outwardly displace any soil that may have entered the column and further compact the soil along the outer perimeter of the column. Depending on the depth and load requirements of the pile 100, multiple first extensions 202 can be used, and/or he plain second extensions 302 can be used to achieve the desired column.
In certain operations, the pile 100 can be installed at a constant rate, which is not repeatedly achievable with other types of piles. Moving at a constant rate allows torque to be measured so that torque to capacity ratios can be determined and used to calculate load bearing capacity in different soil types.
The present disclosure describes a way of displacing soil for the purpose of creating a pile column with an embedded soil displacement pile. The one or more soil displacement assemblies displace soil so that filler may be poured into a cavity created by the one or more soil displacement assemblies around the soil displacement pile forming a pile column at the job site. The soil displacement assembly of the present disclosure permits the use of larger diameter shafts and helical plates for the lead and/or extensions which facilitates displacement of more soil and results in the formation of pile columns having larger diameters and therefore improved load capacity.
The soil displacement pile and soil displacement assembly of the present disclosure can be adapted to form any size pile column needed for a particular job. For example, the soil displacement pile and soil displacement assembly of the present disclosure can easily form pile columns that are greater than eight inches in diameter.
While illustrative embodiments have been described and illustrated above, it should be understood that these are exemplary and are not to be considered as limiting. Additions, deletions, substitutions, and other modifications can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the invention is not to be considered as limited by the foregoing description.
The foregoing detailed description of the certain exemplary embodiments has been provided for the purpose of explaining the general principles and practical application, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the disclosure for various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. This description is not necessarily intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the exemplary embodiments disclosed. Any of the embodiments and/or elements disclosed herein may be combined with one another to form various additional embodiments not specifically disclosed. Accordingly, additional embodiments are possible and are intended to be encompassed within this specification and the scope of the appended claims. The specification describes specific examples to accomplish a more general goal that may be accomplished in another way.
As used in this application, the terms “front,” “rear,” “upper,” “lower,” “upwardly,” “downwardly,” and other orientational descriptors are intended to facilitate the description of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the structure of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure to any particular position or orientation. Terms of degree, such as “substantially” or “approximately” are understood by those of ordinary skill to refer to reasonable ranges outside of the given value, for example, general tolerances associated with manufacturing, assembly, and use of the described embodiments. Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/454,376, filed Mar. 24, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63454376 | Mar 2023 | US |
