The present invention belongs in the field of technologies for compacting soil obtained by disaggregation of the soil with corresponding mixing through the addition of compacting agents under pressure (cement grout, chemical mixtures, etc.) or additives that are injected through the equipment itself.
More in particular, it refers to execution of thin panels in which the thickness is very limited in comparison with the longitudinal dimensions.
The traditional procedure, with which a prevalently mechanical mixing is carried out, exploits the rotary motion of tools capable of digging and disaggregating the soil via appendages that extend radially with respect to the axis of the tool itself. The soil thus disaggregated is mixed with a cementing mixture pumped at low pressure (1-2 MPa) through mouths made in the tubular shaft in the proximity of the blades.
The limit of the above system is the shape of the cross section, which is very far from the theoretical shape of a diaphragm, and typically solutions are adopted with a plurality of tools set alongside one another having smaller diameters so as to approach the ideal shape.
For example, the technical solution described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,513 is very complex both as regards the movement and as regards the possibility of application on equipment that has to support and supply these types of tools.
A further known variant of the procedure described above is to use higher pressures for the cementing mixes.
The above technique, by exploiting the combination of the mechanical action of the disaggregating members of the tool and of the hydraulic energy of the pressure jets, is distinguished by a considerable speed of execution, with considerable economic advantages, but there still remain the same limits as regards the shape of the cross section that can be obtained.
In more recent times, the mixing techniques have resorted to machines bearing a pair of wheels provided with digging/mixing teeth or appendages, of the type described in EP-1,748,110, which are set up against one another and have axes of rotation that are substantially horizontal and normal to the axis of the dig.
This new equipment, commonly referred to as “milling wheels” or simply “milling cutters”, execute, as in the case of traditional mechanical mixing, a compacted section of given depth but of a rectangular, instead of circular, shape. As in the case of the first method described, also these machines can exploit, in addition to the mechanical effect, the disaggregating effect of the hydraulic energy of the pressure jets.
Unlike systems with rotating vertical axis, in which the members for generation of the motion are located above the ground, in milling cutters the motor members are set in the part of equipment that penetrates in the ground, up against the drums or inside the drums.
The rectangular shape, obtained with said equipment, enables an extremely high performance to be achieved as compared to the circular shape of the first systems described above in so far as, when a continuous linear diaphragm wall is to be made, it is far less costly and in any case faster to set alongside one another a number of rectangular diaphragms, slightly compenetrating one another, rather than circumferences secant with respect to one another.
The thicknesses required for the diaphragms in some types of works may be relatively large as compared to the transverse dimension of digging reaching ratios close to 1:2. There also exist applications, which are the ones specific to the present invention, in which the thicknesses have to be reduced as much as possible, and in this case it could be obtained ratios of 1:5, 1:10, 1:20, etc. The ideal section would be represented by a rectangle having the major side as long as possible, and the minor side around 200-500 mm in length, i.e., just enough to ensure continuity between two adjacent rectangular diaphragms.
The current solutions and the geometrical shapes of the motor members, transmission members, and cutting members adopted up to now do not, however, enable reduction of the width of the dig to a value of less than 500-600 mm.
Patent U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,915 describes an apparatus (milling cutter) for digging diaphragm walls constituted by two cutting wheels. Each of them is mounted on a supporting structure, which is equipped with a member for transmission of motion, positioned inside the two wheels. The wheels can be set in rotation by single or separate motor members, turning in the same direction.
The main limit of this solution is that it is unable to dig right through the thickness of the cross section as the wheels must leave space for the internal transmission or for their support. If the thickness is reduced in order to obtain a thin diaphragm wall and the digging capacity (torques and powers involved) is kept constant, it is evident that, since the internal transmission has to remain unvaried, its overall dimensions will assume an increasing incidence as the thickness of the diaphragm decreases.
Fall-back solutions known in the field of diaphragm walls of large thickness, used for removing the central area, for example adopting mobile teeth (see, for example, document No. DE 10360910), or else generating movements transverse to the milling head through the use of pivoting supporting plates (see, for example, document No. EP 1746213), which can be moved during the excavation in order to cover the entire section, will not be able to find effective application if the thicknesses are small, and in any case represent a considerable structural complication.
It is also known the Italian patent IT-1,189,612, which describes and claims an apparatus (milling cutter) for digging diaphragm walls, equipped with a plurality of milling wheels and a motor-driven rotating central tip.
Since said solution envisages a series of internal gears, it does not permit the reduction of the transverse dimensions of the diaphragm wall. Given the geometry of the kinematic chain, the motor is set transverse, and this prevents reduction of the dimensions thereof into a really compact form. If the aim is to set the motor in a vertical position, it would be necessary to complicate the transmission further by adopting an additional transmission at 90° at the expense of simplification, which is already particularly critical.
In addition, the head has the purpose of digging the part of ground comprised between the plurality of wheels present, hence only in the internal portion.
The geometry of the wheels is such to present a ratio between the diameter of the wheels and the thickness that is approximately 1:1, with consequent limits on the execution of thin panels, as in the case of the previous solution.
The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the above problems by providing a thin digging section, as close as possible to the optimal section.
In order to achieve the above and further purposes that will be better understood in .the following description, the present invention describes a digging and mixing equipment for executing diaphragm walls according to claim 1.
The invention will now be described with reference to the attached figures, which illustrate a non-limiting example of embodiment thereof and in which:
a and 3b show the machine provided with the device according to the invention in side view and front view, respectively;
a is a variant of
a and 8b are further variants of
a and 9b are a partial vertical section and a front view, respectively, of a further variant of the embodiment of
With reference to
As better shown in
As shown in
A tip 30, at the terminal end of body 10, is also equipped with cutting means and is able to turn with respect to the axis of body 10 coinciding with the axis of digging; tip 30 facilitates driving of the equipment into the ground contributing the making of the hole for the passage of diameter F of body 10.
Body 10, in the configuration under examination, is as shown in
The kinematic transmission of pinions 2 and 3 can also be provided as stage of an epicyclic gearing.
The transmission between pinion 3b and wheel 4 may be of the “spur gear” or “face gear” type.
The preselected configuration allows the wheels to be counter-rotating with respect to one another in order to double the action of cutting and disaggregation of the ground by adding the relative velocities of the rotating means. Crown 4 itself transmits the motion to members 5, 5a, 5b, which are altogether specular to elements 3, 3a, 3b described previously. Pinions 5b supply final wheel 6, which causes rotation of toothed tip 30.
The mechanical transmission system described above can be obtained also with the use of chains motor-driven by toothed pinions (see
Pinions 2 and 3 in this case constitute a bevel gear, and pinion 50, fixed with respect to gear 3, is winded by a chain 51 transmitted in 54 (which guarantees the increase in the teeth meshing between the chain and pinion 52) to engage a central pinion 52, which transmits the motion to digging wheels 20a, 20b.
The chain can proceed its specular extension downwards with branch 53 that is winded on pinion 55, which transmits the motion to tip 30.
From a dimensional analysis it has been verified how these solutions for supplying the motion of the wheels and of the tip, given the same power, imply a larger size of diameter F.
With reference to
This rotary table moves along guides 43 of the tower being connected to one or more movement devices, preferably winches, of the pull-up or pull-up/pull-down type for enabling hoisting or hoisting and thrust of tool 45 from/into the ground. The lines of the winch can be direct or multiplied.
The rotary table, which is prevalently of the hydraulic. type, converts the energy supplied by a pressurized fluid into mechanical energy. One or more hydraulic motors impress the rotary motion on one or more gears coupled to a crown wheel fitted to the first of digging rods 46 located inside external rods 47.
With reference to
The rotary motion of digging/mixing is thus transmitted from rotary table 42 to tool 45 by means of internal rods 46.
The motion of hoisting and driving is, instead, transmitted from the mechanical means connected to rotary table 42 through external rods 47.
As shown in
Provision of the motor drive for the angular-positioning system is obtained by known systems, such as linear actuator 49, preferentially hydraulic cylinders, as shown in
In the case where the movement device is constituted by a winch with simple winding (with pull, without thrust), the tool can be hoisted with a pre-defined pull, whereas it will penetrate in the ground as a result of its own weight and the weight of the equipment connected thereto and suspended to tackle 48.
This solution thus simplified can be used in particularly “easy” soils in which the resistance to advance is very low.
With reference to
The assembly is no longer motor-driven as a conventional rotary, but preserves runners 61 thereof for sliding and guiding along the antenna. In this case, external rods 47 can project with respect to hoisting assembly 62, thus decidedly increasing the digging depth.
As previously described, it is possible to set between rod 47 and hoisting assembly 62 orientation system 49 (which at one end is connected to rod 47 and at the other is directly or indirectly connected to guide tower 41), which enables angular positioning of digging tool 45 with respect to the digging/moving direction z (
With reference to
In this way, it is possible to exploit the masses as a flywheel capable of overcoming more resistant obstacles that require additional torque to the wheels, without slowing down excessively or stopping completely rotation thereof.
The wheels are designed, in fact, with a considerable diameter (ratio L/l from 5 to 15, but also higher values are possible). As a consequence of the large diameter of the wheels, it is necessary to limit the number of revolutions so as to contain the peripheral velocity of the digging/mixing elements. The large diameter enables the high peripheral velocities to be reached easily, which, combined with the flywheel masses, favours penetration of the teeth into the ground and gives stability to the mixing system for a more effective homogeneization.
The external shape of the wheels (see
With reference to
Known in the sector are all the variants that can be obtained and the corresponding characteristics that they can produce by modifying: the amount (mono-fluid treatment, bi-fluid treatment, tri-fluid treatment, etc.), the arrangements (coaxial, lateral, mounted in one and the same plane, mounted in staggered planes, inclined, horizontal, tangential so as to skim the teeth), the functional modes (whether injected during advance, during extraction, or in both steps), the extension of the treatment (whether injected for a certain depth or for the entire extension of the entire diaphragm wall). These variants modify the process of execution, without thereby departing from the solution claimed.
Mouths 69 on digging tip 30 that is also equipped with cutting means 80, enable injection of drilling fluids 70 (generally water) during digging, in order to facilitate removal of debris and cool down the tip itself. During ascent, a valve 71 calibrated at a pressure lower than that of the injection of the grout occludes the ducts directed to mouths 69 in order to orient the flow rate of the mixture exclusively on mouths 68 located in a position corresponding to wheels 20a and 20b. By so doing, the supply duct can be unique and supply both the tip and the injection mouths, to the advantage of simplification.
Mixing/digging teeth are set on the periphery of wheels 20a, 20b; favoured by the correct speed of rotation and the regular motion of the wheels, they spread the fluid injected over the entire section and mix it finely to the soil continuing the disaggregating action.
Said assembly is supplied with pipes 73, which pass inside rod 47 in the first variant of
In the same way, it is possible to house signal cables 75, for positioning of instruments 77, 78 necessary for monitoring the compaction process. Inclination sensors and accelerometers can be inserted to verify the effective digging direction of the tip, as well as generic sensors for detecting the pressure of the motor-reducer or the r.p.m. (in the case of the first and second variants).
The operating modes of execution of the treatment envisage a first step in which tool 45 is inserted into the ground by means of its own weight or with the aid of an external thrust exerted by the machine and transmitted through the battery of rods.
During this step, to guarantee penetration of the body in the ground, since the body has larger dimensions than the wheels, a proper drilling is carried out with tip 30.
It is convenient for wheels 20a, 20b to be set in rotation outside the hole in such a way that they reach the steady-state speed, optimal for cutting/mixing.
The flywheel masses and the diametral dimensions enable conservation of a rotational energy useful for stabilizing the cut and for disaggregation of the ground.
During descent, the counter-rotating wheels impress a reaction torque on the external rods, which is partially balanced by the torque at digging tip 30 so that the rods will be temporarily constrained to the drilling tower to keep the tool in the desired direction.
The articulation present between rods 47 and rotary table 42 or hoisting assembly 62 enables angular orientation of the tool before or during the excavation itself.
The presence of a linear actuator 49, as shown in
Once the design depth has been reached, the tip and the wheels are permanently kept in motion so that they can hence start the step of treatment in which the compaction mix is injected. If the injection is at a high pressure, a valve 71 closes the passage to the tip and enables supply of injection mouths 68.
Mixture of the binder with the soil is obtained via the mechanical action of the teeth on the soil with the opposite relative motion of the wheels combined with the hydraulic energy possessed by the liquids injected.
The treatment proceeds down to the depth expected or up to the top.
Movements of ascent and descent favour homogeneization of the layers also in the vertical direction.
Alternatively, the injection of the compacting fluids can be made right from the start, during the step of descent. In this case, the injected material that will disaggregate the soil will come out both from tip 69 and from mouths 68. Another variant is the injection during drilling and extraction.
At the end of the treatment, it is possible to lower a cylindrical reinforcement into the hole OF, to reinforce the pile that will have structural functions.
Last variant of the method: a drilling machine drills a pre-hole throughout its length, with diameter OF. In this way, the mixing equipment can be without the tip and make only the thin diaphragm wall according to one of the previous methododologies of execution already described. The rectilinearity of the pre-drilled hole guarantees guiding of tool 45 throughout the depth of the treatment and facilitates respect of alignment of the adjacent diaphragms.
The main advantages of this solution can be summarized as follows.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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TO2009A000988 | Dec 2009 | IT | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP2010/006948 | 11/15/2010 | WO | 00 | 9/18/2012 |