METHOD AND INSTALLATION FOR THE SUBTERRANEAN SUPPORT OF UNDERGROUND CONDUITS
First Claim
1. A method of supporting a conduit buried in subterranean material, comprising:
- positioning a leading edge of a first section of arcuate sheet pile relative to a buried conduit such that the edge is aligned with subterranean material underneath the conduit; and
advancing the curved sheet pile along an arcuate path through the subterranean material beneath the conduit to a position in which the sheet pile is disposed beneath the conduit and separated therefrom by a layer of the subterranean material.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In one exemplary embodiment, curved sheet pile is driven underneath an existing conduit using a pile driver guided hydraulically by an excavator or other heavy machinery. By vibrating the curved sheet piles, the soil is placed in suspension, which allows the piles to be directed through the soil along an arcuate path that has a curvature that substantially matches the radius of curvature of the piles. Once the pile is positioned as desired, each individual pile sheet can be welded to one another to form a unitary structure. In one exemplary embodiment, the curved sheet pile is inserted beneath a conduit using a vibratory pile driver that rotates about a fixed pivot element on an excavator or other heavy machine for positioning the pile driver to advance the curved sheet pile along a fixed arc.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method of supporting a conduit buried in subterranean material, comprising:
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positioning a leading edge of a first section of arcuate sheet pile relative to a buried conduit such that the edge is aligned with subterranean material underneath the conduit; and advancing the curved sheet pile along an arcuate path through the subterranean material beneath the conduit to a position in which the sheet pile is disposed beneath the conduit and separated therefrom by a layer of the subterranean material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An installation for supporting a conduit buried in subterranean material, comprising:
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a first section of arcuate sheet pile disposed beneath the buried conduit and spaced from the buried conduit by a layer of the subterranean material, the sheet pile having a concave surface facing the conduit; the sheet pile being suspended from above to thereby support the conduit and the layer of subterranean material whereby subterranean material beneath the sheet pile can be excavated. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification