Method and Apparatus for Building Support Piers from One or More Successive Lifts Formed in a Soil Matrix
First Claim
1. A method for forming an aggregate pier in a matrix soil comprising the steps of:
- (a) forming an elongate cavity having a bottom and a longitudinal axis in the matrix soil by lowering a hollow tube with a bulbous bottom head element having an open end at the extreme end thereof including a closure mechanism for closing the extreme open end, said bulbous bottom head element configured with a greater cross sectional area portion than the cross sectional area of the adjacent connected hollow tube and configured to provide axial and transaxial vector forces on the soil matrix, said closure mechanism closed during formation of the elongate cavity to prevent aggregate material discharge from the bottom head element during formation of the cavity and to prevent clogging of the bottom head element or hollow tube with matrix soil materials during penetration and formation of the elongate cavity;
(b) raising the hollow tube a predetermined first incremental distance in the formed cavity;
(c) opening the closure mechanism when the hollow tube is raised;
(d) feeding pier forming aggregate material through the special bottom head element extreme open end into the portion of the cavity revealed by raising the hollow tube said first incremental distance; and
(e) lowering the hollow tube a predetermined second incremental distance to compact the discharged aggregate material in the cavity by axial and transaxial force impact from the bulbous bottom head element onto the discharged aggregate material surface while displacing a portion of the pier forming aggregate material transaxially into the sidewalls of the filled cavity.
18 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for forming a support aggregate pier having compacted aggregate lifts in a soil matrix, includes an elongate, hollow tube with a bulbous leading end bottom head element that is forced or lowered into the soil matrix. The hollow tube includes a mechanism for releasing aggregate from the lower head element of the tube as the tube is lifted in predetermined increments. The same hollow tube is then lowered or pushed in predetermined increments to vertically compact the released aggregate in thin aggregate lifts, while forcing a portion of the compacted aggregate transaxially into the soil matrix at the sidewalls of the cavity. The process may be repeated to form a series of compacted aggregate lifts comprising an aggregate pier or the process may include forming only a single lift for the aggregate pier while densifying adjacent matrix soils and imparting lateral stress in these soils.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method for forming an aggregate pier in a matrix soil comprising the steps of:
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(a) forming an elongate cavity having a bottom and a longitudinal axis in the matrix soil by lowering a hollow tube with a bulbous bottom head element having an open end at the extreme end thereof including a closure mechanism for closing the extreme open end, said bulbous bottom head element configured with a greater cross sectional area portion than the cross sectional area of the adjacent connected hollow tube and configured to provide axial and transaxial vector forces on the soil matrix, said closure mechanism closed during formation of the elongate cavity to prevent aggregate material discharge from the bottom head element during formation of the cavity and to prevent clogging of the bottom head element or hollow tube with matrix soil materials during penetration and formation of the elongate cavity; (b) raising the hollow tube a predetermined first incremental distance in the formed cavity; (c) opening the closure mechanism when the hollow tube is raised; (d) feeding pier forming aggregate material through the special bottom head element extreme open end into the portion of the cavity revealed by raising the hollow tube said first incremental distance; and (e) lowering the hollow tube a predetermined second incremental distance to compact the discharged aggregate material in the cavity by axial and transaxial force impact from the bulbous bottom head element onto the discharged aggregate material surface while displacing a portion of the pier forming aggregate material transaxially into the sidewalls of the filled cavity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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8. A method for forming an aggregate pier in a matrix soil comprising the steps of:
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(a) forming an elongate cavity having a bottom and a longitudinal axis in a matrix soil by positioning a hollow tube with a bulbous bottom head element into the matrix soil to a predetermined depth, said bottom head element having a bulbous shape with a maximum cross sectional area greater than the attached hollow tube adjacent thereto, said bottom head element configured to impart axial and transaxial forces on the matrix soil and on discharged materials and having an extreme bottom end discharge opening with a cover plate; (b) raising the hollow tube an incremental distance from the bottom of the cavity; (c) opening the bottom discharge opening and feeding pier forming material through the hollow tube into the cavity upon raising of the hollow tube; and (d) vertically compacting the pier forming material with the head element by driving the hollow tube and head element downwardly toward the bottom of the cavity while displacing a portion of the pier forming material transaxially in the cavity.
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16. Apparatus for construction of a soil reinforcement aggregate pier in a soil matrix comprising, in combination:
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(a) an elongate hollow tube having a longitudinal axis with a material entrance opening and a bulbous bottom head element having an open bottom discharge end, the external cross section of the bulbous bottom head element being greater than the external cross section of the hollow tube adjacent thereto to thereby form a bulbous section of the hollow tube having an external cross sectional shape and size greater than the external cross sectional shape and size of the hollow tube adjacent the bulbous end; (b) said bulbous end having a surface configured to impart axial and transaxial forces upon downward movement on matrix soil and aggregate material; and (c) said bulbous end including a material discharge opening at the extreme end thereof with a removable cover plate or a valve that is able to open and close. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification