Method and apparatus for setting pilings in frozen ground

• US 4,121,427 A
• Filed: 09/12/1977
• Issued: 10/24/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John K. Tuttle
• Original Assignee: John K. Tuttle
• Inventors: Tuttle, John K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shapiro, Jacob
• Application Number:
  US05/832,337
• Time in Patent Office: 407 Days
• Field of Search: 61/36 A, 61/53.5, 61/50, 61/53.74, 62/293, 62/260
• US Class Current: 405/130
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 5/74 Means for anchoring structural elements or bulkheads anchoring piles E02D5/54 ; anchored foundations E02D27/50
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 7/00 Methods or apparatus for placing sheet pile bulkheads, piles, mouldpipes, or other moulds for both placing and removing E02D11/00; accessories for coupling driver to piles or the like E02D13/10; for trees or other plants A01G17/16; placing posts E04H17/26

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for setting pilings, and to apparatus for use in conjunction therewith. More particularly, the invention relates to a new and improved method for temporarily setting and holding a piling in place for subsequent filling, packing and setting of material surrounding the ground imbedded portion of the piling. The present invention finds particular, but not necessarily exclusive utility in connection with setting pilings in frozen ground such as arctic tundra.

Claims

1. A method for setting pilings comprising the steps of:

drilling a hole for receiving the piling;

placing and holding the piling in the desired position and alignment in the hole;

pouring a freezable water and sand slurry into the hole around the piling to a depth of about two feet;

quick freezing the sand and water slurry to temporarily support the piling;

filling the hole with a settable slurry and allowing the same to set at ambient temperature.

2. In a method for setting pilings including drilling a hole for receiving the piling and placing and holding the piling in the desired arrangement and alignment within the hole, the improvement comprising pouring a quick freezable sand and water slurry into the hole to a depth of about two feet surrounding said piling, applying a cryogenic fluid to said slurry to quick-freeze said slurry and thereby support said piling securely within said hole, and filling said hole with a packing slurry and allowing said packing slurry to set at the ambient temperature to permanently support said piling in said hole.

3. An apparatus for applying a cryogenic fluid to a sand and water slurry at the bottom of a hole containing a piling for purposes of temporarily supporting said piling in said hole, said apparatus comprising an elongated conduit adapted for insertion into said hole after said piling is in place to extend down said hole in the space between said piling and said hole, a generally arcuate manifold supported at the lower end of said conduit, feed conduit connecting said main conduit with said manifold, a plurality of downwardly extending nozzles depending from said manifold, an expendable distributor conduit releasably secured on each nozzle and adapted to extend within a freezable sand and water slurry, whereby when a cryogenic fluid is supplied through said conduit and manifold to said distributor tubes a sand and water slurry is frozen adjacent the lower end of said piling and said apparatus can be withdrawn from said hole by separating said nozzles from said distributor tubes leaving said expendable distributor tubes imbedded within the quick frozen sand and water slurry and with said quick frozen water and said slurry temporarily supporting said piling in said hole.

4. An apparatus for quick freezing a sand and water slurry at the bottom of a hole surrounding an inserted piling comprising an elongated conduit adapted for insertion downwardly into said hole after said piling is in place, a manifold at the downhole end of said conduit, feeder tubes interconnecting said manifold and said conduit, a plurality of downwardly extending nipples on said manifold, and a relatively short perforated distributor tube releasably secured to each said nozzle whereby said conduit and manifold can be readily separated from said distributor tube when the latter are quick frozen in a freezable slurry by the application of a cryogenic fluid to said conduit manifold nozzles and distributor tubes.