Stacked concrete marine structure
First Claim
1. A concrete offshore structure located in water of selected depth and extending from a surface defining the bottom of the water body to above the water surface and comprising at least two similar prefabricated concrete modular subassemblies interconnected in a vertical arrangement in such manner to define a horizontal interface between each such pair of subassemblies,, vertical guide tubes cooperatively disposed in each of said subassemblies, said guide tubes adapted to at least partially register with one another when said subassemblies are vertically arranged, a shear pin adapted to be received by said cooperating guide tubes to prevent relative movement between said subassemblies, said shear pin having a leading edge to positively align said cooperating guide tubes and thereby said subassemblies when received into said guide tubes, and cement between each such pair at each interface for securing the members of each pair together.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A concrete offshore structure located in a body of water of selected depth and extending from a bed defining the bottom of the water body to above the water surface comprises at least two similar prefabricated concrete modular subassemblies interconnected in a vertical arrangement in such manner to define a horizontal interface between each such pair of subassemblies. vertically disposed shear resistant pin means between the subassemblies and cement at the interface secure them together.
A method for deploying such a structure includes towing the subassemblies offshore, mating them, and towing the assembled structure to the selected offshore installation site.
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Citations
13 Claims
- 1. A concrete offshore structure located in water of selected depth and extending from a surface defining the bottom of the water body to above the water surface and comprising at least two similar prefabricated concrete modular subassemblies interconnected in a vertical arrangement in such manner to define a horizontal interface between each such pair of subassemblies,, vertical guide tubes cooperatively disposed in each of said subassemblies, said guide tubes adapted to at least partially register with one another when said subassemblies are vertically arranged, a shear pin adapted to be received by said cooperating guide tubes to prevent relative movement between said subassemblies, said shear pin having a leading edge to positively align said cooperating guide tubes and thereby said subassemblies when received into said guide tubes, and cement between each such pair at each interface for securing the members of each pair together.
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10. A method for deploying a concrete offshore structure at a selected location in a body of water of selected depth to extend from a bed defining the bottom of the water body to above the water surface, the structure when assembled being comprised of two similar prefabricated concrete modular subassemblies interconnected in a vertical arrangement in such manner to define a horizontal interface between such pair of subassemblies, the method comprising:
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(a) floating such pair of subassemblies separately and individually in a channel of water having access to the selected assembly location; (b) positioning a first modular subassembly of such pair while floating over a selected place of assembly located in water of a selected depth greater than the height of the subassembly; (c) ballasting the first modular subassembly sufficiently to submerge it to contact the bed defining the bottom of the water body at the place of assembly, wherein substantially all of the lower surface of the first modular subassembly contacts the bed; (d) positioning a second modular subassembly of such pair floating over the submerged first subassembly at the place of assembly; (e) ballasting the second modular subassembly sufficiently to lower it proximate to the first subassembly; (f) disposing a plurality of rigid shear resistant pins between the first and the second subassemblies to bring them into essential vertical alignment, thereby defining a horizontal interface between the subassemblies; (g) further ballasting the second subassembly to contact the subassemblies along essentially all of their horizontal interface; (h) deballasting the subassemblies sufficiently to bring the horizontal interface above the surface of the water while maintaining intimate contact of the subassemblies along the interface; (i) securing the subassemblies together to form a unitary floating structure; and (j) ballasting the structure sufficiently to bring essentially all of its bottom surface into contact with the bed defining the bottom of the water body, whereby the structure is deployed. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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Specification