TELESCOPING PIER FOUNDATION

Abstract

A telescoping pier foundation system comprises generally an outer shell preferably made of a tough and high-strength material, such as, a suitable polymer or a metal alloy, having an internal cavity for receiving a filler material. The outer shell comprises a stationary portion and at least one longitudinally telescoping member in longitudinal alignment with one another and connected to one another to achieve a given height, length or depth for forming a pier foundation. After the telescoping member is adjusted to the height necessary to support a building structural member, a fastener, whose anchor portion extends into the internal cavity of the telescoping member, is secured to the structural member and the internal cavity of the outer shell is filled with the filler material that hardens to form a composite pier foundation.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of the copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/797,615, filed on Mar. 10, 2004, which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed generally to building foundation supports, and more particularly to a telescoping pier foundation system for forming support foundations for buildings such as manufactured homes.

BACKGROUND

Certain housing structures are typically prefabricated off-site and in sections consisting of multiple segments, transported to the building site, and then fastened together and placed on foundations. Such housing structures or houses are generally referred to as manufactured homes. In the construction of manufactured homes, because of economic constraints, the foundation systems used are typically very simple pier foundations. Pier foundations generally support homes on short columns attached to small concrete blocks. Some examples of such pier foundations are precast piers, concrete tube piers and concrete block piers. These types of support foundations provide minimal structural support. For example, it is known that these types of foundations provide little or no resistance to the uplift loads created by high wind events. Further, these blocks are often placed without the use of mortar, providing virtually no means for resisting the lateral loads created by both wind and seismic activity. Thus, a pier foundation system capable of withstanding continual axial compressive loads while resisting lateral load forces, and that is fast, easy to install, and adaptable to various foundation size requirements, is highly desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To address the above need for low-cost, easy to install, yet strong foundation systems, a telescoping pier foundation for supporting a building structure from the ground and for providing resistance to uplift and lateral forces exerted on the building structure is disclosed. The pier foundation comprises a base stationary portion that forms an internal cavity to be substantially filled with a filler material that hardens and at least one ground anchor. The at least one ground anchor has a top portion that gets embedded in the hardened filler material and a shaft portion extending from the top portion. The bottom end of the shaft of the ground anchor gets embedded in the ground. Preferably, the ground anchors are helical anchors but other types of ground anchors can be used.

In another embodiment, the pier foundation comprises a rigid structure forming an internal cavity substantially filled with a hardened filler material and a fastener having an anchoring portion embedded in the hardened filler material and a shaft portion extending from the anchoring portion. The shaft portion is adapted and configured for attachment to the building structure that is being supported by the pier foundation.

In another embodiment, a rigid structure for forming a composite pier foundation in a system for supporting a building structure from the ground and for providing resistance to uplift and lateral forces exerted on the building structure is disclosed. The rigid structure comprises a hollow base defining a first interior space and a first hollow column member non-movably attached to the hollow base. The first hollow column member forms a generally upwardly oriented shaft defining a second interior space in communication with the first interior space of the base. The base has a lateral dimension larger than the lateral dimension of the first column member. In other words, if the base and the first column member were substantially cylindrical in shape, the base will have a larger diameter. A second hollow column member is telescopingly received within the first column member where the second column member forms a generally upwardly oriented shaft defining a third interior space that is also in communication with the first and second interior spaces. Thus, the first, second and third interior spaces referenced form a single contiguous interior space of the rigid structure.

In yet another embodiment, a system for supporting a building structure from the ground and for providing resistance to uplifting and lateral forces on the building structure comprises a composite pier foundation that incorporates the rigid structure described above. The system further includes a fastener connecting the top end of the second column member to a structural member of the building structure and a hardened filler material that substantially fills the interior space of the rigid structure.

In another embodiment, the telescoping pier foundation system comprises a stationary portion of a hollow structure having a top end opening and at least one telescoping member also of a hollow structure having a top open end and a bottom open end. The stationary portion and the at least one telescoping member are in longitudinal alignment with one another. The telescoping member resides within the top end opening of the stationary portion and is longitudinally movable within the top end opening. The stationary portion and the telescoping member form an outer shell having an internal cavity for receiving a filler material through one or more fill ports provided therein.

The telescoping member is telescopingly movable in longitudinal direction within the top end opening of the stationary portion and allows the height of the telescoping pier foundation system to be customized to the height of a structural member of a building to be supported. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the stationary portion may comprise a base and a column portion, the base portion having a larger transverse cross-sectional area than the column portion.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a fastening system is provided near the top end of the telescoping member for attaching or securing the telescoping member to a structural member of a building, such as, a floor I-beam of a manufactured home. After the telescoping member is secured to a structural member of a building, the internal cavity of the outer shell is filled with a high-strength hardenable filler material. The outer shell is provided with at least one fill port for pumping or pouring the filler material into the internal cavity. Upon hardening of the filler material, the telescoping pier foundation system forms a composite pier foundation, supporting the structural member of the building, that comprises a tough outer shell and a solid inner core of the filler material substantially filling the internal cavity.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the telescoping pier foundation system may include one or more ground anchors for anchoring the base of the pier foundation to the ground to enhance the overall structural integrity of the finished building structure. The one or more ground anchors are first driven into the ground with their top portions remaining above ground. The outer shell of the telescoping pier foundation system of the present invention, whose bottom end is open, is then placed over the ground anchors with the bottom edges of the outer shell flush to the ground. The top portion of the ground anchors extend into the internal cavity of the outer shell, and when the internal cavity is filled with a filler material, such as concrete, the top portions of the ground anchors are imbedded within the concrete and become an integral part of the pier foundation.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of installing or deploying the telescoping pier foundation system is also disclosed. The telescoping pier foundation system's outer shell is positioned under a structural member, such as a floor I-beam, of a building to be supported. The outer shell is placed so that its base is at or below the frost line. The at least one telescoping member is then raised until the top of the telescoping member contacts the structural member of the building. The telescoping member is then secured to the structural member of the building using one or more fastening devices provided on the telescoping member. Next, the internal cavity of the outer shell is filled with a filler material by pumping, injecting or pouring the filler material through one or more fill ports provided on the outer shell and allowed to harden or cure. Upon hardening of the filler material, a composite pier foundation comprising an outer shell and an inner core of hardened filler material is formed.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, one or more ground anchors may be first fixed into the ground at the location for a pier foundation before the outer shell of the telescoping pier foundation system is placed. When the outer shell is placed in position over the ground anchors, the top portions of the ground anchors extend into the base of the outer shell. Thus, after the filler material is poured or pumped into the internal cavity of the outer shell and allowed to cure, the top portions of the ground anchors are imbedded in the hardened filter material and the ground anchors become integral part of the resulting composite pier foundation.

Because the frost line depth varies from one geographical location to another, the depth to which pier foundations for structures such as manufactured homes must go down to reach the frost line will vary. The telescoping aspect of the pier foundation system of the present invention allows the height of the pier foundation to be customized to the needs of a particular installation easily and can be used in a variety of geographical locations. Furthermore, because the ground conditions at building installation sites never present a perfectly level ground conditions, requiring each of the several pier foundations to be installed with different heights, the robust telescoping feature of the pier foundation system of the present invention is generally much simpler to install than any conventional pier foundation systems.

According to another embodiment, a method of installing a pier foundation for supporting a building structure from the ground and for providing resistance to uplift and lateral forces exerted on the building structure includes positioning a rigid structure beneath a structural member of the building, securing a fastener to the structural member of the building, filling the internal cavity of the rigid structure substantially fully with a filler material, and allowing the filler material to harden forming a composite pier foundation. The rigid structure defines an internal cavity that gets substantially filled with the filler material which then hardens. The fastener comprises one end that is configured and adapted to be secured to the structural member of the building and an anchoring portion for anchoring the fastener to a filler material filling the internal cavity. In embodiments of the pier foundation where the fastener has the anchoring portion.

The filler material is preferably a material that can be provided in pourable, injectable or pumpable form that hardens or cures into high-strength material. An example is cementitious mixtures such as concrete commonly used in building construction. Another example is a polymer material such as polycarbonates.

The system according to an aspect of the present invention is optimal for application of a foundation system for manufactured homes that would be both structurally and economically superior to existing alternatives. The telescoping pier foundation system could also be used for new construction, structural repair, structural retrofit, and rehabilitation. This versatile device is capable of providing manufactured homes or other buildings with the structural stability of permanent homes/buildings, resulting in a safer form of low-income housing. In addition, this system can be readily adapted for use in the repair of traditional raised and slab foundations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features of the invention will be apparent from the following illustrations and description of various embodiments of the invention in which:

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a telescoping pier foundation system according to an embodiment;

FIG. 1B is a perspective view of a telescoping pier foundation system according to another embodiment;

FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view of the telescoping pier foundation system of FIG. 1B;

FIG. 1D is a perspective view of a telescoping pier foundation system according to yet another embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a perspective exploded view of the telescoping member of the telescoping pier foundation system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the base and the column portion of the telescoping pier foundation system of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the telescoping pier foundation system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along A-A of FIG. 4;

FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view of a telescoping member having an embodiment of a fill port;

FIG. 6 is an illustration of an embodiment of the telescoping pier foundation system in an installed configuration including a ground anchor;

FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional schematic illustration of the telescoping pier foundation system of FIG. 6 filled with a filler material;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the telescoping member portion of the telescoping pier foundation system of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a perspective detailed illustration of an L-bracket for securing the telescoping pier foundation system to a building floor I-beam;

FIG. 8A is a perspective exploded view of a fastening system according to another embodiment;

FIG. 8B is a side-view schematic illustration of the fastening system of FIG. 5A;

FIG. 8C is a perspective exploded view of a variation of the fastening system of FIG. 5A;

FIG. 8D is a side-view schematic illustration of a variation of the fastening system of FIG. 5A;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the telescoping member portion of a telescoping pier foundation system according to another embodiment secured to a wooden structural beam;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a cap for sealing the top end opening of the telescoping member portion of a telescoping pier foundation system according to another embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the telescoping pier foundation system;

FIG. 12 is a flow chart illustrating a method of installing a telescoping pier foundation system;

FIG. 13 is a flow chart illustrating a method of installing a telescoping pier foundation system according to another embodiment;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the telescoping pier foundation system;

FIGS. 15A and 15B are schematic illustrations showing the incorporation of concrete reinforcement bars in the installation of the pier foundation system;

FIG. 16 is an exploded schematic view of a multi-piece embodiment of the stationary portion of FIG. 3;

FIG. 17 is a schematic detailed cross-sectional view of the pier foundation showing a configuration of the telescoping member according to an embodiment;

FIG. 18 is a schematic detailed view of a fully installed complete pier foundation system according to an embodiment including a lateral brace; and

FIG. 19 is a schematic illustration of a manufactured building secured to pier foundation systems described herein.

The features shown in the above referenced drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale nor are they intended to be shown in precise positional relationship. Like reference numbers represent like structures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the Figures wherein like reference numerals indicate like elements, there is shown in FIG. 1A a telescoping pier foundation system 100 for forming a supporting foundation or a footing for buildings, such as, homes, manufactured homes, etc. The telescoping pier foundation system 100 comprises an outer shell comprising a stationary portion 10, of a hollow structure, from which at least one longitudinally telescoping member 40, also of a hollow structure open at both ends for setting the height of the resulting pier foundation, extends. In this example, the stationary portion 10 comprises a base 11 and a column portion 30 having a smaller diameter than the base 11. These components of the outer shell, which in one embodiment include the base 11, the column portion 30 and the telescoping member 40 are all hollow structures and, in combination, form the outer shell for the telescoping pier foundation system 100. More detailed illustrations of exemplary embodiments of these components of the outer shell are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

Shown in FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the telescoping member 40 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The telescoping member 40, in this example, is a hollow cylindrical structure as shown, but in other embodiments of the present invention, may also be other shapes, such as, a tubular structure having an oval, square, or other polygonal cross-sectional shapes. The telescoping member 40 has a flange portion 44 at the bottom end. The flange portion 44 has a larger diameter than the rest of the telescoping member 40 and, thus, presents a substantially flat transverse surface 45. Shown in FIG. 3 is the stationary portion 10 comprising the base 11 and the column portion 30. The stationary portion 10 is open on the bottom side so that the internal cavity 12 is accessible from the bottom side. The top end of the column portion 30 has a top surface 35 in which is provided an opening 32 for receiving the telescoping member 40. The telescoping pier foundation system's outer shell is assembled by inserting the telescoping member 40 through the opening 32 from the bottom side with the top end 41 of the telescoping member 40 first. The opening 32 has a diameter that is substantially equal to the outside diameter (O.D.) of the telescoping member 40 so that the telescoping member 40 fits snugly within the opening 32. The snugness of this fit need not be air tight, but should be loose enough to allow the telescoping member 40 to be moved up and down easily and at the same time snug enough to keep the filler material that will substantially fill the interior space from seeping out before the filler material hardens. Note, however, that the present invention contemplates additional means to reduce seepage, for example, a retaining ring, plunger seal or gasket to seal the device. After the telescoping member 40 is inserted into the opening 32, a connecting rod 60 and a fill port 50 are inserted into holes 48 and 49, respectively.

When fully assembled, the telescoping member 40 resides within the top opening 32 of the column portion 30 and the flange portion 44 of the telescoping member 40 limits the upward movement of the telescoping member 40. The flange portion 44 of the telescoping member 40 has a diameter that is sufficiently larger than the O.D. of the telescoping member 40 so that the transverse surface 45 of the flange portion 44 will interfere with the top surface 35 of the column portion 30 and prevent the telescoping member 40 from completely being removed from the opening 32 when the telescoping member 40 is telescopically raised through the opening 32. This is better illustrated in the cross-sectional view of the assembly in FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the outer shell of the telescoping pier foundation system 100 through line A-A of FIG. 4. The transverse surface 45 will butt up against the top surface 35 and prevent the telescoping member 40 from being completely removed through the opening 32. Although this is not a necessary feature of the telescoping pier foundation system of the present invention, it makes using and handling the pier foundation system easier by keeping the components together. Similarly, the telescoping member 40 is prevented from completely falling into the column portion 30 because the fill port 50 and/or the connecting rod 60 protrude from the telescoping member 40 and will interfere with the top surface 35.

The outer shell comprises at least one fill port 50 for pumping, injecting or pouring a filler material into the internal cavity 12 of the telescoping pier foundation system. In one embodiment of the present invention, the fill port 50 may be a check valve to prevent the filler material from flowing back out. The fill port 50 is preferably located near the top end of the telescoping member 40 so that the internal cavity 12 can be substantially filled to the brim of the telescoping member 40 as much as possible. This is usually preferable since the pier foundation should preferably have a solid core of filler material. However, depending upon the application, the internal cavity 12 may only be partially filled with the filler material. The fill port 50 may also be any other suitable valve or simply a properly oriented opening that will allow filling of the internal cavity 12 with the filler material. For example, FIG. 5A illustrates a fill port 50b located near the top of the telescoping member 40 oriented upwardly so that the filler material can be filled to the brim of the telescoping member 40. In another embodiment of the present invention, if the top end opening 42 of the telescoping member 40 is accessible after installation (i.e., not blocked by a structural member of the building such as an I-beam), the top end opening 42 may function as a fill port for introducing the filler material into the internal cavity 12. If necessary, additional fill ports may also be provided at various points on the outer shell to ensure that the internal cavity 12 of the outer shell can be properly filled with the filler material. For example, FIG. 5 illustrates an optional fill port 50a, shown in phantom lines, provided on the base 11. The outer shell may be provided with one or more fill ports as necessary.

Furthermore, it should be noted that the stationary portion 10 need not have a distinguishable base 11 and a column portion 30. As illustrated in the telescoping pier foundation system 100a in FIG. 1B, in another embodiment of the present invention, the base 11 and the column portion 30 from the pier foundation system of FIG. 1A are merged into one large stationary portion 10a. The telescoping member 40 extends telescopingly from the top surface 15a of the stationary portion 10a through a hole 17. The structure of the telescoping member 40 is same as that discussed in reference to the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIGS. 2-5. FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional illustration of the telescoping pier foundation system 100a. As shown, the flange portion 44 of the telescoping member 40 and the surface 15a will prevent the telescoping member 40 from being removed through the hole 17. In this embodiment of the present invention, because the inside diameter (I.D.) of the stationary portion 10a may be substantially larger than the O.D. of the telescoping member 40, a guiding surface 200 may be provided within the internal cavity 12. The I.D. of the guiding surface 200 should be larger than the O.D. of the flange portion 44 so that the telescoping member 40 can telescope up and down through the hole 17 within the confines of the guiding surface 200. The guiding surface 200 will keep the telescoping member 40 in an upright position throughout its telescoping range. Such guiding surface 200 would be provided with one or more venting holes 201 near the top so that when the internal cavity 12 is being filled with the filler material, the space 13 between the guiding surface 200 and the stationary portion 10a may be completely filled.

It is understood that the telescoping pier foundation system according to another embodiment of the present invention may include multiple telescoping members longitudinally aligned and telescopingly connected with one another in order to increase the range of the variable height, length or depth of the telescoping pier foundation. FIG. 1D is an illustration of this embodiment. In this example, a second telescoping member 40a is provided between the telescoping member 40 and the column portion 30. The telescoping member 40 resides within the top end hole 42a of the second telescoping member 40a. Similar to the flange portion 44 of the first telescoping member 40, the second telescoping member 40a also has a flange portion 44a near its bottom end to prevent the second telescoping member 40a from completely being removed through the top end opening 32 of the column portion 30. The second telescoping member 40a may be provided with means for preventing it from dropping into the column portion 30. That means may be pins or studs 47, as illustrated or a ring-like structure fitted around the top end of the second telescoping member 40a.

Referring to FIG. 6, a telescoping pier foundation system 100 of FIG. 1A in an installed configuration will be described. The telescoping pier foundation system 100 is positioned beneath a structural member of a manufactured home, namely a floor I-beam 80, in such a manner so that the base 11 is sitting on the ground substantially level and flush to the ground. The telescoping member 40 has been raised telescopically so that the top of the telescoping member 40 comes in contact with the bottom surface of the I-beam 80. The telescoping member 40 may be provided with a fastening system for securing the telescoping member 40 to the structural member of the building. An example of such a fastening system is illustrated in FIG. 2. In this example, the fastening system of the telescoping member 40 comprises a pair of diametrically opposed holes 48 provided in the telescoping member 40 through which a connector 60, such as a rod, pin, or a threaded bolt is placed to span the width of the telescoping member 40. Referring back to the illustration of FIG. 6, the ends of the connector 60 extend out from the telescoping member 40 a distance sufficient to allow the pier foundation system to be secured to the I-beam 80 by means of the connector 60 and a pair of brackets 75, FIG. 7 provides a perspective view of this connection arrangement. In an embodiment, as illustrated here, the brackets 75 are inverted L-shaped bracket having a top portion 77 for engaging the I-beam 80 and a hole 72 for securing to the connector 60. The connector 60 in this example is a threaded bolt and, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, nuts 62 may be used to secure the brackets 75 to the connector 60. The brackets 75 may be made from a metal alloy, such as steel or structural aluminum alloy, of the type and thickness to provide the brackets 75 a sufficient tensile strength for this type of application. They should at least be strong enough to withstand the ultimate uplift loading limit for the resulting pier foundation. It should be noted that many different fastening devices may be used as the fastening system for securing the telescoping member 40 to the floor I-beam 80. For example, steel cables or steel straps may be used to secure the telescoping member 40 to the I-beam 80.

According to the present invention, after the telescoping member 40 is secured to the I-beam 80, a filler material is pumped or poured through the fill port 50 and completely fill the internal cavity 12. Preferably, the internal cavity 12 is substantially completely filled with the filler material from the ground to top end of the telescoping member 40 butting up against the I-beam 80. This way, the outer shell of the pier foundation and the hardened filler material 300 form a solid high-strength composite pier foundation, whose height has been custom fitted to the height from the ground to the I-beam 80. And because the composite pier foundation of the present invention is secured to the building structural I-beam 80 via the fastening system, the finished building structure can withstand higher uplift and lateral loads than buildings utilizing the conventional pier foundations. FIG. 6A is an cross-sectional illustration of a composite pier foundation formed by filling the internal cavity 12 of the telescoping pier foundation system 100 of FIG. 6 with a filler material. The internal cavity of the pier foundation system is now filled with hardened filler material 300.

Another example of a fastening system for the telescoping pier foundation system 100 may be a clamp that may be clamped to the building floor I-beam 80 on one end and anchored to the filler material filling the internal cavity 12 on the opposite end. FIG. 8A is an exploded perspective schematic illustration of such a fastening device 78. FIG. 5B is a side-view schematic illustration of the fastening device 78 secured to an I-beam 80. The fastening system of this embodiment comprises two or more cover plates 78a and a bottom plate 78b for securing to the I-beam 80. As illustrated in FIG. 8B, the bottom plate 78b is first butted up against the bottom surface of the base of the I-beam 80. The two or more cover plates 78a are then placed on the top surface of the base of the I-beam 80 capturing the base of the I-beam 80 between the cover plates 78a and the bottom plate 78b. The fastener 78 is then secured by nuts and bolts 78d through the holes 78e in the cover plates 78a and the bottom plate 78b. An anchoring rod portion 78c is provided on the underside of the bottom plate 78b for anchoring the fastening device 78 to the filler material filling the internal cavity 12 of the pier foundation system outer shell. The anchoring rod portion 78c extends into the internal cavity 12 through the top end opening 42 of the telescoping member 40 when installed. In an actual application, the fastening device 78 is first secured to an I-beam 80. Then, a telescoping pier foundation system 100 is positioned in place under the I-beam 80 so that the telescoping member 40 is raised until the anchoring rod portion 78c of the fastening device 78 extends into the telescoping member 40. After the internal cavity 12 of the telescoping pier foundation system 100 is filled with a filler material and hardened, the anchoring rod portion 78c will be imbedded within the hardened filler material and the fastening device 78 becomes integral with the resulting composite pier foundation. When this type of fastening device is utilized, other fastening mechanisms described herein, such as the connecting rod 60 and the L-shaped brackets 75, may not be necessary.

Referring to FIGS. 8C and 8D, a variation on the fastening device of FIG. 5A is illustrated. In this embodiment, one set of the cover plate 78a and the bolts 78d on one side of the bottom plate 78b is replaced with a J-shaped rolled edge 78f. To secure the fastening device to the I-beam 80, one side of the base of the I-beam is hooked under the I-shaped rolled edge and the opposite side of the base of the I-beam is then secured to the fastening device using the cover plate 78a and the bolts 78d. The illustrated examples of a fastening system for securing the building structure to the telescoping pier foundation system discussed herein are merely examples of certain preferred embodiments but the invention encompasses many different configurations for the fastening system that will provide the equivalent function of securing the building structure to the telescoping pier foundation.

For installations in locations prone to extreme and/or variable environmental forces, such as extremely high winds or seismic conditions, the telescoping pier foundation system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention may include the use of one or more ground anchors. In the example of the telescoping pier foundation system illustrated in FIG. 6, one such ground anchor 90 is illustrated. The ground anchor(s) 90 is preferably helical anchor(s) and has a top portion 92 and a shaft portion 93. The top portion 92 remains above ground after the shaft portion 93 is driven into the ground. In applications where the ground anchor(s) 90 are used, the ground anchor(s) 90 are first driven into the ground so that when the pier foundation system 100 is positioned under the I-beam 80, the top portion(s) 92 of the anchor(s) 90 sit within the internal cavity 12. Thus, the top portion 92 is imbedded within the filler material and becomes an integral part of the composite pier foundation once the filler material is cured. By anchoring the base of the composite pier foundation to the ground, the building will be better protected from uplift and lateral loads. Preferably, the ground anchor(s) 90 may be installed at a slant approximately 20 to 30 degrees from the vertical and more preferably, slanted in direction perpendicular to the long axis of the building structure to maximize the lateral load capability of the building in the short axis direction.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the major components of the outer shell, base 10, the column portion 30, and the telescoping member 40 may be made of a hard, structurally durable material such as composite polymers (e.g. fiber reinforced plastic), polyvinylchloride (PVC), or a metal alloy such as steel or structural aluminum alloy. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the stationary portion 10 and the telescoping member 40 each may be made as unitary units by injection molding PVC. Alternatively, the outer shell components may be assembled from off-the-shelf PVC tubing, steel tubing, or aluminum alloy tubing of appropriate sizes and dimension.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the telescoping pier foundation system may be used to support a wooden beam rather than an I-beam. FIG. 9 illustrates such an example. The telescoping member 40 is secured to a wooden beam 80a using a pair of straight brackets 78. The bracket 78 is secured to the connector 60 at one end using threaded nuts 62 and secured to the wooden beam 80a at the other end by fastening means such as lag screws or lag bolts 64.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the top end of the telescoping member 40 may be sealed off with a cap 99 as shown in FIG. 10. The cap may be provided with a weeping or a vent hole on its top surface to prevent a pocket of air being trapped under it as the internal cavity 12 of the telescoping pier foundation system is filled with a filler material.

The telescoping pier foundation system of the present invention effectively utilizes the compressive strength of the filler material and the tensile strength of the tough outer shell. The filler material used to fill the internal cavity 12 of the telescoping pier foundation system may be high compressive strength (about 4000 psi) concrete typically used for building foundations, floor slabs, road ways and other heavy duty applications. The filler material, however, should have an appropriate viscosity to be pumped into the telescoping pier foundation system through the fill port(s).

Referring to FIG. 11, another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated where the fill port 50 is provided on top surface 15 of base 11. Because the internal cavity would be filled from bottom up fashion in this example, a weep hole or a vent hole 41 may be provided near the top portion of the telescoping member 40. This is particularly necessary where the top end opening 42 of the telescoping member 40 is sealed off with a cap 99, as shown. If the top end opening 42 can be left open, the vent hole 41 may not be necessary. It should be further noted that the base 11 in this exemplary embodiment of the present invention has a square shape. As discussed above, the stationary portion 10 and the telescoping member 40 of the telescoping pier foundation system may be hollow structures having any one of a variety of cross-sectional shapes.

Flow chart 500 shown in FIG. 12 illustrates a method for deploying or installing the telescoping pier foundation system of the present invention according to an aspect of the present invention.

At step 510, one or more ground anchors may be optionally driven into the installation site for the telescoping pier foundation system.

At step 520, a telescoping pier foundation system is positioned beneath a building structural member, such as, an I-beam. Preferably the stationary portion of the pier foundation system is placed below the frost line for the locale where the installation is taking place.

At step 530, the telescoping member is then raised until the top end of the telescoping member contacts the bottom of the building structural member.

At step 540, the telescoping member is secured to the building structural member using appropriate fastening devices.

At step 550, the internal cavity of the telescoping pier foundation system is filled with a filler material such as concrete via one or more fill port.

At step 560, the filler material is allowed to cure, forming the solid core of the resulting composite pier foundation.

Referring to the flow chart 600 shown in FIG. 13 a method for deploying or installing the pier foundation system according to another embodiment is described.

At step 610, one or more ground anchors are driven into the ground where a pier foundation will be installed. Such location will be beneath a building structural member, such as an I-beam, that the pier foundation will be supporting.

At step 620, a pier foundation system is positioned over the ground anchors beneath the building structural member. Preferably the stationary portion of the pier foundation system is placed below the frost line for the locale where the installation is taking place.

At step 630, the telescoping member is then raised up to the building structural member. A fastener similar to the ones illustrated in FIGS. 8A-8D is positioned at the top end opening of the telescoping member with its anchoring portion extending into the interior space of the telescoping member. Thus, when the telescoping member is raised or extended up to the building structural member, the fastener will come in contact with the building structural member. This configuration is illustrated in FIGS. 17 and 18.

In the embodiment utilizing the fastener similar to the ones illustrated in FIGS. 8A-8D, because there is no direct physical connection between the fastener and the telescoping member until the internal cavity of the pier foundation system is filled with a filler material, after the telescoping member is raised to a desired position, an appropriate mechanical means may be utilized to hold the telescoping member in place until the internal cavity of the rigid outer shell of the pier foundation system is filled with the filler material. For example, in the exemplary pier foundation system shown in FIG. 17, a pair of screws or nails 110 are driven through the parts of the column portions 30a, 30b of the stationary portion of the pier foundation system and the telescoping member 40. This will hold the telescoping member in position until the filler material is poured into the internal cavity of the rigid outer shell of the pier foundation system and hardened.

At step 640, the fastener is secured to the building structural member. It should be noted that the steps 630 and 640 can be reversed in order so that the fastener is secured to the building structural member first and then raise the telescoping member.

At step 650, the internal cavity of the pier foundation system is filled with a filler material such as concrete mixture via one or more fill port provided in the pier foundation system.

At step 660, the filler material is allowed to cure, forming the solid core of the resulting composite pier foundation.

In an alternative embodiment, using an embodiment of the telescoping pier foundation system of FIG. 11, where the fill port 50 is provided on the base 11, the outer shell of the pier foundation system may be placed beneath the building structural member and then pump the filler material into the internal cavity of the outer shell without raising the telescoping member 40. The pressure of the filler material rising in the internal cavity will then urge the telescoping member 40 from its retracted position upward to engage the bottom of the building structural member. The telescoping member 40 can then be optionally tied to or otherwise secured to the building structural member, as illustrated in FIG. 7.

The composite pier foundation formed using the telescoping pier foundation system according to the present invention is a strong, rigid, structure capable of withstanding uplift and lateral loads better than conventional pier foundation systems used for manufactured home applications. The telescoping pier foundation system of the present invention is both economical and superior in performance to the conventional pier foundations and has an added benefit of rapid installation.

FIG. 14 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention where a plurality of reinforcement ribs 19 are provided along the periphery of the column portion 30 joining the column portion 30 and the base 11 of a telescoping pier foundation system bob. Such reinforcement ribs 19 may not be necessary for a finished composite pier foundation that has a solid core of concrete. However, the reinforcement ribs 19 may provide some additional durability to the outer shell assembly during shipping and handling before they are installed. It is understood that the reinforcement ribs 19 may be formed in many different geometrical shape.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the filler material filling the internal cavity of the telescoping pier foundation system may be reinforced using methods generally known for reinforcing concrete. For example, steel or polymer composite reinforcing bars (“rebars”) may be arranged inside the internal cavity of the telescoping pier foundation system so that they will be imbedded in the filler material. Generally, longitudinally arranged rebars within the telescoping pier foundation system would enhance the lateral load capability of the pier foundation. In an example shown in FIGS. 15A and 15B, four such rebars 100 are arranged in longitudinal orientation inside the internal cavity of the pier foundation system. FIG. 15A is a plan view of the pier foundation system showing the base portion 11 of the pier foundation positioned in the ground. Preferably, the rebars 100 extend into the ground to provide additional lateral support for the pier foundation in addition to the lateral and uplift resistance provided by the one or more ground anchors mentioned earlier. The lengths of the portions of the rebars that extend into the ground and the portions that extend into the inside of the pier foundation will depend on the type and gage of the particular rebars used and the amount of reinforcement that is desired. As shown in the view from the bottom illustrated in FIG. 15B, the rebars are evenly spaced within base 11 for symmetry. In the illustrated example, the rebars extend into the column portion 30 of the stationary portion of the pier foundation but as dictated by the requirements of the particular installation, the rebars may extend more or less into the internal cavity of the pier foundation.

In actual construction of the pier foundation system's outer shell, many of the component structures of the outer shell may be formed in multiple pieces or combined unitary structures as appropriate for particular fabrication methods utilized and the particular material chosen. For example, considering the stationary portion 10 of FIG. 3, the column portion 30 and the base 11 may be formed in three parts as illustrated in the exploded view in FIG. 16. The base 11 is a one-piece unit having an opening A at the top end and a collar 11a around the opening A. The column portion 30 is formed in two pieces, a straight column portion 30a and a cap 30b. The collar 11a is configured to received the straight column portion 30a. The inner diameter of the collar 11a matches the outer diameter of the straight column portion 30a. Inside the collar 11a is a lip 11b that protrudes out to function as a stop so that the straight column portion 30a does not fall through the opening A. The cap 30b fits over the top end of the straight column portion 30a and is provided with the top end opening 32 for receiving a telescoping member 40 such as the one shown in FIG. 2. Similarly, the telescoping member 40 can also be constructed of multiple pieces. For example, the telescoping member 40 shown in FIG. 17 has, fitted at its bottom end, a collar 40b that sealingly engages the interior surface of the column portion 30a. As discussed earlier, the seal between the telescoping member 40 and the column portion 30a does not need to be air tight but just sufficient to minimize any seepage of the filler material before it hardens.

According to another embodiment, a rebar can be used to reinforce the connection between the fastener 78 and the hardened filler material of the pier foundation system. Referring again to FIG. 17, the anchor portion 78c of the fastener 78 may be constructed as a hollow tubular structure and a rebar 102 positioned longitudinally within the internal cavity of the pier foundation is engaged into the hollow end of the anchor portion 78c. This is further illustrated in a fully installed complete pier foundation system shown in FIG. 18. In FIG. 18, the rebar 102 is shown extending longitudinally through the pier foundation system from the anchor portion 78c of the fastener 78 all the way down to the ground. This rebar 102 for reinforcing the fastener 78 may extend as down as desired and may also extend into the ground. The rebars 100 discussed previously in reference to FIG. 15A are also shown in FIG. 18. The at least one ground anchor 90 is also shown.

Still referring to FIG. 18, one or more lateral brace 200 that can be part of the pier foundation system according to another embodiment is disclosed. The lateral brace 200 is used to connect the base of a pier foundation to another building structure, such as an I-beam or a frame rail 82. Typically, the lateral brace 200 is used to connect a pier foundation that is along the outer perimeter of the building structure to one of the inner frame rails (or I-beam) of the building. Before the filler material is poured into the internal cavity of the pier foundation, a bracket or other appropriate connecting member 210 is attached to the base 11 using one or more bolts or screws 212. The one or more bolts or screws 212 extend into the interior of the base 11 so that they are subsequently embedded in the hardened filler material, thus, providing a structurally sound connecting point for the lateral brace 200. After the filler material is hardened, the lateral brace 200 is connected to the connecting member 210 using bolts or other appropriate fastening means. The lateral brace 200 preferably is configured and adapted so that its length is readily adjustable. The other end of the lateral brace 200 is connected to a second connecting member 220 that is configured and adapted to attach the lateral brace 200 to one of the inner frame rail (I-beam) 82. The use of the lateral brace 200 further enhances the maximum lateral load capacity of the pier foundation system.

For many manufactured homes and similar prefabricated buildings, sidewall straps are used to further enhance the securement of the buildings to the supporting piers or footings. Such sidewall straps can be attached to the sidewalls of the building structure at one end and attached to the footings at the opposite end. In some embodiments, rather than being attached to the sidewalls of the building, the sidewall straps are sufficiently long to extend from the pier foundation under one side of the building over the top roof of the building and down to another pier foundation under the opposite side of the building. Each of the two ends of the sidewall straps, then, is secured to the pier foundation by appropriate securing mechanisms. Similar to the lateral brace described above, the sidewall straps can be secured to the base of the telescoping pier foundation unit by concrete anchors or slab anchors. The slab anchors can be installed through the outer shell of the telescoping pier foundation's base 11. Then after the internal cavity of the pier foundation is filled with the filler material and hardened, the sidewall straps can be attached to the slab anchors. FIG. 19 is an illustration of a manufactured home 600, that is supported by telescoping pier foundations where the lateral braces 200 and the sidewall straps 300 are attached to the base 11 of the pier foundations.

While the embodiments shown and described illustrate a telescoping pier foundation system supporting an I-beam, it is understood that a typical manufactured home generally contains two or more I-beams at certain intervals along its length (typically 8 feet). It is contemplated that multiple telescoping pier foundation systems may be used to support each of the I-beam(s) associated with a manufactured building. Still further, parameters such as the outer shell geometry, (i.e. diameter and lengths), thicknesses of the outer shell walls, number and location of the pier foundations and the like may depend on a variety of environmental, structural, economic and load factors associated with the particular application. Note that some of these variables (e.g. outer shell wall thickness and geometry) are also considerations during the installation process. Also, variations associated with the filler material, such as, its viscosity as impacted by cement, aggregate and water ratios, are also contemplated design parameters depending on the application.

The loads that will act on the fully formed pier foundations may be determined by developing load models for typical manufactured home sizes. For example, manufactured homes are typically supplied in units that are 14 feet×60 feet. These units can be put together to form units that are 28 feet×60 feet, 42 feet×60 feet, etc. The load models will be based on the International Building Code (IBCC, 2000) and ASCE 7 (ASCE, 2000). These references supply guidelines for developing load models for different locations in the United States. The magnitude of the wind loads depend on maximum wind speeds likely to be seen at a given geographic location. As previously mentioned, each manufactured home unit typically contains two I-beams that must be tied to the foundation system at certain intervals along their length (typically 8 feet). Using the load models developed for typical manufactured housing sizes, the load transfer from these I-beams to the pier foundations will be modeled using ANSYS/Structural (ANSYS Inc., 2001). In addition, the transfer of the loads from the piers to the soil or ground surface below will be considered to determine the required size of the rectangular concrete footings of the pier system.

The filler material for substantially filling the internal cavity of the telescoping pier foundation system described herein can be any appropriate material that can be provided in flowing form that can be poured, pumped or injected in to the internal cavity of the telescoping pier foundation system and then hardened or cured to a solid form that is structurally sound. Preferably, the filler material should have high-strength in hardened state. An example of such material is cementitious material such as structural concrete commonly used in building construction. Another example of such material a polymer or refractory material that can be poured or injected into the internal cavity and then hardened or cured. An example of polymer filler material is polycarbonates. Whatever particular filling material may be used for the telescoping pier foundation, it should preferably have good dimensional stability and thermal stability at the temperature ranges encountered by the pier foundation in application. The filling material also should have good impact resistant properties.

Although illustrated and described herein with reference to certain specific embodiments, the present invention is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown. Various modifications may be made in the details within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims and without departing from the spirit of the invention.

EXAMPLE 1

A sample of a telescoping pier foundation system, similar to the pier foundation system 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 constructed from PVC material and filled with 4000 psi concrete was tested and certified against the ASCE 7-98 “Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures,” and HUD-7584, “Permanent Foundations Guide for Manufactured Housing.” The base 11 of the sample was about 8.25 inches tall and had an I.D. of 12 inches and a wall thickness of 0.5 inches. The column portion 30 of the sample was about 9.5 inches tall and had an I.D. of 6 inches and a wall thickness of 0.25 inches. The telescoping member 40 had an I.D. of 4 inches and a wall thickness of ¼ inches. The pier foundation system 100 tested was filled with concrete as the filler material. Two helical ground anchors were used to anchor the pier foundation. The ground anchors were installed slanted at approximately 20 to 30 degrees from the vertical. They were installed with the slant orientation perpendicular to the long axis of the building structure to maximize lateral load capability of the building structure in the short axis direction. Double-disk double-head helical anchors, model number 4636, available from Minute Man Products, Inc. of East Flat Rock, N.C. were used in this example. The soil was clay-sand, commonly found in many parts of the North American continent. The ultimate uplift load was about 4500 pounds. For ultimate lateral loads, the pier foundation system was tested with and without any reinforcement of the concrete using rebars. Without any reinforcement of the concrete, with the telescoping member 40 extended about 6.25 inches so that the total height of the pier foundation is 2 ft., the pier foundation exhibited an ultimate lateral load of about 2,000 pounds. With the telescoping member 40 extended about 30.25 inches to a total height of the pier foundation of 4 ft., the ultimate lateral load was about 1,000 pounds. With four #3 steel concrete rebars imbedded in the concrete, oriented longitudinally the whole length of the composite pier foundation, the ultimate lateral loads were about 6,000, 4,000, and 3,000 pounds at the total pier foundation heights of 2 ft., 3 ft., and 4 ft., respectively.

EXAMPLE 2

In another set of tests, telescoping pier foundation installed according to the configuration illustrated in FIG. 18 where the total pier foundation height from the surface of the ground up to the building's structural I-beam 80 is about 3 ft. was tested. The internal cavity of the pier foundation was again filled with concrete. The average ultimate uplift and lateral loads based on a minimum of three tests are 6,075 pounds and 4,654 pounds, respectively.

Claims

1. A pier foundation for supporting a building structure from the ground and for providing resistance to uplift and lateral forces exerted on the building structure, the pier foundation comprising:

a base stationary portion forming an internal cavity substantially filled with hardened filler material; and

a ground anchor having a top portion embedded in the hardened filler material and a shaft portion extending from the top portion and having a bottom end embedded in the ground.

2. The pier foundation of claim 1, further comprising one or more concrete reinforcement bars embedded in the hardened filler material and extending from the internal cavity of the pier foundation and into the ground.

3. The pier foundation of claim 2, wherein the concrete reinforcement bars are in longitudinal orientation to the base stationary portion.

4. The pier foundation of claim 1, wherein the base stationary portion having a top end opening and further comprising at least one telescoping member of a hollow structure having a top open end and a bottom open end, in longitudinal alignment with the base stationary portion, residing within and longitudinally movable within the top end opening of the base stationary portion and extendable through the top end opening.

5. The pier foundation of claim 4, further comprising at least one fill port for receiving a filler material provided in the telescoping member.

6. The pier foundation of claim 4, wherein the pier foundation further includes a fastening system for securing the telescoping member to a structural member of the building.

7. The pier foundation of claim 6, wherein the fastening system comprises one or more brackets for engaging the structural member of a building.

8. The pier foundation of claim 7, wherein the fastening system further comprises a connector for securing the one or more brackets to the telescoping member.

9. The pier foundation of claim 7, wherein the fastening system comprises an anchoring portion for anchoring the fastening system to the hardened filler material filling the internal cavity.

10. The pier foundation of claim 4, wherein the stationary portion comprises:

a base; and

a column portion, wherein the top end opening is provided on the column portion.

11. The pier foundation of claim 10, wherein a plurality of reinforcement ribs are provided joining the base and the column portion.

12. The pier foundation of claim 6, further comprising a lateral brace connecting the base stationary portion to a second structural member of the building, the lateral brace having one end configured and adapted to connect to the base stationary portion and a second end configured and adapted to be secured to the second structural member of the building.

13. The pier foundation of claim 6, further comprising a sidewall strap attached to a sidewall of the building at one end and attached to the base stationary portion of the pier foundation at the opposite end.

14. The pier foundation of claim 6, further comprising a sidewall strap that extends over the roof of the building from one side of the building to the other side of the building, wherein one end of the sidewall strap is attached to the base stationary portion of the pier foundation.

15. A pier foundation for supporting a building structure from the ground and for providing resistance to uplift and lateral forces exerted on the building structure, the pier foundation comprising:

a rigid structure defining an internal cavity substantially filled with hardened filler material; and

a fastener having an anchoring portion embedded in the hardened filler material and a shaft portion extending from the anchoring portion and being adapted for attachment to a structural member of the building structure.

16. The pier foundation of claim 15, further comprising one or more concrete reinforcement bars embedded in the hardened filler material and extending from the internal cavity of the rigid structure and into the ground.

17. The pier foundation of claim 16, wherein the concrete reinforcement bars are in longitudinal orientation to the rigid structure.

18. The pier foundation of claim 15, wherein the rigid structure comprising a top end opening and further comprising at least one telescoping member of a hollow structure having a top open end and a bottom open end residing within and longitudinally movable within the top end opening of the rigid structure and extendable through the top end opening.

19. The pier foundation of claim 18, further comprising a fill port for receiving a filler mixture is provided near the top end of the telescoping member.

20. The pier foundation of claim 15, further comprising at least one ground anchor for anchoring the pier foundation to the ground.

21. The pier foundation of claim 20, wherein the ground anchor is a helical anchor.

22. The pier foundation of claim 18, wherein the anchoring portion of the fastener extends into the telescoping member.

23. The pier foundation of claim 15, wherein the rigid structure comprises:

a base; and

a column portion, wherein the top end opening is provided on the column portion.

24. The pier foundation of claim 23, wherein a plurality of reinforcement ribs are provided joining the base and the column portion.

25. The pier foundation of claim 15, further comprising a lateral brace connecting the rigid structure to a second structural member of the building, the lateral brace having one end configured and adapted to connect to the rigid structure and a second end configured and adapted to be secured to the second structural member of the building.

26. The pier foundation of claim 15, further comprising a sidewall strap that is attached to a sidewall of the building structure at one end and attached to the base stationary portion at the opposite end.

27. The pier foundation of claim 15, further comprising a sidewall strap that extends over the roof of the building from one side of the building to the other side of the building, wherein one end of the sidewall strap is attached to the base stationary portion of the pier foundation.

28. A rigid structure for forming a composite pier foundation in a system for supporting a building structure from the ground and for providing resistance to uplift and lateral forces exerted on the building structure, the rigid structure comprising:

a hollow base defining a first interior space;

a first hollow column member non-movably attached to the hollow base, the first column member forming a generally upwardly oriented shaft defining a second interior space in communication with the first interior space of the base, the base having a lateral dimension larger than the lateral dimension of the first column member; and

a second hollow column member telescopingly received within the first column member, the second column member forming a generally upwardly oriented shaft defining a third interior space in communication with the first and second interior spaces.

29. The rigid structure of claim 28, further comprising a fill port adapted to receive a filler material from external of the rigid structure and being in communication with the interior spaces of the base and the shafts formed by the first and second columns for substantially filling the interior and shafts with a filler material.

30. The rigid structure of claim 28, wherein the second hollow column member comprises a fastener for securing the second hollow column member to a structural member of a building.

31. The rigid structure of claim 30, wherein the fastener comprises one or more brackets for engaging the structural member of a building.

32. A system for supporting a building structure from the ground and for providing resistance to uplifting and lateral forces on the building structure, the system including a composite pier foundation comprising:

a rigid structure comprising: a hollow base defining a first interior space; a first hollow column member non-movably attached to the hollow base, the first column member forming a generally upwardly oriented shaft defining a second interior space in communication with the first interior space of the base, the base having a lateral dimension larger than the lateral dimension of the first column member; and a second hollow column member having a top and bottom ends telescopingly received within the first column member, the second column member forming a generally upwardly oriented shaft defining a third interior space in communication with the first and second interior spaces, wherein the first, second and third interior spaces collectively defining an interior space of the rigid structure;

a fastener connecting the top end of the second column member to a structural member of the building structure; and

a hardened filler material substantially filling the interior space of the rigid structure.

33. The system of claim 32, further comprising one or more concrete reinforcement bars embedded in the hardened filler material and extending from the internal cavity of the rigid structure and into the ground.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the concrete reinforcement bars are in longitudinal orientation to the rigid structure.

35. The system of claim 32, further comprising a fill port for receiving a filler material provided near the top end of the second column member, said filler material hardening into said hardened filler material.

36. The system of claim 35, further comprising at least one ground anchor for anchoring the system to the ground.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the ground anchor is a helical anchor.

38. The system of claim 32, wherein the fastener comprises an anchoring portion that extends into the second column member and embedded in the hardened filler material and configured and adapted to connect to the structural member of the building structure.

39. The system of claim 32, further comprising a lateral brace connecting the rigid structure to a second structural member of the building structure, the lateral brace having one end configured and adapted to connect to the hollow base of the rigid structure and a second end configured and adapted to be secured to the second structural member of the building structure.

40. The pier foundation of claim 32, further comprising a sidewall strap that is attached to a sidewall of the building structure at one end and attached to the rigid structure at the other end.

41. A method of installing a pier foundation for supporting a building structure from the ground and for providing resistance to uplift and lateral forces exerted on the building structure, the method comprising:

positioning a rigid structure beneath a structural member of the building, the rigid structure defining an internal cavity substantially filled with hardened filler material;

securing a fastener to the structural member of the building, wherein the fastener comprises an anchoring portion for anchoring the fastener to a filler material filling the internal cavity;

filling the internal cavity of the rigid structure substantially fully with the filler material; and

allowing the filler material to harden forming a composite pier foundation.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the rigid structure comprising a top end opening and at least one telescoping member of a hollow structure having a top open end and a bottom open end residing within and longitudinally movable within the top end opening of the rigid structure and extendable through the top end opening, and further comprising a step of raising the telescoping member until the anchoring portion of the fastener extends into the telescoping member before filling the internal cavity of the rigid structure substantially fully with a filler material.

43. The method of claim 41, further comprising a step of first driving at least one ground anchor having a top portion into the ground beneath the structural member of the building, wherein when the rigid structure is positioned beneath the structural member of the building, the rigid structure covers the at least one ground anchor and the top portion of the ground anchor extends into the internal cavity of the rigid structure.

44. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

attaching a connecting member to the rigid structure before filling the internal cavity of the rigid structure with the filler material;

connecting one end of a lateral brace to the connecting member; and

connecting a second end of the lateral brace to another structural member of the building, wherein the two connecting steps involving the lateral brace are conducted after the filler material is hardened.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the rigid structure is configured and adapted to receive a sidewall strap that is attached to a sidewall of the building structure at one end and further comprising a step of connecting the opposite end of the sidewall strap to the rigid structure.