Foundation Apparatus and Method
A foundation apparatus comprised of flat plates that is used to support above-ground structures is disclosed. A method of making, using and installing a pile foundation for those applications is also provided. The present invention relates to various flat plate foundation supports that provide a foundation anchor for various ground supported structures. Specifically, the present invention relates to a foundation anchor support that comprises flat longitudinally extending plates that are adapted to be inserted beneath a ground surface.
The present invention claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/537,803, filed 22 Sep. 2011, U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/671,469, filed 13 Jul. 2012, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/671,488, filed 13 Jul. 2012.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe present invention relates to a pile foundation used to support structures or stabilize slopes and further relates to a method of making, using and installing a pile foundation for those applications. The present invention relates to foundation apparatus that provides a foundation anchor for various ground supported structures. Specifically, the present invention relates to a foundation anchor support that comprises flat longitudinally extending plates that are adapted to be inserted beneath a ground surface.
BACKGROUND ARTU.S. Pat. Nos. 4,882,891 and 4,974,997 are both assigned to the Assignee of the current application and disclose a foundation apparatus and a foundation setting apparatus.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTIONThe present invention relates to a foundation apparatus, a method of providing structural support, and method of making, using, and installing the foundation apparatus for structural support. The foundation of the present invention eliminates the need for specialized installation equipment such as is the case for drilled foundations. The present invention also eliminates the expenses associated with the handling and disposal of excavation spoils, placing of concrete reinforcing rods, trucking and placement of concrete, and time delay associated with concrete curing before the foundation can be put in service.
Several types of pile foundations are used in industry, such as displacement pile foundations and replacement pile foundations. Replacement piles are installed into a drilled borehole; cast-in-place concrete replaces the dirt removed from the borehole. A disadvantage of the replacement pile is that the excavated material must be collected and removed from the construction site. Displacement pile foundations are typically H-beam, pipe, or pre-cast concrete foundations that are driven or vibrated into the ground. Disadvantages associated with displacement pile foundations include the tendency to deviate when obstructions are encountered underground and the potential for difficult installation in dense soil conditions.
Additionally, foundations supporting specialized structures such as solar panel heliostats are subject to lateral loads and bending moments where lateral and rotational deflections must be limited to values much lower than is permitted for typical building structures. In order to accommodate tolerable deflection limits for these and other specialized structures, typical steel pile foundations and precast pile foundations need to have cross-sectional geometric properties that make them prohibitively large, expensive, and time consuming to construct.
Construction schedules are critical to project owners. Project owners desire a method to expeditiously install foundations and complete their structure in order to limit the overall duration of construction and complete their project as fast as possible. The foundation apparatus of the present invention accomplishes these goals by providing a structure that is relatively inexpensive to fabricate and quick to install. Once installed, the foundation apparatus of the present invention is immediately ready to use.
The foundation apparatus of the present invention utilizes flat steel plate to create a ground-engaging portion capable of being inserted into the ground. Once set in the ground, the foundation apparatus provides support for mounting a structure to the upper portion. The bottom end of the ground-engaging portion is beveled, decreasing the force required to insert the foundation apparatus into the ground.
An advantage of the foundation apparatus of the present invention is that less material is used to fabricate the foundation apparatus. For example, as compared to H-beam foundations, the foundation apparatus of the present invention engages the same soil area but is constructed with only ⅔ of the steel. Fabrication costs are greatly reduced as well due to the simple design.
The bottom end of the ground engaging portion of the foundation apparatus is angled to allow easier penetration into the ground. This angled portion is especially beneficial when subsurface obstructions or dense soil conditions are encountered.
Another advantage of the foundation apparatus of the present invention is that it can be removed from the ground. For example, if a temporary installation is required, the foundation apparatus can be removed simply by pulling on the foundation apparatus in the vertical direction. Another example of a situation where the foundation apparatus might be removed is if the foundation apparatus is installed in an area where unexpected soil conditions are present. The foundation apparatus can be removed and re-installed in a different area more suitable for installation.
In one embodiment of the invention, a single piece of flat steel plate is bent to create a web with fins extending in opposite directions. The angle that each fin forms with the web is preferably substantially 90 degrees. The bottom of the plate is tapered to form a point, allowing easier penetration of the ground. In addition, the leading edges of the flat steel plate are sharpened to aid installation. The upper portion of the foundation apparatus is provided with holes to allow the splicing of additional sections if extra length is required. Alternatively, the upper portion is constructed from a plate or other similar mounting surface to provide support for an above-ground structure.
In another embodiment, two pieces of flat steel plate are used. One plate is bent at its center to create two fins with an angle of 120 degrees between them. The second piece of steel plate is then attached to the first piece at the apex of the bend. In this configuration, the angle between each fin is 120 degrees. The two pieces of flat plate steel can be joined by welding or other suitable methods.
In yet another embodiment, the ground-engaging portion of the foundation apparatus is an elongated plate having a beveled bottom end. Two side plates of substantially smaller width are disposed on both sides of the elongated plate. The length of the side plates is shorter than the length of the wide plate so that the top ends of the side plates are beneath the ground when installed. An A-frame structure or plural ground supported structures may be supported according to this embodiment.
The upper portion of the foundation apparatus is adapted to support an above-ground structure. Suitable structures include a plate, a saddle, or a pipe. Preferably, the upper portion is welded to the ground-engaging portion.
After the foundation apparatus is completely fabricated, it is hot dip galvanized or otherwise treated to protect the raw steel from corrosion. The foundation can be fabricated offsite and shipped to the construction site ready for installation.
The foundation apparatus is installed by pushing it into the ground. Heavy equipment, such as an excavator adapted with a vibrator or hydraulic arm, can be used for installation. Once installed, the foundation apparatus is ready for immediate use. Unlike other types of foundations, the foundation apparatus of the present invention eliminates the need to remove excavation spoils, deliver and pour concrete, place reinforcing rods, and wait for poured concrete to cure. The method of installation of the present invention reduces cost and time of installation as compared to other types of pile foundations.
Further details and advantages of the foundation apparatus of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
In the following discussion of the non-limiting embodiments of the invention, spatial or directional terms, such as “inner”, “outer”, “up”, “down”, and the like, relate to the invention as it is shown in the drawing figures. However, it is to be understood that the invention can assume various alternative orientations and, accordingly, such terms are not to be considered as limiting. Further, in the discussion of the non-limiting embodiments of the invention, it is understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the particular non-limiting embodiments shown and discussed since the invention is capable of other embodiments.
As shown in
The upper portion of the foundation apparatus is adapted to support an above-ground structure. As shown in
As shown in
In another preferred embodiment of the foundation apparatus, the ground-engaging portion consists of an elongated plate having a beveled bottom end. As shown in
In the embodiment shown in
As shown in
The upper portion may additionally be supported by one or more triangular gussets extending between the elongated plate and the upper portion, as shown in
In another preferred embodiment of the foundation apparatus, the ground-engaging portion is created by placing two bends in single piece of flat plate. The bends run along the length of the plate. The first bend creates a fin in one direction, while the second bend creates a fin oriented in the opposite direction. A center fin is left between the two bends and is roughly perpendicular to the plane of the two fins created by the bends, as shown in
As with the other preferred embodiments, the bottom end of the ground-engaging portion is beveled in order to allow easier penetration into the ground. In the preferred embodiment, the angle of the bevel relative to a line parallel to the ground is between 45 and 60 degrees. The leading edges are beveled for the same purpose.
The upper portion of the foundation apparatus contains mounting holes used as an attachment point for a ground supported structure. In this configuration, the upper portion can be attached to the bottom end of the ground-engaging portion of a second foundation apparatus, splicing the two units together. Two foundation apparatus units are spliced together if a single unit is not long enough for a particular installation and additional length is required.
Additionally, the upper portion may consist of a pipe, plate, or other mount adapted to be connected to an above-ground structure. For example,
It is to be appreciated that the foundation apparatus may be of any length and the upper and ground-engaging portions may be of varying relative lengths depending on the conditions of use. Additionally, the plates may also be of varying thickness and lateral lengths extending from the central longitudinal axis and the diameter of the cylindrical pipe of the upper portion may be of a corresponding diameter depending on the conditions of use.
While the description of the foundation apparatus of the present invention has focused on supporting structures, a person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the foundation apparatus can be used for other purposes. For example, the foundation apparatus can be used to stabilize a slope by driving a number of the elements into the slope face perpendicular to the slope face to the required depth beyond the slip surface.
In all of the embodiments shown, the foundation apparatus may be pre-assembled and then shipped to a construction site for installation. The installation of foundation apparatus of the present invention is, preferably, accomplished utilizing a piece of tracked or wheeled equipment such as a hydraulic excavator, fitted with a vibratory or hydraulic driving mechanism. The driving mechanism attaches to the foundation apparatus by gripping the top end of the ground-engaging portion or the upper portion. A Deere & Company (John Deere) Model 240 DLC or equivalent can serve as the excavator. An ABI Model HV460 Vibrator or the equivalent can be mounted to the excavator. The foundation can also be installed using a “push-it” machine of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,660,504; 5,570,975; 5,733,068; and 5,944,452.
Alternatively, an installation horn as shown in
It is also to be appreciated that, depending on the application and condition of the ground, the foundation apparatus may be inserted into the ground without the necessity of pre-drilling a hole. Alternatively, if the ground is harder than anticipated or obstructions are present, the foundation apparatus may be installed in a pre-drilled hole. Even if a hole is drilled, the amount of excavation spoils that must be removed is minimal given the relatively small volume of the foundation apparatus that is positioned below the surface of the ground. Unlike a concrete or pipe foundation, there is not a large cylindrical volume of dirt that must be removed from the ground and disposed from the construction site.
The foundation apparatus of the present invention can be removed should unexpected soil conditions be encountered. Despite the fact that the engineering characteristics of the soil are known in advance where the foundation apparatus is to be installed, the installation site could have a buried obstruction, an unexpected layer of softer (weaker) soil, or an unexpected layer of harder soil. Encountering an obstruction can greatly increase penetration resistance during pile installation. Increased penetration resistance encountered due to an obstruction cannot be relied upon for the long term performance of the foundation, providing a false indication of the load capacity of the system. In such situations, the foundation apparatus may be easily extracted, and if undamaged the foundation can be relocated to an area where there are more favorable subsurface conditions.
It is to be appreciated that the above-described embodiments of the foundation apparatus may be manufactured according to any technique known to be suitable to those having ordinary skill in the art. Likewise, the foundation apparatus may be made from any material known to be suitable to those having ordinary skill in the art. According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the foundation apparatus is made from steel and individual steel pieces of the foundation apparatus are connected by welding. In the preferred embodiment, the steel foundation apparatus is hot dip galvanized after fabrication to protect the foundation apparatus. Other treatments to protect the steel can also be used.
While several embodiments of the foundation apparatus were described in the foregoing detailed description, those skilled in the art may make modifications and alterations to these embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description is intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive. The invention described hereinabove is defined by the appended claims and all changes to the invention that fall within the meaning and the range of equivalency of the claims are embraced within their scope.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITYThe foundation apparatus of the present invention can be used to support structures like solar heliostats, border fencing, highway signs, light posts, traffic control devices, airport approach lights, conveyor supports, communication towers, power distribution towers, utility poles, and others.
Claims
1. A foundation apparatus for placement in the ground comprising:
- a ground-engaging portion having at least one plate adapted to allow insertion into the ground, the ground-engaging portion having a bottom end and a top end; and
- an upper portion connected to the top end of the ground-engaging portion, the upper portion adapted to support an above-ground structure.
2. The foundation apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ground-engaging portion further comprises an acute bottom end.
3. The foundation apparatus of claim 1 wherein the upper portion is a pipe.
4. The foundation apparatus of claim 1 wherein the upper portion is a plate.
5. The foundation apparatus of claim 3 or 4 wherein the upper portion is welded to the ground-engaging portion.
6. The foundation apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ground-engaging portion further comprises a plurality of plates connected along a longitudinal axis.
7. The foundation apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ground-engaging portion further comprises a plate with a first end, a second end, and a center portion, the first end and the second end occupying a plane perpendicular to the plane of the center portion.
8. The foundation apparatus of claim 1 wherein the foundation apparatus is composed of steel.
9. The foundation apparatus of claim 8 wherein the foundation apparatus is galvanized.
10. A method of installing the foundation apparatus of claim 1 comprising the steps of pushing the foundation apparatus into the ground.
11. A method of using the foundation apparatus of claim 1 comprising the steps of mounting a structure to the upper portion of the foundation apparatus.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 21, 2012
Publication Date: Aug 28, 2014
Applicant: Shaner Industries, LLC (Ambridge, PA)
Inventors: William Martin Kronz (Pittsburg, PA), Michael Francis Schuler (Allison Park, PA), Davide Luidelli (Carnegie, PA), Gary J. Reinert (Baden, PA)
Application Number: 14/346,656
International Classification: E02D 27/12 (20060101);