PILE COUPLING FOR HELICAL PILE/TORQUED IN PILE
A pile includes a first pile section having a first end that engages a supporting medium and an opposing second end. A first end of a second pile section is engageable with the second end of the first pile section, each of the first and second pile sections having mating end fittings that create an interlocking fit. A sleeve overlays the first and second engaged ends of the first and second pile sections. At least one through hole aligned with at least one corresponding through hole of the first pile section is sized for receiving a fastener for securing the sleeve to the first pile section. In another version, the ends of the pile section are engaged in contact while the overlaying sleeve has a pair of interlocking sleeve or coupler portions that are configured to provide torsional resistance. Additional pile sections can be sequentially attached to the second pile section.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/577,363, filed Dec. 19, 2014, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/269,595 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,926,228), filed Oct. 9, 2011, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/580,004 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,033,757), filed Oct. 15, 2009, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/852,858 (filed Sep. 10, 2007), abandoned, which claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 60/843,015, filed Sep. 8, 2006. This application is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/018,360, filed Feb. 8, 2016, which claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 62/112,952, filed Feb. 6, 2015. Each of the above-listed patents and applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELDThis disclosure generally pertains to pile couplings for helical piles or torqued in piles and more specifically to a pile coupling that is configured to better distribute applied torsional loads in use.
BACKGROUNDConventional piles are metal tubes having either a circular or a rectangular cross-section. Such piles are mounted in the ground to provide a support structure for the construction of superstructures. The piles are provided in sections, such as seven-foot sections, that are driven into the ground.
Some piles have a cutting tip that permits them to be rapidly deployed. By rotating the pile, the blade pulls the pile into the ground, thus greatly reducing the amount of downward force necessary to bury the pile. For example, a pile may include a tip that is configured to move downward into the soil at a rate of three inches for every full revolution of the pile (three inch pitch). Since pre-drilling operations are unnecessary, the entire pile may be installed in under ten minutes. Unfortunately, the rotary action of the pile also loosens the soil which holds the pile in place. This reduces the amount of vertical support the pile provides. Traditionally, grout is injected around the pile in an attempt to solidify the volume around the pile and thus compensate for the loose soil. The current method of grout deployment is less than ideal. The addition of grout to the area around the pile typically is uncontrolled and attempts to deploy grout uniformly about the pile have been unsuccessful. Often the introduction of the grout itself can cause other soil packing problems, as the soil must necessarily be compressed by the introduction of the grout. A new method for introducing grout around a pile would be advantageous.
Helical or torqued in piles are used in various aspects of construction in order to establish compression or tension resistance in a supporting medium (e.g. soil, rock, etc.). Helical piles, for example, have a helical fighting on a first pile section defined by a pile shaft that is contacted to a surface of the supporting medium. Upon rotation, the helical fighting pulls the first pile section into the supporting medium. After the first pile section has reached a certain depth, a second pile section having a welded or forged coupling, is attached to the first pile section using at least one bolt through formed holes. Rotation of the second pile section applies a torque to the first pile section to continue the rotation and drive the helical pile to a greater depth in the supporting medium. Subsequent pile sections may be sequentially attached to enable the pile to reach a predetermined depth.
Conventional pile couplings are forged or welded to one end of the pile shaft and often are inserted into the second pile section within or around the first pile section and then fastened to the previous pile section together by inserting one or more pins through side holes formed in the pile coupling and the first pile section. Unfortunately, the applied torque that is produced during helical pile installation is significant and will cause elongation in the side holes. Further, the torque transfer depends on the weld at the coupling and weld failure is a recurrent problem. Some known pile couplings incorporate an additional forged end which is provided in order to help transfer the torsion load, but this latter feature is expensive to incorporate and involves additional welding. As a result, an improved pile coupling is therefore desired.
A pile coupling that would transfer a large portion of the torsional load directly down the pile shaft would advantageous, thereby resisting the torque that is to be resisted by the pins alone.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIONTherefore and according to a first aspect, there is provided a pile assembly comprising a first pile section defined by a first end that is configured for engaging a supporting medium and an opposing second end. A second pile section has a first end engageable with the second end of the first pile section, each of the first and second pile sections having mating end fittings that create an interlocking fit. The pile assembly further includes a sleeve sized to overlay the first and second engaged ends of the first and second pile sections, the sleeve having at least one through hole aligned with at least one corresponding through hole of the first pile section, the at least one through hole being sized for receiving a fastener for securing the sleeve to the first pile section.
According to another aspect, there is provided a pile comprising a first pile section defined by a first end that is configured for engaging a supporting medium and an opposing second end and a second pile section having a first end engageable with the second end of the first pile section. A sleeve is sized to overlay the first and second engaged ends of the first and second pile sections, the sleeve having at least one through hole aligned with at least one corresponding through hole of the first pile section, the at least one through hole being sized for receiving a fastener for securing the sleeve to the first pile section and in which the sleeve is defined by a pair of sleeve sections, each sleeve section having a mated fitting at one end that creates an interlocking fit when the sleeve sections are engaged with one another.
In each of the above, the mated fittings are defined so as to create an interlocking fit between the pile sections or between the sleeve portions, thereby more effectively distributing an applied torsional load.
An advantage realized is that the herein described pile enables greater distribution of an applied torsional load between engaged pile sections, particularly on the fasteners of the pile coupling, thereby ensuring greater reliability and fewer failures or delays.
These and other embodiments, features and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art when taken in reference to the following more detailed description of various embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings that are first briefly described.
The present invention is disclosed with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The examples set out herein illustrate several embodiments of the invention but should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONReferring to
In the embodiment shown in
As shown in
The blade 112 has a helical configuration with a handedness that moves soil away from the point 118 and toward the top section where it contacts the lateral compaction element 200. The auger 110, however, has a helical configuration with a handedness opposite that of the blades 112. The handedness of the auger helix pushes the grout that is extruded from the trailing edge 116 toward the bottom section. In one embodiment, the auger 110 has a pitch of from about 1.5 to 2.0 times the pitch of the blade 112. The blade 112 may have any suitable pitch known in the art. For example, the blade 112 may have a pitch of about three inches. In another embodiment, the blade 112 may have a pitch of about six inches.
Referring again to
Referring to
The flanges 804a and 804b each include a number of clearance holes 1000 spaced apart on the flanges such that the holes 1000 line up when the flange 804a is abutted against the flange 804b. The abutting flanges 804a and 804b are secured by fasteners 806, such as the bolts shown in
In another embodiment, the flanges 804a, 804b are in each in a plane that is substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis of the pile sections 802a, 802b. Particularly, at least one surface, such as the interface surface 900 (
The vertical orientation of the fasteners allows the pile sections 802a, 802b to be assembled without vertical slop or lateral deflection. Thus the assembled pile sections 802a, 802b support the weight of a structure as well as upward and horizontal forces, such as those caused by the structure moving in the wind or due to an earthquake. Further, because the fasteners 806 are vertically oriented, an upward force is applied along the axis of the fasteners 806. Fasteners tend to be stronger along the axis than under shear stress.
In a particular embodiment, the pile sections 802a and 802b are about 3 inches in diameter or greater such that the piles support themselves without the need for grout reinforcement, though grout or another material may be used for added support as desired. Since the flanges 804a, 804b may cause a gap to form between the walls of the pile sections 802a, 802b and the soil as the pile sections 802a, 802b are driven into the soil, one may want to increase the skin friction between the pile sections 802a, 802b and the soil for additional support capacity for the pile assembly 800 by adding a filler material 808 to fill the voids between the piles and the soil. The material 808 may also prevent corrosion. The material 808 may be any grout, a polymer coating, a flowable fill, or the like. Alternatively, the assembly 800 may be used with smaller piles, such as 1.5 inch diameter pile sections, which may be reinforced with grout. The pile sections 802a, 802b may be made from any substantially rigid material, such as steel or aluminum. One or more of the pile sections in the assembly 800 may be helical piles.
In a particular embodiment, the pile sections 802a, 802b are tubes having a circular cross-section, though any cross-sectional shape may be used, such as rectangles and other polygons. A particular advantage of the present invention over conventional pile couplings is that the couplings in the assembly 800 do not pass the fasteners 806 through the interior of the pile tube. This leaves the interior of the assembled pile sections open so that grout or concrete may be easily introduced to the pile tube along the length of all the assembled pile sections. Further, a reinforcing structure, such as a rebar cage that may be dropped into the pile tube, may be used with the internal concrete.
In a further particular embodiment, the invention is used in conjunction with a rock socket. As shown in
In an alternative configuration of the pile assembly 800, the flanges 804a, 804b are welded to or formed in the outer surface of the respective pile sections 802a, 802b as shown in
A pile assembly 1500 having an alternative coupling is shown in
With reference to
The first pile section 2202 according to this embodiment includes a driving tip 2204 formed at a distal end 2206 that is configured to be driven into a supporting surface (not shown) such as soil, rocks, etc. An opposing proximal end 2208 of the first pile section 2202 includes a first mated fitting 2210 that is monolithically formed in a circumference of the proximal end 2208. In the example of
According to this embodiment, the proximal end 2208 further comprises at least one through hole 2216 that extends through the diameter of the first pile section 2202. More specifically and according to this embodiment, two sets of through-holes 2216 are present in spaced relation proximate the proximal end 2208 of the first pile section 2202.
As shown in
In operation and when a torque is applied to the coupled pile assembly 2200, the torsional load is adequately supported by the bolt(s), the weld(s) 2304, as well as the mated pile sections 2202, 2214 due to the inclusion of the sleeve 2300 and the interlocking fit created by the mated fittings 2210, 2212.
The interlocking configuration between the first and second pile sections 2202, 2214 provides additional strength and enables better distribution of torsional loads during the pile installation, as shown in the end view of
Other embodiments that embody the inventive concepts are possible. A second embodiment is described with reference to
The second sleeve portion 2406 has a corresponding mated fitting 2408 that engages the mated fitting 2404 defined on the engaged end of the first sleeve portion 2401 and creates an interlocking fit therebetween, in a manner akin to that between the first and second pile sections 2202, 2214 of the prior embodiment. Preferably, the mated fittings 2404, 2408 are defined by precision cuts monothically made in the circumference at the engaged ends of each sleeve portion 2401, 2406. In terms of the cuts made, the shape of irregularity of the mated fittings 2404, 2408 may be varied, with the intent of the formed connection being to transfer torque and relieve the fasteners of the majority of the stress created during installation of the pile as a result of the interlocking fit. The second and first sleeve portions 2406, 2401 are attached to the first pile section 2202 and second pile section 2214, respectively, by welds. In operation, the interlocking sleeve portions 2401, 2406 act to better distribute the torsional load applied to the pile sections 2202, 2214.
In a further alternative embodiment shown in
It will be readily apparent that the interlocking fit of either the sleeve portions or the pile sections a suitable pile coupling as described by the preceding embodiments can assume a number of configurations as further shown, for example, in
Another exemplary embodiment is illustrated in
According to yet another variation shown in
In each of the above examples as well as those previously discussed, the sleeve portions can be attached to the pile shaft using any known attachment technique, including but not limited to welding, epoxying and fasteners.
It should be noted that the manifold connections in the above-described embodiments each provide a continuous plane along the length of the assembled pile sections allowing for neither lateral deflection nor vertical compression or tension loads. It should be further noted that features of the above-described embodiments may be combined in part or in total to form additional configurations and embodiments within the scope of the invention.
Referring now to
The embodiment of
- 100 auger grouted displacement pile
- 102 elongated tubular pipe
- 104 top section
- 106 bottom section
- 108 soil displacement head
- 110 auger
- 112 blade
- 114 leading edge
- 116 trailing edge
- 120 deformation structure
- 200 lateral compaction element
- 202 width
- 204 height
- 206 end
- 208 end
- 300 hollow central chamber
- 302 means for extruding grout
- 304a-304e elongated openings
- 306 walls
- 308 walls
- 310 distal wall
- 312 channels
- 314 width, trailing edge
- 316 width
- 318 thickness
- 320 thickness, trailing edge
- 402 grooves
- 500 pile
- 502 auger section
- 504 pile
- 506 surface
- 600 mixing fins
- 700 coupling pile
- 702 coupling pile
- 704 coupling pile
- 800 pile assembly
- 802a pile section
- 802b pile section
- 804a flange
- 804b flange
- 806 fasteners
- 808 material
- 900 interface surface
- 1000 clearance holes
- 1100 cage
- 1102 internal grout
- 1200 rock socket
- 1202 bedrock
- 1204 concrete
- 1400 alignment sleeve
- 1500 pile assembly
- 1502a pile section
- 1502b pile section
- 1504a flange, filleted
- 1504b flange, filleted
- 1505a fillet
- 1505b fillet
- 1600 pile assembly
- 1602a pile section
- 1602b pile section
- 1604a teeth
- 1604b teeth
- 1606a flange
- 1606b flange
- 1802 shaft
- 1804 top section
- 1806 bottom section
- 1810 auger, helical
- 1814 leading edge
- 1816 trailing edge
- 1818 projection
- 1820 deformation structure
- 2000 leading helix
- 2100 deformation structure
- 2200 pile assembly
- 2202 first pile section
- 2204 driving tip
- 2206 distal end
- 2208 proximal end
- 2210 first mated fitting
- 2212 second mated fitting
- 2213 projections, axial
- 2214 second pile section
- 2216 holes
- 2217 distal end, second pile section
- 2300 sleeve
- 2302 holes
- 2304 weld
- 2400 sleeve
- 2401 first sleeve portion
- 2402 holes
- 2406 second sleeve portion
- 2604 first pile or sleeve portion
- 2608 second pile or sleeve portion
- 2612 axial projections or teeth
- 2616 recesses
- 2704 first pile or sleeve portion
- 2708 second pile or sleeve portion
- 2712 axial projections or teeth
- 2715 lateral end feature
- 2716 recesses
- 2804 first pile or sleeve portion
- 2808 second pile sleeve portion
- 2812 axial projections or teeth (angled)
- 2816 recesses (angled)
While the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof to adapt to particular situations without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope and spirit of the appended claims.
It will be readily apparent that other variations and modifications are possible within the inventive ambits of the present invention, and in accordance with the following claims. For example, the pile sections of the first embodiment could be used in concert with the interlocking sleeve portions according to the embodiment according to
Claims
1. A pile comprising:
- a first pile section defined by a first end that is configured for engaging a supporting medium and an opposing second end;
- a second pile section having a first end engageable with the second end of the first pile section, each of the first and second pile sections having mating end fittings that create an interlocking fit; and
- a sleeve sized to overlay the first and second engaged ends of the first and second pile sections, the sleeve having at least one through hole aligned with at least one corresponding through hole of the first pile section, the at least one through hole being sized for receiving a fastener for securing the sleeve to the first pile section.
2. The pile as recited in claim 1, wherein the mating end fittings are defined by irregular cuts in the circumference of the pile section ends, such that the irregular cuts of the first pile section match those of the second pile section to create the interlocking fit with one another.
3. The pile as recited in claim 1, in which the sleeve is secured to the second pile section.
4. The pile as recited in claim 3, in which the sleeve is secured to the first pile section.
5. The pile as recited in claim 1, wherein the first pile section includes a driving tip.
6. The pile as recited in claim 1, wherein the first pile section includes helical fighting.
7. The pile as recited in claim 1, further comprising an additional pile section sequentially attached to a second end of the second pile section, wherein a first end of the additional pile section and the second end of the second pile section further include mating end fittings that create an interlocking fit when the second and additional pile sections are engaged.
8. The pile as recited in claim 7, further comprising at least one additional sleeve that is sized to overlay the connected ends of the second and additional pile sections, the sleeve including at least one set of through holes for receiving a fastener attached to the second pile section.
9. The pile as recited in claim 1, in which one of the first or second pile sections includes a plurality of spaced teeth and the other of the first or second pile section includes a plurality of recesses that are sized to receive the spaced teeth of the first pile to create the interlocking fit.
10. The pile as recited in claim 9, in which each of the teeth and recesses are angled relative to a primary axis of the pile shaft.
11. The pile as recited in claim 9, in which each of the teeth have a shape in the form of a parallelogram with the exception of a distal end having a laterally extending feature and in which the corresponding recesses are shaped to receive the teeth including the laterally extending feature.
12. A pile comprising:
- a first pile section defined by a first end that is configured for engaging a supporting medium and an opposing second end;
- a second pile section having a first end engageable with the second end of the first pile section; and
- a sleeve sized to overlay the first and second engaged ends of the first and second pile sections to permit interconnection of the pile sections, the sleeve having at least one through hole aligned with at least one corresponding through hole of the first pile section, the at least one through hole being sized for receiving a fastener for securing the sleeve to the first pile section and in which the sleeve is defined by a pair of sleeve portions, each sleeve portion having a mating fitting at one end that creates an interlocking fit when the sleeve portions are engaged with one another.
13. The pile as recited in claim 12, in which the mating fittings of each sleeve portion are defined by a plurality of spaced irregular cuts in the circumference.
14. The pile as recited in claim 12, wherein one of the pair of sleeve portions is secured to the first pile section and the other sleeve portion is secured to the second pile section.
15. The pile as recited in claim 12, wherein the first pile section includes a driving tip.
16. The pile as recited in claim 12, wherein the first pile section includes helical fighting.
17. The pile as recited in claim 12, in which one of the pair of sleeve portions includes a plurality of spaced teeth and the other sleeve portion includes a plurality of recesses that are sized to receive the spaced teeth in order to create the interlocking fit.
18. The pile as recited in claim 12, in which each of the teeth and recesses are angled relative to a primary axis of the pile shaft when attached thereto.
19. The pile as recited in claim 12, in which each of the teeth have a shape in the form of a parallelogram with the exception of a distal end having a laterally extending feature and in which the corresponding recesses are shaped to receive the teeth, including the laterally extending feature.
20. The pile as recited in claim 1, further comprising:
- an additional pile section sequentially attached to a second end of the second pile section, wherein a first end of the additional pile section and the second end of the second pile section are engaged; and
- at least one additional sleeve that is sized to overlay the connected ends of the second and additional pile section, the sleeve including at least one set of through holes for receiving a fastener attached to the second pile section and in which the at least one additional sleeve is defined by a pair of engaged sleeve portions, each sleeve portion having a mating fitting at one end that creates an torque resistant and interlocking fit when the sleeve portions are engaged.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 16, 2017
Publication Date: Feb 1, 2018
Inventor: Benjamin G. Stroyer (East Rochester, NY)
Application Number: 15/678,599