Apparatuses for constructing displacement aggregate piers
AssigneeGeopier Foundation Company, Inc.
InventorsJohn Verdin, Kord J. Wissmann
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatuses for constructing displacement aggregate piers are disclosed. In one example, a mandrel is provided comprising a tamper head that has cutting teeth on the leading edge thereof. In another example, hydrojet nozzles are provided within one or more of the cutting teeth of the tamper head. In yet another example, the mandrel comprises grout tubes (or grout injection lines) and/or grout inspection lines. In yet another example, the mandrel and/or tamper head can comprise cutting teeth, hydrojet nozzles, grout tubes (or grout injection lines), grout inspection lines, and any combinations thereof.
Claims16
A system for constructing grouted aggregate piers, comprising:
- a) a mandrel having an upper feed tube portion, a tamper head, and a passage extending therethrough for feeding aggregate through the feed tube to the tamper head;
- and
- b) a grout injection line extending alongside the feed tube with at least one discharge port into the mandrel, wherein the grout injection line splits into two or more grout injection lines at a splitter, and further wherein the grout injection lines wrap around the tamper head until they are opposite each other at a lower edge of the tamper head.
A method of constructing aggregate piers, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a mandrel having an upper feed tube portion, a tamper head, and a passage extending therethrough for feeding aggregate through the feed tube to the tamper head, and one or more grout injection lines extending alongside the feed tube with at least one discharge port into the mandrel, wherein the grout injection line splits into two or more grout injection lines at a splitter, and further wherein the grout injection lines wrap around the tamper head until they are opposite each other at a lower edge of the tamper head;
- b) driving the mandrel through free-field soils to a specified depth;
- c) lifting the mandrel a specified distance;
- and
- d) repeating the driving and lifting of the mandrel;
- wherein grout is introduced into the mandrel through the one or more grout lines at pre-determined depths during the repeated driving and lifting process.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.