US 12,760,485 B2Granted

Stacked cone penetrometer testing sounding unit

AssigneeApplied Research Associates, Inc.

InventorsDevin Noyes, Travis Lowe, Tyson Burrell, Zubin Jeandell, Jesse Mastine

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Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosure provide a cone penetrometer test sounding system (CPTSS) and methods of operation. The CPTSS comprises an upper clamp and a lower clamp in a vertical orientation such that a rod string may span both the upper and lower clamp assemblies. The upper clamp assembly may work in cooperation with the lower clamp assembly to continuously push the rod string comprising a cone penetrometer into the ground to test the ground soil. The upper clamp assembly may clamp the rod string and push the cone penetrometer into the ground while the lower clamp assembly moves upward while not engaged with the rod string. The lower clamp assembly may then engage the rod string while the upper clamp assembly disengages the rod string, and the lower clamp assembly then pushes the cone penetrometer into the ground in a hand-over-hand method.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A cone penetrometer testing sounding system for testing ground soil, comprising:

a rod string comprising a plurality of connected rods;
an upper head clamp assembly comprising at least one upper clamp configured to selectively engage the rod string;
a lower head clamp assembly comprising at least one lower clamp configured to selectively engage the rod string,
wherein the upper head clamp assembly and the lower head clamp assembly are positioned in a vertical configuration with the upper head clamp assembly above the lower head clamp assembly;
a cone penetrometer comprising at least one sensor configured to detect ground soil characteristics,
wherein the cone penetrometer is configured to be coupled to a ground penetrating end of the rod string;
a hydraulic network configured to supply hydraulic power to the upper head clamp assembly and the lower head clamp assembly;
wherein, under a first force applied by the hydraulic network, the at least one upper clamp is configured to engage the rod string,
wherein, under a second force applied by the hydraulic network, the at least one lower clamp is configured to disengage the rod string,
wherein, under a third force applied by the hydraulic network, the upper head clamp assembly is configured to move downward forcing the cone penetrometer into the ground soil, and
wherein, under a fourth force applied by the hydraulic network, the lower head clamp assembly is configured to move upward away from the ground soil.

8 more elements

A cone penetrometer testing sounding system for testing ground soil, comprising:

a rod string comprising a plurality of connected rods;
an upper head clamp assembly comprising at least one upper clamp configured to selectively engage the rod string;
a lower head clamp assembly comprising at least one lower clamp configured to selectively engage the rod string,
wherein the upper head clamp assembly and the lower head clamp assembly are positioned with the upper head clamp assembly above the lower head clamp assembly in a vertical configuration;
a cone penetrometer comprising at least one sensor configured to detect ground soil characteristics,
wherein the cone penetrometer is configured to be coupled to a ground penetrating end of the rod string;
a power source configured to supply power to the upper head clamp assembly and the lower head clamp assembly;
wherein the at least one upper clamp is configured to selectively engage the rod string,
wherein the at least one lower clamp is configured to selectively engage the rod string,
wherein the upper head clamp assembly is configured to selectively move up and down forcing the cone penetrometer into the ground soil on a upper head clamp assembly downward stroke, and
wherein the lower head clamp assembly is configured to selectively move up and down forcing the cone penetrometer into the ground soil on a lower head clamp assembly downward stroke.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.