Apparatus and system for securing a hollow pile in the ground

An apparatus for securing a hollow pile in the ground, the pile having a wall with an inner surface, the apparatus comprising:

• a housing having an aperture and an interior and being positionable within the pile;
• a protrusion slidably connected to the housing through the aperture, the protrusion having a proximal end in communication with the interior of the housing and a distal end which is spaced-apart from the proximal end, the protrusion moving outwards towards the inner surface of the pile to create an anchor knob in the pile via its distal end upon pressurized hydraulic fluid being applied to the interior of the housing;
• and
• a support member extending outwardly from the housing and being shaped to selectively abut and support the inner surface of the wall of the pile when the anchor knob is being formed.

A method of securing a hollow pile to the ground using an anchor-knob forming apparatus, the pile having a wall with an inner surface, and the apparatus having both a plurality of spaced-apart protrusions and a plurality of spaced-apart support members, the method comprising:

• driving the pile into the ground;
• lowering the apparatus into a portion of the pile driven into the ground;
• moving the support members outwards by supplying pressurized hydraulic fluid to the apparatus;
• and
• moving the protrusions outwards and against the wall of the pile by supplying pressurized hydraulic fluid to the apparatus and thereby forming anchor knobs in the pile.