Submerged pile grouting

Apparatus for grouting an offshore structure with fluid grouting material, the structure having at least one submerged supporting member, the member including a substantially vertically extending tubular jacket and a piling in said jacket having an outside smaller than the inside diameter of the jacket whereby a space is formed between the inside of the jacket and said pilings;

• said space having a packer at its upper end and a packer at its lower end wherein the space between the packers is intially filled with water and wherein a first fluid conductive line extends from the surface of the water to and in fluid flow communication with the upper end of the jacket below the upper packer and a second fluid conductive line extends from the surface of the water to and in fluid flow communication with the lower end of the jacket above the lower packer and one of the lines is connected to the packers, comprising:
• means associated with the line connected to the packers for setting the upper and lower packers;
• means associated with the lines for testing the seal of the packers with the jacket;
• means associated with the lines for testing the seal of the upper packer with the piling;
• and
• means for filling the space between the packers with the fluid grouting material.

Apparatus for use with an offshore structure having at least one supporting member, the member including a substantially vertically extending tubular jacket and a piling in the jacket having an outside diameter smaller than the inside diameter of the jacket whereby space is formed between the inside of the jacket and the piling, comprising:

• packer means for forming a sealed annular region in the space, the packer means including at least one packer adapted to engage and form a sealing surface with the jacket and the pile;
• actuating means for actuating said packer means from the surface of the water;
• flow means for providing fluid flow communication between said annular region and the surface of the water;
• and
• test means for testing the sealing engagement of said packer means with the jacket and the pile through said flow means.

Apparatus located at the surface of the water for use with a pair of packers located in the annular space between a tubular jacket and a piling telescopically received in the jacket under the water, the packers forming an annular region, to test the seals of the packers with the jacket and the piling after the packers are set and to flow grout into the annular region, the annular region being connected to the surface of the water by first and second fluid conductive pipes, comprising:

• supply means for supplying a fluid;
• grout means for supplying cementitious material;
• connective means for connecting said supply means and said grout means to the first and second fluid conductive pipe including manifold means for selectively routing the fluid and the cementitious material from said supply means and said grout means to the first and second fluid conductive pipe;
• and
• monitoring means for monitoring the pressure of the fluid.

A method of testing and maintaining the integrity of the packers utilized with an offshore structure having at least one submerged supporting member, the member including a substantially vertically extending tubular jacket and a piling in said jacket having an outside diameter smaller than the inside diameter of the jacket whereby a space is formed between the inside of the jacket and said pilings;

• said space having one of the packers set at its upper end and the other of its packers set at its lower end wherein the space between the packers is initially filled with water and wherein a first fluid conductive line extends from the surface of the water to and in fluid communication with the upper end of the jacket below the upper packer and a second fluid conductive line extends from the surface of the water to and in fluid communication with the lower end of the jacket above the lower packer, said method comprising the steps of:
• A. testing line continuity after the packers are set;
• B. dewatering the annulus;
• C. testing the integrity of the upper packer for grouting by pressuring the annulus through the use of compressed fluid introduced through one of the lines;
• D. testing the integrity of the lower packer for grouting by increasing the pressurization of Step C of the annulus through the use of the compressed fluid introduced through one of the lines to a hydrostatic pressure substantially equal to at least the hydrostatic head at the lower packer;
• and
• E. maintaining the hydrostatic pressure in the annulus to prevent collapse of the packers during the grouting of the annulus.

Apparatus for use with compressed fluid in testing and maintaining the integrity of the packers utilized with an offshore structure having at least one submerged supporting member, the member including a substantially vertically extending tubular jacket and a piling in said jacket having an outside diameter smaller than the inside diameter of the jacket whereby a space is formed between the inside of the jacket and said pilings;

• said space having one of the packers set at its upper end and the other of its packers set at its lower end wherein the space between the packers is initially filled with water and wherein a first fluid conductive line extends from the surface of the water to and in fluid communication with the upper end of the jacket below the upper packer and a second fluid conductive line extends from the surface of the water to and in fluid communication with the lower end of the jacket above the lower packer, said apparatus comprising:
• means for testing line continuity after the packers are set;
• means for dewatering the annulus;
• means for testing the integrity of the upper packer for grouting by pressuring the annulus through the use of the compressed fluid introduced through one of the lines;
• means for testing the integrity of the lower packer for grouting by increasing the pressurization of the annulus through the use of the compressed fluid introduced through one of the lines to a hydrostatic pressure substantially equal to at least the hydrostatic head at the lower packer;
• and
• means for maintaining the hydrostatic pressure in the annulus to prevent collapse of the packers during the grouting of the annulus.