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AssigneeVibroflotation Foundation Company
InventorR. Robert Goughnour
Estimating the term…
Compacted granular or stone columns are constructed in soil to increase the load-bearing capacities of the native soil. The upper portion of the compacted granular column is provided with a rigid central core such that vertical loads imposed on the composite column are transferred to a deeper level on the compacted column where the column operates more efficiently. A probe is centrally penetrated downwardly into the compacted granular column, and the resulting cavity is filled with cementitious grout to form a solid core after hardening. The grout may be injected into the cavity so formed in the compacted column at the bottom of the probe as the probe is being withdrawn in predetermined quantities metered in synchronization with the rate of withdrawal of the probe from the core cavity.
A method of constructing a compacted granular or stone column in soil to increase load-bearing capacities comprising the steps of penetrating a probe downwardly into soil to be compacted to a predetermined depth thereby forming an elongated cavity in the soil, withdrawing the probe from the soil cavity, backfilling at least a portion of the cavity with granular material and compacting the granular material in the cavity to form a compacted column, penetrating a probe downwardly into the compacted column to a predetermined depth thereby forming an elongated cavity in the compacted column, withdrawing the probe from the cavity formed in the compacted column, and filling the cavity formed in the compacted column with a cementitious grout to form a solid core after hardening of the grout.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.