Controlling the environment around a submerged pile or other structures by encapsulation, and treating and repairing the encapsulation area

A process for creating a controlled environment about at least a portion of a submerged pile comprising the steps of:

• a. securing a jacket having at least one longitudinal seam along a portion of a pile to be treated and sealing said longitudinal seam to encapsulate a space along a desired length of said pile;
• b. providing at least one upper valve and at least one lower valve for allowing fluid flows into and out of said encapsulated space;
• c. expelling water trapped in said encapsulated space through said lower valve by injecting a gas into said encapsulated space through said upper valve;
• d. filling said encapsulated spaced with a filler material to forestall further deterioration of said encapsulated portion of said pile;
• and
• e. recovering waste products and vapors from said filler material by collecting them and conveying them to a holding tank.

A process for treating at least a portion of a submerged pile comprising the steps of:

• a. securing a jacket having at least one longitudinal seam along a portion of a pile to be treated and sealing said longitudinal seam to encapsulate a space along a desired length of said pile;
• b. providing at least one upper valve and at least one lower valve for allowing fluid flows into and out of said encapsulated space;
• c. sealing the top and bottom of said jacket relative to said pile;
• d. expelling water trapped in said encapsulated space through said lower valve by injecting a gas into said encapsulated space through said upper valve;
• and
• e. drying said encapsulated portion of said pile by further introducing a gas into said upper valve and maintaining a flow of gas through said encapsulated space out of said lower valve until said encapsulated portion of said pile is dry and filling said encapsulated space with a filler, which displaces the air inside said encapsulated space;
• and
• f. recovering and treating said gas and entrained matter that are displaced from said encapsulated space by said filler by collecting it at said upper valve and conveying it to a recovery tank.

An apparatus for treating a submerged pile comprising:

• a. a jacket having at least two longitudinal sections of arcuate cross section with a flange along each longitudinal edge of each said arcuate section, a plurality of apertures in each said flange, means for fastening said flanges from different said longitudinal sections together along a plurality of seams formed by so joining said flanges;
• b. a low friction coating on the interior surface of said jacket;
• c. a heat insulation layer on the exterior surface of said jacket;
• d. hinge means joining at least two said longitudinal sections;
• and
• e. at least one upper valve and at least one lower valve.

An apparatus for creating a controlled environment about at least a portion of a submerged pile comprising:

• a. a jacket for encapsulating a desired portion of said pile, said jacket further comprising at least one upper valve and at least one lower valve, at least two longitudinal sections of arcuate cross section with a flange along each longitudinal edge of each said arcuate section, a plurality of apertures in each said flange, means for fastening said flanges from different said longitudinal sections together along at least one seam formed by so joining said flanges;
• b. a low friction coating on the interior surface of said jacket;
• c. a heat insulation layer on the exterior surface of said jacket;
• d. hinge means joining at least two said longitudinal sections;
• e. at least one upper valve and at least one lower valve;
• f. means for controlling the direction of fluid flow through said valves and thereby through said encapsulated space, thereby expelling water inside said encapsulated space and drying said space;
• and
• g. means for introducing a filler into said encapsulated space.

An apparatus for creating a controlled environment about at least a portion of a submerged pile comprising:

• a. a jacket for encapsulating a desired portion of said pile, said jacket further comprising at least one upper valve and at least one lower valve;
• b. means for controlling the direction of fluid flow through said valves and thereby through said encapsulated space;
• c. means for forcing a gas into said encapsulated space, thereby expelling water inside said encapsulated space and drying it;
• d. means for introducing a filler into said encapsulated space;
• and
• means for recovering and treating gas and entrained matter that are displaced from said encapsulated space.

A process for treating an underwater pile comprising the sequential steps of:

• a. encapsulating a portion of a pile to be treated to form an encapsulated space about said treatment portion of said pile;
• b. removing standing water from said encapsulated portion of said pile;
• c. preparing an exterior pile surface of said encapsulated portion of said pile by circulating surface preparing chemicals through said encapsulated portion of said pile, whereby said exterior surface of said encapsulated portion of said pile will bond with a chemical coating;
• and
• d. injecting a coating material into said encapsulated portion of said pile.