Waterstop for foundation elements and method of installation
AssigneeCementation Foundations Skanska Limited
InventorPeter Gilbert Shotton
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A waterstop, 10 or 11, for restricting or preventing the flow of water across the joints of foundation elements 8, such as between or along individual diaphragm wall panels or between or along individual secant wall piles. The present invention also relates to a method of installing a waterstop at or near the joints between adjacent foundation elements. The waterstop consists of one or more longitudinal strips, 1 or 2, of hydrophilic material, wherein the or each hydrophilic strip extends vertically along the interface between adjacent foundation elements, from a position at or near the top of the foundation elements, to a position at or near the base of the elements.
Claims18
A method of installing a waterstop for resisting the flow of water along the interface between adjacent foundation elements, the method comprising the steps of:
- i) constructing one or a series of primary foundation elements at predetermined positions in the ground;
- ii) excavating a bore in the ground adjacent to the or each of the primary foundation elements;
- iii) lowering a waterstop comprising one or a number of longitudinal strips of hydrophilic material into the bore, such that the or each strip extends vertically from a position at or near the top of the bore to a position at or near the base of the bore;
- iv) pumping or placing concrete or grout into the bore so as to form a secondary foundation element, wherein as the concrete or grout enters the bore, the or each longitudinal strip of hydrophilic material is pushed towards the adjacent primary foundation element such that when the secondary foundation element is formed, the or each strip of hydrophilic material extends vertically along the interface between the primary and secondary elements and does not span across the interface into both foundation elements;
- and
- v) installing at least one supplementary element at a position adjacent to one of the at least one longitudinal strips of hydrophilic material, wherein the or each supplementary element extends in an orthogonal direction with respect to the longitudinal axis of the, or each, longitudinal strip of hydrophilic material and which, in use, serves to resist and/or absorb water which rises in a vertical fashion along the interface between adjacent foundation elements.
A waterstop for resisting the flow of water along an interface between two adjacent foundation elements, the waterstop comprising one or more longitudinal strips of hydrophilic material, wherein, in use, the hydrophilic material extends vertically along the interface between adjacent foundation elements, from a position at or near the top of the foundation elements, to a position at or near the base of the elements and does not span across the interface into both of the adjacent elements, the waterstop further comprising one or more supplementary elements which extend in an orthogonal direction with respect to the longitudinal axis of the, or each, longitudinal strip of hydrophilic material, wherein the or each supplementary element(s) comprises hydrophilic material such that, in use, serves to resist and/or absorb water which rises in a vertical fashion along the interface between adjacent foundation elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.