US 9,175,452 B2 · Submerged void filling

Abstract

Systems and methods for filling submerged voids with a foam-fluidized fill material in an efficient and economical manner are disclosed herein. The foam fluidized fill material is a granular solid material fluidized with a foam. The foam-fluidized fill material is pumped or gravity-fed through an insertion tube into the submerged void. The insertion tube terminates at a point lying below a surface of the liquid within the void. Since the foam-fluidized fill material is heavier than the liquid, the foam-fluidized fill material exiting the insertion tube sinks to the bottom of the void and expands laterally at the bottom of the void displacing the liquid. The liquid is forced upward and out of the void where it may be collected. Further, as the fill material fills the void, the foam dissipates and the fill material self compacts, making the filled void sufficiently load bearing.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for filling a subterranean void, the method comprising:

injecting a foam-fluidized granular fill material into the void and leaving the granular material in the void, the injecting being at an injection point beneath a surface of water within the void, wherein the foam-fluidized granular fill material is injected at a velocity sufficient for the foam-fluidized granular fill material to expand laterally within the void at least two times more than if the granular fill material was not foam-fluidized and to displace the water, and wherein foam within the foam-fluidized granular fill material dissipates, rather than being removed from the void, as the foam-fluidized granular fill material expands laterally within the void, thus self-compacting the granular fill material.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Submerged void filling

Life of this patent

Submerged void filling

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20