Piling apparatus and method of installation

Abstract

An in-situ pile apparatus 10 includes a helical anchor to which a plurality of elongated generally cylindrically shaped sections can be added. Each of the sections has a specially shaped end portion for connecting to another section. An internal drive is positioned in sections inside the bore of each of the connectable pile sections. The internal drive includes enlarged sections that fit at the joint between pile sections. In one embodiment, the internal drive can be removed to leave a rod behind that defines reinforcement for a tension rod connection from the anchor tip to an upper portion attachment point.

1 . An in-situ pile apparatus comprising:
 a lowermost helical anchor having an upper, squared end portion, a cylindrical section, a drive shaft and a tapered transition section that joins the shaft to the cylindrical section;   a plurality of hollowed pile sections that are connectable end to end, a lowermost of the pile sections being connectable to the helical anchor at the helical anchor squared section;   connectors for connecting the pile sections together, wherein one squared end of one pile section fits inside of a squared end of another pile section   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein each pile section has squared male and female end portions. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the pile sections have male squared end portions that are shaped to fit the female squared end portion of another pile section. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein some of the pile sections carries circumferentially spaced radially extending soil displacement ribs. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein at least some of the pile sections carry helical vanes. 
   
   
       6 . A method of installing a piling system comprising the steps of:
 a. Thrusting a helical anchor into the earth;   b. Connecting one or more pile sections to the helical anchor, each of the pile sections have squared end portions that are connectable with respective other squared end portions of other pile sections;   c. Driving the anchor and pile sections with a rotary drive;   
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein each of the pile sections is shaped to connect to another pile section at a joint with a combined configuration that transmits torque. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 6  wherein in step “b” each pile section has at least one squared end portion, and the squared end portions are joined together. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 6  further comprising the step of filling the bore of a pile section with a filler material. 
   
   
       10 . A method of installing a piling system comprising the steps of:
 a. thrusting a helical anchor into the earth, the helical anchor having upper and lower end portions;   b. connecting a first pile section to the helical anchor at the upper end portion of the helical anchor wherein a shaped section of the helical anchor engages a correspondingly shaped section of the first pile section to form a joint that will transmit torque to the first pile section having a bore generally cylindrical central section and upper and lower end portions, each having a shaped connector;   c. connecting a second pile section to the upper end portion of the first pile section, the second pile section having a bore, the first and second pile sections having connecting at a torque transfer joint that joins them;   d. driving the anchor and the first and second pile sections with a rotary drive tool   
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein step “a” the helical anchor includes a solid shaft having a helical vane. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising the step of filling the bore of at least one of the pile sections with a filler material. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising the step of filling the bore of one of the pile sections with a grout filler material. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising the step of removing all or part of the rotary drive tool before adding the filler material. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising the step of removing all or part of the rotary drive tool before adding the grout material. 
   
   
       16 . An in-situ pile apparatus comprising:
 a. a lowermost helical anchor that is configured to be driven into a soil mass;   b. a plurality of hollowed pile sections that are connectable at joints that have open bores, a lowermost of the hollowed pile sections being connectable to the top of the anchor;   c. a rotary drive system for installing the helical that includes pile end portions that are shaped so that one end portion fits inside anchor and pile sections of an end portion of an adjacent pile section.   
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein the drive system includes a rotary drive tool with an enlarged diameter section that occupies a pile section end portion during use. 
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 17  wherein the pile sections have end portions that are shaped to fit the end portion of another pile section in telescoping fashion. 
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein each of the pile sections carries a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially extending soil displacement ribs. 
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 17  wherein the pile and portions are not circular in shape. 
   
   
       21 . The apparatus of  claim 17  wherein the pile end portions are squared. 
   
   
       22 . (cancel) 
   
   
       23 . (cancel) 
   
   
       24 . (cancel) 
   
   
       25 . A multi-section pile apparatus, comprising:
 a. a lowermost anchor that is configured to be driven into a soil mass by rotation, the anchor having a shaft with helically threaded vane portion and an upper tapered transition section;   b. a plurality of generally cylindrical pile sections, each pile section being provided with a non-circular transition portion formed at ends of the pile section, said pile sections are connectable end-to-end at non-circular transition portions, the pile sections and non-circular transition portions having hollow bores, a lowermost of the pile sections being connectable to a top of said upper tapered transition section of the anchor, and wherein each of the pile sections carries a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially extending soil displacement ribs;   c. a drive means for transmitting rotational force to the pile sections and the anchor, said drive means comprising drive members that fit inside the bores within end portions of the pile sections between respective pile sections, said non-circular transition portion of one pile section adjoining a non-circular surface of an adjacent pile section, and wherein each of the drive members comprises an enlarged diameter section that occupies a joint open bore during use;   d. wherein non-circular surfaces enable torque to be transmitted from the drive means to the pile sections; and   e. a connecting means for connecting a lower end portion of one of the pile sections and an upper end portion of the anchor.   
   
   
       26 . (cancel) 
   
   
       27 . The apparatus of  claim 25  wherein the pile sections have end portions that are shaped to fit the end portion of another pile section in telescoping fashion. 
   
   
       28 . (cancel)