Method and apparatus for forming pilings and anchors

Abstract

Pile forming includes providing an anchor having a shaft with a major axis, a bit fixed at one end, and a stop releasably coupled to the shaft. A casing having a major axis, is co-axially aligned with the major axis of the shaft, between the bit and the stop. A centralizer maintains separation between the shaft and casing, creating a region therebetween. The anchor is placed in soil, ground or substrate, the shaft turned and pressure applied to advance the anchor, forcing material out of a region surrounding the shaft. The stop is decoupled from the shaft. The shaft is continually turned and pressure applied to further advance the anchor. A fluid grout is flowed into said region surrounding the shaft and into the region between shaft and the casing. The turning and application of pressure are stopped, and the fluid grout allowed to solidify.

1 . A method for forming pile, the method comprising:
 providing an anchor comprising a shaft;   providing a bit fixed at one end of said shaft;   providing a casing about said shaft;   releasably coupling said casing to said shaft;   placing said anchor in soil;   motivating said shaft to advance said anchor into said soil to force said soil out of a region surrounding said shaft;   decoupling said casing from said shaft; and   continuing to motivate said shaft to continue to provide said anchor into the soil.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing a reservoir of a fluid grout; and   allowing said fluid grout from said reservoir of fluid grout to flow into said region surrounding said shaft, and allowing said fluid grout to solidify.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein allowing said fluid grout from said reservoir of fluid grout to flow into said region surrounding said shaft comprises forcing said fluid grout through a tubular passage in said shaft, through an outlet port in said shaft in the region surrounding said shaft. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein allowing said fluid grout from said reservoir of fluid grout to flow into said region surrounding said shaft comprises forcing said fluid grout through a tubular passage in said shaft and into a cavity in said bit and through an at least one outlet port in said bit in the region surrounding said shaft. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein motivating said shaft comprises turning said shaft. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein motivating said shaft comprises applying pressure to said shaft. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said shaft has a major axis along the length of said shaft and wherein said casing has a major axis along the length of said casing. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein said casing is provided about said shaft generally coaxial with the major axis of said shaft. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said bit is adapted to engage said casing to maintain space between said shaft and said casing. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing a centralizer disposed between said bit and said casing, said centralizer being adapted to maintain space between said shaft and said casing.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 11  wherein said centralizer is fixed to said shaft. 
     
     
         12 . A method for forming pile, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing an anchor comprising a shaft having a major axis along a length of said shaft, a bit fixed at one end of said shaft, and a stop releasably coupled to said shaft;   providing a casing having a major axis along a length of said casing;   disposing said major axis of said casing co-axially with the major axis of said shaft and between said bit and said stop;   maintaining a separation between shaft and casing to create a first region between said shaft and said casing;   placing said anchor in soil;   turning said shaft while applying pressure to said shaft to urge said anchor into said soil thereby forcing a portion of said soil out of a second region surrounding said shaft;   decoupling said stop from said shaft;   continuing to turn said shaft while continuing to apply pressure to said shaft to continue to urge said anchor into the soil;   flowing fluid grout into said second region surrounding said shaft and permitting said fluid grout to flow into said first region between said shaft and said casing;   ceasing to turn said shaft and ceasing to apply pressure; and   allowing said fluid grout to solidify.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 13  wherein maintaining a separation between shaft and casing includes providing a centralizer therebetween. 
     
     
         14 . An apparatus to form piles, comprising:
 an anchor comprising a shaft;   a casing having a passage therethrough into which at least a portion of the shaft is received to form a region between the portion of the shaft and casing to fluidly receive a fluid grout therethrough, the casing releasably coupled to the shaft at least for translation therewith while coupled;   a bit fixed at a distal end of said shaft, the bit having a cavity and at least one outlet port to provide fluid communication between the cavity and an exterior of the bit, the cavity in fluid communication with the region between the portion of the shaft and the casing to fluidly communicate the fluid grout from the region between the portion of the shaft and the casing to the exterior of the bit.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a selectively detachable coupler that selectively detachably couples the casing to the shaft.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a centralizer coupled to the shaft and the casing to maintain a separation therebetween.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein at least one of the bit or the casing includes a lip that maintains a separation between the shaft and the casing. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a stop disposed at the distal end of the shaft, the stop releasably fixed to the shaft and which prevents a retreat of the casing along the shaft in a direction opposite a direction in which the bit and the shaft advance during drilling.