System and method for installing pilings using a removable helical tool

Abstract

A helical tool is driven into a soil mass to a first desired depth with an upper portion of the helical tool remaining accessible. A pile driver can be coupled to the upper portion of the helical tool. Piles can be driven through a bore of the helical tool further into the soil mass to a second desired depth. The helical tool can then be removed from the soil mass. A helical tool is driven to a desired first depth that enables the helical tool to provide the necessary static weight for the pile driver to drive the piles through the bore of the helical tool without needing heaving cranes or drilling rigs. A second desired depth for a completed piling chain can be the depth at which the necessary skin friction and torque is achieved so that the piling chain can be a foundation support for a building structure.

1 . A method of pile driving comprising the steps of:
 a) driving a helical tool into a soil mass, said helical tool including a central bore, an upper portion with a connector, and one or more flights on an exterior surface of the helical tool, wherein the upper portion of the helical tool remains accessible above or at a soil surface of said soil mass;   b) coupling a pile driver to the connector of step “a”;   c) driving a first pile through the central bore of the helical tool to a desired depth in the soil mass, wherein at least a portion of a first pile extends into the soil mass below the upper portion of the helical tool; and   d) removing the helical tool from the soil after completing step “c”.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising driving a second pile through the central bore of the helical tool during step “c” to drive both the first pile and the second pile further downward into the soil mass to form a segmental piling having a desired segmental piling length. 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the helical tool is driven into the soil mass to a depth at which the helical tool is operable to provide the necessary static weight and torque effect required by the pile driver, that is connected to the helical tool, to drive the first pile into the soil mass. 
     
     
         5 - 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the first pile and the second pile are connectable along a longitudinal axis prior to driving the second pile into the soil mass. 
     
     
         14 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising driving one or more additional piles through the central bore of the helical tool as needed to form a segmental piling and reach a desired segmental piling length, and wherein a first said additional pile is coupled to the second pile along a longitudinal axis prior to driving the first said additional pile, and wherein said second pile is coupled to the first pile along a longitudinal axis prior to driving the second pile into the soil mass. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein some of said additional piles have a larger diameter or cross-sectional width than the first pile. 
     
     
         18 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising a step of using the helical tool at another location to repeat the method. 
     
     
         23 . A pile driving system comprising:
 a) a helical tool having an exterior surface, a central bore, and one or more helical flights on the exterior surface of the helical tool;   b) a helical tool driver operable to drive the helical tool into a soil mass and to remove the helical tool from the soil mass;   c) a pile driver that is operable to drive one or more piling segments into the soil mass;   d) a coupler for coupling the pile driver to the helical tool after the helical tool is driven into the soil mass;   e) wherein the pile driver is operable to drive the one or more piling segments through the central bore of the helical tool and into the soil mass so that at least a portion of the one or more piles is at a depth below the helical tool.   
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23  wherein the helical tool is driven to a depth within the soil mass that enables the helical tool to support the pile driver and provide the necessary static weight for the pile driver to drive the other piles through the bore of the helical tool and further into the soil mass. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24  wherein more than one piling segment is driven through the central bore of the helical tool to form a segmental piling. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25  wherein the more than one piling segments are coupled together. 
     
     
         27 - 29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 23  wherein there is more than one flight on the helical tool that are not the same size. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 34  wherein a lowermost flight on the helical tool is the smallest. 
     
     
         36 - 37 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the bore of the helical tool includes a first set of one or more piles when the helical tool is driven into the soil mass. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41  wherein in step “c” the first pile is coupled to the first set of one or more piles to drive the first set of one or more piles further into the soil mass. 
     
     
         43 - 47 . (canceled) 
     
     
         48 . A pile section comprising:
 a) an outer wall having a wall interior surface, a wall exterior surface, and a wall bore;   b) a tube having a tube bore, a tube exterior surface, and a tube interior surface, and a plurality of notches at a first end, and wherein the tube is positioned within the wall bore;   c) a guide portion having a guide tube with a guide bore and having a plurality of plates extending laterally from the guide tube, the plurality of plates positioned within the notches of the tube and the guide tube positioned about centrally in the tube bore;   d) a rod positioned through the guide bore;   e) wherein concrete or other structural material fills the wall bore between the wall interior surface and the tube exterior surface and partially casts the plurality of plates of the guide tube in the concrete or other structural material.   
     
     
         49 . The pile section of  claim 48  wherein the tube includes a second plurality of notches at a second end and further including a second guide portion. 
     
     
         50 . (canceled) 
     
     
         51 . The pile section of  claim 49  wherein concrete or other structural material fills the tube bore and further casts the plurality of plates of the guide portion and the guide tube in the concrete or other structural material. 
     
     
         52 . (canceled) 
     
     
         53 . The pile section of  claim 49  wherein the rod has a rod bore. 
     
     
         54 - 60 . (canceled) 
     
     
         61 . A method of pile driving comprising the following steps:
 a) driving a helical tool having a bore into a soil mass;   b) driving a pile section of claim  53  through the bore of the helical tool while flowing pressurized water through the rod bore;   c) repeating step “b” until a desired piling chain length is reached; and   d) filing the tube bores with concrete or other structural material after driving to the desired piling chain length.   
     
     
         62 . (canceled)