In a foundation for a windmill with a circular or polygonal pedestal for supporting a windmill tower and a plurality of ribs, which project radially outwards from the pedestal, the pedestal is divided into a plurality of circumferential portions, wherein a circumferential portion and a rib are each formed by at least one prefabricated concrete element, respectively, and wherein the prefabricated concrete elements are made of reinforced concrete, which includes a first reinforcement structure, which includes radial tensioning elements, in particular tension rods or tensioning strands, for stressing the prefabricated concrete elements. A second reinforcement structure is also provided, which holds the circumferential portions together and is coupled with the first reinforcement structure, in particular the radial tensioning elements.

A porewater pressure dissipater is disclosed. In one example, a disclosed dissipater includes aggregate; a cylindrical receptacle for receiving the aggregate; a plate having a top surface and a bottom surface and one or more openings transcending from the top surface to the bottom surface wherein the plate secures and compacts the aggregate in the cylindrical receptacle; and one or more access tubes coupled to the top surface of the plate wherein the one or more access tubes are positioned over the one or more openings thereby forming a passageway to the cylindrical receptacle. The disclosed dissipater allows piles and shafts to be embedded at the optimum depth without concerns of liquefaction.

A pocket structure for receiving containerized plants is sloped and hung from a wire of a wire basket. The pocket structure includes hooks, an irrigation fitting and corresponding drip channel to transmit water toward the rear of the pocket, and slots in the walls. The mesh units include braces and are sized for shipping. An earth wall is formed of the mesh units and pockets, and includes irrigation tubing.

A manhole device and corresponding system including a manhole is described. The manhole device comprises a main body having an upper portion, a lower portion and a securing means. The securing means is engageable with the manhole such that when secured to the manhole, the upper portion protrudes above a surface level and the lower portion is retained below the surface level in the manhole. The main body provides means for alignment for construction around the manhole while providing a barrier to prevent access to vehicles, people and debris during the construction process. A method of construction is also provided.

An improved pile cap connector for connecting the top end of a driven pile, e.g., pipe pile, to a support beam or girder of a building, and/or the building proper, comprising, a cap plate, one or more lower braces secured to the underside of the cap plate to anchor the cap to the pile, two or more upper braces securable to the top side of the support plate, wherein at least one of the two or more upper braces has a length so that the brace, when secured to the cap plate, rises above the support beam or girder so that a portion of the brace lays against the building proper for fastening thereto.

A yoke plate assembly for mooring a floating object in a body of water by a pair mooring lines, includes an assembly plate mechanically coupling to an anchor body, an elongated yoke plate with a center thereof pivotally connected to the assembly plate by an articulation, a first lever arm having a first proximal end connected by a first coupler to a first end of the elongated yoke plate, a second lever arm having a second proximal end connected by a second coupler to a second end of the elongated yoke plate longitudinally opposite the first end. The first lever arm at a first distal end thereof is connectable by a first distal joint to one of the pair of mooring lines, and the second lever arm at a second distal end thereof is connectable by a second distal joint to the other of the pair of mooring lines.

Disclosed is a device for containing granular elements, comprising a metal mesh panel having metal wires welded together, the panel comprising at least one curvature of a first orientation and at least one curvature of a second orientation, the first orientation being characterized by a first axis and the second orientation being characterized by a second axis, the first axis and the second axis being non-collinear.

The invention relates to a low-permeability geotechnical barrier material including a blend of approximately equal parts of: aggregate particles, sand-size particles and manufactured composite particles that include a hydratable sealant material composed of naturally-occurring clay minerals and/or polymer-enhanced clay minerals, such that the actual percentage of clay mineral component is less than 10% by weight in the blended material. In a particular embodiment, the construction of a low-permeability geotechnical barrier using predominantly coarse grain materials by conventional compaction efforts is rarely attempted due to the difficulty of maintaining a uniform mix of well-graded sand and aggregate blends necessary to achieve low permeability. The regularly achievable permeability offered by this material blend when installed with specific proscribed techniques using conventional equipment can be 510.sup.8 cm/sec or lower.

A pad site and a method for supporting a rig structure, of which the method includes positioning a plurality of piles in a ground of a core operating section of a pad site, and laying a plurality of mats over the pad site. A first portion of the plurality of mats are at least partially supported by the plurality of piles, and a second portion of the plurality of mats are not supported by the plurality of piles. The first portion of the plurality of mats are configured to support a rig structure.

A helical pier and extension shaft, one end of which is formed with a thickened hexagonally shaped female end coupler using a hot forging process that swedges and compresses the walls of the female coupler into a thickened hexagonal configuration, with subsequent heat treatment to recover and enhance yield and tensile strength to the entire main body section and female end coupler of the helical pier and extension shafts. A corresponding hexagonally shaped male coupler may be milled and inertia friction welded to the opposite end of each extension shaft, or alternatively hot forged and internally upset as an integral homogeneous part of each extension shaft, thereby completing construction of the extension shaft with opposing corresponding male and female hexagonal couplers. The forgoing helical pier has particular benefits in applications requiring deep soil penetration and/or when using a grouted helical pier system.