The joint has a prefabricated-reinforced-concrete column, a reinforced-concrete foundation, a column anchoring longitudinal bar, a grouting sleeve and a foundation anchoring steel bar. The foundation anchoring steel bar and the column anchoring longitudinal bar are connected by a seam filling material filling the grouting sleeve. A splicing seam between the reinforced-concrete foundation and the prefabricated-reinforced-concrete column is filled with the seam filling material. The foundation anchoring steel bar includes a vertical portion and a horizontal portion. The vertical portion includes an upper-portion anchoring section protruding out of an upper surface of the reinforced-concrete foundation, a middle-portion non-adhesive section buried within the foundation and a lower-portion anchoring section. An exterior of the middle-portion non-adhesive section is provided with an isolating sheath for isolating the middle-portion non-adhesive section and the concrete adhesion.

A budding element for coupling with other budding elements to erect a retaining wall. Exemplary building elements have receiving spaces for receiving increased weight of fill material to provide increased stability. Optionally, each building element can have an enlarged face profile that provides efficiency in the shipping and assembly process. Optionally, each building element can define alignment voids that receive portions of alignment posts for ensuring vertical alignment between adjacent building elements or portions of building elements.

A soil reinforcing element and method of manufacturing for use in a mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) structure. A smooth metal strip is fabricated into a soil reinforcing element that is manufactured from stock pulled from a coil, the surface of the strip surface is manipulated using the technique of cold forming. Where the manipulated surface is optimized to consist of a peak and a valley to increase the pullout resistance when embedded in an earthen formation involving a mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) structure.

Described is a method for anchoring a hollow tubular element in a water bottom. An upper outer end of the tubular element is first closed substantially airtightly by a closing body. The tubular element with closing body is taken up from a vessel with a lifting means and lowered into the water in a substantially vertical position. Air in the tubular element with closing body is here compressed and the pressure in the tubular element with closing body increases. The weight of the tubular element with closing body suspended from the lifting means is then adjusted by allowing the air to escape at least partially and/or suctioning the air away at least partially to below atmospheric pressure. The pressure in the tubular element with closing body decreases and the tubular element with closing body penetrates into the water bottom under the weight. Finally, the closing body is removed and the tubular element is optionally driven further into the water bottom with a pile-driving means.

Anchor assembly for arrangement in seabed comprising a main tube provided with foldable wings movably arranged in recesses of the main tube by being hinged in upper end of the recesses, which wings in initial position is aligned with outer surface of the main tube, where the foldable wings are provided with a centered curved main support element extending in a plane perpendicular to inner surface of the wing and wherein rear part of the main support element is provided with a notch, constriction or recess determining the number of degrees the wing is to exhibit in relation to the main tube in deployed state.

Disclosed herein are a group anchor system, subsea installation tool and method of install such group anchor systems. The group anchor system includes a template through which a plurality of vertical piles, such as helical piles, are passed, drilled into the seabed at one end and secured to the template at the other to provide a mooring anchor for an offshore asset. The installation tool is a modular tool designed to mate with the group anchor system. Each module including drive mechanism for engaging and driving a pile. The piles may be driven simultaneously, individually, or in groups as required for proper placement and leveling. Methods of using the installation tool are also disclosed.

A pier assembly for supporting a structure includes a guide member having a base plate and a plurality of tubular guides extending from the base plate. In addition, the base plate includes a plurality of through holes and each tubular guide includes a through passage aligned with one of the through holes of the base plate. Further, the pier assembly includes a plurality of elongate members. Each elongate member extends through one through hole in the base plate and the through passage of the corresponding tubular guide.

A building element for coupling with other building elements to erect a retaining wall. Exemplary building elements have receiving spaces for receiving increased weight of fill material to provide increased stability. Optionally, each building element can have an enlarged face profile that provides efficiency in the shipping and assembly process. Optionally, each building element can define alignment voids that receive portions of alignment posts for ensuring vertical alignment between adjacent building elements or portions of building elements.

An expanding anchor and/or pile system wherein an outer shell of the pile/anchor is split lengthwise into at least two pieces and can be placed or driven into a hole in the earth in a retracted state and can subsequently be expanded such that the two or more pieces are forced outwardly—away from one another, thus causing them to exert a lateral force against the sides of the hole and thereby resulting in greater axial load carrying capacity in tension or compression of the anchor/pile.

A pier bracket comprises a seat including a base plate and an upper plate extending orthogonally from the base plate wherein, when the base plate is positioned for supporting a structure, the upper plate is adjacent to the structure for securing the upper plate to the structure. A tubular member is mounted to the seat and adapted to slidably receive structural piers. A planar support plate is distally spaced from and parallel to the base plate. Each of a pair of side plates extend between an opposite side edge of the base plate and the support plate.