An apparatus for carrying out bi-directional load testing of close ended driven piles and injection piles utilizing a hydraulic jack, comprising an enclosure for housing the hydraulic jack. The apparatus includes a first hollow body, a second hollow body and a third hollow body. The first hollow body has an open upper end, an open lower end, and a base for attaching the top of the hydraulic jack. The second hollow body has an open upper end, an open lower end, and a base for attaching the base of the hydraulic jack. The third hollow body has an open upper end and an open lower end, and has an inner diameter corresponding to the outer diameter of the first hollow body and the second hollow body, the third hollow body being capable of being axially received by both the first hollow body and the second hollow body.

A concrete variable cross-section prefabricated square pile comprises pile bodies of large cross-section sections and small cross-section sections alternately arranged along a longitudinal direction. Lateral transition surfaces are formed between side surfaces of the large cross-section sections and adjacent small cross-section sections; at least part of the lateral transition surfaces have a front edge and/or a rear edge that are offset from a vertical direction in a lateral projection, and a vertical projection of an intersection line between the lateral transition surface and a first horizontal plane is located outside a vertical projection of an intersection line between the lateral transition surface and a second horizontal plane; the first horizontal plane is a horizontal plane located above in any two horizontal planes, and the second horizontal plane is a horizontal plane located below in any two horizontal planes.

An apparatus for carrying out bi-directional load testing of close ended driven piles and injection piles utilizing a hydraulic jack, comprising an enclosure for housing the hydraulic jack (13). The enclosure (1) includes a first hollow body (10) a second hollow body (15). The first hollow body (10) had a covered upper end (10a) and an open lower end (10b), with the upper end being capped by an attached top plate (11) having an external surface (11a) which the lower end (81b) of a first pile (81) may be axially attached to, and an internal surface (11b). The open lower end (10b) has a cut-out (12) originating on the edge of the open end (10b) of the first hollow body for receiving a hydraulic connection (14) for the jack (13). The second hollow body (15) is capable of housing the hydraulic jack (13), has an open upper end (15a) and a lower end (15b). The lower end (15b) is capped by an attached base plate (17) having an external surface (17a) which the upper end (82a) of a second pile (82) may be axially attached to, and an internal surface (17b) for attaching the base (13a) of the hydraulic jack, and an opening (16) on the capped lower end (15b) originating at a point where the edge of the lower end (15b) abuts the base plate (17) for receiving the hydraulic connection (14) for the jack. The first hollow body (10) and the second hollow body (15) are capable of axial movement relative to one another when actuated by the hydraulic jack.

A stay-in-place footing form assembly includes a plurality of inner form boards serially aligned and joined by inner joining brackets, a plurality of outer form boards serially aligned and joined by outer joining brackets, a plurality of lower spacing rails, each disposed between and connecting base brackets in the inner and outer joining brackets aligned laterally, and a plurality of upper spacing rails, each disposed between and connecting top brackets in the inner and outer joining brackets aligned laterally. The lower spacing rails include first rebar receptacle(s) for seating horizontal rebars on the rails, and the upper spacing rails include second rebar receptacle(s) for holding vertical dowel rebars therein. The inner and outer form boards are insulation boards that have an ability of absorbing lateral forces of earthquakes exerted to a concrete footing formed in the stay-in-place footing form, and an ability of insulating the concrete footing from surrounding temperatures.

An apparatus for filling a discontinuity in a roadway associated with a manhole cover. The apparatus includes a manhole anchor, a road pad, and an attachment mean. The apparatus is useful for filling a discontinuity in a roadway associated with a manhole cover and for preventing traffic from swerving to avoid the discontinuity.

A cooling tower structure having a concrete perimeter foundation wall with a perimeter rebar grouping. The structure includes at least four columns formed of CMU blocks with at least two columns being freestanding and positioned approximate corners of the foundation wall. Each column further includes a column rebar grouping being tied into the perimeter rebar grouping. At least three bond-beams formed of CMU blocks are connected between the columns at least four feet above the foundation. The bond-beams include beam rebar groupings tying into at least one of the column rebar groupings. The structure includes housing walls formed of CMU blocks extending upward from the bond beams. At least one fan is on at least one pedestal column positioned within the foundation wall, with a pedestal rebar grouping extending though the pedestal column from a concrete pedestal footing. A series of water collection troughs are positioned within the cooling tower above the fan and fill media is positioned in the cooling tower above the collection troughs.

Embodiments of a mold for making a retaining wall blocks are disclosed. The mold enables blocks to be made more quickly by enabling separation of each block from the mold housing when the block is cured sufficiently to enable separation. Once separated, the block can be permitted to fully cure away from the mold housing, while the mold housing is re-used to produce one or more other blocks. In one embodiment, among others, the mold has a movable bottom tray and a mold housing with at least one door. The mold housing has an opening designed to receive and introduce a fabrication material, such as concrete, into the cavity. Once a block is sufficiently cured, it is separated from the mold housing on the tray through the at least one door, and a new tray is inserted in the mold housing to make another block.

A stay-in-place footing form assembly includes a plurality of inner form boards serially aligned and joined by inner joining brackets, a plurality of outer form boards serially aligned and joined by outer joining brackets, a plurality of lower spacing rails, each disposed between and connecting base brackets in the inner and outer joining brackets aligned laterally, and a plurality of upper spacing rails, each disposed between and connecting top brackets in the inner and outer joining brackets aligned laterally. The lower spacing rails include first rebar receptacle(s) for seating horizontal rebars on the rails, and the upper spacing rails include second rebar receptacle(s) for holding vertical dowel rebars therein. The inner and outer form boards are insulation boards that have an ability of absorbing lateral forces of earthquakes exerted to a concrete footing formed in the stay-in-place footing form, and an ability of insulating the concrete footing from surrounding temperatures.

A ground anchor system configured for introducing into a borehole, and comprising a plurality of straps each having a length dimension extending along a central longitudinal axis of the ground anchor system. Each of said straps has a width dimension taken along a major axis and a thickness dimension taken along a minor axis. The major axis and the minor axis are disposed at a transverse plane of the ground anchor system and intersect at a middle point. The middle point of each of said straps is intersected by an imaginary line extending through the longitudinal axis at the transverse plane. The imaginary line forms an angle smaller than 90 with the major axis of the respective strap.

Disclosed are a discharge jet and a pile-plank applying the same. The discharge jet may include a discharge jet body; the body is connected with a water inlet pipe; the shape of the body is basically the same as the pile-plank; a diameter of the discharge jet is in the range of 50 mm-500 mm; water jet holes are formed in the body; the diameter of each water jet holes is in the range of 1.5 mm-15 mm; each space between adjacent water jet holes is in the range of 8 mm-80 mm; and the maximum included angle formed by the water jet holes is in the range of 30-180. The discharge jet and a method for driving the pile-plank into the earth by the discharge jet have the advantages of wide application range, high construction efficiency and low cost.