DRIVEN FOUNDATION PILE

Abstract

A driven foundation pile or pier includes a shaft having a top portion for embedment in a wall or other structure. A top plate and a bottom plate are in planar alignment and are attached to and extend from a bottom portion of the shaft. The bottom plate may have sloped bottom edges coming to a point that extends below the bottom portion of the shaft to facilitate driving the pile into the soil. The top portion of the pile may have openings to facilitate embedment of the pile in the wall or other structure.

Claims

1. A driven foundation pile comprises: a shaft having a top portion and a bottom portion, the top portion for embedment in a structure, a top plate attached to and extending laterally from the bottom portion of the shaft, a bottom plate vertically spaced from the top plate and extending laterally from the bottom portion of the shaft, said bottom plate in planar alignment with said top plate.

2. The driven foundation pile of claim 1 further comprising: the bottom plate having a tapered bottom edge.

3. The driven foundation pile of claim 2 wherein the tapered bottom edge of the bottom plate extends below the bottom portion of the shaft.

4. The driven foundation pile of claim 1 further comprising: said top portion having one or more openings suitable for receiving mortar or cement.

5. The driven foundation pile of claim 1 further comprising: said bottom portion including a top slot and a bottom slot vertically spaced from said top slot, said top slot sized to receive said top plate, and said bottom slot sized to receive said bottom plate.

6. A driven foundation pile comprises: a shaft having a top portion and a bottom portion, the top portion for embedment in a structure, a top plate attached to and extending laterally from the bottom portion of the shaft, a bottom plate vertically spaced from the top plate and extending laterally from the bottom portion of the shaft, said bottom plate in planar alignment with said top plate, said bottom plate having a tapered bottom edge that extends below the bottom portion of said shaft.

7. A driven foundation pile comprises: a shaft having a top portion and a bottom portion, said top portion having one or more openings suitable for receiving mortar or cement for embedment in a structure, said bottom portion including a top slot and a bottom slot vertically spaced from said top slot, a top plate received in said top slot and attached to and extending laterally from the bottom portion of the shaft, a bottom plate received in said bottom slot and attached to and extending laterally from the bottom portion of the shaft, bottom plate vertically spaced from the top plate, said bottom plate in planar alignment with said top plate, said bottom plate having a tapered bottom edge that extends below the bottom portion of said shaft.

8. A method for building a wall using a driven foundation pile comprising: driving a bottom portion of a shaft into the ground, said bottom portion having a top plate and a bottom plate, said top plate extending laterally from the shaft, said bottom plate spaced from said top plate and extending laterally from the shaft, said bottom plate disposed in planar alignment with said top plate, stopping driving said shaft into the ground when said top and bottom plates are disposed below the surface of the ground and a top portion of said shaft is disposed above ground, surrounding said top portion with one or more blocks, and securing said one or more blocks to said top portion to form a wall with a pile foundation.

9. The method for building a wall of claim 8 further comprising: said driving step comprises driving the bottom portions of two or more shafts into the ground, arranging the top and bottom plates of each of said two or more shafts in planar alignment, said surrounding step comprises surrounding the top portion of each of said two or more shafts with two or more blocks, and said securing step comprises securing said two or more blocks to the top portions of said two or more shafts to form a wall supported by a foundation formed by the bottom portions of said shafts wherein the top and bottom plates of said one or more shafts are parallel to and in planar alignment to the wall.

10. The method for building a wall of claim 9 wherein the top portions of each of said shafts include one or more openings to accept mortar or cement to facilitate securement of the shafts to the wall.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] FIG. 1 is a lower right perspective view of a driven foundation pile according to the invention.

[0008] FIG. 2 is an upper right perspective view thereof.

[0009] FIG. 3 is front elevational view thereof.

[0010] FIG. 4 is a side elevational view thereof.

[0011] FIG. 5A is a top view thereof.

[0012] FIG. 5B is a bottom view thereof.

[0013] FIG. 6A is a top plan sectional view thereof taken along lines 6A-6A of FIG. 3.

[0014] FIG. 6B is a top plan sectional view thereof taken along lines 6B-6B of FIG. 3.

[0015] FIG. 7 is a top plan representation of several driven foundation piles according to the invention showing their disposition with respect to a wall.

[0016] FIG. 8 is an end view thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT

[0017] A driven foundation pile according to the invention, referred to generally at 10 in FIGS. 1-3, comprises a shaft 12 having a top portion 14 and a bottom portion 16. A top plate 18 and a bottom plate 20 are attached to the bottom portion 16 as shown. The shaft 12 and plates 18, 20 are driven until firmly embedded into the soil at a work site such as can be seen in FIG. 8. In the illustrated embodiment, the top plate 18 generally has the shape of a square, but in other embodiments it could be rectangular or have tapered side, bottom and top edges. The illustrated embodiment also shows the bottom plate 20 as having sloped bottom edges 22 coming to a point 24. This tapered shape eases driving the pile into the soil, but it will be understood that the bottom plate 20 in other embodiments can have other shapes such as being square or rectangular or the bottom edges 22 having different slopes as may be appropriate to soil conditions on a project site. Openings 26 are provided in the top portion 14 of the shaft 12 to facilitate its embedment in an above grade G wall or other structure, especially one formed by concrete or mortar (such as seen in FIG. 8).

[0018] With reference now to FIGS. 3-6B, it is seen that the top and bottom plates 18, 20 are received in slots 28, 30, respectively, provided in shaft 12. Top slot 28 is sized for insertion of top plate 18 which simplifies construction of the pile and ensures a sturdier attachment of the top plate 18 to the shaft 12 since top plate 18 is physically integrated into shaft 12. Top plate 18, once inserted, is firmly attached to shaft 12 by welding or other means of attachment. In other embodiments, separate side plates may extend from shaft 12 instead of a unitary plate being received in a slot in the shaft.

[0019] The bottom portion 16 of shaft 12 includes bottom slot 30 that is sized to receive bottom plate 20 as seen. As with top plate 18 and top slot 28, integration of bottom plate 20 into shaft 12 ensures a sturdier attachment of the bottom plate 20 to the shaft 12 since bottom plate 20 is physically integrated into shaft 12. Bottom plate 20, once inserted, is firmly attached to shaft 12 by welding or other means of attachment. In other embodiments, bottom plate 20 may be configured with a slot that fits around the shaft instead of being inserted in slot 30.

[0020] With reference to FIGS. 7-8, it will be understood that a wall can be constructed by driving a series of foundation piles 10 into the ground in parallel disposition with the plates 18, 20 thereof disposed parallel to the linear extent of the wall, leaving the top portions 14 of the pile exposed above ground. A wall can then be constructed in which the upper portions of the piles are enclosed in the wall. One anticipated scenario is that a wall can be constructed of prefabricated hollow blocks positioned with the upper portions of the piles embedded in the interiors of the blocks, then filling the blocks with mortar or cement to form a wall and to secure the blocks to the upper portions of the piles.

[0021] With continuing reference to FIGS. 7-8, it can be understood that an important function of the plates 18, 20 is to withstand lateral forces F on a wall W. The plates 18, 20 are therefore embedded in the soil parallel to the wall W as seen and perpendicular to the direction of forces anticipated to bear on the wall. As mentioned above, the plates in other embodiments may be shaped other than as illustrated so long as they have sufficient surface area to perform the function of resisting lateral forces bearing on the wall W.

[0022] A driven foundation pile as described herein is relatively inexpensive and straightforward to manufacture and provides a sturdy foundation for construction of shorter walls, such as landscaping walls of generally no more that three feet in height. Use of driven foundation piles according to the invention will speed up construction and eliminate the time and expense of installing more traditional types of foundations such as concrete piers.

[0023] There have thus been described and illustrated certain embodiments of a driven foundation pile according to the invention. Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it should be clearly understood that the disclosure is illustrative only and is not to be taken as limiting, the spirit and scope of the invention being limited only by the terms of the appended claims and their legal equivalents.