METHOD FOR FORMING A FOUNDATION PILE IN THE GROUND

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for forming a foundation pile in the ground, in which a drilled hole is created in the ground, a pile tube is gripped by means of a handling device and inserted into the drilled hole, and a curable medium is introduced into an annular space between a wall of the drilled hole and an outer circumference of the pile tube, which medium cures to form the foundation pile. According to the invention, it is provided that the curable medium is introduced into the drilled hole via the handling device.

Claims

1. A method for forming a foundation pile in the ground, in which a drilled hole is created in the ground, a pile tube is gripped by means of a handling device and inserted into the drilled hole, and a curable medium is introduced into an annular space between a wall of the drilled hole and an outer circumference of the pile tube, which medium cures to form the foundation pile, wherein the curable medium is introduced into the drilled hole via the handling device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the curable medium is introduced into the drilled hole, while the pile tube is held by the handling device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the curable medium is conducted by means of at least one conveying line through the handling device up to at least one feed opening on the pile tube, wherein the curable medium is conducted via at least one line through the tube wall of the pile tube and emerges into the annular space via at least one outlet opening on the outer circumference of the pile tube.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein two conveying lines and/or lines are provided, which are switched by at least one valve means in such a way that they are connected in parallel for forming a dual feed line, or are connected in series for rinsing operation.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein at least one outlet opening is located in a lower region of the pile tube and the curable medium fills the annular space from the bottom to the top.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein an excess pressure is generated at least in the pile tube, in a lower portion, which excess pressure counteracts an entry of curable medium from the annular space into the interior of the pile tube.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein in order to form an excess pressure in the lower portion of the pile tube a bulkhead plate is arranged therein, which bulkhead plate seals off the lower portion from an upper portion located there above.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein for inserting the pile tube into a drilled hole filled with liquid, at least one through-opening on the bulkhead plate is opened.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the at least one through-opening is closed after the pile tube has been placed on a drilled hole bottom and before the curable medium is introduced.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein for inserting the pile tube into the drilled hole the handling device is coupled to a lifting equipment, and after the introduction of the curable medium the lifting equipment is released from the handling device and the handling device remains on the pile tube as an extra load, at least until the medium is cured.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein after the curing of the medium the handling device is released from the pile tube and is salvaged.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the foundation pile is created under water in a bottom of a body of water as the ground.

13. The method according to any one of claim 1, wherein the handling device is actuated based upon a watercraft.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the handling device is connected via a releasable connecting device to at least one supply line.

Description

[0033] According to FIG. 1, a pile tube 10 comprising a tubular main body 12 is provided. A bulkhead plate 20 directed transversely to the longitudinal axis of the tubular main body 12 is arranged in an inside region 13 of the tubular main body 12, which bulkhead plate divides the inside region 13 into a lower portion 14 and an upper portion 15 and separates these from one another. An annular sealing element 19 can be arranged at a lower edge of the tubular main body 12, by means of which sealing element the pile tube 10 can be placed as far as possible in a sealing manner on a bottom of a drilled hole.

[0034] In the exemplary embodiment shown, the bulkhead plate 20 comprises two through-openings 22 (indicated schematically), which can be opened or closed in a targeted manner by means of a closure device 24 (also shown schematically). A feed device 30 comprising two feed openings 32 (indicated schematically) each comprising an introduction funnel 34 is arranged in a central region of the bulkhead plate 20, as will be described in more detail in the following in connection with FIG. 3.

[0035] The feed openings 32 comprising the introduction funnels 34 serve for feeding a curable medium, in particular mortar or cement suspension, wherein the curable medium can be conducted underneath the bulkhead plate 20, via lines 26, as far as a lower end region of the tubular main body 12. In this case, the lines 26 extend through a tube wall 16 of the main body 12 and lead in each case, on an outer circumference 17 of the main body 12, into an outlet opening 28. Thus, curable medium can be conducted via an inside region 13 of the pile tube 10 as far as a lower end region, and can emerge to the outside of the pile tube 10 via the outlet openings 28, as is explained in more detail in the following in connection with FIG. 2.

[0036] FIG. 2 shows, schematically and not to scale, a lower end region of a pile tube 10 according to the invention, which is inserted into a drilled hole 4 in the ground 1. Only the lower region of the drilled hole 4 is shown, wherein the drilled hole 4 can have a depth of several metres, typically between 5 m and 30 m. The drilled hole 4 is filled, for support, with a liquid, in particular water or another supporting liquid, such that the drilled hole 4 does not collapse even in the case of greater drilled hole depths. A support tube can also be provided, at least in regions.

[0037] In a drilled hole 4 filled with liquid in such a way, it is possible to insert the pile tube 10 with a bulkhead plate 20 without problem, if the through-openings 22 on the bulkhead plate 20 are opened by the closure devices 24. After an end position of the pile tube 10 is reached, in particular when placing the pile tube 10 on a drilled hole bottom 5 of the drilled hole 4, the through-openings 22 can be closed again by the closure devices 24. Curable medium can now be introduced into the drilled hole 4 vial the lines 26, wherein the curable medium is fed inside the pile tube 10 in the lower region with the lines 26, and at the lower end region passes through the tube wall 16 and can emerge via the outlet opening 28 into an annular space 6. The annular space 6 is formed between an outer circumference 17 of the tubular main body 12 and a substantially cylindrical wall 8 of the drilled hole 4. In this case, the curable medium can fill the annular space 6 from the bottom to the top, due to a higher density compared with the liquid in the drilled hole 4. In this case, liquid is displaced upwards, out of the annular space 6, by the curable medium.

[0038] The provided bulkhead plate 20 seals a lower portion 14 of the inside region 13 of the pile tube 10 towards the top, in the case of closed through-openings 22. Thus, the liquid in the lower portion 14 of the pile tube 10 cannot be displaced upwards, such that also no or barely curable medium can penetrate into the inside region 13 of the pile tube 10. As a result, the inside region 13 can be reliably kept free, and curable medium or suspension can be saved.

[0039] According to FIG. 3, the feed device 30 of the pile tube 10 according to FIG. 1 is shown in more detail. The feed device 30 can comprise a pot-shaped receptacle 31, which is attached in a central region of the bulkhead plate 20. The feed openings 32 for the lines 26 leading away downwards are designed in the pot-shaped receptacle 31. For introduction of the curable medium, the feed openings 32 comprise introduction funnels 34 in their upper region. The feed openings 32 can furthermore be designed having non-return valves 36 (shown only schematically), which prevent an undesired return flow of the curable medium out of the lines 26 in the example shown.

[0040] For feeding the curable medium, according to the invention a handling device 50 according to FIG. 4 can be used. The handling device 50 comprises a main body 52 having a cover plate 54, on which an attachment element 58 for putting on or arranging the handling device 50 on top or on a pile tube is arranged.

[0041] In the exemplary embodiment shown, the handling device 50 can be releasably attached to an inside of the pile tube 10 with at least one clamping or gripping element 57, via a gripping device 56, which can alternatively or additionally also be configured as a force-fitting clamping device. Preferably, a plurality of gripping elements 57 is arranged along the circumference on the approximately tubular or barrel-shaped main body 52.

[0042] A pile tube 10 can be gripped already on a ground surface or a watercraft, from a pile tube store, by means of the handling device 50. The pile tube can be in any position when being gripped, for example can be arranged horizontally or vertically. The handling device can be connected to a lifting equipment, in particular a crane, via a holding element 55 on the upper end region of the main body 52. Thus, a pile tube 10 can be inserted, from a storage position, into a drilled hole 4 in the ground 1, by using the handling device 50.

[0043] Furthermore, the handling device 50 is provided with a feed device 60 (indicated only schematically) which, in the exemplary embodiment shown, comprises conveying lines 64 which extend from an inlet device 62 on the upper end of the main body 52 as far as a lower outlet device 66. The outlet device 66 is configured for coming into engagement on a pile tube 10 according to FIG. 3, for feeding a curable medium, via the introduction funnel 34 of the feed device 30. Furthermore, a corresponding coupling unit can be provided on the handling device 50, in order to ensure, in interaction with the coupling element 23 on the feed device 30 of the pile tube 10, exact positioning and positional stability.

[0044] Via a supply line 80, which can also be referred to as the umbilical, curable medium, energy and/or data can be fed via a releasable connecting device 70, wherein the curable medium is transferred to the inlet device 62 at the upper end region of the main body 52. An individual supply line can be provided, or also separate lines.

[0045] After the annular space 6 has been filled with the curable medium, the connecting line 80 and/or the lifting equipment can be released from the holding element 55, wherein the handling device 50 can remain as an additional extra load on the pile tube 10, at least until the curable medium for forming the foundation element in the ground 1 is cured. Subsequently, the handling device 50 can be released again from the pile tube 10 and be retrieved.