PILE LIFTING DEVICE

Abstract

A pile lifting device for lifting a foundation object includes a lifting part having a lifting yoke for suspending the pile lifting device from a crane and a suspension arrangement for suspending the foundation object, an attachment part, movable relative to the lifting part and configured to be attached to a foundation apparatus to suspend the foundation apparatus from the crane, a linear bearing, in between the lifting part and the attachment part, configured to guide the linear movement between the lifting part and the attachment part, and a linear actuator device, configured to move the attachment part relative to the lifting part, between a raised position, in which the attachment part is located at a distance from the suspension arrangement, and a lowered position, in which the attachment part is located proximate to the suspension arrangement.

Claims

1. A pile lifting device for lifting a foundation object, such as a foundation pile or a sheet pile, the pile lifting device comprising: a lifting part, comprising a lifting yoke for suspending the pile lifting device from a crane, and a suspension arrangement for suspending the foundation object, an attachment part, movable relative to the lifting part and configured to be attached to a foundation apparatus to suspend the foundation apparatus from the crane, a linear bearing, in between the lifting part and the attachment part, configured to guide the linear movement between the lifting part and the attachment part, and a linear actuator device, configured to move the attachment part relative to the lifting part, to move the foundation apparatus relative to the suspension arrangement, between a raised position, in which the attachment part is located at a distance from the suspension arrangement, and a lowered position, in which the attachment part is located proximate to the suspension arrangement.

2. The pile lifting device according to claim 1, wherein the lifting part comprises two opposed lifting arms, in between which the attachment part is located for receiving the foundation apparatus in between the lifting arms.

3. The pile lifting device according to claim 2, wherein the lifting part comprises a central bridging element, which is arranged in between and releasably connected to the lifting arms.

4. The pile lifting device according to claim 2, wherein the attachment part comprises two opposed attachment struts, and wherein each of the attachment struts is linearly movably attached to a respective one of the lifting arms.

5. The pile lifting device according to claim 1, claims, wherein the linear bearing is a sliding bearing.

6. The pile lifting device according to claim 1, wherein the linear actuator device is a hydraulic actuator device.

7. The pile lifting device according to claim 6, wherein the hydraulic actuator device comprises at least one hydraulic cylinder, comprising a barrel and a piston rod, wherein the barrel is connected to the attachment part and wherein the piston rod is connected to the lifting part, or vice versa.

8. The pile lifting device according to claim 7, wherein the attachment part comprises two opposed attachment struts, wherein each of the attachment struts is linearly movably attached to a respective one of the lifting arms, and wherein the hydraulic actuator device comprises at least one of the hydraulic cylinders for each of the lifting arms, each configured to move the respective attachment strut relative to its lifting arm.

9. A foundation assembly for inserting a foundation object, such as a foundation pile or a sheet pile, in the ground, wherein the foundation assembly comprises a foundation apparatus, comprising: a holding device for holding, e.g. clamping, the foundation object during insertion in the ground, a carter, connected to the holding device, configured to subject the holding device and the foundation object to an insertion force or a withdrawal force, a suppressor housing, elastically connected to the carter, for suspending the holding device and the carter, wherein the foundation assembly further comprises the pile lifting device according claim 1, wherein the foundation apparatus, e.g. the suppressor housing, is attached to the attachment part of the pile lifting device, and wherein the pile lifting device is configured to move the foundation apparatus relative to the suspension arrangement, between the raised position, in which, during use, the holding device is spaced at a distance from the foundation object, and the lowered position, in which, during use, the holding device contacts the foundation object to hold, e.g. clamp, the foundation object.

10. The foundation assembly according to claim 9, wherein the suppressor housing is located centrally in the pile lifting device, e.g. located centrally in between the lifting arms.

11. The foundation assembly according to claim 9, further comprising one or more tensile elements, connected to the suspension arrangement and configured to be connected to the foundation object for lifting the foundation object with the pile lifting device.

12. A method of inserting a foundation object, such as a foundation pile or a sheet pile in the ground by means of the foundation assembly according to claim 9, the method comprising the steps of: suspending the foundation object from the suspension arrangement, while the pile lifting device is in the raised position, displacing, with the pile lifting device or the foundation apparatus, the foundation object towards a desired insertion location, moving the pile lifting device into the lowered position, holding, e.g. clamping, the foundation object with the holding device, and subjecting the foundation object to the insertion forces to insert the foundation object in the ground.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising, after the step of holding and before the step of subjecting, the steps of: moving the pile lifting device into the raised position, and lowering the pile lifting device relative to the foundation object.

14. A method of withdrawing a foundation object, such as a foundation pile or a sheet pile out of the ground by means of the foundation assembly according to claim 9, the method comprising the steps of: connecting the foundation object to the suspension arrangement, clamping the foundation object with the clamping device, while the pile lifting device is in the lowered position, subjecting the foundation object to withdrawal forces to withdraw the foundation object out of the ground, upwardly pulling the pile lifting device to pull the foundation object out of the ground, moving the pile lifting device into the raised position, suspending the foundation object from the suspension arrangement, while the pile lifting device is in the raised position, and displacing, with the pile lifting device or the foundation apparatus, the foundation object towards a desired storage location.

15. A method of manufacturing a foundation assembly, comprising the steps of: providing a foundation apparatus, providing the pile lifting device according to claim 1, and attaching the pile lifting device to the foundation apparatus, e.g. to a suppressor housing of the foundation apparatus, with the attachment part thereof.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0097] Further characteristics of the invention will be explained below, with reference to embodiments, which are displayed in the appended drawings, in which:

[0098] FIG. 1 schematically depicts an embodiment of the pile lifting device according to the present invention, shown in its raised position,

[0099] FIG. 2 shows the pile lifting device in its lowered position, and

[0100] FIGS. 3A-3D show an embodiment of the foundation assembly according to the present invention in various steps of the present insertion method.

[0101] Throughout the figures, the same reference numerals are used to refer to corresponding components or to components that have a corresponding function.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0102] FIG. 1 schematically depicts an embodiment of the pile lifting device according to the present invention, to which is referred with reference numeral 1. The pile lifting device 1 is intended for lifting of a foundation object, which is embodied as a tubular foundation pile 100 in the present figures.

[0103] The pile lifting device 1 comprises a lifting part 10 with a lifting yoke for suspending the pile lifting device 1 from a crane. In the present embodiment, the lifting yoke comprises two opposed lifting shackles 11 at an upper end of the lifting part 10. The pile lifting device 1 is configured to hang from the crane by means of the lifting shackles 11, so that the entire weight of the pile lifting device 1, as well as the weight of the pile 100 and a foundation apparatus 51, is guided through the lifting part 10 towards the crane.

[0104] The lifting part 10 comprises two opposed lifting arms 12, which are arranged opposite to each other and spaced from each other in a horizontal direction H. The opposed lifting arms 12 are symmetric to each other and define a central aperture in between them. The lifting arms 12 extend in a vertical direction V during use, i.e. as shown in FIGS. 3A-3D . The lifting shackles 11 are each provided at the upper end of a respective lifting arm 12. Furthermore, the lifting arms 12 each comprise a suspension arrangement at their lower ends, which are embodied as suspension shackles 13. The suspension shackles 13 are intended to be connected to the pile 100 by means of tensile elements 2, as is shown in FIGS. 3A-3D . The weight of the pile 100, during use of the pile lifting device 1, is thus suspended from the lifting part 10 and all gravitational forces from the pile 100 are transmitted upwardly through the lifting part 10, towards the crane.

[0105] The lifting part 10 further comprises a central bridging element 14, which is arranged in between the lifting arms 12, to span in between the lifting arms 12 in the horizontal direction H during use of the pile lifting device 1. The central bridging element 14 is releasably connected to the lifting arms 12. A first central bridging element with a first horizontal width can therefore be exchanged for a second central bridging element with second width. This may allow the width of the central aperture of the pile lifting device 1 to be adjusted, to allow for accommodation of different foundation apparatuses, with different widths.

[0106] The pile lifting device 1 further comprises an attachment part 20, which comprises two attachment struts 21. The attachment struts 21 are movable relative to the lifting part 10 and are configured to be attached to a foundation apparatus 51, to suspend the foundation apparatus 51 from the crane indirectly. The attachment struts 21 of the attachment part 20 are movable relative to the lifting part 10 in a linear direction, parallel to the vertical direction V during use. The attachment struts 21 are configured to be attached to a foundation apparatus 51 during use, as shown in FIGS. 3A-3D , in order to support the foundation apparatus 51 relative to the lifting part 10. The attachment struts 21 project into the central aperture between the lifting arms 12, so that the foundation apparatus 51 can be held centrally in between the lifting arms 12.

[0107] The pile lifting device 1 comprises sliding bearings 15 in each of its lifting arms 12, which are each arranged in between a lifting arm 12 and the attachment strut 21 of that lifting arm 12. The sliding bearings 15 are configured to guide the linear movement between the lifting part 10 and the attachment part 20.

[0108] The attachment part 20 of the pile lifting device 1 is movable relative to the lifting part 10 between a raised position, as shown in FIG. 1, and a lowered position, shown in FIG. 2. In the raised position, the attachment struts 21 of the attachment part 20 are located at a distance from the suspension shackles 13 so that the foundation apparatus 51 can be spaced at a distance from the pile 100. In the lowered position, the attachment struts 21 of the attachment part 20 are located proximate to the suspension shackles 13 so that the foundation apparatus 51 can be located close to the pile 100.

[0109] The pile lifting device 1 further comprises a hydraulic linear actuator device that is configured to effect the mutual movement between the attachment part 20 and the lifting part 10. The hydraulic actuator device comprises a hydraulic cylinder 30 at each of the lifting arms 12, each being functionally arranged in between a lifting arm 12 and its respective attachment strut 21, so that each attachment strut 21 can be moved individually relative to its lifting arm 12. The hydraulic cylinders 30 each comprise a barrel 31, connected to the respective attachment strut 21, and a piston rod 32, connected to the respective lifting arm 12.

[0110] The hydraulic cylinders 30 are, during use configured to receive pressurized hydraulic fluid in the barrel 31 on a first side or a second side of the piston rod 32. The hydraulic fluid may effect a displacement of the piston rod 32 relative to the barrel 31, to effect the mutual movement between the lifting part 10 and the attachment part 20, to bring the foundation apparatus 51 away from or towards the pile 100.

[0111] In FIGS. 3A-3D , the pile lifting device 1 is shown with a foundation apparatus 51 attached to it, to form an embodiment of the foundation assembly 50 according to the present invention. The foundation apparatus 51 is a vibratory pile driver, which comprises a clamping device 52, configured to clamp the pile 100 during insertion in the ground. The clamping is established to ensure proper transfer of a vibrational insertion force from the foundation apparatus 51 towards the pile 100. The foundation apparatus 51 comprises a carter 53, configured to generate the vibrational force during insertion by means of a plurality of rotating eccentric masses. Finally, the foundation apparatus 51 comprises a suppressor housing 54, which is attached to the carter 53 in an elastic manner, so that vibrations from the carter 53 and the clamping device 52 are not transmitted towards the suppressor housing 54 and the pile lifting device 1, but dampened substantially instead.

[0112] The pile lifting device 1 is attached to the suppressor housing 54 of the foundation apparatus 51, so that the foundation apparatus 51 is suspended from the pile lifting device 1 and not from the crane directly. This implies that no lifting of the pile 100 is required through the foundation apparatus 51 and that the foundation apparatus 51 is bypassed in terms of the weight of the pile 100. The suppressor housing 54 is thereby located centrally in between the lifting arms 12, to substantially improve the symmetry of the assembly 50.

[0113] During use, the foundation apparatus 51 is movable relative to the pile 100 by means of the pile lifting device 1. During lifting of the pile 100, the foundation apparatus 51 is held in the raised position with the pile lifting device 1, in order to move the clamping device 52 away from the pile 100. The attachment part 20 can further be moved downward from the raised position into the lowered position, so that the foundation apparatus 51 is moved towards the pile 100 with its clamping device 52.

[0114] In FIG. 3A, the assembly 50 is shown at the onset of the present insertion method, in which the pile 100 is arranged in horizontal orientation, which requires the pile 100 to be upended prior and to be displaced towards a desired insertion location. To effect upending and placement, the foundation assembly 50 is suspended from the hook of a conventional winch crane, but may alternatively be suspended from the leader of a piling rig or the like.

[0115] The pile 100, in turn, is suspended from the suspension shackles 13 of the lifting arms 12 by means of the tensile elements 2. The tensile elements 2 are provided as steel cables and extend, with their ends opposite to the suspension shackles 13, through openings that are cut in the pile 100.

[0116] During lifting of the pile 100, i.e. during the upending shown in FIG. 3A and the displacing towards the desired insertion location in FIG. 3B, the pile 100 becomes fully suspended from the pile lifting device 1 through the tensile elements 2, so that the entire weight of the pile 100 is supported by the tensile elements 2. The attachment part 20 of the pile lifting device 1, with the foundation apparatus 51 attached to it, is thereby held in the raised position, so that the clamping device 52 is moved away from the pile 100 and that the pile 100 freely hangs from the pile lifting device 1, without being suspended by the foundation apparatus 51.

[0117] After the placement of the pile 100 at the desired insertion location, the pile 100 is placed on the ground, so that no longer the entire weight of the pile 100 is suspended from the pile lifting device 1, but that the pile 100 at least partly comes to rest on the ground. The attachment part 20 of the pile lifting device 1 is then brought in the lowered position to lower the foundation apparatus 51 towards the pile 100. The clamping device 52 of the foundation apparatus 51 thereby clamps the pile 100, to hold the pile 100 in place, as shown in FIG. 3C.

[0118] After lowering the foundation apparatus 51 relative to the lifting part 10 of the pile lifting device 1, the foundation apparatus 51 comes to rest on the pile 100. In turn, the pile lifting device 1 is lowered by the crane in its entirety, as is shown in FIG. 3D, and the attachment part 20 is moved back into the raised position. This will leave the pile 100 resting on the ground in full, whilst the tensile elements 2 between the pile lifting device 1 and the pile 100 are relaxed.

[0119] Finally, the foundation apparatus 51 is activated to generate vibrations upon rotation of eccentric masses in the carter 53, in order to subject the pile 100 to the vibratory insertion forces, to oscillate the pile 100, which eventually drives the pile 100 in the ground. The relaxation of the tensile elements 2, following the lowering of the pile lifting device 1, will thereby prevent that the vibrational insertion force is transmitted from the pile 100 towards the pile lifting device 1 and the crane.