HANDLING DEVICE AND METHOD FOR GRIPPING AND INSERTING A PIPEPIPE INTO A BOREDOM

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a handling device for gripping and inserting a pile tube into a borehole in the ground to form a foundation pile, comprising a base frame, a gripping device for gripping and holding the pile tube and a holding element for releasably connecting the base frame to a lifting device, in particular a carrying cable, according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] The invention further relates to a method for gripping and inserting a pile tube into a borehole in the ground, according to the preamble of claim 12.

[0003] US 4 235 469 A discloses a handling device for handling pipes, whereby foundation piles can also be gripped and inserted into a borehole in the ground.

[0004] EP 2 930 275 A1 discloses a method and an arrangement for constructing a foundation pile for a structure submerged in water. In this method, a borehole with a support pipe is first created in the ground. The resulting borehole is filled with a liquid, particularly water. A pile tube, consisting of a simple steel pipe with a tubular base, is inserted into the cased borehole thus created. The outer support pipe is then withdrawn, and the annular space between the inserted pile tube, resting on the bottom of the borehole, and the surrounding borehole wall is filled with a hardening medium. The surrounding water can remain within the pile tube.

[0005] The load-bearing capacity of the foundation pile constructed in this way is determined by the outer surface area of ​​the inserted pile tube relative to the surrounding soil and the hardened medium in the surrounding annular space. The interior, filled only with water, can be used, if necessary, for the installation of measuring or testing equipment.

[0006] WO 2021 / 180515 A1 discloses a device for handling and inserting a pile tube into a borehole. The device is designed for attachment to a crane's support cable. Gripping elements can be used to grip an annular edge of the pile tube in a force-locking manner. Overall, the device is designed so that the pile tube can be pivoted from a horizontal storage position to a vertical insertion position.

[0007] US 2010 / 0296875 A1 describes an arrangement and method for constructing an underwater foundation using an underwater drilling rig. The underwater drilling rig can be placed on a body of water. A foundation bore is created using tubular elements. The tubular elements can also serve to anchor the drilling device underwater.

[0008] In the known methods, after the pile tube has been inserted into a drilled borehole, the outer annular space between the outer surface of the pile tube and the surrounding borehole wall is filled. For this purpose, one or more supply hoses are introduced into the annular space, through which a hardenable medium, such as mortar or a cement suspension, is then introduced into the annular space. The hardenable medium should be introduced in such a way that the annular space is filled from below, so that any liquid, especially water, present in the annular space is displaced from bottom to top by the hardenable medium.

[0009] The hose is usually inserted into the annular space manually from outside the borehole. At borehole depths of 10 meters and more, the problem arises that a feed hose can get caught in a central section of the borehole and thus not reach the bottom of the borehole. This cannot usually be detected from outside the borehole. If the hardening suspension is fed into such an incorrectly inserted feed hose, liquid can remain in the annular space below the feed hose and be trapped by the hardening suspension above. In this case, a pile tube would not be connected to the surrounding soil over its entire length after the suspension has hardened. This reduces the load-bearing capacity of a correspondingly formed foundation element, meaning that a reliable foundation can no longer be guaranteed.

[0010] Reworking the foundation element may be necessary, which can be very time-consuming and costly. In some cases, it may even be necessary to rebuild the foundation element.

[0011] It is also known to provide a supply line for a hardenable suspension within the pile tube. The at least one supply line can then convey the hardenable medium within the pile tube to the lower region of the pile tube and, via corresponding passages, into the annular space outside the pile tube. With this method, a corresponding supply line for the hardenable suspension must be arranged after the pile tube has been inserted, either up to the passage into the annular space within the pile tube or to an upper connection on the pile tube. Creating such a connection is time-consuming and labor-intensive and also carries the risk of errors.

[0012] The invention is based on the Task The aim is to provide a handling device and a method with which a pile tube can be efficiently inserted into a borehole in the ground to form a foundation element.

[0013] The object is achieved by a handling device having the features of claim 1 and a method having the features of claim 11. Preferred embodiments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

[0014] A basic idea of ​​the invention is to use the handling device not only for gripping and inserting the pile tube into the borehole, but also for introducing the hardenable medium into the borehole. The handling device is not detached from the pile tube after insertion of the pile tube into the borehole, but can remain in a defined initial position on the pile tube, which was assumed outside the borehole when the handling device gripped the pile tube. Due to the thus predetermined

[0015] The relative position between the pile tube and the handling device allows for a reliable supply of the hardenable medium via the handling device.

[0016] For this purpose, the handling device has at least one inlet device for supplying a hardenable medium to the pile tube in an upper region of the base frame and at least one outlet device for the hardenable medium to the pile tube in a lower region. The outlet device can be connected to a corresponding supply device on the pile tube.

[0017] A preferred embodiment of the invention consists in the gripping device having a plurality of gripping elements for positively and / or non-positively holding the pile tube. The gripping device serves to releasably connect the handling device to the pile tube. The connection can be established in any suitable manner, in particular solely by or in conjunction with a non-positive clamping of the pile tube. For this purpose, tensioning or clamping devices, in particular collets, can be provided, for example.

[0018] According to a further development of the invention, it is preferred that the gripping device is designed to hold the pile tube on its inner side in a form-fitting and / or force-fitting manner. The gripping device can therefore grip and hold the pile tube solely on its inner side, in particular clamp it force-fittingly. The handling device can preferably be designed such that it is located within the outer circumference of the pile tube and does not protrude beyond an outer diameter of the pile tube. Thus, the handling device can be arranged entirely or partially within the pile tube. The pile tube can thus be inserted into a bore with an only slightly larger bore diameter and thus a correspondingly small annular space between the outer circumference of the pile tube and the surrounding bore wall. This allows the consumption of hardenable medium, in particular mortar or a cement suspension, to be kept as low as possible.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the invention, particularly reliable holding of the pile tube can be achieved in that the gripping device has at least one actuating cylinder with which at least one gripping element can be adjusted between a holding position for holding the pile tube and a release position in which the at least one gripping element is released from the pile tube.

[0020] The actuating cylinder can be designed, in particular, as a hydraulic cylinder or a pneumatic cylinder. The actuating movement of the actuating cylinder, which is preferably arranged in the longitudinal direction of the handling device and the pile tube, can be transmitted to one or more gripping or holding elements, in particular via a lever mechanism.

[0021] According to the invention, the curable medium is supplied by the inlet device having a connecting device for connecting a supply line. The supply line can be a so-called umbilical, which can be designed to supply the curable medium, energy, in particular electrical, hydraulic and / or pneumatic energy, other fluids, such as a rinsing liquid and / or air, and / or data. The connecting device can be designed, in particular, in the form of a plug connection or in another suitable manner.

[0022] For underwater use, it can be particularly advantageous for the connecting device to include a quick-release device to ensure rapid release in certain emergency or dangerous situations, such as heavy seas, in order to avoid uncontrolled tearing of the supply line.

[0023] According to a further embodiment of the invention, it is advantageous that the outlet device has at least one outlet for connection to a feed opening on a pile tube. One or more conveying lines can extend along the handling device between the inlet device and the outlet device. The outlet device can also be designed such that it can engage with a corresponding feed device on the pile tube, thus ensuring reliable transfer of the hardenable medium from the outlet device to the feed opening on the pile tube. One or more inlet funnels can preferably be arranged on the feed device on the pile tube, into which one or more outlet pipes of the outlet device protrude and / or can be inserted.The funnels can also be referred to as inlet funnels, which facilitate the insertion and thus the connection of the outlet device and the feed opening.

[0024] For particularly good positional securing of the handling device on the pile tube, according to one embodiment of the invention, it is preferred that an attachment element for attaching the handling device to the pile tube in the borehole be arranged. It should be emphasized that the handling device is connected to the pile tube, in particular before the pile tube is inserted into the borehole. This allows a reliable and controlled connection between the handling device and the pile tube. Attachment or positioning can take place at an upper edge of the pile tube and / or in an interior region of the pile tube at a suitable position.

[0025] According to a further development, particularly efficient operation of the handling device can be achieved by providing at least one adjustment device with which the attachment element with the pile tube can be adjusted and positioned relative to a surrounding wall of the borehole, a support tube, and / or a base frame of the handling device. Thus, the handling device can also be used for a certain degree of subsequent adjustment of the pile tube relative to the surrounding borehole wall. This can further increase the quality of the foundation element to be formed.

[0026] The adjustment device can generally be designed with a suitable actuating device for adjustment and adjustment. According to one embodiment of the invention, it is particularly advantageous for the adjustment device to have at least one actuating cylinder, in particular a hydraulic cylinder.

[0027] The handling device can be attached, in particular, to a lifting device, in particular to a suspension cable or a support rod on a crane. It is advantageous for the holding element to have an eyelet or a hook. This allows a detachable connection, in particular to a crane hook or other conventional connecting element on a suspension cable or a support rod, to be established in a particularly simple and reliable manner.

[0028] For particularly long-term use of the handling device, it is advantageous according to one embodiment of the invention that two conveying lines extend between the inlet device and the outlet device, which conveying lines can be switched by means of a valve device such that they can be connected in parallel to form a double supply line or in series for rinsing operation. With a parallel connection, the hardenable medium can be supplied via the at least two conveying lines in the same direction. By actuating the valve device, the two conveying lines can be connected in series, so that a first conveying line can serve as a supply line for a rinsing liquid and the second conveying line connected in series can serve as a return line for the rinsing liquid.With this arrangement, the two delivery lines can be reliably flushed free of the hardening medium, so that they do not become clogged and can therefore be used multiple times.

[0029] The invention further relates to a method for gripping and inserting a pile tube into a borehole in the ground, using a handling device according to the invention as described above. This method thus allows the previously described advantages of using a handling device to be achieved.

[0030] According to one embodiment of the method according to the invention, it is preferred that a hardenable medium is supplied to the pile tube via the handling device while the pile tube is held by the handling device. This allows the hardenable medium to be supplied to the pile tube from the outside in a particularly reliable manner and, in particular, to be introduced into a surrounding annular space around the pile tube. In this way, a high-quality foundation element can be produced without excessive consumption of hardenable medium.

[0031] According to a further development of the invention, it is preferred that the handling device be arranged on the pile tube with an attachment element, and that the base frame with the gripping device and the pile tube held thereby be adjusted and adjusted relative to a support tube or the bore using at least one adjustment device. This allows for precise alignment of the pile tube within the bore using the handling device.

[0032] A further advantageous method variant according to the invention consists in that the handling device on the pile tube is detached from the lifting gear and / or a supply line after insertion into the borehole and can remain on the pile tube as a load. The handling device is still attached to the pile tube and can thus remain there as additional ballast for securing the pile tube, at least until the hardenable medium introduced into the annular space around the pile tube has sufficiently hardened and solidified. The handling device can then be detached from the pile tube again by the lifting gear and retrieved.

[0033] The invention will be further explained below with reference to preferred embodiments, which are schematically illustrated in the drawings. In the drawings: Fig. 1 shows a schematic sectional view of a pile tube with a bulkhead plate; Fig. 2 shows a schematic representation of a lower part of a pile tube in a bore; Fig. 3 shows a schematic detailed cross-sectional view of a feed device on the bulkhead plate of a pile tube; and Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of a handling device for handling a pile tube.

[0034] According to Fig. 1A pile tube 10 with a tubular base body 12 is provided. A bulkhead plate 20 is arranged in an inner region 13 of the tubular base body 12, directed transversely to the longitudinal axis of the tubular base body 12. This bulkhead plate 20 divides the inner region 13 into a lower section 14 and an upper section 15, separating them from each other. An annular sealing element 19 can be arranged on a lower edge of the tubular base body 12, with which the pile tube 10 can be placed on the bottom of a borehole in a manner that seals as tightly as possible.

[0035] In the illustrated embodiment, the bulkhead plate 20 has two schematically indicated through-openings 22, which can be selectively opened or closed by means of a likewise schematically indicated closure device 24. In a central region of the bulkhead plate 20, a feed device 30 is arranged with two schematically indicated feed openings 32, each with an insertion funnel 34, as will be described in more detail below in connection with Fig. 3 described.

[0036] The feed openings 32 with the feed funnels 34 serve to supply a hardenable medium, in particular mortar or cement suspension, wherein the hardenable medium can be guided below the bulkhead plate 20 via lines 26 to a lower end region of the tubular base body 12. The lines 26 extend through a pipe wall 16 of the base body 12 and each open at the outer circumference 17 of the base body 12 in an outlet opening 28. Thus, hardenable medium can be guided via an inner region 13 of the pile tube 10 to a lower end region and exit via the outlet openings 28 to the outside of the pile tube 10, as will be described in more detail below in connection with Fig. 2 is explained.

[0037] In Fig. 21 shows a schematic, not to scale, lower end region of a pile tube 10 according to the invention, which is inserted into a borehole 4 in the ground 1. Only the lower region of the borehole 4 is shown, whereby the borehole 4 can have a depth of several meters, typically between 5m and 30m. The borehole 4 is filled with a liquid, in particular water or another supporting liquid, for support, so that the borehole 4 does not collapse even at greater borehole depths. A support tube can also be provided at least in some areas.

[0038] The pile tube 10 with a bulkhead plate 20 can be easily inserted into a borehole 4 filled with liquid in this way if the through openings 22 on the bulkhead plate 20 are opened by the closure devices 24. After the pile tube 10 has reached an end position, in particular when the pile tube 10 is placed on a borehole bottom 5 of the borehole 4, the through openings 22 can be closed again with the closure devices 24. Hardenable medium can now be introduced into the borehole 4 via the lines 26, wherein the hardenable medium is supplied within the pile tube 10 in the lower region via the lines 26 and passes through the pipe wall 16 at the lower end region and can exit via the outlet opening 28 into an annular space 6. The annular space 6 is formed between an outer circumference 17 of the tubular base body 12 and a substantially cylindrical wall 8 of the borehole 4.Due to its higher density than the fluid in the bore 4, the hardenable medium can fill the annular space 6 from bottom to top. The fluid is displaced upwards from the annular space 6 by the hardenable medium.

[0039] The provided bulkhead plate 20 seals a lower section 14 of the interior 13 of the pile tube 10 upwards when the through-holes 22 are closed. Thus, the liquid in the lower section 14 of the pile tube 10 cannot be displaced upwards, so that no or hardly any hardenable medium can penetrate into the interior 13 of the pile tube 10. This allows the interior 13 to be reliably kept clear, and hardenable medium or suspension can be saved.

[0040] According to Fig. 3 the feeding device 30 of the pile tube 10 is Fig. 1shown in more detail. The feed device 30 can have a cup-shaped receptacle 31, which is mounted in a central region of the bulkhead plate 20. The feed openings 32 for the downwardly leading lines 26 are formed in the cup-shaped receptacle 31. For introducing the curable medium, the feed openings 32 have inlet funnels 34 at their upper region. The feed openings 32 can also be formed with check valves 36 (shown only schematically), which prevent an undesired backflow of the curable medium from the lines 26 in the example shown.

[0041] For supplying the curable medium, a handling device 50 according to the invention can be used Fig. 4The handling device 50 has a base body 52 with a cover plate 54, on which an attachment element 58 is arranged for placing or arranging the handling device 50 on or at a pile tube 10.

[0042] In the illustrated embodiment, the handling device 50 can be releasably attached to an inner side of the pile tube 10 with at least one clamping or gripping element 57 via a gripping device 56, which can alternatively or additionally be designed as a force-locking clamping device. Preferably, several gripping elements 57 are arranged along the circumference of the approximately tubular or barrel-shaped base body 52.

[0043] With the handling device 50, a pile tube 10 can be picked up from a pile tube storage facility on the ground surface or from a watercraft. The pile tube 10 can be positioned in any desired position during picking, for example, horizontally or vertically. The handling device 50 can be connected to a lifting device, in particular a crane, via a holding element 55 at the upper end region of the base body 52. ​​Thus, a pile tube 10 can be inserted from a storage position into a borehole 4 in the ground 1 via the handling device 50.

[0044] In addition, the handling device 50 is provided with a feed device 60, which is only schematically indicated and which, in the illustrated embodiment, has conveyor lines 64 which extend from an inlet device 62 at the upper end of the base body 52 to a lower outlet device 66. The outlet device 66 is designed to be connected to a pile tube 10 via the insertion funnels 34 of the feed device 30 according to Fig. 3 to engage the supply of a hardenable medium. Furthermore, a corresponding coupling unit can be provided on the handling device 50 to ensure precise positioning and positional security in cooperation with the coupling element 23 on the feed device 30 of the pile tube 10.

[0045] A supply line 80, which can also be referred to as an umbilical, can supply curable medium, energy, and / or data via a detachable connecting device 70, whereby the curable medium is transferred to the inlet device 62 at the upper end region of the base body 52. ​​A single supply line or separate lines can be provided.

[0046] After the annular space 6 has been filled with the hardenable medium, the connecting line 80 and / or the lifting gear can be detached from the holding element 55, whereby the handling device 50 can remain on the pile tube 10 as an additional load, at least until the hardenable medium has hardened to form the foundation element in the ground 1. The handling device 50 can then be detached from the pile tube 10 and retrieved.

Claims

1. Handling device for gripping and inserting a pile tube (10) into a borehole (4) in the ground (1) for forming a foundation pile, comprising - a base frame (52), - a gripping device (56) for gripping and holding the pile tube (10), and - a holding element (55) for releasably connecting the base frame (52) to a hoist, in particular a suspension rope, wherein - in an upper region at least one inlet device (62) for supplying a curable medium and, in a lower region, at least one outlet device (66) for the curable medium to the pile tube (10) are arranged on the base frame (52), characterized in that - the inlet device (62) comprises a connection device (70) for connecting a supply line (80) for supplying the curable medium.

2. Handling device according to claim 1, characterized in that the gripping device (56) comprises a plurality of gripping elements (57) for holding the pile tube (10) in a form-fitting and / or force-fitting manner.

3. Handling device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the gripping device (56) is configured for form-fit and / or non-form-fit holding of the pile tube (10) on its inner side.

4. Handling device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the gripping device (56) comprises at least one adjusting cylinder by means of which at least one gripping element (57) is adjustable between a holding position for holding the pile tube (10) and a release position, in which the at least one gripping element (57) is released from the pile tube (10).

5. Handling device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the outlet device (66) comprises at least one outlet for connection to a feed opening (32) on a pile tube (10).

6. Handling device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that an attachment element (58) for attaching the handling device (50) to the pile tube (10) is arranged in the borehole (4).

7. Handling device according to claim 6, characterized in that at least one adjusting device is arranged, by means of which the attachment element (58) with the pile tube (10) is displaceable and adjustable relative to a surrounding wall of the borehole (4) or a support tube.

8. Handling device according to claim 7, characterized in that the adjusting device comprises at least one adjusting cylinder, in particular a hydraulic cylinder.

9. Handling device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the holding element (55) comprises an eyelet or a hook.

10. Handling device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that two conveying lines (64) extend between the inlet device (62) and the outlet device (66), which are switchable by means of a valve device in such a way that they can be connected in parallel to form a double feed line or can be connected in series for a flushing operation.

11. Method of gripping and inserting a pile tube (10) into a borehole (4) in the ground (1), characterized in that a handling device (50) according to any one of claims 1 to 10 is used.

12. Method according to claim 11, characterized in that a curable medium is supplied to the pile tube (10) via the handling device (50) while the pile tube is held by the handling device (50).

13. Method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the handling device (50) is arranged with an attachment element (58) on the pile tube (10), and in that the base frame (52) with the gripping device (56) and the pile tube (10) held thereby is displaced and adjusted relative to a support tube or the borehole (4) by means of at least one adjusting device.

14. Method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that the handling device (50) on the pile tube (10) is released from the hoist and / or a supply line (80) after insertion into the borehole (4) and can remain as a superimposed load on the pile tube (10).