Expanded Pile and Anchor Casings for Higher Load Capacity
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing anchors and piles made of casings lack sufficient load-carrying capacity, necessitating longer or larger structures to meet load requirements, which can disrupt existing infrastructure and incur high material and environmental costs.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the use of an expansion member within a casing to induce plastic deformation, creating enlarged areas that enhance the load-bearing capacity of the anchor or pile, allowing for reuse and reduced material usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If anchors and piles are made longer or larger to increase load-carrying capacity, then the load-carrying capacity is improved, but the disruption to existing infrastructure and material costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by inducing plastic deformation in the casing to alter its geometric parameters (increasing diameter and creating enlarged areas) without changing the material or overall structure. This allows the same anchor/pile to achieve higher load-carrying capacity through controlled deformation rather than being longer or larger initially.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic behavior by allowing the casing to deform plastically under controlled expansion forces. The expansion member dynamically adjusts the casing geometry during installation to create enlarged areas that provide enhanced capacity, transforming a static structure into a dynamically adaptable one.
2Strength
If anchors and piles are made longer or larger to increase load-carrying capacity, then the load-carrying capacity is improved, but material costs and environmental impact increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the existing casing through controlled plastic deformation, creating enlarged areas that increase capacity without requiring additional materials. The same material volume achieves higher strength through parameter transformation rather than material addition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent recovers and reuses existing anchors and piles by inducing plastic deformation to enhance their capacity. Instead of discarding old foundations and building new larger ones, the existing structures are transformed through controlled expansion to meet updated load requirements, reducing material waste.
3Strength
If expansion member presses against casing to induce plastic deformation, then load-carrying capacity is improved, but casing structural integrity is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent intentionally changes the structural parameters of the casing through controlled plastic deformation. The expansion member applies sufficient force to permanently alter the casing geometry, transforming it from a rigid structure to a deformable one that can accommodate expanded areas while maintaining overall integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent embraces dynamic deformation as a beneficial characteristic. The casing is designed to undergo controlled plastic deformation during installation to create enlarged areas, then stabilizes in its deformed state to provide enhanced load-carrying capacity. The structural integrity is not maintained rigidly but dynamically adapted.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method significantly increases the load-carrying capacity of anchors and piles, reducing the need for longer or larger structures, minimizing environmental impact, and enabling reuse of existing foundations.
Implementation Method 1
activating the expansion member such that the expansion member presses against an internal surface of the casing with sufficient force to induce plastic deformation of at least a first portion of the casing
Data Source
AI summary
Method and apparatus for enhancing capacity of piles and/or anchors, which can include any type of piles and/or anchors, including but not limited to micropiles and soil nail, by disposing a tube or casing into the earth and then laterally expanding at least a portion of the casing, in plastic deformation, using an expansion member such that an enlarged area is formed in the casing. The casing can then optionally be left in place and filled with a filler material and/or can optionally be forcibly pulled out of the ground, thus compacting and thereby densifying the surrounding soil, and the thusly formed enlarged hole can be filled with a filler material and used as an anchor and/or pile. Optionally, in one embodiment, existing piles and/or anchors can be re-used by lowering an expansion member into them and creating one or more laterally expanded areas.