Building Foundation Stabilization via Percussive Soil Loosening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing foundation stabilization apparatuses risk damaging buildings when penetrating dense soil layers due to insufficient force for penetration, leading to potential foundation cracking and vertical lifting of the building.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus that uses a percussion device to loosen and break up dense soil layers, reducing the force required from the jack and minimizing damage by distributing the reaction force through the soil, allowing for deeper pile penetration without harming the foundation or building.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If a jack is used to press pile segments into dense soil layers, then the pile can be driven deeper into the ground, but the force required may cause the foundation to crack and the building to be lifted vertically
Solution Approach 1:
The pile is divided into multiple hollow pile segments that can be sequentially inserted and connected. This segmentation allows the pile to be built up in sections, with each segment being driven into the ground separately, reducing the force required at any single moment compared to driving a single long pile.
Solution Approach 2:
A percussion device is introduced into the hollow pile to generate mechanical vibrations and impact forces. The percussion device repeatedly strikes the bottom end of the pile, loosening and breaking up dense soil layers, which reduces the penetration resistance and allows deeper pile driving without excessive force from the jack.
2Productivity
If large cranes and pile drivers are used to drive whole piles into the soil, then pile installation is more efficient, but they cannot be used in completed buildings
Solution Approach 1:
The pile system is segmented into multiple manageable hollow pile segments that can be handled and installed using smaller, more maneuverable equipment suitable for interior building spaces, unlike large cranes required for single-piece pile installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The hollow pile segments are designed to be nested within each other during installation. Each segment is inserted through the previous segment, allowing sequential assembly and driving into the ground using compact apparatus that can be positioned within the building footprint.
3Force
If more force is exerted on the penetrating end of the pile to penetrate dense soil, then deeper penetration is achieved, but the reaction force on the foundation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hollow pile acts as an intermediary structure that transmits the percussive force from the percussion device to the dense soil layers. The hollow construction allows the percussion device to be inserted and operated within the pile, delivering impact forces directly to the soil resistance without requiring excessive force from the jack that would react against the foundation.
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 apparatus effectively stabilizes building foundations by allowing pile segments to be driven to specified depths without damaging the structure, using a compact and lightweight design that can be manually transported and powered by separate pneumatic or hydraulic supplies, reducing the risk of foundation damage during soil penetration.
Implementation Method 1
a percussion device, adapted to be inserted vertically through said hollow pile segments of the pile to a level below the foundation, and adapted for exerting a downward percussive force on the soil at the bottom end of said hollow pile for loosening and/or breaking up said soil
Implementation Method 2
a jack, attachable to said casing and arranged for pressing hollow pile segments through or adjacent to said casing vertically into the soil to form a substantially vertical hollow pile
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A
AI summary
The invention relates to an apparatus and method for stabilizing a foundation of a building. The apparatus is adapted to be arranged within said building and comprises: a casing, attachable to the foundation of said building; a jack, attachable to said casing and arranged for pressing hollow pile segments through or adjacent to said casing vertically into the soil to form a substantially vertical hollow pile having a top end and a bottom end and comprising said pile segments; and a percussion device, adapted to be inserted vertically through said hollow pile segments of the pile to a level below the foundation, and adapted for exerting a downward percussive force on the soil at the bottom end of said hollow pile for loosening and/or breaking up said soil.