Pipe Pile Coupler and Grout Plug for Stable Segment Placement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for installing pipe pilings face challenges such as high stresses and mechanical failure at connection points due to bolt usage, and difficulties in handling grout during installation, which affect the stability and strength of pipe pile assemblies.
Innovation Solution
A coupler system with a tubular body featuring noncircular flanges for efficient rotational drive and a lead-in portion to prevent over-threading, combined with a grout plug assembly for effective grout introduction and distribution during installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If bolts are used to connect pipe pile segments, then the connection strength is improved, but the risk of mechanical failure increases due to high stresses and potential shearing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes bolts and threaded connections from the pipe pile segment junctions, extracting the problematic fastening mechanism that caused high stresses and mechanical failure risks. Instead, segments are connected through direct bearing and friction between mating surfaces, eliminating the vulnerable bolted joint system while maintaining connection integrity through the pile driving process itself.
2Reliability
If torque is applied to coupled joints, then the attachment is secured, but over-threading occurs leading to high stresses and improper attachment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates threaded connections and torque application from the pipe pile assembly system. Segments connect through direct bearing surfaces and friction interfaces rather than threaded fasteners, removing the source of over-threading problems and precision control issues while maintaining secure attachment through the driving process.
3Strength
If grout is introduced during installation, then the stability and strength of pipe pile assemblies is improved, but the difficulty in handling grout increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent prepares grout introduction pathways and delivery systems in advance during pipe segment manufacturing, with pre-installed ports and channels that enable automated grout injection during the driving process. This preliminary preparation eliminates manual grout handling operations and integrates grout delivery into the automated pile installation sequence.
Solution Approach 2:
The pipe pile segments are designed with self-contained grout reservoirs or integrated delivery mechanisms that automatically dispense grout during installation without requiring separate manual handling operations. The system serves itself by incorporating the grout delivery function directly into the pile structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A pipe assembly may have one or more pipe segments that are coupled together or coupled to a drive socket by a coupler. The coupler may have a body with a generally tubular shape with an interior surface and an exterior surface. First and second flanges may extend outward from the exterior surface to engage the drive socket, thereby providing enhanced stability and coaxiality. The interior surface may have an upper receiving feature that can receive the bottom end of an overhead pipe segment, and a lower receiving feature that can receive the top end of a subtending pipe segment. The upper receiving feature may have an upper threaded bore with a lead-in portion that facilitates alignment of the overhead pipe segment with the upper threaded bore. The interior surface may also have a stop feature that prevents over-insertion of the top end and/or the bottom end into the coupler.