Driven Steel Pipe Pile Coupling With Cold-Formed Friction Lock
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for coupling driven steel pipe piles are costly, time-consuming, and often fail to provide sufficient resistance to lateral and tension forces, leading to instability and increased costs due to the need for field welding, pre-manufactured sleeves, and additional reinforcement.
Innovation Solution
The use of pile segments with a formed end having a diameter greater than the cylindrical body, allowing for a quick and inexpensive coupling method that includes secondary end forming and cold extrusion to increase friction and resistance to compressive, lateral, and tension forces, with minimal field welding and no pre-manufactured sleeves.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional welding methods are used to couple pile segments, then the coupling can resist compression forces, but the process becomes time-consuming and costly due to field welding requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling device is pre-assembled with the extension pile segment before field installation. The formed end is pre-formed during manufacturing, and the coupling mechanism is prepared in advance, eliminating the need for time-consuming field welding operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the welding process (thermal/mechanical system) with a mechanical coupling system that uses the formed end geometry and driving force to create a secure connection through friction and mechanical interlocking, eliminating the need for welding equipment and operations.
2Strength
If field welding and pre-manufactured sleeves are used for coupling, then connection strength is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the need for separate pre-manufactured sleeves and complex field welding procedures. The coupling function is integrated directly into the extension pile segment through the formed end geometry, simplifying the overall system while maintaining strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling mechanism and extension pile segment are merged into a single integrated component. The formed end is part of the extension pile segment itself, combining the pile structure and coupling function into one element, thereby reducing device complexity.
3Strength
If the formed end undergoes secondary end forming during coupling, then friction and resistance to lateral and tension forces increase, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The formed end is pre-formed during the manufacturing process with the initial geometry required for secondary end forming. This preliminary preparation enables the friction-enhancing deformation to occur during coupling rather than requiring complex post-manufacturing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The formed end is designed to dynamically change shape during the coupling process through secondary end forming. The geometry transitions from the initial formed state to a deformed state that increases friction contact, allowing the structure to adapt during installation while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
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
This method provides a strong, cost-effective coupling that resists compression, lateral, and tension forces, allowing for flexibility in meeting different specification requirements and reducing installation time and costs by eliminating the need for extensive field welding and additional reinforcement.
Implementation Method 1
The formed end of the extension pile segment undergoes secondary end forming when a driving force is applied to the driven end of the extension pile segment, so that the formed end has a final length exceeding the initial length after the driving force is applied to the driven end to couple the extension pile segment to the lead pile segment
Implementation Method 2
The formed end of the extension pile segment undergoes secondary end forming when a driving force is applied
Data Source
AI summary
A coupling between lead and extension pile segments of a driven piling. The extension segment has a formed end, an opposite driven end and a body extending therebetween. The formed end has an inner diameter equal to an outer diameter of an exposed end of the lead segment and greater than an outer diameter of the extension segment's body. The formed end has an initial length prior to coupling the extension and lead segments; the formed end undergoes secondary end forming when a driving force is applied, such that the formed end has a final length exceeding the initial length after the extension and lead segments are coupled. In some embodiments, the extension segment has an external ring portion positioned upstream of the formed end, and the exposed end of the lead segment is cold extruded into and through the external ring portion of the extension segment.