Patent ID: 7104732
Filing Date: 2006-09-12
Classification: E02D

Abstract:
1. A method for installing a pile in the ground comprising: drilling a hole in the ground to a bottom of the hole at an initial depth; inserting in the hole a tube extending along the length of the hole to the bottom; providing on a bottom end of the tube a bottom shoe for engaging material at the bottom of the hole; inserting into the tube a hammer and operating the hammer to apply impact forces to an upper surface of the shoe acting to drive the shoe in downward movement; providing a surface of the shoe which is transverse to the axis of the tube so that the downward movement of the shoe causes compressive forces on the material at the bottom of the hole for compressing the material; engaging the tube adjacent an upper end by a drive tool and applying reciprocating rotation forces to the tube acting to cause reciprocating rotational movement of the tube back and forth about its axis; providing a coupling between the tube and the shoe such that the reciprocating rotational movement of the tube is applied to the shoe to cause reciprocating rotational movement of the shoe relative to the material at the bottom of the hole; providing on the shoe a material engaging member for engaging the compressed material at the bottom of the hole such that the reciprocating rotational movement of the shoe acts to break apart the compressed material and disperse at least some of the material outwardly from the axis to allow additional compression of the material from additional impact forces from the hammer; and, when the material is compressed to a required extent from repeated impact forces and repeated reciprocating rotational movement, providing a pile in the hole to allow communication of longitudinal forces from a structure attached to an upper end of the pile to the compressed material.