Patent ID: 6368021
Filing Date: 2002-04-09
Classification: E02D,E21B

Abstract:
A method of installing a pile into ground underwater to create a mooring, anchorage, comprising:i. providing a hollow pile and an elongate hollow member extending within the pile; ii. supporting a drill bit at an end of the elongate member and exteriorly of the hollow pile by means of a bearing assembly mounted within the hollow pile adjacent the drill bit; iii. utilizing fluid drive means to impart rotary motion only to the drill bit relative to the pile, via the bearing assembly, while engaging the drill bit with the ground underwater to produce a hole into which the pile is sunk; iv. establishing a fluid diverter on an exterior surface of the pile and extending outwardly from the exterior surface to engage on the surrounding wall surface of the hole to restrict the flow of fluid between the exterior surface of the pile and the wall surface and v. causing fluid to flow in a path extending downwardly, through the elongate member around the drill bit and then predominantly upwardly between the interior of the pile and the exterior of the elongate member.