Structural sheet spur

A structural pile sheet spur including a void creating section located in a fore part of the spur, a pile sheet interfacing section located in an aft part of the spur, and a fluid delivery passageway located in or adjacent to the pile sheet interfacing section.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a non-provisional application based upon U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/826,415, entitled “STRUCTURAL SHEET SPUR”, filed Mar. 29, 2019, which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to sheet pile walls, and, more particularly, to a system for installing and sealing pile walls.

2. Description of the Related Art

Sheet pile retaining walls are typically used in soft soils and tight spaces, but are also utilized in dense or even rocky soils. Sheet pile walls are driven into the ground and are composed of a variety of material including steel, vinyl, aluminum, fiberglass or wood planks.

It is well known in the industry that steel sheet pile joints are not impermeable to water table infiltration. There are currently several available joint sealing systems on the market to inhibit the migration of water and contaminants through the sheet joints. The products typically consist of a waterproofing agent to be applied to the length of the joints prior to the sheet piles being driven into the ground. The violent and forceful installation process of the sheeting will compromise the previously installed waterproofing system. During the installation, high levels of friction are generated which leads to scouring of the waterproofing agent out from the joints and allows the soil particles to enter and flow past the joint.

What is needed in the art is a sealing system that is easily adaptable to the current type of pile sheets and reliably seals the sheet joints.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a sheet pile wall seam sealing system.

The invention in one form is directed to a structural pile sheet spur including a void creating section located in a fore part of the spur, a pile sheet interfacing section located in an aft part of the spur, and a fluid delivery passageway located in or adjacent to the pile sheet interfacing section.

The invention in another form is directed to a structural pile sheet system including a first pile sheet, a second pile sheet, and a spur. The spur having a void creating section located in a fore part of the spur, a pile sheet interfacing section located in an aft part of the spur, and a fluid delivery passageway located in or adjacent to the pile sheet interfacing section. The pile sheet interfacing section being fitted to a bottom portion of the first pile sheet. The first pile sheet being driven into earth. The second pile sheet being driven into the earth and coming into contact with the spur.

The invention in still another form is directed to a method of sealing structural pile sheets. The method including the steps of coupling, driving the first pile sheet, aligning, driving a second pile sheet, passing and ejecting. The coupling step includes coupling a spur to the first pile sheet. The first driving step includes driving the first pile sheet with the spur into the earth, the spur thereby leaving a void along a portion of the first pile sheet. The aligning step includes aligning the second pile sheet with the first pile sheet. The second driving step includes driving the second pile sheet into the earth, the second pile sheet being proximate to the spur, the second pile sheet having an edge in the void. The passing step includes passing a sealing material down a fluid delivery tube to the spur. The ejecting step includes ejecting the sealing material to fill the void thereby sealing the first pile sheet to the second pile sheet.

An advantage of the present invention is that the sealing of the seam between adjacent pile sheets takes place after the sheets are in position in the ground, thereby improving the seal.

Another advantage is that the sealing material is not pushed out of the joint during the joining of the adjacent sheets as in the prior art.

Yet another advantage is that the sealing takes place from the bottom up.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly toFIGS. 1-3, there is shown a pile system10, including representative pile sheets12A and12B, and sheet spur14. Sheet spur14includes a grout injection tube16attached to interfacing section22with a grout ejection port at an end of a passageway18. Spur14has a void creating section20, which is conically shaped that creates a void24in the soil as it is driven into the ground slidingly coupled to sheet12A. Spur14additionally includes a pile key26that interacts with the slot in sheets12in which spur14is slid, allowing spur14to be welded to sheet12in an aligned manner. Sheet12B is similarly driven into the ground with another spur14, not pictured here, but similar to that illustrated.

The invention relates to the use of a prefabricated metal spur14attached to a segment of steel sheet pile12A adjacent to the connecting joint at the base. Spur14is designed to accomplish two tasks that ultimately result in a sealed joint between two sheet piles12A and12B. The first task is to create a void24in the soil around the sheet pile joint as spur14travels through the ground. The second task is to inject a non-permeable material into the void24to seal the joint of sheets12A and12B. This will ultimately prevent the migration of contaminants or water from passing between the sheet pile joints.

Often, cells are created out of sheet pile with the intent to prevent contamination migration. Another purpose of a water tight joint is when sheet piles12are used as soil retention during excavations for new construction. An example of a new construction application is during excavation near an existing structure, sheet pile system10will be used for soil retention to support that structure. If the excavation exceeds the depth of the water table, water can enter the excavation through the sheet joints of the prior art causing undesirable site conditions. The unimpeded inflow of ground water will necessitate the use of constant site dewatering and even worse, may instigate structure or utility settlement outside the excavation by conveying soil particles from under existing structures through the joints and into the new excavation. These issues are eliminated, or at least significantly reduce by using the present invention.

The advantage of the Sheet Spur14is it creates a void24adjacent to the joint to be sealed either the entire length or at any desired locations along the length. The Sheet Spur14includes an integrated injection system can be used to fill the void24during the process of installing the sheets12or after the initial sheet12A and connected adjacent sheet12B has been driven to depth. Once the void is filled by injecting a slurry down grout injection tube16that is then ejected out of the ejection port at an end of passageway18, typically with a grout slurry, the joints will be impervious to water or contamination migration through the joints.

Initially Sheet Spur14is attached to a sheet12A and the sheet12A is ready to be driven into the ground, the grout hose16is connected to the injection port on the Spur14. The opposite end of the hose16is connected to a grout pump that will begin injecting upon the sheet12A first penetrating the ground. Grout flow and volumes are easily monitored from the surface allowing the pump operator to calibrate the injection rates without affecting the pile driving process. Once the sheet is driven to depth and desired grout volumes have been achieved, the injection tube16can be severed at grade and the process for that sheet is complete.

The Sheet Spur's primary function is to inject a sealing slurry around sheet pile joints, but it can also be utilized for additional applications in more granular soils. The first alternative application is it can be used with most any joint configuration as a protection device for other preplaced sealant products. The Spur prevents soils from entering the sealed joint and scouring out the sealant product. Another application is that often times sheet pile are driven in to urban fill or soils that contain large cobbles, boulders, or other large debris. In these instances where obstructive obstacles exist, the Sheet Spur14acts as a shield and a guide to protect the leading edge of the sheet from distorting and ultimately cause overall alignment issues with the sheets. These distortions and alignment issues of the prior art can then propagate to adjacent sheets causing the interlocking joints to separate and form large gaps. These large gaps between the sheets allow unobstructed flow of water or contaminants, and inhibit the uniform placement of the sheets, or cause alignment issues with the sheets.

In a cohesive soil, the void should remain open to allow injection during or after sheet installation. But in granular soils, the Sheet Spur is designed to displace large rocks or debris from the injectable void area. If the void isn't immediately filled with the waterproofing agent, the granular soils could be agitated by the installation process and fall back into newly created void. The Sheet Spur's integrated injection system allows the injection of the waterproofing agent during or after the installation process rendering the joint water tight.

Now, additionally referring toFIG. 4, structural pile sheet spur14includes a void creating section20located in a fore part of spur14, a pile sheet interfacing section22located in an aft part of spur14, and a fluid delivery passageway18located in or adjacent to pile sheet interfacing section22. All fore and aft references refer to a direction of travel along longitudinal axis A as spur14is driven into the earth along with sheet12to which it is attached. Fluid delivery tube16is coupled to, or is a part of, fluid delivery passageway18. Although passageway18is shown as part of spur14, it is also contemplated that passageway18could be integral with tube16, and could just be attached to an aft (top part as illustrated) portion of spur14. Fluid delivery passageway18, as illustrated, is located in the pile sheet interfacing section22. Fluid delivery passageway18is coupled to delivery tube16to allow sealing material from a sealing material source28that can be a grout sealing material, to flow through delivery tube16and through fluid delivery passageway18. The sealing material is released into the slot or channel where sheets12A and12B are joined, and into void24to fill them with the sealing material from the bottom upward.

The openings of fluid delivery passageway18are in the aft direction of spur14. Void creating section20is symmetrical about a longitudinal axis A and, as illustrated, is conically shaped. Pile sheet interfacing section22has key26that interacts with the slot or channel of sheets12, key26has two protrusions30that interacts with a channel in pile sheets12. Pile sheet interfacing section22extends forward to an aft portion of void creating section20.

The aft end of the void creating section20receives an end of the pile sheet12to allow spur14to be driven into the earth as pile sheet12is driven downward. Key26is inserted into a part of sheet12and it may be secured there with a fastener, a near interference fit, a deformation of sheet12once spur14is inserted, an adhesive, a weld, or other fastening technique. Fluid delivery passageway18opens between protrusions30thereby allowing the sealing material to exit in an upward direction.

Fluid delivery passageway18is located in or adjacent to the pile sheet interfacing section22, and pile sheet interfacing section22is fitted to a bottom portion of the pile sheet12before being driven into the earth. Then a second pile sheet is driven into the earth and comes into contact with spur14as the second sheet reaches the depth of the first sheet12. Tube16extends down into void24when the sheet having spur14is driven into the ground. Fluid delivery tube16delivers sealing material through the fluid delivery passageway18to fill void24in the earth created by void creating section20of spur14.

Now, additionally referring toFIG. 5a method of sealing structural pile sheets100is illustrated. Method100includes the steps of coupling102, driving the first pile sheet104, aligning106, driving a second pile sheet108, coupling110, passing112, ejecting114, and uncoupling116. Coupling step102includes coupling spur14to first pile sheet12A. The first driving step104includes driving first pile sheet12A along with spur14into the earth, spur14thereby leaving void24along a portion of the first pile sheet12A. The aligning step106includes aligning the second pile sheet12B with the first pile sheet12A. The second driving step108includes driving the second pile sheet12B into the earth, second pile sheet12B being thereby positioned proximate to spur14, the second pile sheet12B having an edge in void24. Coupling step110includes coupling sealing material source28to tube16. The passing step112includes passing a sealing material from source28down fluid delivery tube16to spur14. The ejecting step114includes ejecting the sealing material to fill void24thereby sealing first pile sheet12A to second pile sheet12B.