Abstract:
A method and assembly for straightening a wall, the wall having a ground retaining side, the ground retaining side of the wall retaining ground material, the ground material having a ground surface, the assembly and method including positioning a cable anchor within the ground material below the ground surface; extending a first section of a flexible cable along a path through the ground from the wall to the cable anchor; extending a second contiguous section of the cable toward the ground surface; fixedly attaching the second section of the flexible cable to a jackscrew adapted for applying a pulling force to the cable; and utilizing an arcuately curved cable guide to transmit the pulling force to the wall and to the cable anchor so that the pulling force draws the wall toward the cable anchor.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to apparatus, assemblies, and methods for straightening poured concrete basement walls, and poured concrete earth terracing walls. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Ground retaining walls such as the basement walls of a house or an outdoor earth terracing wall are commonly fabricated in the form of a poured slab of steel bar reinforced concrete, the slab resting on edge upon a poured concrete footing. Typically, such slab walls are poured utilizing concrete forms defining a wall between six and ten inches in thickness; a typical thickness for a residential basement wall being eight inches. Typically, such walls have a ground material retaining side, the ground material retaining side having a water proofing coating applied thereto. 
     Upon construction of, for example, a poured concrete basement wall, ground material is back filled to ground level around the outer periphery of the basement causing the dirt to “lying???? directly against the ground material retaining side of the wall. Under normal circumstances loading forces associated with such ground material fill are directed downwardly, applying insignificant horizontal pressure upon the basement wall. However, on occasion, ground material filled against the ground material retaining side of a basement wall will creep or shift horizontally. Where horizontal movement of ground material occurs in the vicinity of a basement or terracing wall extreme pressures in the horizontal direction may be imposed upon the wall, causing the wall to tilt in the direction of the pressure. Where the upper edges of a basement concrete wall serve as a footing for above ground structural walls of a building, even slight tilting of the basement walls may cause severe structural damage. 
     A known method for straightening a tilted poured concrete basement wall comprises steps of drilling an aperture completely through the basement wall; driving by means of jack hammer a spirally threaded shaft through the aperture to extend eight to ten feet beyond the basement wall into the ground, leaving a spirally threaded end of the shaft extending into the basement; mounting a drawing plate and a spirally threaded nut over said spirally threaded end; excavating a pit in the ground material to expose the opposite end of the threaded shaft; attaching a ground anchor or a deadman to said opposite end; and progressively tightening the threaded nut, pulling the drawing plate and the basement wall outwardly along the shaft. A drawback or deficiency of such known method is that the deadman or anchor must be positioned relatively close to the basement wall due to difficulties in driving steel shafts an extended distance through ground material. Where a basement wall tilts due to horizontal ground pressure, it is often undesirable to place an anchor or deadman in close proximity with the wall, since the same forces which press inwardly upon the basement wall may simultaneously act upon the anchor. Thus, it is desirable to position the anchor an extended distance from the wall. Another drawback or deficiency of the above described known method is that drilling a shaft receiving aperture through the basement wall allows water seepage into the interior spaces of the basement. Another drawback or deficiency of the above described method is that an unsightly nut and drawing plate is necessarily exposed within and operated from the interior spaces of the basement. 
     The instant inventive assembly and method solves all of the above defects and deficiencies by providing a flexible cable spanning between an exterior surface of a basement wall and an anchor or deadman, and by providing a jackscrew pulling mechanism operable from ground level for pulling the cable and drawing the basement wall toward the ground anchor. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In the instant inventive assembly and method, a basement wall attachment bracket is fixedly attached to the ground retaining side of a basement wall, such wall being in need of straightening; the basement wall attachment bracket having fixedly welded thereto an arcuately curved cable guide and a jackscrew supporting frame; the jackscrew supporting frame being positioned to overlie the arcuately curved cable guide. The jackscrew supporting frame preferably supports a vertically oriented jackscrew. The jackscrew having a lower end adapted for applying a pulling force to a flexible cable. An end of the flexible cable is preferably fixedly attached to the lower end of the jackscrew; the flexible cable is then extended downwardly, and then extended outwardly through the ground material, the cable pressing against and being turned to a substantially horizontal path by the arcuately curved cable guide. Preferably, the cable extends outwardly through the ground material to a point of fixed attachment with a cable anchor buried within the ground. Also preferably, the cable anchor is located sufficiently far from the basement wall to avoid earth shifting movements associated with undesirable basement wall movement. 
     Preferably, an access channel is provided at the basement wall, the channel extending from the ground surface to the jackscrew, the jackscrew preferably being operable by means of manual rotation of an elongated nut driving socket extending through the access channel from the ground surface to the jackscrew. 
     In operation of the above described assembly, the jackscrew is actuated by means of a torque wrench applied to the nut driving socket; the drive socket turning a spirally threaded nut, which raises a spirally threaded shaft to provide a pulling force upon the cable. Such pulling force draws the cable over the arcuately curved cable guide, thereby pulling the basement wall toward the cable anchor. 
     In a suitable alternate configuration, the jackscrew pulling mechanism is mounted upon the cable anchor rather than at the basement wall. 
     Through use of the above described inventive assembly and method, the cable anchor may be located an extended distance away from the basement wall, avoiding exposure of the cable anchor to the same ground shifting forces which cause undesirable basement wall tilt. Also, through use of the above described assembly and method, all mechanical elements are located outside of the basement wall, avoiding undesired perforation of the basement wall, and avoiding unsightly and inconvenient location of mechanical elements within working and living spaces within the basement wall. The instant inventive assembly and method is equally applicable to poured concrete earth terracing walls. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an assembly and method for straightening a poured concrete basement wall, or earth terracing wall, which allows an anchor or dead man to be located within ground material an extended distance away from the wall. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide such an assembly and method which eliminates any need for perforation of the wall. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide such an assembly and method wherein all mechanical elements thereof are located on the ground material retaining side of the wall. 
     Other and further objects, benefits, and advantages of the present inventive assembly and method will become known to those skilled in the art upon review of the Detailed Description which follows, and upon review of the appended drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a first end of the present inventive assembly. 
     FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a second end of the present inventive assembly. 
     FIG. 3 is an opposite view of the assembly depicted in FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 4 is a ground section view of the second end of the present inventive assembly. 
     FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the first end of the present inventive assembly. 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view as indicated in FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 7 is an alternate configuration of FIG.  2 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1, reference numeral  1  refers generally to a poured concrete wall in need of straightening. The poured concrete wall  1  may be either a ground material terracing wall or the basement wall of a building. The side of the wall  1  facing the viewer in FIG. 1 is a ground material retaining side; the opposite side of said wall  1  defining the living or working space of a building, or representing the open side of a ground retaining terrace. Typically, where such wall  1  is a poured concrete residential basement wall, the thickness of the wall is approximately eight inches. A common height of such a residential basement wall  1  is nine feet. 
     Referring further to FIG. 1, an attachment bracket comprising a steel C-channel beam  2 , and comprising four steel legs  4  fixedly welded to the C-channel beam  2 , is fixedly attached to the ground retaining side of the basement wall  1 . Referring simultaneously to FIGS. 1 and 6, a spirally threaded steel shafts  6  extend through shaft receiving apertures  9  within the feet of the legs  4 . Each spirally threaded shaft  6  preferably extends into and is fixedly mounted within an epoxy filled cavity  7 . By mounting the spirally threaded shafts  6  within epoxy filled cavities  7 , such shafts are securely affixed to the wall  1  without the extension of a shaft receiving channel entirely through the wall  1 ; thus, preserving the integrity of the wall  1 . The foot of each leg  4  is preferably securely mounted over the outwardly protruding ends of the spirally threaded shafts  6  by means of spirally threaded nuts  8 . 
     Referring again to FIG. 1, the bracket comprising the C-channel beam  2  and legs  4  preferably is mounted upon the wall  1  in need of straightening approximately three feet below the wall&#39;s upper edge. 
     Referring simultaneously to FIGS. 1 and 5, a jackscrew supporting frame comprising a forward plate  16 , a pair of opposing side plates  18 , an upper plate  20 , and a lower plate  62  are fixedly welded to each other, and to the C-channel beam  2  to form a rigid rearwardly opening box. Preferably, the upper plate  20  has a circular aperture  64  therethrough through which a spirally threaded shaft  48  extends. The spirally threaded shaft  48  further extends through a spirally threaded nut  46 . Said jackscrew supporting frame, comprising plate elements  16 ,  18 ,  20  and  62 , in combination with the nut  46 , and in combination with the spirally threaded shaft  48  comprises a jackscrew pulling means. In operation of said jackscrew pulling means, alternate rotation and counter-rotation of the nut  46  about a vertical axis alternately raises and lowers the spirally threaded shaft  48  through the aperture  64  within upper plate  20 . While such rotation occurs, a T-bar  56  fixedly welded to the lower end of the spirally threaded shaft  48  biases against the inwardly facing walls of the frame, preventing rotation of the spirally threaded shaft  48 . 
     The jackscrew pulling means depicted in FIG. 5 may be alternately configured to include a rotatable and vertically positionable spirally threaded shaft which travels through a fixed nut. Such configuration is not preferred because it requires a swivel at the cable pulling juncture. 
     The jackscrew pulling means depicted in FIG. 5 may also be alternately configured to include a vertically fixed and rotatable spirally threaded shaft having a cable pulling nut spirally threadedly mounted over its lower end. However, such configuration is not preferred to difficulties in mounting cable attaching means upon such a spirally threaded nut. 
     Other alternate configurations of the jackscrew pulling means depicted in FIG. 5 are possible but are not desirable due to complexity of structure. 
     Referring further to FIGS. 1 and 5, the bracket comprising the C-channel beam  2  and legs  4  serves dual functions of supporting the jackscrew pulling means and supporting an arcuately curved cable guide. As depicted in FIGS. 1 and 5, the arcuately curved cable guide is preferably configured as a cylindrical pipe section  14  which is longitudinally slotted, such slot allowing the cylindrical pipe section to be extended through a rectangular cable aperture  12 , and fixedly welded to the web of the C-channel beam  2 . Numerous other configurations of an arcuately curved cable guide may be utilized, such as a rotatably mounted wheel. Also suitably, material of the web of the C-channel beam may be cut and bent to simultaneously form the arcuately curved cable guide and the aperture  12 . 
     Referring further to FIGS. 1 and 5, a first section of a spirally wound steel cable  10  extends along a substantially horizontal path toward the C-channel beam  2  to underlie the arcuately curved cable guide  14 , thence extending through aperture  12 . A second contiguous section of the flexible cable  10  then extends upwardly at an angle with respect to the path of the first section, such second section extending within the interior space  66  of the jackscrew support frame. The arcuately curved cable guide  14  serves as the vertex of the angle between the first and second sections of the cable  10 , redirecting pulling forces applied to the second section of the cable  10 . The end of the second section of the cable  10  preferably is formed into a loop  58 , the loop being held by a cable clamp  60 ; the loop  58  being securely mounted over the T-bar  56  fixedly welded to the threaded shaft  48 . 
     Referring to FIG. 5, upon placement of the loop  58  of the cable  10  over the T-bar  56 , the interior space  66  is preferably packed with axle grease. Preferably, a dirt shield  54  is then mounted upon the frame to cover its rearward opening by means of screws  52  which extend into screw receiving tabs  50 . The dirt shield  54  prevents dirt and debris from entering the interior space  66 , preventing fouling of the jackscrew mechanism. 
     Referring simultaneously to FIGS. 1 and 5, a cylindrical upwardly opening collar  42  is preferably fixedly welded to the upper surface of upper plate  20 . A pipe  22 , preferably comprising polyvinyl chloride plastic, is preferably slidably mounted over the collar  42 , and is adhesively attached thereto. Preferably, the pipe  22  extends through the ground material upwardly to a point above the ground surface; the bone of the pipe  22  defining an access channel extending from the ground surface downward to the spirally threaded nut  46 . Typically, the pipe  22  will be approximately three feet in length with six to ten inches of its length extending above the ground surface. 
     Referring to further to FIGS. 1 and 5, a preferred means of operating the jackscrew from the ground surface utilizes a common socket driver cut into an upper piece  24  and a lower piece  44 , the upper piece  24  of the socket driver being fixedly welded to an upper end of a steel pipe  26 , and the lower piece  44  of the socket driver being fixedly welded to the lower end of the pipe  26 . Such a welded combination of an upper piece  24  of a socket driver, a steel pipe  26 , and the lower piece  44  of the socket driver constitutes an extended socket driver; the extension allowing a torque wrench  28  to be utilized for driving the nut  46  of the jackscrew pulling means. After utilization of the extended socket driver comprising elements  24 ,  26 , and  44 , such socket driver is preferably withdrawn, and a cap is slidably mounted over the upper end of the pipe  22 , preventing moisture and debris from entering the access channel and fouling the operation of the nut  46 . 
     Referring simultaneously to FIGS. 1 and 4, a cable anchor installation pit  72  is preferably dug into the ground  74  within a zone of stable soil, typically twenty to thirty feet perpendicularly outward from the wall  1 . A narrow trench  70  is then excavated, the trench  70  extending from the pit  72  to a second pit (not depicted) in which the cable pulling mechanism is situated. A cable anchor  30 , preferably comprising a rectangular steel plate having an aperture  68  therethrough is preferably positioned against the wall of the pit  72  nearest the basement wall  1 , and a second spirally threaded shaft  32  having a T-head  34  is extended through the aperture  68 , through a washer  37 , and through a spirally threaded nut  36 . The end of the first section of the steel cable  10  preferably forms a loop  38  held by a cable clamp  40 , the loop  38  engaging the T-head  34 . In operation, the spirally threaded nut  36  is rotated about the spirally threaded shaft  32  to provide the initial tension to the steel cable  10 . While utilization of a rectangular cable anchor  30  or deadman is preferable, other cable anchors such as a buried wooded beam, or a buried concrete block may be utilized. 
     As an alternative to placement of the steel cable  10  along an excavated trench  70 , such cable  10  may be drawn through the ground material through the operation of a cable drawing vibrating plow. 
     Referring to the alternate configuration depicted in FIG. 7, all reference numerals bearing the suffix “A” are substantially the same as similarly numbered elements appearing in other figures. As depicted in FIG. 7, the cable pulling mechanism is alternately fixedly mounted upon the cable anchor  30 A, while the opposite end of the cable is mounted on, referring to FIG. 1, the web of a C-channel  2  in a manner similar to the cable mount depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3. 
     In operation of the present inventive assembly and method, referring simultaneously to FIGS. 1,  4 , and  5 , spirally threaded shaft  32  and spirally threaded shaft  48  are preferably extended as depicted; and loops  38  and  58  of the steel cable  10  are preferably adjusted so that the steel cable  10  spans between T-bars  34  and  56 . The loops  56  and  38  are then fixedly clamped by cable clamps  60  and  40 . Upon such installation of the steel cable  10 , a torque wrench  28  is utilized to tighten spirally threaded nut  36  to approximately ninety foot pounds of torque. Upon such tightening, pit  72  and trench  70  are filled. Similarly, the cable pulling mechanism pit is filled, leaving approximately eight inches of the upper end of pipe  22  exposed above the ground surface. 
     On an approximately weekly basis, the cap [not depicted] covering the upper end of the pipe  22  is removed, the extended socket is downwardly extended through the bore of the pipe  22  to engage the nut  46 . The torque wrench  28  is then utilized to tighten the nut  46  in a clockwise direction to approximately ninety foot pounds of torque. 
     During time periods when the ground  72  in contact with the ground retaining side of the wall  1  is saturated with water, only a small amount of rotation of the nut  46  will result in ninety foot pounds of turning resistance. However, during periods of dry ground conditions, several rotations of the nut  46  may be achieved prior to reaching ninety foot pounds of resistance. It is during such periods of dry ground conditions when the process of straightening the wall  1  progresses most quickly. Through utilization of the present inventive assembly and method for straightening a ground retaining wall, such wall may be progressively straightened over a period of several weeks. 
     While the principles of the invention have been made clear in the above illustrative embodiment, those skilled in the art may make modifications in the structure, arrangement, portions and components of the invention without departing from those principles. Accordingly, it is intended that the description and drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in the limiting sense, and that the invention be given a scope commensurate with the appended claims.