Patent GB-827838-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to supporting piers for use in supporting walls of buildings
Inventor: PRYKE JOHN FORDHAM SPEAIGHT
IPC: E04G23/04
Filed: 1955-03-02
Abstract: 827,838. Underpinning building structures. PYNFORD Ltd. March 2, 1956 [March 2, 1955], No. 6178/55. Class 20(2) A supporting pier applicable to the underpinning of buildings comprises a supporting device which can be inserted into an opening beneath a building structure, an abutment plate for engaging with the top or with the bottom of the opening, and a number of screw-threaded studs which can be independently adjusted to effect such variation in the separation of the abutment plate and the supporting device as is necessary to wedge the pier firmly in the opening. According to Fig. 1 the supporting device comprises a pair of rectangular steel plates C<SP>1</SP>, C<SP>2</SP> separated by five spaced supporting pins D connected to angle section stiffening members E, the plates C<SP>1</SP>, C<SP>2</SP> each being provided with a number of screw threaded holes for screwthreaded studs G. Abutment plates A, A<SP>1</SP> are interposed between the heads G<SP>1</SP> of the studs and the top and bottom of the opening B<SP>1</SP> beneath the wall B to be supported. The lower set of studs are first adjusted to level the supporting device and finally the upper set of studs G are adjusted to wedge the device in position in the hole B<SP>1</SP>. The plates A, A<SP>1</SP> are preferably of concrete and may be associated with steel pads interposed between the heads G<SP>1</SP> of the studs and the plates A, A<SP>1</SP>. A modified supporting device, Fig. 3 (not shown), intended to be built up in the opening instead of being prefabricated and inserted wholly into the opening, consists primarily of a reinforced concrete block provided on its lower and upper surfaces with pairs of steel plates separated by spaced supporting pins and provided with screwthreaded studs which engage the abutment plates at the top and bottom of the hole. In a modification, Fig. 4, of the supporting devices of Figs. 1 and 3, the studs G may pass through the plates C<SP>1</SP> in the opposite direction and are preferably associated with a steel pad, or pads L. In another embodiment, Fig. 5, the supporting device comprises a channel sectioned block P or a stack of such blocks resting on a lower abutment plate A of concrete and secured and levelled thereon by mortaring at M. A concrete top plate N mortared to the top of the block P or to the top of the stack of blocks, is provided either with metal inserts N<SP>1</SP> or with a secondary top plate of steel to receive screw-threaded studs G. The supporting piers according to tne invention are intended to have reinforcing rods threaded through them in the direction of the length of the wall to be supported to provide a reinforcing network for an underpining concrete beam of which the piers form an integral part. In an alternative construction the screw-threaded studs may engage screw-threaded sockets in the abutment plate and the heads of the studs abut against the top or bottom surface of the supporting device. Specifications 599,317 and 827,837 are referred to.