A General Description

Introduction

An Unique Innovative Structural / Geo-technical Engineered Technology that  provides Foundation Systems that, during their installation, utilize and or  improve existing soils conditions to levels higher than required by Design  Loading. Upon Installation, the Systems have been Pre-stressed, Pre-settled and Tested with known Structural Strength.

Product Description

• The systems are designed and installed to develop the existing soils  strengths to levels higher than design loading requirements.
  
• They can be installed in all types of soils, rock and or combinations  thereof.
  
• They can be designed and installed to handle virtually any type and  intensity of loading.
  
• During the controlled installation process, the entire system, which  includes the surrounding and load bearing media, is consolidated, compacted, pre-stressed, pre-settled and tested to loading higher than the design requirements.
  
• The use of high pressure hydraulic power allow a precisely controlled and accurately measured application of force, which directly indicates the strengths of the installed foundation systems in their final installed position or at any point during their installation.

System Components

• Installing hydraulics - Provide a virtually unlimited source of installing  force that can be precisely applied, controlled and accurately measured, on a continued preplanned basis during the installation process.
  
• Soils/Soft Rock and Soft/ Hard Rock Anchors - Are used as an  installing tool to provide the axial resisting strength required to install foundation  systems, not having design uplift forces required. Upon completion of the  installation they are removed and reused. In systems where uplift forces are  required they remain, as installed, and become a part of the system.
  
• Moment Foundation - Is designed and installed to accommodate axial  bearing and uplift, overturning and torsional moment, angular,  ground line shear loads in any combinations and intensities thereof. All  installed strengths are determined by the frictional and/or cohesive  developed strengths of the soils in contact with the foundation surface during the installation process.
  
• Combined Moment and Bearing Foundation - Is designed and  installed to accommodate loading that is of a predominately axial bearing/download nature. The main Bearing strength is directly developed  by the direct  compaction/consolidation of the soils; reactions and resistance to the loading applied to the contacting bearing surface of the foundation.

Use Advantages as compared to other Systems

·        A Structural / Geo-technical Engineered Technology that provides the ability to design and install Foundation Systems that improves  existing soils strengths to conform to and exceed design requirements rather than adapting the design to fit the existing characteristics of the soil.

1.        Can be used in soils, rock or combinations thereof.

2.        Can be designed to bear and or restrain any type and combinations of loading and intensities thereof.

3.        Pre-stresses, pre-settles via compaction / consolidation of the soils within the developed load bearing Zone of influence and tests the entire  system during the controlled installation process.

4.        The ability to accurately apply and know the hydraulically applied installation force, via gauge reading of system pressures, provides a direct indication of the installed system's strength. The minimum required, gauge read, installing force is established during the design process.

5.        The technology uses standard, acceptable and easily understood engineering concepts, formula, charts and graphs in its design and use.

• The systems are ecologically Sound as they require minimal site disturbance during their installation and can be easily removed and the site returned to its natural state upon completion of their purpose / use.
  The systems are completely removable, reusable and or recyclable.

1.      Unlike concrete the composition of the systems have no adverse effects on the surrounding soils.

2.      Minimal soils are removed during the installation process and are returned to the system, immediately upon its completion.

3.      Site access requirements are minimal due to the limited use of heavy equipment and the ease of handling due to the portability of the systems and  their installation equipment. 

4.      Adjacent structures, trees and vegetation are not affected by the installation. Tower installations have been limited to less than a 50 ft x 50 ft. site.

• The Systems are economically beneficial as they inherently provide  savings in time and costs to the overall project.

1.      Site and soils investigation requirements are minimal.

2.      Design and estimating requirements are simplified, thereby requiring less time.

3.      Overall equipment requirements are reduced.

4.      Manpower requirements and installation time are greatly reduced. A supervisor and 3 laborers can install an average system within a 3 to 4 hours period of time. The supported and or restrained structure can, in most cases, be immediately erected and or attached using the same crew and equipment.

5.      Climate and weather have no effect on the installation process.

·         The systems inherently solve many existing design and construction problems.

1.      The structural integrity of the system is known upon installation.

2.      Grounding/lightning protection is provided by the installed system.

3.      Pre-settlement has been accomplished during installation.

4.      The systems eliminate existing problems in regions with permafrost and or ice jacking conditions in the freeze/thaw zones of the supporting and or restraining soils.

5.      Liabilities and risks are greatly reduced for all participants, including the end user.

6.      Extras are virtually eliminated due to encountering unknown soils conditions.

7.      The systems directly, not frictionally, utilize the strength of rock, which simplifies the installations of rock foundations and anchorages as compared to  those requiring grout and or epoxies.

The Potential Impact of Structural / Geo-technical Engineered Steel Foundation Systems to Worldwide Construction

There is no other known apparatus and/or methods known that  accomplishes, in part or whole, that which is described above as supported  by the following;

• Prior Art 
  Based on accumulated information from Soils Engineering by B. K. Hough & Foundations of Structures by Dunham, the Design, Installation and Use of Foundation & Anchorage Systems is a complex Art that requires experience and/or specific knowledge in many fields:

1.      Geology - The understanding of the formation of all components of the earth's crust, whether rock or soil.

2.      Pedology - The study of soil and soil forming processes.

3.      Soil Physics & Chemistry - The investigation and determination of the fundamental properties which control the engineering behavior of soils and the development of processes for their improvement.

4.      Civil Engineering - The branches of engineering which relate particularly to soil problems include hydraulics, strength of materials, mechanics, soils engineering and structural engineering.

5.      Construction Experience - The designer requires a first-hand familiarity with many different types of construction, besides the above indicated technical knowledge. It is seldom possible to practice successfully in this branch of engineering without spending long periods in the field, not  merely as an observer or consultant but in responsible charge of work.

6.      A knowledge of Economies of Time and Costs in all phases in the overall process is required.

7.      Methods currently utilized in design, installation and use are contained within the following approaches;

·        The Empirical Approach - This is the oldest and still most commonly used method. It is the process of designing or constructing the new entirely on the basis of experience with the old without reference to  science or theory.

·        The Analytical Approach - It involves an analysis of the stress distribution created by given conditions of loading and a knowledge, usually  based on laboratory tests, of the stress-strain characteristics of the material  soil which is subject to loading. The characteristics  must be determined  experimentally, and due to the variable nature of soil, tests must be conducted  for each location. In view of the variability of the soil such investigation results place inherent limitations on the value and accuracy of results obtained by any analytical process, limitations which cannot be overcome by use of advanced theory or complicated mathematical operations. Nevertheless, experience has shown that certain analytical procedures give results that are in reasonable agreement with observations on actual systems. Thus it appears possible to utilize these procedures with soils under certain conditions in spite of the many natural obstacles.

·        While there is a tendency in engineering to turn from empiricism wherever possible and to extend the use of analytical methods, it is certain that this transition will not take place overnight. There are certain practical reasons for the permanent retention of many empirical methods.

• New Developments From Soils Engineering by B. K. Hough. It is  interesting to note signs of a new approach to certain problems.  Traditionally, the engineer expects to adapt the design of a proposed  structure to existing soils conditions. Now, in certain cases when soil  conditions are unfavorable, it appears feasible to improve them in one way or  another. Usually improvement is based on soil compaction ever increasing  attention is being given to improvement of sub-grades, base courses, and  embankments by various types of compaction. This has been facilitated by  advances in design and construction of rollers and other compaction  equipment. Possibly more dramatic is the development of methods for  compacting existing formations to considerable depths below the surface in  order to improve their supporting capacity for structural foundations. For  loose granular soils vibrating compactors are being used, while for soft silts  and clays various methods of compression and improvement of drainage are  being utilized. Under certain special conditions chemicals may be injected  into or admixed with soils to solidify them or render them less pervious. 

          Whenever any of these various methods can be used economically 
          to accomplish a desired alteration in soil properties, there is a
          prospect of making soil conform to design requirements rather than
          adjusting designed to fit existing characteristics of the soil. While it is
          necessary to maintain a conservative attitude as to what may be
          accomplished in this way, if such methods can be extended and
          improved in practicability and economy, the nature of soils engineering
          might undergo a very extensive change.

Conclusion

B. K. Hough's prediction, in his Soils Engineering Manual under New Developments, has been fulfilled along with the following improvements;

• Not only has a new method been developed to alter the soils to  conform to design requirements, the method has been accomplished within the installation of the foundation system.
  

• The installation process not only alters the soils to conform to   design requirements, it also pre-stresses and accurately tests the  load bearing installed strength of the overall system, including the altered soils within the developed load bearing zone of influence.
  

• The foundation and / or anchor column allows relief of pore pressure changes that would effect the systems' developed load bearing zone of influence.
  

• Costly multi-layered Design Safety Factors can now be replaced by a known Installed Safety Factor.
  

• The methods and procedures used in Structural / Geo-technical  Engineered Steel Foundation Systems are only unique in their  combined use in a manner that is basically ; simple. There are no new theories and formula.
  

• Their capacity for unlimited loading, precisely controlled load   application and the ability for easy removal and reuse provide an  economical method for testing structures and all other foundation  and anchoring systems.
  

• Their use can expand the capabilities of precise on site soils testing and evaluation.

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