DE1634576A1 - Process for embedding structural parts in the bottom of water - Google Patents

Description

Description of the patent application

SHELL INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH MAATSCHAPPIJ N.V.,

Hague / Netherlands

concerning

Method of embedding clay structural parts in the bottom of water bodies

The invention relates to a method with the help of which can be prevented from being a structural element around, which is sunk into the loose bed of a body of water, the bottom is washed out or washed away. Under the expression; "loose layer" should be a layer of a non-solidified material, e.g. sand, silt, Turn gravel or small stones understood. The method according to the invention can be used in particular to prevent the ground from being washed out around the underwater piles or supports that act as girders for drilling and production platforms erected in the water to serve.

009833/0586

2 - 1A-31 134

For some years there has been a special interest in the development of oil or gas wells at sites in the sea or in other bodies of water. The development and ongoing evaluation of such deposits is difficult and expensive and requires the construction of suitable working platforms on which the required drilling, conveying and auxiliary equipment are arranged in such a way that they are at a safe level above the surface of the water in question, in which the different operations have to be carried out.

According to a typical construction, the mentioned platforms are supported by a number of long supports or piles that are driven deep (about 60 to 100 m) into the bed of the water. Generally enough the surface friction between the ground and the piles of that length to support the platform.

Here, however, there is the difficulty that the water due to the action of the wave and tidal movement and / or strong underwater currents washes out the top layer of soil around the piles sunk into it. This flushing effect leads to the Time often leads to such a great reduction in the surface friction between the ground and the piles that the the latter and thus also the platform carried by them sink deeper and deeper into the bottom of the water. This

009833 / 0S88

ORiGINIAL BATHROOM

-3-1Α-3-1 134

Subsidence can cause considerable displacement in the drilling and conveyors, and in many cases the operation must be stopped altogether.

The invention is primarily directed to the washing out and washing away of the ground, e.g. Silt and / or loose sand from the underwater piles on 6-round to prevent or at least the flushing effect of underwater currents and waves to diminish.

'The inventive method for embedding Dividing structural structures in the loose bed of water consists of that one first part of the structural member in the Soil sinks, whereupon a liquid mixture suitable for solidification is distributed in a zone that creates the Structural member approximately at the level of the upper end surface of the f Grundes surrounds and the liquid mixture in contact with solidified the structural member and the river bed.

The method according to the invention provides in particular the use of certain resin-forming polyepajydniasses, however, this implies the use of other suitable substances, such as bitumen or asphalt, to consolidate the structure does not exclude.

00 9 83 3/058 ^

- 4 - 1A-31 134

According to the invention, the solidifying is liquid Mixture a resin-forming preparation, which is a pumpable liquid mixture of a polyepoxide and an epoxy hardener is present.

The liquid, resin-forming preparation suitable for solidification is preferably a mixture of a polyepoxide with an average of more than one epoxy group per molecule and a hardener with several amino hydrogen atoms, the latter being present in an excess of at least 5 % over the stoichiometric amount. The preferred resin-forming polyepoxide preparations are not attacked by water, ie they are neither dehydrated nor diluted by the water, as is the case with concrete or cement. While with other masses, such as cement, strong water currents along the bottom of the water, the masses extremely dilute and float away before the cement can set, the resin-forming polyepoxide masses according to the invention are stable against being carried away by the current, since they are not diluted by the water and have a very strong binding affinity for almost all known substances.

BATH ORIGINAL Ü Ü 90 3 3/0586

1B3457S

- 5 - '1A-31

In addition, the preferred resin mixtures adhere without further on wet surfaces and become much stronger on metal piles and soil formations as they solidify bound than the previously known substances, such as cement. When such a rapidly and firmly setting resin If it hardens in place at the bottom of a body of water, it forms an additional layer around the pile and column structure around and in this way reinforces the stability of the embedded part of the overall structure.

Generally speaking, a liquid mixture useful for purposes of the invention basically contains any resin-forming material that has the ability to solidify after being injected under water. A particularly useful and therefore preferred group of substances are mixtures which essentially consist of a polyepoxide and a suitable hardener, as will be explained in more detail.

S-

The polyepoxides used in the process according to the invention include those organic substances, which on average have more than one vicinal epoxy group, i.e. more than one -C - O - group per molecule. These substances can be saturated or unsaturated, aliphatic, cycloaliphatic, aromatic or heterocyclic be and can carry substituents such as chlorine, hydroxyl groups and iltherreste. they should

00 9833/0588

- β - 1Α-31 134

however, no active groups such as isocyanate groups that react with water.

For purposes of illustration, the following are many of the polyepoxides, and particularly those of the polymer type described by the term "epoxy equivalence". This term refers to the average Number of epoxy groups in the polyepoxide molecule. The epoxy equivalency is determined by the dividing the average molecular weight of the polyepoxide by the epoxide equivalent weight.

If the polyepoxide consists of a single compound and all epoxy groups are intact, the epoxy equivalence can be expressed by an integer such as 2, 3, 4, etc. Is it, however, see van polyepoxides dea polymer type, so they can contain some of the monomeric monoepoxides, or some of its epoxy groups may be hydrated or converted to other wise and / or macromolecules iron varying slightly. Molecular weight included, so that the epoxy valence value is quite low and must be expressed by fractions. The polymeric material can then, for example, have epoxy equivalence values such as 1.5 »1» b; 2.5 and the same have.

009833 / OSS6

-7 - 1A-31 134

Preferred among the polyepoxides are the epoxy polyethers of polyhydric phenols, as obtained by reacting a polyhydric phenol with a halogen-containing epoxy or dihalohydrin in an alkaline medium. Polyhydric phenols necessary for this Purpose usable are mononuclear phenols such as resorcinol, catechol, hydroquinone, methylresorcinol or polynuclear phenols such as 2,2-bis (4-hydroxyphenyl) prop'ane (Bisphenol A), 2,2-bis (4-hydroxyphenyl) - "butane, 4,4- '-dihydroxy-benzophenone, bis (4-hydroxyphenyl) -ethane, 2,2-bis (4-hydroxyphenyl) pentane, 1,5-dihydroxynaphthalene, novolaks and resols. As examples of halogen-containing The following substances may be mentioned epoxides: 3-chloro-1 , 2-epoxybutane, 3-bromo-1,2-epoxyhexaii, 3-chloro-, 1,2-epoxyoctane and the same.

The dihydric phenols obtained by this process and epichlorohydrin made monomeric products can be represented by the general formula

GH ₂ -GH-CH ₂ -ORO-CH ₂ -CH-Oh ₂

wherein R is a divalent hydrocarbon radical of the dihydric phenol. The polymer products are - in general not a single, simple iYtolecule, but a complex mixture of Giycidylpolyäthern the general formula

009333/0586

- 8 - 1A-31

ο ο

CH ₂ -CH-CH ₂ -O (RO-CH ₂ -GHOH-CH ₂ -O) _n RO-CH ₂ -CH-GH ₂

wherein R is a divalent hydrocarbon radical of the divalent Phenol and η is an integer from the series zero, 1, 2, 3 and so on. While for every single molecule of the polyether η is an integer, is due to the fact that the polyether obtained is a mixture of represents various compounds, the final value for η is an average value, which is not necessarily must be zero or an integer.

Preferred members of the group of polyepoxides described above are the glycidyl polyethers of the dihydric phenols, in particular 2,2-bis (4-hydroxyphenyl) propane, which has an epoxy equivalence between 1.0 and 2.0 and a molecular weight between 250 and 900 Has. Those for which a softening point of not more than about 80 ^° C., determined by Durran's mercury method, is particularly preferred.

Another group of polyepoxides is represented by the glycidyl ethers of novalak resins. These resins are obtained by condensing an aldehyde with a polyhydric phenol, and a typical member of this series is the epoxy resin made from novolak resin, which is obtained from formaldehyde and 2 , 2-bis ( 4-hydroxyphenyl) propane is obtained.

0 0 9 0 3 3/0 5 8 6 BAD ORIGINAL

- 9 - '1A-31

Other polyepoxides are polyglycidyl ethers of polyvalent ones Alcohols such as glycerol, trimethylolpropane and pentaerythritol or polyglycidyl esters of polybasic Carboxylic acids such as phthalic, isophthalic and terephthalic acids.

The invention with those described above Polyepoxides to be combined hardeners are compounds that contain a plurality of active hydrogen

Have H atoms, i.e. several -Ä groups in which I have a Amino nitrogen is as present in polyamines and polyamides containing amino groups.

Preferred aliphatic polyamines are the alkylene polyamines the formula

wherein R is an optionally by a hydrocarbon O-Li 'radical represents substituted alkylene radical and η is a number of at least 1; an upper limit for the number of alkylene groups in the molecule not,

Examples of polyamines include ethylenediamine, diethylenetriamine, triethylenetetramine, tetraethylene _T penuamin, 1,4-diaminobutane, 1,3-diaminobutane, hexamethylenediamine, 3- (N-isopropylamino) propylamine, M, M '-oiethyl-1, 3- propanediamine, hexapro'5 | p _/ lenhei3tamin and JijN'dibutyl-1, 6-hexanediamine.

Polyethylene polyamine mixtures are particularly preferred, where 20 to 80 wt .- ^ of the existing Polyethylene polyamines have a medium molecular weight 200 to ί ^ ΟΟ.

00 983 3/0588

- 10 -. 1E-31 134

. The series of these high molecular weight polyethylene polyamines usually begins with tetraethylene pentamine and contains higher polymers, the complex nature of which increases with increasing molecular weight. The remainder of 80 "to 20 ° / o of the mixture of diethylene triamine, which is present in a proportion such that the mixture at about room temperature (10 to 25 0) is liquid. Mixtures of the high molecular weight polyethylene polyamines usually fall in the preparation of ethylenediamine as soil products.

Other examples of polyamines are those with one or more cycloaliphatic rings, such as i-cyclohexyl-amino-3-aminopropane, 1,4-diaminocyclohexane, 1,3-diaminocyclopentane, di- (aminocyelohexyl) methane, Di (aminocyclohexyl) sulfone, 1,3-bi- (aminocyclohexyl) propane, 4-isopropyl-1,2-diaminocyclohexane, 2,4-diaminocyclohexane, N ^ N'-diethyl-1,4-diaminocyclohexane and the same. Preferred members from this group are those polyamines which contain at least one, optionally alkyl-substituted amino group have that are directly linked to a cycloaliphatic Ring with 5 to 7 carbon atoms is bonded. These cycloaliphatic amines are preferred obtained by hydrogenation of the corresponding aromatic amines. 8o one obtains e.g. di-ianiinocyclohexyl) -me than by hydrogenating methylene dianiline "

0098 3 3/0588

- 11 -r 1A-31 134

Also suitable are heterocyclic polyamines,

such as N- (aminoalkyl) piperazines, e.g. N-aminoethylpiperazine and N-aminobutylpiperazine.

Other suitable Polymaine are products such as one they in the implementation of the above "described alkylene polyamines with monoepoxides, polyepoxides or unsaturated nitriles in such amounts that some, however, not all of the active amino hydrogen atoms are split off will.

Imidazoline, among others, are also suitable as starting materials connections that are made by the implementation of Monocarboxylic acids with polyamines; they can be represented by the formula

X CR ¹

where X is an ethylene radical, R ^{f represents} the position of a long-chain hydrocarbon radical, preferably one with at least 12 carbon atoms, and R is an organic radical which contains an optionally substituted amine group. Particularly preferred members of this series are those which have been obtained by reacting polyalkylene polyamines with long-chain monocarboxylic acids, for example with those which contain at least 12 and preferably 16 "to 30 carbon atoms.

00 9833/0586

BATH ORIGINAL

1634578

- 12 - 1A-31

Particularly preferred starting materials with a plurality on amino hydrogen atoms are the polyamides that consist of Obtained polycarboxylic acids with at least 7 carbon atoms per molecule and an aliphatic polyamine the resulting product having free amino groups. Among these preferred substances stand out especially from the polyamides, which originate from polymerized, unsaturated fatty acids, e.g. from the dimerized and trimerized unsaturated fatty acids obtained by heating of polymerizing fatty acids of drying oils under known conditions. The term "polymerized unsaturates Fatty acids "is meant here in a broad sense and includes the polymerized mixtures of dimerized, trimerized or more highly polymerized acids as well as small amounts of residual Monomer a.

The polyamines used according to the invention to produce the polyamides are preferably the alkylene polyamines and the polyalkylene polyamines, such as ethylenediamine, Diethylenetriamine, triethylenetetramine, tetraethylenepentamine, 1,4-diaminobutane, 1,5-diaminobutane, hexamethylenediamine, 3- (N-isopropyiamino) propylamine and the like.

0 0 9 8 3 3 / Cl B 8 G

13 - 1A-31

The "particularly preferred polyamides have at 40 ⁰ G has a viscosity from 10 to 1750 poises, preferably from 20 to 350 poises. Preferred polyamides also have amine values between 50 and 450. The amine number is the number of milligrams of KOH which the in one gram of the polyamide is equivalent to any free amino groups present.

Particularly suitable are the liquid polyamides which are produced by condensation of polymerized linolenic acid with an aliphatic polyamine, for example diethylenetriamine, and which have the following properties: amine value 210 to 230; Viscosity at 4O ⁰ C: '500 to 750 poises; specific weight: 0.99.

The polyamides used according to the invention have preferably at least two hydrogen atoms bonded to amino nitrogen atoms. Such products will be obtained by proportioning each other using an excess of the polyamine reactant controls such that at least two amino hydrogen atoms are always present.

Accelerators can also be in the liquid mixture to be available. Preferred among these are phenolic compounds, tertiary amines and mercaptans, in particular the phenol itself and the tri- (dimethylaminomethyl) phenol. Other phenolic compounds, e.g., alkyl substituted ones

00 9 8 33/0580

-H- 1A-31

Phenols, can also be used. The amount of these accelerators is generally between about 0.1 and 5 ° / o by weight of the amine Harte agent.

The ratio between polyepoxide and the substance with the amino hydrogen can vary within a wide range. The the amino hydrogen Contributing substance should not be at least in excess of 5 f <>, however ^ preferably from 50 $> over the stoichiometric amount of polyepoxide present. (The term stoichiometric amount means that amount which is required to provide an amino hydrogen for each epoxy group to be converted).

According to the invention, the mixture of polyepoxide and hardening agents is a pumpable liquid which can contain solvents such as aliphatic, aromatic and cycloaliphatic hydrocarbons, ketones, ethers, alcohols and mixtures thereof. Suitable solvents for polyepoxides are xylene, aromatic extracts from gas or lubricating oil or heavy, catalytically cracked cyclic oils, generally oils which ^{boil above 80 ° C.} , preferably between Y1b and 345 ° O. A particularly useful solvent for the polyepoxide is an ax'omatic kerosene extract, which has a boiling range from 1Yh to 26 [3 ⁰ O and an aromatic content of at least bO wt .- ^ a, the remainder being saturated non-aromatic hydrocarbons.

009033/0586

1834576

■ ^{ί ;;} - 15 - 1Α-31 134

Suitable solvents for the amino hydrogen

\ -

containing hardeners are the lower ones. Alcohols and Ketones, such as ethanol, isopropanol, and acetone. "-" '

The polyepoxide and the hardener can each be dissolved in a solvent, in which case the two solutions are mixed briefly before use. The viscosity of the solutions should preferably be between 1 and 100 poises g at the temperature of the soil formation to be treated

and the concentration of the polyepoxide and the Hardener in such solutions can vary from 5 to 20 vol-JS. However, higher concentrations can also be applied. '·

In the following example, which explains the process according to the invention in more detail, "Polyether A" is a liquid polyether of 2,2-bis (4-hydroxyphenyl) propane with an epoxy equivalent weight of 200, a molecular weight of 350 and a viscosity of 150 poises . "25 ⁰ C. -

example

The example shows the preparation of a liquid mixture containing polyether A and a polyamine from dimerized linolenic acid and diethylenetriamine.

0 0 9 8 3 3/0586

- 16 - ΊΑ-31 134

The preparation was prepared by mixing the following ingredients in the specified weight ratios:

Parts by weight of polyamides of dimerized linolenic acid

and diethyleneamine with an amine value of

306 80

Polyether A 20

The drawing serves to explain the method according to the invention in more detail.

Fig. 1 is a schematic representation, partly in section, of a platform erected in the water for whose load-bearing pile construction plates according to the invention were used to prevent the washout.

Jig. Figure 2 shows the effect of washing out on the bottom of a body of water in which a protected pile is sunk.

I ¹ Ig. In contrast to this, FIG. 3 shows a post which is surrounded by a plate according to the invention, which prevents leaching.

i'ig * 4 β barks an equally solitary one, with a plate surrounded Pfa.liJ in plan view.

009833/0 5 86

- 17 - '11-31 134

Jig. 5 shows a preferred form of a device for carrying out the method according to the invention.

6 illustrates another embodiment of a such device for carrying out the method.

In Fig. 1, a substructure 10 is shown, which carries a platform 11 and a derrick 12, which in safe Distance above the surface of a body of water 6 are arranged.

Of course, the platform 11 can also contain other product elements, such as a so-called "Christmas tree", etc. •wear. · ■. - .-.

The substructure .10 consists of at least 3> preferably 4 supports, posts or piles 13> which in general made of metal and held together by bracing 14.

The supports 13 can have a length of approximately 60 to approximately 100 m, so that they securely anchor and support the substructure TO and the platform 11 mounted on it. The weight of the substructure 10 of the platform 11 · is supported in particular by die'Oberflächenreibung between the base 7 of the waters "<■> and the piles 13 over their entire embedded Leinte.

BATH ORIGINAL

· ■ 009833/058 8

- 18 - 1A-31 134

Approximately at the upper limit of the water bed 7 are the piles 13 with the float plates 15, according to the invention were generated in place to reduce the washout of the water currents, tides and wave movements on the silt and loose ground around the piles to prevent around.

From Fig. 2 the manner in which the floating forces of the water at the upper limit can be seen the bottom 7 affect the outer surface of a pile 13 around, so that by rinsing the bottom a Recess 8 is formed. The dashed horizontal line 9 indicates the original horizontal surface of the Reason 7 before the recess B was formed. The washout can lead to surface friction between the bottom and the outer surface of the pile 13 is reduced so that the piles 13 and that of platform 11 carried by them sink deeper and deeper into the ground. Through this sinking of the iitiifcz construction the drilling and production work can be completely interrupted and, if necessary, the entire platform can collapse.

Like from Pig. 3 and 4, the risk of that the ground around the posts 13 was washed out by the water will be turned off by being in a zone extending radially from the pile 13 from Ln

0 0 9 83 3/0 η Β G

BATH ORIGINAL

1034571

- -19 - 1A-31 134

Direction uniformly to all sides, forms a resin plate 15 which prevents the washout. This anchoring plate 15 ″ is preferably formed a solidifying liquid preparation from the resin-forming material detailed above,

The preparation flows as long as it is still liquid is down and mingles with the crowd to form the rope of the water bed 7 at its upper limit (see Fig. 2), so that a set mass 16 is formed * the one with good effect prevents water currents or wave motion from removing the ground from the vicinity of the piles 13 wash away * The resin-forming mixtures preferred according to the invention have strong adhesion to metal, so that the resin protection plate 15 formed on the water bed 7 acts as an additional transverse stress layer, which is the strength of the embedded part of the column structure 13 increased significantly.

In Fig. 5 is a preferred embodiment of the Device for carrying out the method according to the invention shown «The structural part closed at the lower end or 3? pale 17 (which can be hollow or compact can), is initially to sit down in the bottom of the water 7, i.e. it is driven in to a siei'e at which the surface friction and the the forces of the formations of the bottom 7 are sufficient to

009333/0688 BAD ORIGINAL

- 20 - 1A-31 134

to prevent further penetration due to the ramming forces After the pile 17 has been driven in, the afterwards solidifying liquid resin mixture, e.g. a mixture prepared according to the example, in the corresponding amount from a mixture arranged above the water surface Yorrat is pumped down via an auxiliary line 20 which is fixed to the pile 17 by a fastening 21. The auxiliary line 20 opens into an annular tube 22, which is slipped from above over the pile 17 and together with the line 20 can be positioned. If necessary, the ring tube 22 can also consist of two semicircular pieces, which are connected to each other by divers and fastened around the lower part of the sunken pile can.

The ring tube 22 has a larger number of passages or openings 23, which are uniformly over his Are distributed undersurface so that the solidifying liquid resin is evenly ejected into a zone, which extends radially outward from the post 17 (see arrows 24). With ongoing, accordingly Controlled pumps, the liquid mass flows down via the line 20, emerges from the openings 23 and spreads outward in all directions from the post 17, partly coinciding with the upper one Layer of the water bed 7 mixes; the emerging The layer combines extraordinarily when the urine hardens.

00 983 3/0586 BAD ORIGINAL

- 21 - u-31

lent firmly to both the ground and the stake so that the anchoring and protective plate 15 is formed (see Figs. 1, 3>, 4).

In Pig. 6 is another embodiment of the device for “carrying out the method according to the invention shown, which comes to use when the supports

26 are hollow. As from I ¹ Ig. 6, the hollow metal support 26 has a number of radial passages or slots 27 which can be cut into the support 26 from the outside, which may also be provided by divers when the support is already in place. In order to avoid a weakening of the support 26 by the slots 27, perforated plates 28 can be welded on in place. A suitable sealing plug 29 is then lowered through the slots 26 from above and below the passageways

27 attached so that it forms a partition that the part of the support 26 located further below is separated. After these preparations, a line 30 is made from above brought into position, soak through the solidifiable, still liquid mixture is pumped down from where it; then radially in the direction of arrows 31 through the slots is pressed on. If necessary, the line 30 can through a on father, not shown stopper hindurehgejufrrf; v / earth, which is arranged above the soles 27 errs, and uorgfc that line 30 is in the correct

' BAD ORIGINAL

009833/0536

- 22 - 1A-31 134

Position "remains, and that the liquid mixture under corresponding pressure is pressed to the outside.

If necessary, however, the most varied of options can also be used other devices can be used for carrying out the method according to the invention. For example a cement slurry can can be used to remove the To apply the liquid mixture to the soil layer 7, whereupon divers spread the mixture over a zone which radially surrounds the support 26. Likewise can a mechanical plunger is pushed down through a hollow structural member or brace to release the mixed fluid to push out of the support so that there is a layer around the support lying on the bottom of the water forms around.

The extent of the zone covered by the protective plate depends on the degree of natural consolidation the soil at the upper end of the water bed and the intensity with which the liquid mixture spreads will. In general, the horizontal surface of the protective plate should be a multiple of the surface of the horizontal Cut area through the support, for example, a hundred times. For example, a cylindrical Support with an outer diameter of 1 m, preferably a protective plate require whose surface area has a diameter in the order of magnitude of 10 m.

la Lenta ηα \. smells

009833/0586 bad original

Claims (8)

- 23 - U-31 134 - claims, 1. ^ Procedure for embedding construction elements, such as piles and the like, in the loose bed of bodies of water, characterized in that one part of the construction element sinks into the ground, whereupon one "solidifies." suitable liquid mixture distributed in a zone, which surrounds the element approximately on the surface of the water bed, whereupon the liquid mixture solidified in contact with the structural element and the water bed. 2. Method according to claim T, characterized in that the distribution zone has a horizontal surface which is approximately one hundred times the surface of a horizontal section through the structural element. 3. The method according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized characterized in that it is used to solidify suitable liquid mixture from a point above the water surface can flow down to a part of the construction element, which is approximately at the top Border of the Gev / äs sergrund it establishes, and that one ensures that in that the fluid mixture / radial direction after spreads outward so that around the structural element forms a horizontal layer around it, 009833/0586 BATH ORIGINAL - 24 - 1A-31 134 4. The method according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the solidification suitable preparation in the liquid state flow down through a longitudinal channel in the interior of the construction element and allowing it to exit through passages radially disposed on the element. 5 «method according to any one of claims 1 to 4> thereby characterized in that there is a liquid mixture used, which consists of a resin-forming preparation in the form of a pumpable-liquid mixture of one Polyepoxide and an epoxy resin as a hardener. Exists. 6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5 »characterized in that the liquid resin-forming preparation is a polyepoxide which has on average more than one epoxy group per molecule, and that the hardener having a larger number of amino hydrogen atoms in an excess of at least 5 ° / o is present beyond the stoichiometric amount. 7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the polyepoxide is a liquid Is polyglycidyl ether of a polyhydric phenol. 00 98 3 3/0586 - 25 - 1A-51 134- 8. The method according to any one of claims 1 "to 7, characterized geke η η ζ ei without t that the curing agent is a polyamide of a polymerized unsaturated fatty acid and an aliphatic polyamine. 0 0 9 8 3 3/0586 Blank page