GB2302557A

GB2302557A - Pile joint

Info

Publication number: GB2302557A
Application number: GB9612446A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Roger Alfred Bullivant
Original assignee: Roxbury Ltd
Current assignee: Roxbury Ltd
Priority date: 1995-06-24
Filing date: 1996-06-14
Publication date: 1997-01-22
Anticipated expiration: 2016-06-14
Also published as: GB2302557B; GB9512902D0; GB9612446D0

Abstract

A pile joint has a male member in the form of a shaped plate 34 mounted spaced from the end of a first pile section 12 and a female member in the from of an apertured plate 26 spaced from the end of a second pile section 10 the aperture having a shape corresponding to the shape of the male member so that to the male member in a first orientation can penetrate the aperture in the female member and in a second orientation is prevented from passing through the female member. The space beneath the apertured plate 26 is filled with a settable material, e.g. cement, to take up any clearances between the joint members.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO PILE JOINTS the present invention concerns improvements in or relating to pile joints.

Piles are often provided ill sections which are connected together in end-to-end relationship as the pile is driven into the grouted to form t the complete pile. As it is necessary for there to be continuity of stress transmission throughout the length of the composite pile it is necessary that the joint between each pile section provides such continuity, especially in reinforced pre-cast concrete piles.

In the past joints o f in any different designs have been employed but in view of the mechanical requirements of the joints they have been relatively expensive.

One typycal prior joint comprises male and female threaded interconnectable sections. Whereas such a joint is efficient in transmitting loading and stresses it is relatively expensivc to manufacture in that it requires a relatively accurate machining process.

A modificiation of the screwed connection includes a bayonet connection but, again, sucti a conriection requires a relatively expensive accurate machining operation to ensure that t the assembled joint is sufficiently tight to meet all the demands made of it in operation.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate these and other disadvantages.

According to the present invention there is provided a pile joint comprising interconnectable first and second members, tie first and second members each including a plate rigidly connected to the section on the plane transverse to the longitudinal axis of the section and spaced from the end of the section, the plate on the first section having an aperture therein and the plate on the section having a shape cor respoiidi rig to tioc shape of t the said aperture, said shape being such that the shaped plate can penetrate the aperture in one relative orientation of the plate and aperture and is prr'vcnt.cd frntii removal I in a different orientation, and settable means located between said apertured plate and end of said first section which, after the joint has been made, set to take up any tolerance within the joint.

Preferably the shaped plate is formed by that piece of material removed runi the apertured plate to form the aperture. Said piece of material may be removed by a flame cutting operation or by a punching operation.

Preferably the shape of the aperture is based on @irele having four outwardly dire@ted radial cuts therefrom, equi-spaced about the circumference of the circle and further cuts curving inwardly from the outer end of a radial @ut to the inner end of the next preceding radial cut.

Alternatively the aperture is square or circular with radially extending rectangular extensions.

Preferably said apertured plate is supported around its periphery by a rim, the profile of which corresponds to the external profile of the pile sections the rim providing the spacing of the first plate from the end of the section.

Preferably said shaped plate is mounted on a tube having a diameter no greater than the diameter of the circle on which the shape of the aperture is based or the width of the square and fixed to a mounting plate mountable on the end of the pile section.

Preferably a cage of reinforcement projects from said mounting plate and said apertured plate.

Preferably each reinforcing cage includes at least two, spaced apart, U-shaped members mounted to the plate at their free ends. Transverse reinforeing members may extend around said U-shaped members.

Each joint member may include a head band surrounding the end of the pile section.

An embodiment of te present invention will now i)e described to by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 shows a dismantled joint between first and second pile sections; Fig. 2 shows a plan view of the end of one of said sections; and Figs. 3 and 4 shows plan views of the end of one of said sections in modified arrangement.

Precast concrete pile sections 1 10,12 each comprise a square cross-section concrete member 14 with longitutinally extending reinforcing steel bars 16 near each corner. A female joint member 18 is provided at the end of the sectioii 1U and a corresponding male joint member 20 at the end of the section 12. The female joint member 18 comprises a mounting plate 22 fixed to tie end of the pile section 10 and surrounded by a rim member 24 which provides a head band for the section 10 and extends away from the end of the section to support @@ aperture plate 26 at a distance from the mounting plate 22.

The aperture 28 in the plate 26 is cut out of the originally complete plate member 26 by a flame cutter and, as can be seen from Fig. 2, is based on a circle.

Four equi-spaced outwardly radially extending cuts 30 are formed and further curved cuts 32 are formed, extending from the outer end of each cut 30 to the inner end of the next preceding cut 30.

The piece of material removed during the flame cutting operation to form the aperture 28 is retained to form Lhe male joint member for the second pile section 12. @his member 34 is rigidly fixed by welding to the end of a short tubular section 36 the outer diameter of which is no greater than the diameter between the inner ends of two diammatically opposed radial cuts 30. The tubular section is rigidly mounted on a mounting plate 38 having a peripheral rim or head band 40 extending rearwardly therefrom.

Each plate member 22,38 has a reinforcing assembly fixed thereto and projectiiiq from the side thereof opposite to the side to which the apertured and shaped plates 36,34 are mounted. Each reinforcing assembly comprises a pair of spaced apart U-shaped reinforciny members 42 manufactured frori reinforcing bar.

Peripheral reinforcing link members 44 surround each pair of members and tie the U shaped members 42 in with the longitudinally extending reinforcing member 16 of each pile section 10,12.

A pile section is manufactured by a normal concrete moulding technique with a male joint member placed at one end of the mould and a female joint member at the other end, the reinforcing members extending therebetween. Concrete is poured into a mould in which the reinforcement and joint members have been placed ad after A. t has set Liie pill le section is removed from the mould In operation, after one pile section 10 has been dr I veri by any suitable pile driving technique and the length of the pile has to be extended, a further pile section 12 is presented to the top of the first pile section 10 with the longitudinal axes of the pile sections coincident arid the top sectiori orientated such that its plate 34 can be introduced through the aperture 28 in the previously driven section. The second section is then rotated by an amount between 0 and 900 so that removal through the aperture in the longitudinal direction is prevented ttius making the joint between the two sections.Preferably the shaped member 34 is so orientated that after rotation take sides of the second pile section are aligned with those of the first pile section.

It will be realised that as a result of the relatively crude flame cutting operation there will be considerable clearances between the joint members. This clearance is efficiently and inexpensively taken up by filling the space beneath the apertured member 26 of the first pile section with a settable material, preferably a cementitious material, prior to the insertion of the male member. On setting, Liii s material takes up any clearances to provide a continuous joint which meets all pile section joint requirements.

Various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention, for example, the shaped member and aperture can have any convenient shape which provides for insertion of one member through the other and in making of tlie joint after relative rotation between the members, Lion t is it provides, in general terms, a bayonet connection.

Fig. 3 shows that the aperture can be square and Fig. 4 shows that it can be circular with radially extending rectangular extensions.

The arrangement of the enforcing bars, mounting members, plates etc., can vary.

The aperture can be formed in the plate any methods otloer than flame cutting. A punching method has been found to satisfactory.

Claims

claims:

I. A pile joint comprising interconnectable first and second members, the first and second members each including a plate rigidly connected to the section on the plane transverse to the longitudinal axis of the section and spaced from the end of the section, the plate on the first section having an aperture therein and the plate on the section having a shape corresponding to the shape of the said aperture, said shape being such that the shaped plate can penetrate the aperture in one relative orientation of the plate and aperture and is prevented from removal in a different orientation, and settable means located between said apertured plate and end of said first section which, afier the join I has been made, set lo take up any tolerance within the joint.
2. A joint as claimed in Claim 1, in which the shaped plate is formed by that piece of material removed from the apertured plate to form the aperture.
3. A joint as claimed in Claim 2, in which said piece of material is removed by a flame cutting operation or by a punching operation.
4. A joint as claimed in any of Claims 1-3, in which the shape of the aperture is based on a circle having four outwardly directed radial cuts tllcrcfroln, equi-spaced about the circumference of the circle and further cuts curving inwardly from the outer end of a radial cut to toe inner end of the next preceding radial cut.
5. A joint as claimed in any of Claims I to :3, in which the aperture is square.
G. A joint as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 3, in which the aperture is circular with radially extending rectangular extensions.
7. A joint as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which said apertured plate is supported around its periphery by a rim, the profile of which corresponds to the external profile of the pile section, the rim providing the spacing of the first plate from the end of the section.
8. A joint as claimed in any of Claims 4,(i or 7, in which said shaped plate is mounted oil a tube having a diameter no greater than the diameter of the circle on which the shape of the aperture is based.
A A joint as claimed in any of Claims 3,( or 7, in which said shaped plate is mounted on a tube having a diameter no greater than the width of the square and fixed to a snounling plate mouniable on the end of the pile section.
10. A joint as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which a cage of reinlorcement projects from said mounting plate and said apertured plate.
II. A joint as claimed in Claim 10, in which each reinforcing cage includes at least two, spaced apart, U-shaped members mounted to the plate at their free ends.
12. A joint as claimed in Claim 11, in which transverse reinforcing members extend around said U-shaped members.
13. A joint as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which each joint member includes a head band surrounding the end of the pile section.
14. A pile joint substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs.

1 and 2 or Figs. 3 or 4 of the accompanying drawings.

I S. Any novel sub jet matter or conibination including novel subject matler disclosed, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.