GB2409873A

GB2409873A - A pile top plate with horizontal and vertical adjustment

Info

Publication number: GB2409873A
Application number: GB0427073A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Graham Robinson; Mark Robinson; Stuart Robinson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-12-10
Filing date: 2004-12-10
Publication date: 2005-07-13
Also published as: GB0427073D0; GB0328658D0

Abstract

A foundation system includes a tubular pile A, with a pile cap D and an offset top plate G, which has threaded bolts welded to the top plate G. The pile cap D is fixed to the offset top plate G using the threaded bolts in conjunction with washers and nuts, positioned at either side of the pile cap D, thus allowing vertical adjustment of the offset top plate G at each point of the bolts. The offset top plate G also includes elongated apertures, allowing for horizontal adjustment, for use in fixing the structure to a platform or similar sub-structure.

Description

Background and Problem definition

This invention relates to a foundation system for lightweight structures. especially but not limited to conservatories, comprising steel section foundation beams mounted on and supported by hollow steel piles driven into the ground to a depth that provides the required load bearing capacity, and floor beams fixed to the foundation beams to support the floor of the said structure.

Usually, foundations are concrete foundation blocks inserted into the ground and require the removal of spoil t'rom the site location.

The disadvantage of this system is that the concrete blocks are heavy and take time to set. A further disadvantage is that the excavation of the foundation takes considerable time and el'l'ort, and the disposal of the spoil is expensive. This disadvantage has become more important since the introduction of the landfill tax.

The use of piles replaces this system and substantially reduces these disadvantages in that the piles can be installed to the required load bearing capacity quickly using a pile driving tool, without the excavation or disposal of spoil, and that the foundation beams can be prefabricated to the required dimensions and assembled onto the piles at the construction site.

For the erection of conservatories, another disadvantage is that the foundation needs to be placed and levelled to within small tolerances. Once set, the concrete blocks cannot be easily adjusted. It is critical for the foundation to be accurate, as the roof is often manufactured ofl'site, and any errors in the foundation can present misalignment to the roof when the building is constructed.

The invention gives significant practical improvements in that the top plate of the piles can be quickly and easily adjusted, to within small tolerances. This performs the function of levelling the angle of the pile if it is not driven vertically into the ground, and avoids any misalignment of the floor to the roof when the building construction is progressed.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: ig 1: Shows a model of the pile Fig 2: Shows a section of the foundation beam Fig 3: Shows a model ol the foundation system overall including pile Fig 4: Shows Pile extension

Detailed Description

See figure 1. The pile is a hollow steel tube A with one end cut to form a pointed edge, and the other end cut straight with the inclusion of slots B. separated evenly around the edge, for a bayonet fixture allowing the pile cap to be slotted and fixed onto the pile or for additional pile lengths to fixed to the pile. A helical screw C is fiend to the base of the pile to improve the driving process and increase strength.

The pile cap includes steel plate D with evenly positioned bolt holes drilled at a diameter wider than the outer diameter of the tube.

A sleeve E, welded to the pile cap plate D, slides inside the pile tube, by means ofthe pile being either swayed to accommodate the outer diameter to the sleeve, or that the sleeve diameter is appropriately smaller that the pile diameter to allow it to be fitted.

I'he pile cap includes pins F welded through the sleeve sides to fit into the bayonet slots in order to vertically fix the pile cap to the pile when rotated clockwise.

The ol't'set top plate G. being of wider diameter than the pile cap plate D, is drilled to accommodate the fixing to the foundation beams. Threaded studs H are fiend to the plate to fit loose the corresponding holes on the pile cap, and nuts I and washers.i are fitted on the studs between the pile cap plate D and the offset top plate G. and beneath the pile cap plate L), to allow the vertical adjustment of the of i'set top plate at the location of the threaded bolts, which provides the function of the offset top plate to be levclled where the pile has not being driven vertically. In addition, the offset top plate is positioned ol'fset to the centre of the pile allowing adjustment of fixing the offset top plate to the foundation beams on the horizontal plane, therefore providing the function of ensuring the foundation beams are laid in the correct position even if the pile has been driven out of position.

See Fig 4. A length of tube, of equal diameter to the pile with one end swayed with slots machined for use as bayonet fixtures and at the opposite end corresponding pins Y. is used to attach to the pile so as to add extra length to the pile when driving to a depth for the required load bearing capacity of the structure.

By way of illustration of the application of the pile and adjustable cap, here lies an example of the load bearing platform or raft that the pile supports. See Figure 2 and 3.

The foundation beam K and floor beams L will be sheet steel folded into a rectangular box section with flanges on either side along the length of the section. The foundation beams will form the outer 'ring' beam ofthe raft, and the foundation beams will be joined by corner cleats M. The foundation beams are fixed to the top plate Cal of the piles, situated at each corner of the structure. Where the length or width of the structure requires additional supporting piles, these are added and fiend to the ends of the adjoining foundation beams.

The foundation beam internal flange will support the floor beams and, where appropriate, any internal walls required for the structure. The external Range will support the external walls of the structure.

A sul'ficient number of floor beams L are laid within the area of the foundation beams at equal distance and are bolted to the inside flange of the foundation beam K and the floor beam flanges support sheet steel soffit and insulation laid to fill the cavity of the floor beams, which can then be covered with polythene and flooring as required.

Claims

Claims 1. A foundation system for any lightweight structure comprising a

pile that supports a load bearing platl'orm or similar sub-structure, that incorporates an interface between the pile and the aforementioned substructure that provides the function of ad justment in both the vertical and horizontal planes of the fixing points between the pile and the supported sub-structure.
2. A foundation system as in Claim 1, where the interface between pile and supported platform comprises a pile cap and an offset top plate.
3. A foundation system as in Claim 2, where the pile cap comprised of a plate with apertures, providing the ability to fix the plate to the offset top plate, and a is fixed to the pile by means of a sleeve that slides inside the pile, and is secured in place by the use of bayonet pins and slots.
4. A foundation system as in Claim 2, where the offset top plate is comprised of an ol'l'set plate with apertures, providing the ability to fix the plate to the supported platform or similar sub-structure, and includes threaded bolts fixed to the plate that correspond to apertures in the pile cap.
5. A foundation system as in Claim 2, where the offset top plate is fixed to the pile cap using washers and nuts on the threaded bolts on the top plate, on opposite sides of the plate on the pile cap
6. A foundation system as in Claim 5, where the adjustment of any nut on the threaded bolts alters the vertical position of the offset top plate at each point where the bolt is fixed to the offset top plate.
7. A foundation system as in Claim 4, where the apertures, for fixing the top plate to the supported platform or similar sub-structure, are elongated to accommodate the horizontal location of the fixing point.
8. A foundation system as in Claim 1, where the pile is a hollow tube.
9. A foundation system as in Claim 1, where the pile can be extended in length by means of a hollow tube with one end that slides and fixes to the pile in the same method as the pile cap.
10. A foundation system as in Claim 1, where the supported platform or similar sub-structure is a Conservatory or Garden Room.