Method and structure for underpinning

Claim 1

A METHOD OF UNDERPINNING STRUCTURES HAVING AN EXISTING FOUNDATION WALL RESTING ON THE EARTH COMPRISING THE STEPS OF SEPARATELY REMOVING A PLURALITY OF RELATIVELY SHALLOW EARTH SECTIONS FROM CONTIGUOUS LOCATIONS DIRECTLY UNDER THE FOUNDATION WALL, EACH OF SAID EARTH SECTIONS HAVING A LENGTH NO GREATER THAN A SELF-SUPPORTING SPAN OF SAID WALL, POSITIONING A PLURALITY OF RELATIVELY SHALLOW STRUCTURAL SUPPORTING MEANS IN CONTIGUOUS END TO END DISPOSITION IN SAID LOCATIONS IN OPERATIVE SUPPORTING RELATION TO SAID WALL, SAID POSITIONING OF EACH OF SAID STRUCTURAL SUPPORTING MEANS BEING IN SEQUENCE TO REPLACE EACH OF SAID REMOVED EARTH SECTIONS WHILE THE WALL IS SUPPORTED AT BOTH ENDS THEREOF, SAID END SUPPORT BEING PROVIDED AS THE SUCCESSIVE STRUCTURAL SUPPORTING MEANS ARE POSITIONED BY UNREMOVED EARTH AND PREVIOUSLY POSITIONED STRUCTURAL SUPPORTING MEANS, CONNECTING SAID CONTIGUOUS STRUCTURAL SUPPORTING MEANS TOGETHER BY ELONGATED REINFORCING MEANS, SAID STRUCTURAL SUPPORTING MEANS COMPRISING CONTINUOUS HORIZONTAL MEMBERS RESISTANT TO HORIZONTAL COMPRESSION SO THAT SAID MEMBERS IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING SAID END SUPPORT BEFORE THE CONNECTION OF SAID ELONGATED REINFORCING MEANS ARE CONVERTED BY SAID CONNECTION INTO A CONTINUOUS BEAM SUPPORTING SAID WALL, AND EMPLACING A PLURALITY OF PIERS OF SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER DEPTH THAN SAID STRUCTURAL SUPPORTING MEANS AT LOCATIONS SPACED APART A DISTANCE GREATER THAN SAID EARTH SECTION LENGTH AND SUPPORTING SAID BEAM DIRECTLY UNDER SAID WALL.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF UNDERPINNING STRUCTURES HAVING AN EXISTING FOUNDATION WALL RESTING ON THE EARTH COMPRISING THE STEPS OF SEPARATELY REMOVING A PLURALITY OF RELATIVELY SHALLOW EARTH SECTIONS FROM CONTIGUOUS LOCATIONS DIRECTLY UNDER THE FOUNDATION WALL, EACH OF SAID EARTH SECTIONS HAVING A LENGTH NO GREATER THAN A SELF-SUPPORTING SPAN OF SAID WALL, POSITIONING A PLURALITY OF RELATIVELY SHALLOW STRUCTURAL SUPPORTING MEANS IN CONTIGUOUS END TO END DISPOSITION IN SAID LOCATIONS IN OPERATIVE SUPPORTING RELATION TO SAID WALL, SAID POSITIONING OF EACH OF SAID STRUCTURAL SUPPORTING MEANS BEING IN SEQUENCE TO REPLACE EACH OF SAID REMOVED EARTH SECTIONS WHILE THE WALL IS SUPPORTED AT BOTH ENDS THEREOF, SAID END SUPPORT BEING PROVIDED AS THE SUCCESSIVE STRUCTURAL SUPPORTING MEANS ARE POSITIONED BY UNREMOVED EARTH AND PREVIOUSLY POSITIONED STRUCTURAL SUPPORTING MEANS, CONNECTING SAID CONTIGUOUS STRUCTURAL SUPPORTING MEANS TOGETHER BY ELONGATED REINFORCING MEANS, SAID STRUCTURAL SUPPORTING MEANS COMPRISING CONTINUOUS HORIZONTAL MEMBERS RESISTANT TO HORIZONTAL COMPRESSION SO THAT SAID MEMBERS IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING SAID END SUPPORT BEFORE THE CONNECTION OF SAID ELONGATED REINFORCING MEANS ARE CONVERTED BY SAID CONNECTION INTO A CONTINUOUS BEAM SUPPORTING SAID WALL, AND EMPLACING A PLURALITY OF PIERS OF SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER DEPTH THAN SAID STRUCTURAL SUPPORTING MEANS AT LOCATIONS SPACED APART A DISTANCE GREATER THAN SAID EARTH SECTION LENGTH AND SUPPORTING SAID BEAM DIRECTLY UNDER SAID WALL.