Formation and backfill of cavities in soil by jetting

Abstract

Abstract FLUID JETTING TECHNIQUES ARE APPLIED TO THE FORMATION AND BACKFILL OF CAVITIES FORMED IN MATERIAL, WITH THE INVENTION ENCOMPASSING BOTH THE METHOD AND APPARATUS TO ACCOMPLISH THE INDICATED RESULTS. THE APPARATUS UTILIZES A VANED OR FLUTED DEVICE THAT PERMITS DIRECTING A SUFFICIENTLY HIGH VELOCITY FLUID STREAM TO BE DIRECTED INTO THE MATERIAL TO DEVELOPE THE DESIRED CAVITY, WITH THE FLUID AND MATERIAL REMOVED PASSING AS EFFLUENT THROUGH THE PATH OR PATHS PROVIDED BY THE VANES OR FLUTES. BY SUITABLY SIZING THE VALES OR FLUTES, THE EFFLUENT VELOCITY CAN BE CONTROLLED RELATIVE THE VELOCITY OF THE FLUID DIRECTED INTO THE MATERIAL. WHERE EXTERNAL VANES OR FLUTES ARE UTILIZED, THE FINAL SHAPE OF THE FORMED CAVITY CAN BE TRIMMED TO CONFORM TO THE DIMENSIONS OF THE VANE OR FLUTE EXTREMITIES. WHERE LIQUID IS USED IN FORMING THE CAVITY, SUCH LIQUID EFFLUENT AS MAY RESULT FROM THE CAVITY FORMING OPERATION MAY BE AT LEAST PARTLY PURGED FROM THE CAVITY BY ITRODUCING ADDITIONAL FLUID TO DISPLACE THE FLUID WITHIN THE CAVITY TO THE EXTENT DESIRED. GRANULAR BACKFILL MATERIAL MAY BE DEPOSITED IN THE CAVITY BY USING COMPRESSIBLE FLUID TO MAINTAIN THE FLOW OF PARTICLES BY INTRODUCING THE COMPRESSIBLE FLUID IN A MANNER SO AS TO MINIMIZE CONTACT BETWEEN PARTICLES, THEREBY AVOIDING CLOGGING OF THE FLOW OF THE GRANULAR BACKFILL ENTERING THE CAVITY.

Inventors

• 👤 Richard E Landau

Bibliographic Details