Sleeved-pile structure

Claim 2

A structural assembly comprising in combination a pile; a sleeve surrounding a longitudinal portion of said pile; force transfer means interconnecting said sleeve internally to said pile at one or more selected locations along their common length; and means for preventing soil from entering the interior space between said pile and sleeve above said force transfer means and occupying this space when said pile and sleeve are embedded in a soil region.

Claim 3

A structural arrangement comprising in combination a pile; a sleeve surrounding a longitudinal length of said pile; force transfer means interconnecting said pile and sleeve at only pre-selected space locations; and sealing means for closing the interior space between said pile and sleeve at a pre-selected lower sleeve location and preventing soil from occupying this space when said pile and sleeve are driven as a unitary structure into a soil region.

Claim 4

A structural arrangement comprising in combination a pile; a sleeve surrounding a longitudinal length of said pile; force transfer means interconnecting said pile and sleeve at only pre-selected space locations; and sealing means for closing the interior space between said pile and sleeve at a pre-selected lower sleeve location and preventing soil from occupying this space when said pile and sleeve are driven as a unitary structure into a soil region.

Claim 5

A structure comprising a pile; a sleeve disposed about a longitudinal portion of said pile; and means interconnecting said pile and sleeve and sealing the space therebetween at a lower location along their common length such that when said pile and sleeve are driven into the soil as a unitary structure the sealing between said pile and sleeve prevents soil from entering the space within said sleeve that is above said lower location, said means interconnecting said pile and sleeve comprising the only force transfer means between said pile and sleeve.

Claim 6

A structure comprising a pile; a sleeve disposed about a longitudinal portion of said pile; and means interconnecting said pile and sleeve and sealing the space therebetween at a lower location along their common length such that when said pile and sleeve are driven into the soil as a unitary structure the sealing between said pile and sleeve prevents soil from entering the space within said sleeve that is above said lower location, said means interconnecting said pile and sleeve comprising the only force transfer means between said pile and sleeve.

Claim 7

In an arrangement as defined in claim 3 an additional force transfer means between said pile and sleeve at a location within said sleeve that is above said lower location.

Claim 8

A dolphin comprising a sleeve closed off at one end thereof and embedded in the seafloor such that said closed end is at a subcoil location; a pile positioned within said sleeve with one end thereof supported by said closed end and the other end extending into the fluid medium; means for transferring forces directed against said other end of said pile to said sleeve at one or more discrete pre-selected locations which occur at subsoil positions along the length of said sleeve where the soil resistance is large compared to that at the near soil surface region.

Claim 9

A dolphin comprising a sleeve closed off at one end thereof and embedded in the seafloor such that said closed end is at a subcoil location; a pile positioned within said sleeve with one end thereof supported by said closed end and the other end extending into the fluid medium; means for transferring forces directed against said other end of said pile to said sleeve at one or more discrete pre-selected locations which occur at subsoil positions along the length of said sleeve where the soil resistance is large compared to that at the near soil surface region.

Claim 12

A cluster dolphin comprising in combination a plurality of pipe piles embedded in the ocean floor in a pre-selected pattern, the upper end of each pile extending above the ocean surface; a sleeve surrounding a longitudinal portion of each pile, each sleeve being embedded in the ocean floor such that a soil-free annular space exists between each sleeve and its associated pile along a common length portion thereof and such that the upper end of each sleeve extends above the ocean floor; force transfer means interconnecting each sleeve and its associated pile at pre-selected locations beneath the ocean floor; and means for interconnecting the upper ends of the piles to form a cluster dolphin.

Claim 13

A cluster dolphin comprising in combination a plurality of pipe piles embedded in the ocean floor in a pre-selected pattern, the upper end of each pile extending above the ocean surface; a sleeve surrounding a longitudinal portion of each pile, each sleeve being embedded in the ocean floor such that a soil-free annular space exists between each sleeve and its associated pile along a common length portion thereof and such that the upper end of each sleeve extends above the ocean floor; force transfer means interconnecting each sleeve and its associated pile at pre-selected locations beneath the ocean floor; and means for interconnecting the upper ends of the piles to form a cluster dolphin.

Claim 14

A structure comprising, in combination a sleeve closed off at its lower end; a pile disposed within said sleeve with one end thereof resting on said closed off end, said pile having a length greater than that of said sleeve; and means located between said pile and said sleeve at one or more pre-selected positions along their common length which are between the upper and lower ends of said sleeve for transferring lateral forces from said pile to said sleeve only at these positions.

Claim 15

A structure comprising, in combination a sleeve closed off at its lower end; a pile disposed within said sleeve with one end thereof resting on said closed off end, said pile having a length greater than that of said sleeve; and means located between said pile and said sleeve at one or more pre-selected positions along their common length which are between the upper and lower ends of said sleeve for transferring lateral forces from said pile to said sleeve only at these positions.

Claim 16

In an arrangement as defined in claim 8 wherein the length of said sleeve and its flexural rigidity is such that when said sleeve is embedded into the soil, it behaves as a long pile.

Claim 17

A unitary structure comprising, in combination a pile; and a sleeve having a diameter greater than the size of said pile and a length less than that of said pile, said sleeve being disposed about said pile and having only its lower end connected to said pile such that when said pile and connected sleeve are driven as a unitary structure into the soil, the soil is prevented from entering upwardly into the interior space that exists between said pile and said sleeve, this soil-free space permitting said pile, when it is subjected to a lateral load, to experience deflections unconstrained by the soil conditions around said sleeve.

Claim 18

A unitary structure comprising, in combination a pile; and a sleeve having a diameter greater than the size of said pile and a length less than that of said pile, said sleeve being disposed about said pile and having only its lower end connected to said pile such that when said pile and connected sleeve are driven as a unitary structure into the soil, the soil is prevented from entering upwardly into the interior space that exists between said pile and said sleeve, this soil-free space permitting said pile, when it is subjected to a lateral load, to experience deflections unconstrained by the soil conditions around said sleeve.

Claim 19

In an arrangement as defined in claim 10 wherein the length of said sleeve and its flexural rigidity is such that when said sleeve is embedded into the soil, it behaves as a long pile.

Claim 20

Apparatus for improving the vertical distribution of lateral soil pressures caused by the lateral loading of a pile set in soil comprising a sleeve surrounding a longitudinal portion of said pile are embedded in the soil so as to provide around this portion of the pile a soil-free space that extends downwardly from the surface of the soil to the lower end of said sleeve, the length of said sleeve and its flexural rigidity being such that the embedded sleeVe behaves as a long pile; and means for transferring lateral load forces from said pile to said sleeve only at one or more locations which are below the soil surface.

Claim 21

Apparatus for improving the vertical distribution of lateral soil pressures caused by the lateral loading of a pile set in soil comprising a sleeve surrounding a longitudinal portion of said pile are embedded in the soil so as to provide around this portion of the pile a soil-free space that extends downwardly from the surface of the soil to the lower end of said sleeve, the length of said sleeve and its flexural rigidity being such that the embedded sleeVe behaves as a long pile; and means for transferring lateral load forces from said pile to said sleeve only at one or more locations which are below the soil surface.

Claim 22

A unitary structural assembly comprising, in combination a pile; a sleeve positioned about a longitudinal length of said pile; and means interconnecting the lower end of said sleeve and said pile and closing off the space therebetween whereby whenever said pile and connected sleeve are set in the soil with the top of said sleeve at or above the soil surface, a soil-free space exists around said pile from the soil surface down to said connecting means, said connecting means also serving to transfer lateral load forces applied to said pile to said sleeve at the lower end thereof, the length of said sleeve and its flexural rigidity being such that when said sleeve is set in the soil, it behaves as a long pile.

Claim 23

A unitary structural assembly comprising, in combination a pile; a sleeve positioned about a longitudinal length of said pile; and means interconnecting the lower end of said sleeve and said pile and closing off the space therebetween whereby whenever said pile and connected sleeve are set in the soil with the top of said sleeve at or above the soil surface, a soil-free space exists around said pile from the soil surface down to said connecting means, said connecting means also serving to transfer lateral load forces applied to said pile to said sleeve at the lower end thereof, the length of said sleeve and its flexural rigidity being such that when said sleeve is set in the soil, it behaves as a long pile.

Claim 24

In an arrangement as defined in claim 13, means in addition to said connecting means for also transferring lateral forces applied to said pile to said sleeve at one or more other locations which are between said soil surface and said connecting means.

Claim 25

A unitary structure comprising a pile having a circular cross section; a sleeve having a diameter greater than that of said pile and having a lower end portion tapered down to an opening the size of said pile; said sleeve being disposed about a longitudinal portion of said pile with the lower end of said tapered portion being connected to said pile so as to make a unitary structure of said sleeve and pile, the length of said sleeve and its flexural rigidity being selected with respect to the co-efficient of subgrade reaction of the soil in which said structure is being driven that when substantially the complete length of said sleeve is embedded in the soil, the sleeve behaves as a long pile.

Claim 26

A unitary structure comprising a pile having a circular cross section; a sleeve having a diameter greater than that of said pile and having a lower end portion tapered down to an opening the size of said pile; said sleeve being disposed about a longitudinal portion of said pile with the lower end of said tapered portion being connected to said pile so as to make a unitary structure of said sleeve and pile, the length of said sleeve and its flexural rigidity being selected with respect to the co-efficient of subgrade reaction of the soil in which said structure is being driven that when substantially the complete length of said sleeve is embedded in the soil, the sleeve behaves as a long pile.

Claim 27

A structure comprising, in combination a sleeve closed off at its lower end, said sleeve having a length and a flexural rigidity such that when it is embedded in a soil region with its upper end slightly above the soil surface, it behaves as a long pile; a pile of uniform size disposed within said sleeve with one end thereof resting on said closed off end, said pile having a length greater than that of said sleeve; and forced transfer means located between said pile and said sleeve at one or more pre-selected locations which are between the upper and lower ends of said sleeve.

Claim 28

A structure comprising, in combination a sleeve closed off at its lower end, said sleeve having a length and a flexural rigidity such that when it is embedded in a soil region with its upper end slightly above the soil surface, it behaves as a long pile; a pile of uniform size disposed within said sleeve with one end thereof resting on said closed off end, said pile having a length greater than that of said sleeve; and forced transfer means located between said pile and said sleeve at one or more pre-selected locations which are between the upper and lower ends of said sleeve.

Claim 29

In an arrangement as defined in claim 16 wherein said forced transfer means is such that relative axial displacement can occur between said pile and sleeve whereby said pile may be freely introduced or removed from said sleeve.

Claim 30

In combination, a pile having a length thereof set in the soil; a sleeve having a diameter greater than the size of said pile set in the soil so as to surround a longitudinal portion of said pile which is below the soil surface, the lower end of said sleeve terminating in a reduced diameter portion which closes the space between said sleeve and said pile, the upper end of said sleeve being located such that soil from the surface cannot enter the upper end of said sleeve and occupy the interior space between said pile and sleeve, the reduced diameter portion of said sleeve also preventing soil from entering this interior space through the lower end of said sleeve; the soil-free space, thus, existing around said longitudinal portion of said pile permitting said pile to deflect in response to loads applied thereto without being constrained by the soil conditions existing around said sleeve.

Claim 31

In combination, a pile having a length thereof set in the soil; a sleeve having a diameter greater than the size of said pile set in the soil so as to surround a longitudinal portion of said pile which is below the soil surface, the lower end of said sleeve terminating in a reduced diameter portion which closes the space between said sleeve and said pile, the upper end of said sleeve being located such that soil from the surface cannot enter the upper end of said sleeve and occupy the interior space between said pile and sleeve, the reduced diameter portion of said sleeve also preventing soil from entering this interior space through the lower end of said sleeve; the soil-free space, thus, existing around said longitudinal portion of said pile permitting said pile to deflect in response to loads applied thereto without being constrained by the soil conditions existing around said sleeve.

Claim 32

In an arrangement as defined in claim 18 wherein said reduced diameter portion of said sleeve acts to transfer lateral load forces applied to said pile at a location above the soil surface of said sleeve at a depth corresponding to the location of said reduced diameter portion.

Claim 33

In an arrangement as defined in claim 18, means positioned within the soil-free interior space between said pile and sleeve for also transferring said load forces to said sleeve at one or more positions which are below the surface of the soil.

Claim 34

A structure comprising in combination a pile; a sleeve having a diameter greater than the size of said pile surrounding a longitudinal portion of said pile; means securing the lower end of said sleeve to said pile and closing off the space therebetween, said means permitting said pile and sleeve to be driven as a unitary structure into the soil and preventing soil from entering the interior space between said pile and sleeve during the driving operation whereby a soil free space exists around said longitudinal portion of said pile when the upper end of said sleeve is located above the soil surface, said means also serving to transfer lateral load forces from said pile to said sleeve at said lower end; the embedded length of said sleeve, its flexural rigidity and the stiffness of the soil in which said pile and sleeve are set being such that said sleeve behaves as a long pile; and means for also transferring lateral load forces from said pile to said sleeve at a location which is between the upper and lower ends of said sleeve and below said soil surfaces.

Claim 35

A structure comprising in combination a pile; a sleeve having a diameter greater than the size of said pile surrounding a longitudinal portion of said pile; means securing the lower end of said sleeve to said pile and closing off the space therebetween, said means permitting said pile and sleeve to be driven as a unitary structure into the soil and preventing soil from entering the interior space between said pile and sleeve during the driving operation whereby a soil free space exists around said longitudinal portion of said pile when the upper end of said sleeve is located above the soil surface, said means also serving to transfer lateral load forces from said pile to said sleeve at said lower end; the embedded length of said sleeve, its flexural rigidity and the stiffness of the soil in which said pile and sleeve are set being such that said sleeve behaves as a long pile; and means for also transferring lateral load forces from said pile to said sleeve at a location which is between the upper and lower ends of said sleeve and below said soil surfaces.

Claim 36

In a structure as defined in claim 21 wherein said sleeve has a lower portion that is tapered down to the size of said pile.