Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
  • E02D—FOUNDATIONS; EXCAVATIONS; EMBANKMENTS; UNDERGROUND OR UNDERWATER STRUCTURES
  • E02D29/00—Independent underground or underwater structures; Retaining walls
  • E02D29/02—Retaining or protecting walls
  • E02D29/0258—Retaining or protecting walls characterised by constructional features

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a means and method for creating subterranean excavations and/or constructions.
• construction is intended to include, but not be limited to, piers, retaining walls, piping, ceilings, floors, barriers and filters.
• a system for creating a subterranean construction including an excavation means adapted to excavate a first material from a subterranean position, means for clearing this first material from the excavation site, and means for supplying the void left by the excavation with a supply of a second material that is dissimilar to the first material.
• the invention may be said to reside in a method of creating a subterranean construction by excavating and removing a first material from a subterranean position, and backfilling the void left by the excavation and removal with a supply of a second material that is dissimilar to the first material.
• the second material is adapted to form, at least in part, the construction.
• the second material is a granular material.
• the subterranean position is a bore, shaft or tunnel.
• the bore or tunnel is approximately horizontal.
• the excavation means is adapted to excavate in any desired direction away from the subterranean position, so that this position is a starting positing for the excavation and construction process-
• the void left by the excavation is pressurised with the second material, and this second material exerts pressure on the excavation means that drives it in the desired direction.
• the excavation means is adapted to excavate upward from the first subterranean position.
• the excavation means is adapted to excavate downward from the first subterranean position.
• the excavation means includes at least one digging tooth.
• the or each tooth is supported by means which are driven so as to provide a cutting action.
• the or each tooth is supported by means which are driven so as to reciprocate.
• said tooth support means is a chain.
• the chain is continuous, and passes around at least a pair of sprockets, at least one of which are driven.
• "tie chain is driven by a power source.
• This power source may be a hydraulic, electric or internal combustion motor.
• the second material is adapted to solidify
• the second material is a cementious material.
• the material that is adapted to solidify is a concrete slurry.
• the means for clearing excavated material does so by entraining this material in a fluid stream.
• said means creates a flow of the fluid at or neat the excavation face, for the purpose of entraining excavated material and removing this from the excavation site.
• the fluid is air.
• pumping the second material into the void left by excavation forces the excavation means upwardly or in the desired direction of excavation if this is not upwardly.
• the invention may be said to reside in a method of utilising the abovementioned means for creating a subterranean structure comprising the steps of drilling a pair of vertical bores, drilling a horizontal bore between the vertical bores, inserting the means for creating a subterranean structure into the horizontal bore so that it can then excavate in the desired direction, and backfilling the void left by excavation with a second material that is dissimilar to the first material.
• the horizontal bore is sealed at both ends in order to prevent the second material from filling the vertical bores.
• Figure 1 is a not to scale, schematic view of the system.
• Figures 2 and 3 are cross-sectional views through the horizontal bore in Figure 1.
• FIG. 1 where there is a pair of substantially parallel, vertically spaced apart bores 2, called 'guide' bores, having a horizontal, or 'excavating' bore 4 passing between them proximate to their ends.
• the horizontal bore 4 is drilled at the required depth i.e. if the construction, which for the purposes of this example is a wall, is to be constructed to a depth of 5 meters below ground level, the horizontal bore 4 is dug at this depth.
• the equipment for forming the subterranean structure is then directed down into the bores and set up in the following fashion.
• a wear strip 6 is passed between the two vertical bores 2 via the horizontal bore 4, the wear strip 6 being sized and adapted to seal against the sides of the horizontal bore 4 along its edges so as to create a cavity above the wear plate 6, and one below it.
• the wear strip 6 supports a chain 8 on its upper side in guide tracks 10, so that the chain 8 -an be driven with a reciprocating motion with respect to the wear/ seal strip 6.
• Connected to the chain ⁇ is a plurality of sets of upwardly directed digging teetn 12, which, when the chain is driven, have a cutting action.
• a pair of passageways 14 Formed into the underside of the wear strip is a pair of passageways 14 with a series of ho'es 16 passing through the walls thereof along their respective lengths. Each end of these passageways 14 is then connected to a conduit 20 that supplies it a second material, which for the purposes of this example is concrete, from a source 22 up at ground level.
• a further conduit is fed down each one of the vertical bores 2 to the end of the horizontal shaft 4 just above the wear plate 6.
• concrete is supplied via the conduits 20 to the passageways 14 running in the under or sealing side of the wear strip 6, this concrete then passes through the holes 16 in the walls of these passageways and out into the cavity below the wear strip 6. Concrete 19 continues to be pumped into this cavity until sufficient pressure is reached in this lower cavity that the concrete begins to force the wear strip 6 upwards towards ground level.
• the chain 8 is being driven so as to reciprocate from side to side.
• the wear strip 6 is forced upwardly by the pressure of concrete 19 beneath it, so to are the digger teeth 12 forced upwardly, and these are also reciprocating with a cutting action by virtue of their attachment to the chain 8.
• these digger teeth 12 come into contact with the roof of the horizontal bore 4, they cut away at and excavate earth, which falls from the ceiling of the bore 4.
• One of the pair of further conduits 30 provides a fluid, which for the purposes of this example is air, at pressure to the cavity above the wear strip 6, and the other conduit 32 provides a source of vacuum. Between them they create air movement along the upper cavity of the horizontal bore 4 from one end to the other, which is sufficient to entrain the excavated earth therein, and this waste material extraction line 32 draws this earth up to ground surface.
• a curtain seal 42 extends down from the ends of the wear plate 6 so as to prevent the concrete from filling the vertical bores 2. With such seals, the cement does not need to cure before the wear plate is displaced upwardly. In this example we would start at the bottom and pressure on until the desired height has been reached. Leave the ends in until material solidifies and then remove chains and seals etc if necessary and fill bores. Another solution to this problem however might be to pressurise the vertical bores by filling them with the second material. The wear plate would then need to be extended in length so that it seals to the edges of the vertical bores 2.
• a further solution may be to develop a moving seal (not illustrated) in the form of a belt running on pulleys or rollers-
• the tunnel providing the starting position may be dug at a lesser depth, and the teeth directed downwardly and backfilled with the second material from above, so as to excavate in a downward direction whilst backfilling with the second material.
• the second material used to backfill the excavated cavity is a commercially available granular material which attracts mineral oil deposits from the surrounding ground. After a period of time, the system can be used to excavate over the same plane/ line and remove the granules. These granules can then be cleaned of oils/ contaminants and reused for the same purpose. This then is a useful technique for extracting oil deposits from the ground.
• the second material used to backfill the excavated cavity is a granular material such as a fines concrete or sandy slurry. This then is a useful technique for the creation and development of underground aquifer's and water holding facilities that may be able to regulate ground water.
• the second material as before mentioned in this filtering example can be used under roads and buildings that have high ground water or salinity issues.
• This system can be used to insert a line of course sand underneath the existing infrastructure so that the ground water will drain into the porous corridor of secondary material and drain to a collection point without the demolition of roads and other infrastructure.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
• Paleontology (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Lining And Supports For Tunnels (AREA)
• Earth Drilling (AREA)
• Bulkheads Adapted To Foundation Construction (AREA)

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Publications (1)

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• 2007
  • 2007-08-24 CN CN2007800361169A patent/CN101558203B/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2007-08-24 AU AU2007288121A patent/AU2007288121B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2007-08-24 EP EP07800200A patent/EP2059636A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2007-08-24 US US12/310,430 patent/US20120051847A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2007-08-24 WO PCT/AU2007/001210 patent/WO2008022393A1/en not_active Ceased

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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