Concreting facility and corresponding concreting method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016305084-A1
Application number	US-201415101371-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 3, 2014
Priority date	Dec 3, 2013
Publication date	Oct 20, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention relates to a concreting installation for concreting an excavation. The installation includes a concreting column having a top end arranged to be open in order to be at atmospheric pressure, and at least one controlled retention device situated at a distance from the open top end of the concreting column and adapted, in at least one configuration, to retain a volume of concrete inside the column. The invention also relates to a method of concreting an excavation.

First claim

1 . A method of concreting an excavation, in particular an excavation presenting a depth of not less than 100 meters, the method comprising:
placing a concreting column in the excavation for concreting, wherein the concreting column has two ends including an open top end; and performing a concreting cycle during which concrete is inserted into the concreting column via the open top end, and a volume of concrete is retained at a distance from said open top end so that the height of an empty space defined between said volume of concrete and one of the two ends of the concreting column remains less than a limit value.

2 . The concreting method according to claim 1 , wherein, in order to retain the volume of concrete, a flow section inside the concreting column and/or to the outside of said concreting column is constricted at least in part, and preferably in full.

3 . The concreting method according to claim 1 , wherein the empty space is situated above the volume of concrete.

4 . The concreting method according to claim 3 , wherein during the concreting cycle, at least one parameter representative of the level of concrete inside the concreting column is measured and/or calculated, and as a function of the at least one parameter, a flow section inside the concreting column and/or to the outside of said concreting column is constricted at least in part, and preferably in full, in order to retain the volume of concrete, so that the height of the empty space defined between the volume of concrete contained in the concreting column and the top end of the concreting column remains less than the limit value.

5 . The concreting method according to claim 1 , wherein a concreting cycle comprises:
a) introducing concrete via the open top end of the concreting column; b) once a given volume of concrete has been inserted into the excavation, stopping the introducing of concrete to the concreting column; and c) constricting a flow section inside the concreting column and/or to the outside of said concreting column at least in part, and possibly in full, as a function of at least one parameter representative of the level of concrete inside the concreting column.

6 . The concreting method according to claim 1 , wherein the empty space is situated beneath the volume of concrete.

7 . The concreting method according to claim 6 , wherein air present in the empty space is discharged.

8 . The concreting method according to claim 1 , wherein, during a concreting cycle, a volume of concrete is retained in succession at at least two retention points that are spaced apart axially inside the concreting column, an empty space being defined between said at least two retention points.

9 . The concreting method according to claim 1 , wherein the limit value is equal to 40 meters.

10 . The concreting method according to claim 1 , wherein a first concreting cycle comprises a priming step during which concrete is inserted via the open top end of the concreting column, which was filled with drilling fluid, so as to expel the drilling fluid from the concreting column and fill the concreting column with concrete, and during the priming step, a flow section inside the concreting column and/or to the outside of said concreting column is constricted in part.

11 . The concreting method according to claim 1 , wherein, at the end of a first concreting cycle, the concreting column is raised inside the excavation, and then a second concreting cycle is performed.

12 . A concreting installation adapted to concrete an excavation, in particular an excavation presenting a depth of not less than 100 meters, said installation comprising:
a concreting column having a top end arranged to be open in order to be at atmospheric pressure; and at least one controlled retention device situated at a distance from the top end of the concreting column and adapted, in at least one configuration, to retain a volume of concrete inside said concreting column.

13 . The concreting installation according to claim 12 , wherein the concreting column has a length of not less than 100 meters.

14 . The concreting installation according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one controlled retention device is arranged in the vicinity of a bottom end of the concreting column.

15 . The concreting installation according to claim 14 , wherein the concreting column includes at least one outlet orifice in the vicinity of the bottom end, and the at least one controlled retention device comprises at least one movable valve member adapted to be moved relative to said at least one outlet orifice.

16 . The concreting installation according to claim 15 , wherein the at least one outlet orifice of the concreting column opens out axially, and the at least one movable valve member is movable in translation in the axial direction.

17 . The concreting installation according to claim 15 , wherein the at least one movable valve member comprises:
a tube having the same axis as the concreting column, at least one of the concreting column and the tube having at least one lateral opening, and wherein the tube is adapted to be moved relative to the concreting column in such a manner as to modify a flow section out from the concreting column and through said at least one lateral opening.

18 . The concreting installation according to claim 17 , wherein the tube has a length that is substantially shorter than the length of the concreting column.

19 . The concreting installation according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one controlled retention device is arranged in the concreting column at a distance from the top end of the concreting column that is less than 80%, preferably less than 50%, of a total length of said concreting column.

20 . The concreting installation according to claim 12 , having a plurality of controlled retention devices distributed along the concreting column and adapted to be controlled independently of one another.

21 . The concreting installation according to claim 12 , further including an air discharge system in communication with a segment of the concreting column.

22 . The concreting installation according to claim 12 , further including at least one device for measuring and/or calculating parameters representative of an advance of concreting.

23 . The concreting installation according to claim 22 , including at least one measurement and/or calculation device for measuring and/or calculating at least one parameter representative of a level of concrete inside the concreting column.

24 . The concreting installation according to claim 22 , further including a control unit for controlling the at least one controlled retention device, the control unit being connected to the at least one device for measuring and/or calculating parameters and being adapted to control said at least one controlled retention device as a function of the parameters from the at least one device for measuring and/or calculating.

25 . A concreting machine, comprising:
the concreting installation according to claim 12 , a support structure, and support and guide means for the concreting column that are secured to the support structure.

26 . The concreting machine according to claim 25 , wherein the support and guide means comprise:
a guide mast secured to the support structure, a rotary system movable along said guide mast, and a clamping device for clamping the

Assignees

• Soletanche Freyssinet

Inventors

• Steff De Verninac Bertrand
• Perpezat Daniel
• Auvray Christian
• Rouffaud Lionel

Classifications

• E02D7/00

  Methods or apparatus for placing sheet pile bulkheads, piles, mouldpipes, or other moulds (for both placing and removing E02D11/00; {accessories for coupling driver to piles or the like E02D13/10; for trees or other plants A01G17/16; placing posts E04H17/26}) · CPC title

• E02D15/04 Primary

  Placing concrete in mould-pipes, pile tubes, bore-holes or narrow shafts · CPC title

• E02D17/13

  Foundation slots {or slits}; Implements for making these slots {or slits} · CPC title