CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This patent application is related to and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 61/740,846, entitled "Devices and Methods for Slope

Stabilization," filed December 21, 2012, the entire disclosure of which is specifically incorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention disclosed herein relates generally to slope stabilization, and more particularly to plate piles that can be assembled in the field and methods of using same.

BACKGROUND

There are many situations where it is important to stabilize sloping or non-sloping ground. Steep, unstable slopes may be created during certain types of construction, such as freeway widening, golf course construction, or other types of construction where the ground is altered. These slopes are not typically naturally occurring, but instead are the result of human activity. These slopes often need stabilization, even when there are no signs of slope failure.

Similarly, it may be desirable for safety reasons, to strengthen certain slopes that are relatively stable, whether naturally occurring or the result of human activity. For example, it is prudent to stabilize slopes behind power plants, or slopes at the base of dams or bridges, even when the slope does not appear to be at or near failure. Also, non- sloping ground adjacent to water may benefit from stabilization.

Most of the research and work on slope and ground stabilization relates to stabilizing landslides. Research on mitigation techniques for shallow, colluvial landslides has seen some interest from the geotechnical community in the past 20 years, although most research has been performed on the predictive analysis of these types of slides (e.g. Aubeny and Lytton, 2004; Cho and Lee, 2002; Collins and Znidarcic, 2004; Iverson, 2000). Predictive analysis techniques are an important aspect of understanding slope stability behavior. Existing methods of landslide mitigation have also been summarized by Rogers (1992). They include excavation and recompaction, conventional retention structures, subdrainage, soil reinforcement using geomembranes and geosynthetics, mechanically stabilized embankments, and combination mechanically stabilized retention structures. However, it may be desirable to stabilize ground or slopes, even when there is no direct prediction of failure, for safety reasons.

Others, such as Ito et al. (1981, 1982), have addressed rotational landslides. These deep landslides have been mitigated with extremely long (25 to 100 feet) columns (piles) placed in a portion of the potential slide area - generally at the toe of the slope to lock down the base of the potential slide. However, these long, heavy piles are often prohibitively expensive or difficult to install.

Patents have issued describing some of the above-mentioned techniques. Devices and techniques for large scale slope stabilization are described in U.S. Patent No. 2,880,588 issued to Moore; U.S. Patent No. 5,797,706 issued to Segrestin et al; German Patent No. DE 4226067 issued to Hermann; and Japanese Patent No. JP 57071931 issued to Yoshihisa. These large-scale retaining walls require the use of heavy equipment, and are unsuitable for stabilizing smaller, less accessible slopes.

Other patents deal with stabilizing soil that is adjacent to water, for example U.S. Patent No. 1,073,278 issued to Mosher; U.S. Patent No. 3,412,561 issued to Reid; and U.S. Patent No. 6,659,686 issued to Veazey. However, these patents do not specifically address slope stabilization of colluvial, sloping soil masses.

Still other patents describe the use of posts or anchors. See, e.g., U.S. Patent No. 1,408,332 issued to Zimmerman; U.S. Patent No. 1,433,621 issued to Hutton; U.S. Patent No. 4,530,190 issued to Goodman; U.S. Patent No. 1,109,020 issued to Skiff et al; U.S. Patent No. 6,666,625 issued to Thornton; U.S. Patent Nos. 7,090,440 and 7,811,032 to Short; and German Patent No. D334,121 issued to Van Handel III.

Unfortunately, most of these mitigation options are impractical because of economic considerations. Retention structures, soil reinforcement options, mechanically stabilized embankments, and combination structures all require large volumes of earthworks in addition to comparatively expensive and time consuming installation methods. The prior art post/anchor devices all assume that the piles will be used in conjunction with fencing or require the piles to be prefabricated prior to site delivery, thereby increasing time and costs and lowering the flexibility of installation options which depend on site conditions. Some of the prior art also teach prefabrication by means of welding. While welds can be useful in different applications, they tend to be brittle and therefore are at greater risk of failure during installation.

The present invention minimizes the need for large machinery, thereby allowing slope and ground stabilization around existing homes and other areas with limited access. The present invention allows for locking down sloping or non-sloping ground by placing relatively small, lightweight piles throughout the target area. The present invention also improves upon previous post/anchor devices by allowing field fabrication of the device in order to reduce fabrication time and expense, as well as increasing flexibility of installations with differing site conditions by allowing various sized plates to be readily attached to pile anchors. The present invention also utilizes attachment arrangements that limit the use of welds, thereby increasing ductility, or flexibility, during installation and decreasing the risk of installation failure.

SUMMARY

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a field assembled plate pile device is provided wherein the device may include a support rod, a plate, a top connection means, and a bottom connection means, and further wherein the plate and support rod are configured to be fastened together on location at a site of desired slope stabilization by way of the top connection means and the bottom connection means.

While the top and bottom connection means can include numerous fastening mechanisms, one example includes the top connection means comprising a top bolt and the bottom connection means comprising a bottom bolt. Other examples include a bottom

connection means comprising a bottom clip or rail, wherein a bottom edge of the plate is placed in the bottom clip or rail and further fastened to the support rod using the top connection means (e.g. a top bolt). Still other examples include the bottom connection means comprising the bottom clip or rail in conjunction with the top connection means comprising a top clip or rail, wherein the plate is fastened to the support rod by sliding the plate laterally between the top and bottom clip or rails. Further still, the device may include a bottom clip or rail for the bottom connection means, and a hook feature disposed on the plate and a slot feature disposed on the support rod for the top connection means, wherein the plate is fastened to the support rod by placing the bottom edge of the plate in the bottom clip or rail while engaging the hook feature of the plate with the slot of the support rod.

The device may further comprise a driving boot or shoe configured to fit against a top portion of the device to facilitate driving the device into a soil mass. The support rod may have a total length of about 6 feet, 8 feet, or 10 feet and may comprise an angled bottom end or a flat bottom end. The plate of the device may be formed of a rigid material such as iron, steel, aluminum, or any combination thereof.

According to other embodiments of the present invention, a method of slope stabilization is provided comprising the steps of receiving components of the slope stabilization device outlined generally above, where the components include a plate, a support rod, a top connection means, and a bottom connection means; assembling the slope stabilization device at or near the site of the desired slope stabilization; and driving or otherwise installing the slope stabilization device into a soil mass. The method may further include the driving of additional slope stabilization devices at other locations in the soil mass so as to create a soil reinforcement system comprising multiple slope stabilization devices. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Having thus described the presently disclosed subject matter in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying Drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3 illustrate a perspective front view, a side view, and a top down view, respectively, of one example of the presently disclosed field-assembled plate piles;

FIG. 4, FIG. 5, and FIG. 6 illustrate a perspective front view, a side view, and a top down view, respectively, of another example of the presently disclosed field- assembled plate piles; FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B show a perspective front view and a side view, respectively, of the field-assembled plate pile shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 5, and FIG. 6 and showing another example of a bottom clip or rail;

FIG. 8, FIG. 9, and FIG. 10 illustrate a perspective front view, a side view, and a top down view, respectively, of yet another example of the presently disclosed field- assembled plate piles;

FIG. 11, FIG. 12A, and FIG. 12B illustrate a perspective front view and side views, respectively, of still another example of the presently disclosed field-assembled plate piles;

FIG. 13 illustrates a flow diagram of an example of a method of using the presently disclosed field-assembled plate piles; and

FIG. 14 illustrates a plan view of an example of a soil reinforcement system that includes an arrangement of the presently disclosed field-assembled plate piles installed in a soil mass.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The presently disclosed subject matter now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying Drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the presently disclosed subject matter are shown. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. The presently disclosed subject matter may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Indeed, many modifications and other embodiments of the presently disclosed subject matter set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which the presently disclosed subject matter pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated Drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the presently disclosed subject matter is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

In some embodiments, the presently disclosed subject matter provides plate piles that can be assembled in the field and methods of using same. The presently disclosed field-assembled plate piles reduce the time and expense of traditional slope stabilization techniques and provide greater fiexibility during installation. Namely, the field- assembled plate piles can be delivered in its disassembled state to the site of the soil reinforcement, then its components carried to the installation site, and then the components assembled together at the installation site. Accordingly, the difficulty in handling heavy preassembled piles using heavy equipment is reduced or substantially eliminated. The field-assembled plate piles include, for example, a support rod (e.g., a length of angle iron) and a plate, wherein the plate can be assembled to the support rod by various means, such as, but not limited to, bolts, clips, rails, and any combinations thereof.

The field-assembled plate piles include reinforcement elements (e.g., the support rod and plate) that are designed to absorb and/or resist natural and/or manmade forces upon sloping soil that may induce slides or other undesirable effects upon a slope. Also disclosed herein is a soil reinforcement system including the field-assembled plate piles, wherein the field-assembled plate piles are used to resist the natural or manmade forces upon sloping soil.

The soil reinforcement system that includes the field-assembled plate piles may be used with any type of soil, on any slope surface, and on any slope angle (including flat). It is frequently used with clay or silt soil because such soil types are particularly susceptible to slides and are sufficiently soft enough to allow insertion of the field- assembled plate piles. The soil reinforcement system may be used to strengthen manmade or naturally created slopes or flat ground.

The presently disclosed field-assembled plate piles minimize the need for large machinery and thereby allow slope and ground stabilization around existing homes and in other areas with limited access. The field-assembled plate piles allow for locking down a slope or ground by placing relatively small, lightweight plate piles throughout the target area. The field-assembled plate piles also improve upon previous post/anchor devices by allowing field fabrication of the device in order to reduce fabrication time and expense. Additionally, the field-assembled plate piles increase the flexibility of installations with differing site conditions by allowing various sized plates to be readily attached to pile anchors. The field-assembled plate piles also utilize attachments that limit the use of welds, thereby increasing ductility or flexibility during installation and decreasing the risk of installation failure.

Herein below, "top" means the end of the field-assembled plate pile (or components thereof) that is nearest the surface of the soil mass when installed, whereas "bottom" means the end of the field-assembled plate pile (or components thereof) that is deepest into the soil mass when installed (i.e. furthest from the surface).

FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3 illustrate a perspective front view, a side view, and a top down view, respectively, of a field-assembled plate pile 100, illustrating one example of the presently disclosed field-assembled plate piles. The field-assembled plate pile 100 shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3 comprises a plate 110 fastened to a support rod 112 using a top bolt 114 and a bottom bolt 116. The support rod 112 is, for example, a length of angle iron. Support rod 112 can be any length necessary to allow field-assembled plate pile 100 to be securely placed in the soil mass while also permitting a single worker to manipulate one or more field-assembled plate piles 100. The length 1 of the support rod 112 can be, for example, about 6 ft, about 8 ft, or about 10 ft. However, the length 1 can be increased or decreased to any length to accommodate specific project, slide, or slope depth. The bottom end of the support rod 112 may be angled or flat.

The plate 110 is formed of any suitable rigid material that is stable over the project lifetime. Examples of rigid materials include steel, iron, and the like. The plate 110 can be any size sufficient enough to retain earth. The plate 110 has a length L, a width W, and a thickness T. In one example, the length L of the plate 110 is about 2 ft, the width W of the plate 110 is about 1 ft, and the thickness T of the plate 110 is about .25 inches. However, the length L, width W, and thickness T of the plate 110 can be increased or decreased as needed to accommodate project needs. In certain embodiments (for harsher environments), the thickness of the material in certain portions of the plate can be increased to provide sacrificial material (e.g., steel) to overcome capacity loss due to corrosion.

There is a distance Dl from the top edge of the plate 110 to the top end of the support rod 112. In one example, the distance Dl is about 6 inches. However, the distance Dl can be any distance, including zero. There is a distance D2 from the bottom edge of the plate 110 to the bottom end of the support rod 112. The distance D2 is, for example, about 4 ft, about 6 ft, about 8 ft, or any distance necessary to securely place field-assembled plate pile 100 in the soil mass.

In this embodiment, the top bolt 114 and the bottom bolt 116 are used to fasten the plate 110 to the support rod 112. The top bolt 114 and the bottom bolt 116 can be any size capable of supporting the load of the plate 110 to the support rod 112. The top bolt 114 and the bottom bolt 116 can be, for example, 3/16-in, 1/4-in, or 3/8-in bolts.

Corresponding nuts 115 or other securing mechanisms are typically provided with the top bolt 114 and the bottom bolt 116.

The field-assembled plate pile 100 shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3 can be delivered to the field (i.e., the site of the soil reinforcement) in a disassembled state, meaning that the plate 110, the support rod 112, the top bolt 114, and the bottom bolt 116 are provided separate from each other. Once at the site of the soil reinforcement, all the individual components of the field-assembled plate pile 100 can be carried to the exact location at which the field-assembled plate pile 100 is to be installed into to soil mass. Then, using the top bolt 114 and the bottom bolt 116, a worker can easily fasten the plate 110 to the support rod 112, thereby readying the field-assembled plate pile 100 to be driven or otherwise installed into the soil mass. Because the components of the field- assembled plate pile 100 can be handled and/or carried separately, the need for heavy equipment may be reduced or entirely eliminated.

FIG. 4, FIG. 5, and FIG. 6 illustrate a perspective front view, a side view, and a top down view, respectively, of a field-assembled plate pile 400, which is another example of the presently disclosed field-assembled plate piles. The field-assembled plate pile 400 shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 5, and FIG. 6 is substantially the same as the field- assembled plate pile 100 shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3 except that the bottom bolt 116 is replaced with a bottom clip or rail 410. Namely, the bottom clip or rail 410 is provided on the support rod 112 in a manner that the bottom edge of the plate 110 can rest therein.

The bottom clip or rail 410 can be formed of any suitable material stable enough to last the lifetime of the project. For example, the bottom clip or rail 410 can be formed of steel, iron, aluminum, and the like. The bottom clip or rail 410 is affixed to the support rod 112 using any attachment technique that is suitable to last the lifetime of the project. In one example, the bottom clip or rail 410 is welded to the support rod 112.

With respect to assembling the field-assembled plate pile 400 in the field, first the worker rests the bottom edge of the plate 110 into the bottom clip or rail 410. Then, using the top bolt 114, the worker further secures the top portion of the plate 110 to the support rod 112, thereby readying the field-assembled plate pile 400 to be driven or otherwise installed into the soil mass.

FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B show a perspective front view and a side view, respectively, of the field-assembled plate pile 400 and showing another example of the bottom clip or rail 412. In this example, the bottom clip or rail 412 has a slightly different shape than the bottom clip or rail 410 shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5.

FIG. 8, FIG. 9, and FIG. 10 illustrate a perspective front view, a side view, and a top down view, respectively, of a field-assembled plate pile 800, which is yet another example of the presently disclosed field-assembled plate piles. The field-assembled plate pile 800 shown in FIG. 8, FIG. 9, and FIG. 10 is substantially the same as the field- assembled plate pile 100 shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3 except that the bottom bolt 116 is replaced with the bottom clip or rail 410 and the top bolt 114 is replaced with a top clip or rail 810. Namely, the top clip or rail 810 is provided on the support rod 112 in a manner that the top edge of the plate 110 can rest therein.

Like the bottom clip or rail 410, the top clip or rail 810 can be formed of any suitable material stable enough to last the lifetime of the project. For example, the top clip or rail 810 can be formed of steel, iron, aluminum, and the like. The top clip or rail 810 is affixed to the support rod 112 using any attachment technique that is suitable to last the lifetime of the project. In one example, the top clip or rail 810 is welded to the support rod 112. The spacing of the bottom clip or rail 410 with respect to the top clip or rail 810 is such that the plate 1 10 can be slid laterally therebetween and fitted snugly. Namely, a worker can slide the plate 110 between the bottom clip or rail 410 and the top clip or rail 810, thereby readying the field-assembled plate pile 800 to be driven or otherwise installed into the soil mass.

FIG. 11, FIG. 12A, and FIG. 12B illustrate a perspective front view and side views, respectively, of a field-assembled plate pile 1100, which is still another example of the presently disclosed field-assembled plate piles. The field-assembled plate pile 1100 shown in FIG. 11, FIG. 12A, and FIG. 12B is substantially the same as the field- assembled plate pile 100 shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3 except that the bottom bolt 116 is replaced with the bottom clip or rail 410 and the top bolt 114 is replaced with a hook and slot locking mechanism. Namely, a hook feature 1110 is provided on a surface of the plate 110 facing the support rod 112 and a slot 1112 is provided in the support rod 112 for receiving the hook feature 1110. Referring now to FIG. 12A and FIG. 12B, at the same time that the worker is sliding the bottom edge of the plate 110 onto the bottom clip or rail 410, the hook feature 1110 of the plate 110 is aligned with and fitted into the slot 1112 in the support rod 112. As the plate 110 comes to rest on the bottom clip or rail

410, the hook feature 1110 engages with the lower edge of the slot 1112, thereby locking the top portion of the plate 110 against the support rod 112. In so doing, the field- assembled plate pile 1100 is readied to be driven or otherwise installed into the soil mass.

The presently disclosed field-assembled plate piles are not limited to the fastening mechanisms shown in FIG. 1 through FIG. 12B. These are exemplary only. The presently disclosed field-assembled plate piles can include any fastening mechanisms as long as the plate 110 and the support rod 112 can be provided separately and then assembled in the field and as long as the fastening mechanisms are suitable to last the lifetime of the project.

Further, various driving boots or shoes (not shown) that are designed to be fitted against the tops of the presently disclosed field-assembled plate piles can be provided along with the presently disclosed field-assembled plate piles.

FIG. 13 illustrates a flow diagram of an example of a method 1300 of using the presently disclosed field-assembled plate piles, such as the field-assembled plate piles 100, 400, 800, or 1100. The method 1300 may include, but is not limited to, the following steps.

At a step 1310, the field-assembled plate pile is received in a disassembled state at the soil reinforcement site. For example, the field-assembled plate pile 100, 400, 800, or 1100 is received in a disassembled state at the soil reinforcement site.

At a step 1312, all of the components of the field-assembled plate pile are carried to an exact installation location. For example, when using the field-assembled plate pile 100, a worker carries the plate 110, the support rod 112, the top bolt 114, and the bottom bolt 116 to the exact installation location.

At a step 1314, the field-assembled plate pile is assembled at the installation location. For example, when using the field-assembled plate pile 100, a worker uses the top bolt 114 and the bottom bolt 116 to fasten the plate 110 to the support rod 112, thereby readying the field-assembled plate pile 100 for installation into the soil mass.

At a step 1316, the field-assembled plate pile is driven or otherwise installed into the soil mass. For example, the field-assembled plate pile 100 is driven or otherwise installed into the soil mass using standard pile driving methods.

FIG. 14 illustrates a plan view of an example of a soil reinforcement system 1400 that includes an arrangement of the presently disclosed field-assembled plate piles installed in a soil mass 1410. For example, the soil reinforcement system 1400 includes an arrangement of the field-assembled plate piles 100 installed in the soil mass 1410.

The soil reinforcement system 1400 can include any number, spacing, and patterns of field-assembled plate piles 100.

The soil reinforcement system 1400 may be used with any type of soil, on any slope surface, and on any slope angle, including surfaces with no slope angle (i.e. a flat surface). It is frequently used with clay or silt soil because these soil types are particularly susceptible to slides and are sufficiently soft enough to allow insertion of the field-assembled plate piles 100. The soil reinforcement system 1400 may be used to strengthen manmade slopes, naturally created slopes, or natural/manmade flat surfaces.

EXAMPLES

A series of test programs were completed to test the fabrication of and driving durability of the device of the present invention (referred to herein below as "Tier 2 Plate Piles elements" or "Tier 2 elements"). Four variations of the present invention were tested and the Examples and associated Drawings herein describe the fabrication and installation methods. Generally, the Tier 2 Plate Pile elements can be field fabricated through the use of a structural plate (typically steel) attached to a pile (typically a small structural angle iron) using the attachment means and methods described herein above and below. The thickness of the material in certain portions of the device can be increased to provide sacrificial steel to overcome capacity loss due to corrosion.

Example 1

The first test program was conducted at a test site in Iowa where five (5) Tier 2

Plate Pile elements were installed. The test program evaluated installation methods and durability of three (3) types of Tier 2 Plate Pile elements. With reference to the Figures, three Tier 2 assembly variations are described as follows:

Type A variation (see FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3) incorporated two bolts (e.g., top bolt 114 and bottom bolt 116) to attach the plate (e.g., plate 110) to the angle iron (e.g., support rod 112);

Type B variation (see FIG. 8, FIG. 9, and FIG. 10) incorporated two metal clips (e.g., bottom clip or rail 410 and top clip or rail 810) on the angle iron (e.g., support rod 112) to hold the plate (e.g., plate 110) in place during installation; and

Type C variation incorporated a metal clip (e.g., bottom clip or rail 410) on the angle iron (e.g., support rod 112) to hold the bottom of the plate (e.g., plate 110) and a secondary driving shoe/attachment (not shown) to hold the top of the plate (e.g., plate 110) in place during installation. Test Site

The soil conditions at the Iowa site generally consisted of about four feet of silty sand underlain by clean sand. The groundwater level at the site was about 10 to 12 feet below the ground surface. Installation

The test elements were installed with an HVR 75 vibratory hammer on a CAT 325 carrier. Four of the elements were installed with a driving shoe. The driving shoe had a grab plate adaptor to allow the HVR jaws to hold the driving shoe.

Each of the elements was able to be advanced about 4 feet with static crowd force alone. Vibratory energy was applied to finish driving each of the elements to depths of about 6 feet each. An attempt was made to install one Type A Plate Pile element without the driving shoe. This was done by setting the top of the element (angle iron portion above the plate) in the HVR Jaws and then closing the jaws. The element was successfully driven in this manner; however, the top of the angle iron was split along the fold in the process.

Plate Pile Element Excavation

At a later date, the front faces of each of the five Tier 2 Plate Pile elements were excavated to observe any visible signs of damage. With the exception of the Type A Plate Pile installed with the HVR jaws only (split failure discussed above), no visible signs of damage to the clips, bolts, or welds was observed. In each case, the plate appeared to be laterally centered (or near center) on the angle iron.

Example 2

The second test program was conducted at a test site in California where seven (7) Tier 2 Plate Pile elements were installed. The test program evaluated installation methods and durability of three (3) types of Tier 2 Plate Pile elements, and a reduced weld configuration for a Tier 1 Plate Pile element (no bolts or clips). With reference to the Figures, three Tier 2 assembly variations are described as follows:

Type A variation (see FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3) incorporated two bolts (e.g., top bolt 114 and bottom bolt 116) to attach the plate (e.g., plate 110) to the angle iron (e.g., support rod 112);

Type D-l variation (see FIG. 4, FIG. 5, and FIG. 6) incorporated a metal clip (e.g., bottom clip or rail 410) on the angle iron (e.g., support rod 112) to hold the bottom of the plate (e.g., plate 110) and a single bolt (e.g., top bolt 114) to fasten the top of the plate (e.g., plate 110) to the angle iron (e.g., support rod 112); and

Type D-2 variation incorporates a metal clip (e.g., top clip or rail 810) on the angle iron (e.g., support rod 112) to hold the top of the plate (e.g., plate 110) and a single bolt (e.g., bottom bolt 116) to fasten the bottom of the plate (e.g., plate 110) to the angle iron (e.g., support rod 112). Test Site

The soil conditions at the California site generally consisted of about one foot of aggregate base underlain by silty clay, sandy clay and clayey sand. N- Values in the upper 20 feet of the profile are in excess of 20 blows per foot.

Installation

The test elements were initially attempted to be installed with a Stanley MD-65 breaker hammer on a John Deere 35 carrier. The aggregate base material was not able to be penetrated with the hammer. The test elements were then attempted to be installed with an HVR 45 vibratory hammer on a CAT 320 carrier with the use of a driving shoe in the HVR to help drive the elements. The HVR was able to drive the element through the gravel and to full depth; however, the HVR was attached to the carrier with a single pin connection. This limited the operators control as vertical crowd force was applied.

To ease drivability with the HVR, the following process was then followed to install the Plate Pile elements: (1) Excavate a trench of the aggregate base course material,

(2) drive each element about 2 feet into the ground surface with the Stanley hammer, and

(3) drive the element to full depth with the HVR.

Plate Pile Element Excavation

At a later date, the front faces of each of the Tier 2 Plate Pile elements were excavated to observe any visible signs of damage. No visible signs of damage to the clips, bolts, or welds were observed.

Following long-standing patent law convention, the terms "a," "an," and "the" refer to "one or more" when used in this application, including the claims. Thus, for example, reference to "a subject" includes a plurality of subjects, unless the context clearly is to the contrary (e.g., a plurality of subjects), and so forth.

Throughout this specification and the claims, the terms "comprise," "comprises," and "comprising" are used in a non-exclusive sense, except where the context requires otherwise. Likewise, the term "include" and its grammatical variants are intended to be non-limiting, such that recitation of items in a list is not to the exclusion of other like items that can be substituted or added to the listed items.

For the purposes of this specification and appended claims, unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing amounts, sizes, dimensions, proportions, shapes, formulations, parameters, percentages, parameters, quantities, characteristics, and other numerical values used in the specification and claims, are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term "about" even though the term "about" may not expressly appear with the value, amount or range. Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the following specification and attached claims are not and need not be exact, but may be approximate and/or larger or smaller as desired, reflecting tolerances, conversion factors, rounding off, measurement error and the like, and other factors known to those of skill in the art depending on the desired properties sought to be obtained by the presently disclosed subject matter. For example, the term "about," when referring to a value can be meant to encompass variations of, in some embodiments, ± 100% in some embodiments ± 50%>, in some embodiments ± 20%>, in some embodiments ± 10%, in some embodiments ± 5%, in some embodiments ±1%, in some embodiments ± 0.5%, and in some embodiments ± 0.1% from the specified amount, as such variations are appropriate to perform the disclosed methods or employ the disclosed compositions.

Further, the term "about" when used in connection with one or more numbers or numerical ranges, should be understood to refer to all such numbers, including all numbers in a range and modifies that range by extending the boundaries above and below the numerical values set forth. The recitation of numerical ranges by endpoints includes all numbers, e.g., whole integers, including fractions thereof, subsumed within that range (for example, the recitation of 1 to 5 includes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, as well as fractions thereof, e.g., 1.5, 2.25, 3.75, 4.1, and the like) and any range within that range.

Although the foregoing subject matter has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that certain changes and modifications can be practiced within the scope of the appended claims.