Arrowhead Center, Inc.

Peter Zelkowski

Craig M Newtson

Paola Bandini Badiello

Method and apparatus for enhancing capacity of piles and/or anchors, which can include any type of piles and/or anchors, including but not limited to micropiles and soil nail, by disposing a tube or casing into the earth and then laterally expanding at least a portion of the casing, in plastic deformation, using an expansion member such that an enlarged area is formed in the casing. The casing can then optionally be left in place and filled with a filler material and/or can optionally be forcibly pulled out of the ground, thus compacting and thereby densifying the surrounding soil, and the thusly formed enlarged hole can be filled with a filler material and used as an anchor and/or pile. Optionally, in one embodiment, existing piles and/or anchors can be re-used by lowering an expansion member into them and creating one or more laterally expanded areas.

Growing community of inventors

Roswell, NM, United States of America

Peter Zelkowski