Howard A. Perko, Ph.D., PE[1]

MAGNUM® Piering, Inc.  has secured another patent. This patent applies to pile supported steel foundations for power transmission.  US Patent 2023/0140266 A1. This utility patent for transmission structure foundations describes steel assemblies consisting of two parallel plates. These are separated by internal webbing with anchor bolt pattern and pile receiver tubes.  These foundations can be used to support A-frame, H-frame, monopole, or tower structures.  One main advantage is installation can take place in low overhead conditions.  So access to remote, congested, or environmentally sensitive areas is inexpensive and safe.  Patent claims include a pile connection system that allows position tolerance and simplifies construction.

Novelty

Supporting transmission line structures with groups of foundation piles connected together has existed for over 75 years. Field-fabricated, these systems use common materials such as steel I-beams welded together in a pattern.  Field welding is time consuming, expensive, and subject to weather conditions and quality issues.  It is more difficult to secure a transmission pole to a field assembly of steel beams.  Field-fabrication has been the traditional method due to issues with pile placement accuracy.

First, something to eliminate field welding and allow for deviations in pile positioning. Secondly, allow for galvanization, provide simple connection to structures and save time. MAGNUM® Piering’s invention is the result of perfecting these systems based on years of feedback from power companies and transmission line contractors.  The newly patented foundation system incorporates space-age geometries, robotic factory fabrication, and novel field-bolted connections.  The technology contained in the patent helps minimize raw materials, speed construction, resist corrosion, and improve quality.

Applications

MAGNUM® applied the patent pending foundation technology on twelve major power transmission line projects in 2 years. These projects ranged from upstate New York to San Francisco.  According to some power clients, the technology saved $millions in construction costs. These savings felt particularly on heavily loaded dead-end structures.  By some accounts, the steel assembly supported on a circular arrangement of piles can be half the cost of large-diameter vibratory caissons.  Using small groups of piles connected with a steel assembly also provides savings  with small access roads.

The system is adaptable to deep soft soil conditions.  They can be extended by bolting beams to the sides of the hub to accommodate larger structures.  These larger assemblies are useful in shallow bedrock conditions.

MAGNUM® steel foundation assemblies typically weigh a few thousand pounds. This makes it possible to set them on pile groups using a large excavator or truck mounted crane.

 

Utility Patent for Transmission Structure Foundations

Based on the historic and well-proven technology of supporting structures on groups of piles using a steel frame. The features of the invention eliminate field welding, allow galvanization, accommodate pile placement deviations, and provides simple connection to structures.  Contact MAGNUM® Piering, Inc. (800-822-PIER, www.magnumpiering.com) to see how your project can benefit from these new innovations.

 

 

Howard A. Perko, Ph.D., PE[1] Director of Engineering, Magnum Piering, Inc., 138 E. 4^th Street, Loveland, CO  80537, hperko@magnumpiering.com