Contact foundation method

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING A MULTI-FLOOR BUILDING IN WHICH A PORTION OF THE STRUCTURE IS TO BE BELOW GRADE IN AN AREA WHEREIN THE CHARACTER OF THE SOIL TO BE EXCAVATED REQUIRES THE ERECTION OF AN EARTH RETAINING WALL, WHICH INCLUDES: INSTALLING A PLURALITY OF SOLDIER BEAMS VERTICALLY IN THE GROUND ABOUT THE PERIMETER OF THE AREA TO BE EXCAVATED; INSTALLING VERTICAL SUPPORTING COLUMNS WITHIN SAID AREA, SAID COLUMNS BEING PROVIDED WITH ATTACHMENT MEANS FOR STRUCTURALLY JOINING CONCRETE FLOOR SLABS TO THE COLUMNS, SURFACING THE SOIL WITHIN THE BUILDING LINE AT GROUND FLOOR LEVEL TO A PREDETERMINED CONTOUR TO COMPRISE A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL FORM UPON WHICH A CONCRETE FLOOR SLAB OR THE LIKE MAY BE POURED; POURING A FIRST FLOOR SLAB ON SAID FORM WHILE LEAVING OPEN AT LEAST ONE SELECTED AREA IN SAID SLAB; SAID FLOOR SLAB BEING POURED SO AS TO BE STRUCTURALLY JOINED BY SAID ATTACHMENT MEANS TO CERTAIN OF SAID COLUMNS; EXCAVATING THE EARTH BENEATH SAID FIRST FLOOR SLAB THROUGH SAID OPEN AREA TO FORM A SUB-FLOOR AREA; ATTACHING SHEETING MEMBERS TO SAID SOLDIER BEAMS AS EXCAVATION PROCEEDS TO FORM AN EARTH RETAINING WALL AT THE PERIPHERY OF SAID AREA; LATERALLY BRACING SAID RETAINING WALL AGAINST SAID FLOOR SLAB TO RESIST THROUGH THE FLOOR SLAB SYSTEM LATERAL FORCES FROM THE RETAINED EARTH; SURFACING THE SOIL AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SUB-FLOOR AREA TO A PREDETERMINED CONTOUR TO COMPRISE A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL SUB-FLOOR FORM UPON WHICH A SUB-FLOOR SLAB MAY BE POURED; AND POURING A SUB-FLOOR SLAB ON SAID SUB-FLOOR FORM SO THAT SAID SUB-FLOOR SLAB IS STRUCTURALLY JOINED BY SAID ATTACHMENT MEANS TO CERTAIN OF SAID COLUMNS.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING A MULTI-FLOOR BUILDING IN WHICH A PORTION OF THE STRUCTURE IS TO BE BELOW GRADE IN AN AREA WHEREIN THE CHARACTER OF THE SOIL TO BE EXCAVATED REQUIRES THE ERECTION OF AN EARTH RETAINING WALL, WHICH INCLUDES: INSTALLING A PLURALITY OF SOLDIER BEAMS VERTICALLY IN THE GROUND ABOUT THE PERIMETER OF THE AREA TO BE EXCAVATED; INSTALLING VERTICAL SUPPORTING COLUMNS WITHIN SAID AREA, SAID COLUMNS BEING PROVIDED WITH ATTACHMENT MEANS FOR STRUCTURALLY JOINING CONCRETE FLOOR SLABS TO THE COLUMNS, SURFACING THE SOIL WITHIN THE BUILDING LINE AT GROUND FLOOR LEVEL TO A PREDETERMINED CONTOUR TO COMPRISE A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL FORM UPON WHICH A CONCRETE FLOOR SLAB OR THE LIKE MAY BE POURED; POURING A FIRST FLOOR SLAB ON SAID FORM WHILE LEAVING OPEN AT LEAST ONE SELECTED AREA IN SAID SLAB; SAID FLOOR SLAB BEING POURED SO AS TO BE STRUCTURALLY JOINED BY SAID ATTACHMENT MEANS TO CERTAIN OF SAID COLUMNS; EXCAVATING THE EARTH BENEATH SAID FIRST FLOOR SLAB THROUGH SAID OPEN AREA TO FORM A SUB-FLOOR AREA; ATTACHING SHEETING MEMBERS TO SAID SOLDIER BEAMS AS EXCAVATION PROCEEDS TO FORM AN EARTH RETAINING WALL AT THE PERIPHERY OF SAID AREA; LATERALLY BRACING SAID RETAINING WALL AGAINST SAID FLOOR SLAB TO RESIST THROUGH THE FLOOR SLAB SYSTEM LATERAL FORCES FROM THE RETAINED EARTH; SURFACING THE SOIL AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SUB-FLOOR AREA TO A PREDETERMINED CONTOUR TO COMPRISE A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL SUB-FLOOR FORM UPON WHICH A SUB-FLOOR SLAB MAY BE POURED; AND POURING A SUB-FLOOR SLAB ON SAID SUB-FLOOR FORM SO THAT SAID SUB-FLOOR SLAB IS STRUCTURALLY JOINED BY SAID ATTACHMENT MEANS TO CERTAIN OF SAID COLUMNS.