Patent 7921573 was granted and assigned to Ric-Man Construction, Inc. on April, 2011 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
A method of monitoring verticality of a sinking caisson having a tip. A pole is inserted into the earth to a pole depth substantially corresponding to a desired final depth of the caisson tip, one or more levels are coupled to the pole, and an elevation of the levels(s) is established. Scales are carried on an interior surface of the caisson in spaced circumferential locations and in reference to the caisson tip, and the level(s) is applied to the scales to indicate heights from the caisson tip corresponding to the circumferential locations of the scales. Tip elevations corresponding to the circumferential locations of the scales are determined by subtracting the indicated heights from the established elevation of the level(s). Any tilt of the caisson is calculated from any differences among the determined tip elevations.