La Menacha

The client of a large commercial unit on an industrial estate in La Menacha wished to increase the capacity of an existing foundation slab for the installation of a new silo. The works were logistically complicated due to the fact that the slab was inside a 5m high narrow steel structure with no access points.

The pile designed for the project was the 300mm drill bar pile, the smallest rig able to install this pile type was the Klemm 701 which in profile just fitted inside the steel structure with the power pack remaining on the outside. The rig was lowered into the structure with an appropriate crane.

Unfortunately the ground conditions were not as were described within the soils investigation report, conducted by a third party. The engineers had to contend with a much higher than expected water table.

The Rock Foundations (SL) engineering team devised a way to wind in sufficient casings with the drifter head (drilling attachment for the drill bar pile) which sealed off the top of the piles from the excess ground water.

The drilling process then continued and all of the piles were installed as per the design and the rig removed from the structure by crane.