Mini piling is a great option for creating foundations in spaces that would otherwise be considered too narrow for other types of construction. It is fast, efficient and versatile enough to suit a wide variety of projects.
It is also ideal for built-up areas, since it causes minimal noise and vibrations. This makes it ideal for installation in environmentally-challenging ground conditions, such as for wind turbine towers.
Bottom-Driven Piling
Bottom-driven piling is a popular method of foundation installation. These piles are typically manufactured off site, then driven into the ground using a crawler rig or drop hammer rig.
This type of piling is often the most cost effective deep foundation solution and can be used in a variety of projects including embankments, bridges, retaining walls, anchorage structures and more. It is also suitable for earthquake prone regions, as it can withstand large lateral and bending forces.
The main advantage of this type of piling is that it can be installed quickly and efficiently. It is also highly versatile and can be adapted to various compression, lateral loads or tension.
Auger Piling
Auger Piling (also known as Continuous Flight Auger or CFA) is a low noise, vibration-free deep foundation system that can be used in both urban and sensitive sites. It is a very economical, quick and quiet alternative to other deep foundation systems such as screw piles and casings.
Depending on the subsoil conditions, pile lengths can vary drastically. Normally, piles of this type will be installed to a depth where they can carry the load in a combination of friction and end bearing.
These piles are constructed by drilling into the ground with a hollow stem continuous flight auger to a desired depth, and then pumping fluid concrete grout through the auger. A steel reinforcement cage is then inserted into the grout immediately after withdrawal of the auger.
Top-Driven Piling
Top-driven piles are a cost effective option for new construction, building additions and industrial expansion projects. They can be manufactured off site, making them easy to transport and install on-site once they reach the construction site.
They can also be easily field-spliced to provide longer or shorter piling lengths when required. They are also a more efficient method of supporting the construction of a structure as they generally have superior structural strength to other foundations.
The main disadvantage of using this type of piling is that it requires a high level of experience to be used effectively. This is because the process of driving the pile requires a high level of precision, which can be difficult for inexperienced operators to master.
Driven piles are driven in lengths of 2-6m, hammering them into the soil using an internal drop hammer on a dry concrete plug. They are joined by a full non-structural fillet weld before being filled with high slump concrete or grout and a cage or bar is inserted for strength.
Cage Piling
Cage piling is a type of mini piling used to support concrete in bored piles. It is also used to create foundations for basements or other structures in difficult soil conditions.
The main advantage of cage piling is its relatively short construction length, compared to other types of mini piling. This means that the cost of constructing piles can be significantly reduced, and also reduces the risk of ground subsidence or other potential problems.
However, the disadvantage of this type of piling is that it requires more onsite traffic and craneage to deliver the cages to the site. Furthermore, there is a potential for the cages to be damaged by the introduction of hydraulic forces from the placement and removal of concrete.
To avoid this, the pile contractor will usually splice together two pile cages using U-bolts which connect the end of one cage bar of an upper pile cage to the end of a lower cage bar of an adjacent cage. Alternatively, couplers may be used which connect the ends of the cage bars of the upper and lower pile cages.
