Driven Piling

Driven piling is a fast and cost-effective deep foundation method suitable for a wide range of ground conditions. Precast piles are manufactured in factory conditions, improving quality control and enabling just-in-time delivery.

What is driven piling used for?

Driven precast concrete and steel tubes can be installed across all construction sectors. Typically installed on sites where the soil profile is alluvial and consist of soft soils with a high-water table that might be problematic for traditional bored piling. Piles are manufactured and installed in sections and driven to a set and are therefore suitable for sites with variable ground conditions.

Key capabilities

  • Precast pile size: 200mm, 250mm, 300mm and 350mm square precast piles
  • Steel pile size: CHS 140mm, 178mm, 244mm, 273mm, 340mm and 610mm
  • Maximum depth: 14m in a single length, with jointing up to 50m+
  • Working load: From 100kN up to 2,000kN
  • Hammer weight: 3-6 tonnes
Van Elle delivering driven piling

What are the advantages of Driven Piling?

  • Speed of installation with near immediate follow-on construction activity
  • Produces no spoil therefore suited to brownfield sites and contaminated or aggressive soils
  • Suitable for a wide range of ground conditions and can be installed to significant depth
  • Offsite pile manufacture within factory environment means high quality control and just-in-time delivery
  • Precast piles manufactured in section lengths to suit site conditions – minimising waste
  • Installation not affected by ground water
  • Range of pile sizes and ability to design for various load cases
  • Piles can be installed on a rake
  • Dynamic testing of precast piles can eliminate the need for costly static load testing

Common Uses

  • Typically used for lighter structural loads from housing to commercial and industrial units
  • Used across the infrastructure sector from bridges to embankment support, and rail-related structures
  • Within power sector to support turbines, OHL and substations
  • Suited to brownfield sites where contamination is of concern as no spoil is produced
  • Favoured when working over water for the construction of jetty’s and wharf structures
  • Suited to sites with variable ground conditions, high water table that would be problematic for bored piling methods

Precast concrete and steel tube piles are driven into the ground by a top driven hydraulic pile hammer, which compacts the surrounding soil as the pile is driven to depth. Piles are driven to a design depth or resistance (set) that will enable them to carry the required load.

Van Elle’s fleet of Junttan piling rigs can install driven piles with a maximum section length of 14m. Piles can be installed to deeper depths to achieve the set criteria through joining sections by means of a mechanical interlocking joint.

Van Elle has developed the proprietary Vemech system. The Vemech system utilises a low ground bearing pressure rig that can install 2.5m to 4m long precast concrete pile sections and up to 4m long steel piles. Key advantages of the Vemech system are the flexibility to deal with varying pile lengths and significantly reduce overall wastage on materials, due to the short precast pile lengths and the reduction in pile mat thicknesses and associated temporary works due to the lightweight rig

Case Studies

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