Contractor removing a temporary casing following excavation of a foundation pile after adding steel reinforcement and concrete.
A heavy structure, like a tall building or a bridge, is usually built on piles if the ground beneath its base does not have an adequate weight-bearing capacity to support the structure. The piled foundation becomes an integral part of the structure that carries and transfers the load of the structure to stable weight-bearing ground, which may be located at some depth below the ground surface Historically, piles were made from timber but now are more likely to be fabricated from steel or steel-reinforced concrete. Deep foundation rotary bored piles are constructed by using a huge drilling rig mounted on a crawler crane (often with a combined weight of 40-80 tonnes). This rig will drill vertically into the ground inside a circular steel casing that has been driven down using a special vibrating hammer to provide temporary support to the excavation. The excavated ‘spoil’ is brought up periodically on the drill screw (sometimes mounted within a special retaining 'bucket'). When a pile has been excavated to the design depth, a steel reinforced cage is inserted and the pile is filled with concrete. Once the concrete has set, the temporary casing is withdrawn using the vibrating hammer. Piles are drilled in a particular pattern and, once a section of piles is completed, a concrete ‘pile cap’ is formed over them which will distribute the weight of the structure evenly between the piles.
Size: 4064px × 2704px
Location: London, UK
Photo credit: © qaphotos.com / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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