DEEP FOUNDATIONS
Soletanche Bachy has developed highly sophisticated
machines with excellent productivity and on-board elec-
tronic systems providing high reliability of construction
for piles and barrettes:
- HYDROFRAISE, a milling-type cutter to excavate
barrettes up to 2.40m thick in all soil types including
rock. The machine has continuous, real-time monitoring
of excavation process using ENPAFRAISE. This informa-
tion allows the machine to correct its trajectory to remain
within tolerance,
- KS, rectangular hydraulic grabs designed for cohesive
and non-cohesive soils for excavating barrettes up to 1.50m
thick and fitted with the SAKSO system for monitoring and
HYDROFRAISE
EVOLUTION 3
Machine
for very deep
diaphragm walls
or barrettes
M8 new-generation grab
< ENPAFRAISE
(for recording hy settings)
2.3. Micropiles
Micropiles are drilled piles with a diameter less than
300mm and displacement piles with a diameter less than
150mm.
The load bearing element of a micro pile consists of steel
bar, a steel tube, or an H-type profile that is:
- either embedded into the ground using a cement
grout, mortar or micro-concrete for load transfer (drilled
micropiles),
- or by direct contact with the ground (displacement
micropiles).
A characteristic of micropiles is that their bearing capa-
city is assumed to be derived exclusively from lateral
friction since the end bearing is frequently negligible.
43
correcting trajectory to remain within tolerances.
- STARSOL, a continuous-flight auger drill for
constructing piles up to 1.50m in diameter and 35m
deep, fitted with an extendible tremie pipe and conti-
nuous monitoring of drilling and concreting, through the
ENBESOL version of SYMPA, to ensure correct construc-
tion of the pile in dry or wet conditions.
Soletanche Bachy has developed high-performance piles,
such has the grooved T-PILE. These new cost-efficient pile
concepts are intended to improve the load bearing
capacity to cost ratio by reducing the amount of concrete
required. They have their own specification.
STARSOL - Continuous earth T-PILE - Grooved piles for
auger with integrated temie pipe increased performance
and continuous recording
of parameters
Lateral friction can be vastly improved by adding pressure
grouting, either a tightening exercise called Global and
Unique Injection (GUI) shortly after cementing the steel
reinforcement in the ground, or by an IRS type injection
(repetitive and selective grouting under pressure) with
sleeved casings. These two improvement methods can
also be combined.
Construction methods for micropiles are similar to those
of piles in general. However, drilled micropiles are
constructed using light drilling machines that allow
continuous direct and/or reverse circulation drilling with
fluids such as air, water, bentonite slurry, polymers, or
cement grout.