New construction starts hint at demand for foundation piling
Foundation piling is an area of growing demand as activity picks up in the construction industry.
Newly published figures from Communities and Local Government show an increase in house-building activity, both in the private sector and by housing associations.
In the last three months of 2011, 1% more housing association construction projects began than in the previous quarter.
However, private construction saw a markedly higher increase in activity, at 6% when seasonal effects were taken into account.
Foundation piling is, of course, one of the first stages to take place on a new construction project, and suppliers are working hard to make sure we meet the growing demand as the number of new starts increase.
The official figures show that, with more than 25,000 house-building starts in the last quarter of 2011, we are now 74% higher than the industry’s lowest ebb in March 2009.
As activity continues to pick up, we will be here to help with the foundation piling that literally gives the sector the firm base it needs on which to build future success.
Foundation piling key for green communities
Foundation piling has a role to play in the future of sustainable and weather-resilient communities.
The Town and Country Planning Association has warned that, at present, many parts of England are not well prepared for future flood risks, despite investment in preventing flooding in some communities.
“While the funding for improving flood defences is imperative, we must also recognise the importance of planning and local authority cooperation in tackling challenges which operate above the local level,” says TCPA chief executive Kate Henderson.
In a TCPA guidance document, the potential role that foundation piling can play in preparing developed areas for weather events is spelled out.
The document recommends ensuring that foundation piling is deep enough during construction, so that any waterlogged soil in future does not reach the bottom of the structure’s supports.
Concrete piles’ ability to withstand variations in heat is also pointed out – making them preferable to ‘green’ alternatives such as timber-framed structures, which cannot cope as well with temperature changes.
For existing buildings, meanwhile, the document suggests underpinning foundations, so that they extend into more stable, deeper soils than was initially intended.
CFA piles keep compact sites vibration-free
CFA piles are a good option on sites where existing structures are located close to the area where piling is taking place.
With many construction projects based on plots of land whose neighbouring units have already been developed, a non-invasive method of laying new foundations is increasingly important.
CFA piles – or Continuous Flight Auger piles, to use their full name – help to overcome this issue by cutting down on the vibration caused by downward drilling.
They are installed by drilling into the ground with a hollow auger, until the desired depth is reached.
Piling medium is then pumped into this hollow vertical pipe, while the auger is withdrawn – reinforcing cages can be inserted into the still-wet concrete once the auger itself is clear of the pile.
The process can be achieved with more compact piling rigs than some other methods, and causes relatively little disruption to the surrounding ground – this is good not only for nearby foundations, but also for underground infrastructure such as gas and water pipes.
If your project needs concrete piles, but you are short on room to manoeuvre, CFA piles could be the ideal option, as well as helping to ensure you stay within acceptable vibration limits if working on a site with occupied neighbouring premises.
Foundation piling in cold weather
Foundation piling presents its own obstacles during the colder months, as the interaction between the foundations and the ground around them can change significantly – particularly during extended periods of sub-zero temperatures.
If using concrete piles, for instance, pre-cast piles delivered from off-site can help to avoid the issue of the water freezing in freshly poured concrete before it has chance to harden.
Meanwhile, foundation piling in permafrost ground allows the temperature itself to become a beneficial factor – the shear forces between the foundation piles and the frozen ground add to the strength of the structure.
It is therefore important to know from the outset what kind of foundation piling you need for a particular project – and how the changing weather conditions year-round might affect their strength.
We can supply pre-cast concrete piles or pour fresh concrete on-site, with underpinning an option where poor ground conditions complicate the installation of your foundations.
Similarly, we offer soil nailing to stabilise slopes and banks, which can help to ensure ground frozen in winter does not become unstable as the warmer weather arrives in the new year.
What are Piling Rigs used for?
If you have ever worked on a construction site where foundation piling has been used, you are probably familiar with the site of piling rigs. These have an important part to play in the process of foundation piling, but what exactly is the purpose of piling rigs?
Essentially, the main role of a piling rig is to drill into the earth where the piling in question needs to be applied. Depending on the specific job, the earth could be clay, sandy soil or silt. They are commonly used for jobs involving foundations but can also have uses for diaphragm walls.
There are different types of drill available for use with piling rigs to take account of the fact that different ground conditions will have different requirements. Also, as some building sites are more restricted and harder to access than others, it is possible to get piling rigs of varying sizes so that difficult and hard to reach foundation piling jobs can be taken care of.
If you think you might need a piling rig for a job you are working on, you should always speak to an experienced professional to make sure you get the right equipment for the job in question.
Piling Rig Accident
Two construction companies have been fined for an accident that occurred in December 2007 on Tower Street in Hull. On the busy street in rush hour, a piling rig being used for the construction of a hotel fell over and rolled into the middle of the road.
Amazingly, no one was killed or even injured in the event, but both companies, who pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety Work Act, have been fined. The main contractor, Multibuild, who provided the stone platform on which the piling rig worked, have been fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £18,687 in costs. Balfour Beatty Ground Engineering Ltd, who were sub-contractor, responsible for carrying out the work, have been fined £25,000 and ordered to pay £17,676 in costs.
Dave Redman, the HSE Inspector, has said that, “It is every company’s responsibility to ensure that employees and members of the public are not exposed to danger from heavy construction machinery. There is extensive guidance governing safe working in this sector, and we hope today’s prosecution serves to remind people of their duties so that we don’t witness an incident of this kind again.”
What The Future Holds?
According to a recent report, over 60% of all industry professionals believe that 2010 will be a more positive year that 2009.
The survey, conducted by KPMG, asked almost two hundred leading construction company owners, if they felt profits would remain consistent or increase in 2010. Of all the respondents asked, over 50 %were positive.
However, Tom Ford, a piling contractor based in Manchester, thinks that while the outlook is more positive, the construction and piling industry still relies heavily on the stimulus packages given by the government and various Marco economic factors.
Construction Purchasing Spend Declines
According to a recent report by the CIPS/Markit index, the pace at which purchasing spend has fallen in the construction industry, has speeded up dramatically throughout October.
According to research, the sector that has been most affected is civil engineering, though as the latest figures reveal, no area of the construction industry has gone unscathed.
While residential construction did increase for the second month in a row, the accelerated decline across both civil and commercial sectors indicates that the UK’s construction industry is still firmly in the recession.
Mark James, the administrative editor of the report, comments: “While there are promising signs of recovery with the UK’s construction sector, the latest figures reveal that a return to pre-recessionary spending is still a long way away.”
Construction Industry Slow to Recover
According to a recent report conduced by the Construction Products Association, construction output will fall 15% this year and continue on to descend until 2010.
While results of the last quarter suggested that the UK’s property market is on the road to recovery, the latest figures reported by the Construction Products Association suggest that it may be some time before the construction industry fully recovers.
Commenting on the report, chief executive of the Construction Products Association Mike Ankers states; “News of an uplift in the property market encouraged many to predict the end of the recession. However, our latest forecast reveals that, while the future does look positive for the construction industry, the pace of recovery will be slower than initially anticipated.”
Mr. Ankers added: “One of the main objectives of the CPA is to ensure that the government is aware that the recovery of the construction industry, is key to the broader economic recovery of the UK.”
Are We on The Road to Recovery?
The past month has seen many key economists announcing, that the UK is well on the road to economic recovery. However, though the construction industry is now contracting at a less alarming rate, it is still struggling.
In August, we welcomed news that the rate of deterioration had slowed. However, this can mainly be attributed to a decrease in demand for new houses. Indeed, there are still many challenges, threatening the industry’s full recovery.
The most unanticipated of which, is the decline of the civil engineering sub sector. Throughout the recession, this sector had remained remarkably buoyant. However, August witnessed the sectors worst ever recorded results. Not only does this indicate that – despite initial reports of economic recovery – the UK’s construction industry is still volatile, it also highlights flaws in the government’s economic stimulus plan.
In other areas, the residential construction sector has experienced a slower rate of contraction in August than reported in previous months. Meanwhile, the number of construction workers facing redundancy has been though to have significantly reduced.
In conclusion, as the rate of contraction slows across all areas of the construction industry, it definitely seems that we are on the road to recovery; however, the question as to whether the construction industry will ever fully recover from the impact of the recession over the last year, remains unanswered.