Mini piling rigs can help meet EU renovation targets
With a five-point plan outlined by the European Commission to help unleash the potential of low-energy buildings throughout the continent, mini piling rigs could play a key role in allowing existing structures to be brought up to date.
Renovation is one of the five main points in the plan, both to bring those buildings up to date, and also to stimulate investment conditions in EU member states’ construction sectors.
And it is in existing buildings, which may be on sites with other valuable infrastructure or neighbouring premises in place, where mini piling rigs can be particularly useful.
By using compact, low-vibration piling equipments, construction firms can make sure they do no damage to surrounding structures, or to any nearby underground infrastructure.
While it is impossible to carry out foundation work without disturbing the ground to some extent, it is likely that underpinning techniques which are as minimally invasive as possible will play a key role in the coming years, as this renovation-led plan for raising levels of construction investment goes into effect across the EU.
Mini piling helps in compact redevelopments
Mini piling can help in construction work on previously developed sites, which may be surrounded by other developments that make access an issue.
With compact mini piling rigs, tighter access routes can be made viable, while less room is needed on the site itself.
Suburban environments are one example of where properties can be constructed at relatively high densities, putting room at a premium for any future projects.
However, according to a report from Policy Exchange, almost one million people moved away from urban residential areas in the years from 2001 to 2008.
“There are more jobs and higher wages in cities and nearly two thirds of people would prefer to live in the suburbs of urban areas,” the report notes.
As more people move to the edges of cities, this in turn applies renewed pressure to the availability of suburban housing – particularly when developing greenfield sites is not an option due to planning constraints.
With mini piling, even compact plots can be developed to their fullest potential, minimising negative environmental impacts and delivering the maximum benefit to housing availability in the area.
Mini pile foundations perfect for green building
Mini pile foundations are the ideal option for construction where green and sustainable building standards must be met.
Analyst IBISWorld predicts that “revenue will soar” among the leading sustainable building specialists in the coming five years.
Regions with a higher concentration of residential properties are particularly expected to lead this resurgence in activity.
According to IBISWorld, a higher local population typically drives business activity higher, which in turn leads to demand for commercial and industrial properties in the area.
The forecast is based on performance in the US market, but might be expected to be repeated in the UK and elsewhere as growth returns to construction-related disciplines.
For companies keen to ride the green wave, mini pile foundations are one ideal option.
Mini pile foundations can be put in place with compact rigs, making them perfect for smaller projects such as those that might be available in an otherwise constrained market.
Their compact nature also makes them environmentally preferable, enhancing the sustainability of the structure from the moment its first foundations are put in place.
Different Types of Mini Piling
Filed under: Bored Cased Piles, Drop Weight Driven Piles, Grundomat Driven Piles, Mini Piling
Mini piling is a piling solution that is commonly used where access on a building site is tight but piling is still needed in order to prepare the ground before anything can be built on top of it. There are several different types of mini piling available, each of which is slightly different and so can be used for slightly different purposes.
Drop Weight Mini Piling
This is a type of mini piling that is especially useful on projects where there is only limited headroom and so not a lot of space to work in. For instance, housing developments can often make use of drop weight mini piling.
Bored Case Mini Piling
By contrast, one of the main benefits of this type of mini piling is that it can help to keep vibrations to a minimum, which is more important on some sites than others. If there is sensitive equipment or wildlife nearby that shouldn’t be disturbed, for example, bored case mini piling could be an option.
Grundomat Driven Mini Piling
This is a type of mini piling that is popularly used when access is difficult but there is a need to keep noise and disruption to a minimum, such as for house extensions.
As all building projects are slightly different, the type of mini piling required will also differ; it’s always worth getting professional advice to make sure you get the type of mini piling that’s right for you.
What are Mini Pile Foundations?
Mini pile foundations work on a similar principal to other types of piling except, as the name suggests, they tend to be used on projects where a smaller scale is necessary. The purpose of mini pile foundations is to prepare the ground so that it can support the weight of a building; the mini pile has to be driven down into the ground so that the concrete foundations can then be poured on top of it in the normal fashion.
This type of mini pile foundation is often used on smaller construction sites, such as house extensions. For instance, if you were to get a conservatory that required foundations or were to extend your house outwards, it would be likely that mini pile foundations would be used.
Mini pile foundations can also be used as an alternative in some situations where environmental concerns play a role. Their primary function, though, is to allow an effective piling solution even in situations where access is tight, ensuring that all construction projects can be catered for and leading to safer and more efficient procedures.
Reap the Benefits of Mini Piling
There are many different types of piling options available to contractors today. One of these is mini piling which has been derived from the screw pile. Mini piling has become increasingly popular for the more difficult projects as they have many advantages over more traditional piling methods. One of the main benefits of mini piles is that they can be implemented in much smaller spaces, overcoming many difficulties.
Mini piles are ideal for use where there are poor ground conditions as there is no need for excavation or removal of soil. For certain projects, traditional piles are simply too heavy to be used. Mini piles are a much lighter option that can be utilised in such instances. Mini piling should be used when vibration should be avoided and when only specialised equipment should be used i.e. when access is restricted. Mini piles are also appropriate for use when there are environmental concerns over a construction project.
Mini piling is versatile, durable, reliable and cost-effective which makes it a fantastic alternative to more traditional piling option.
Grundomat & The Grundomat Mole
Filed under: Grundomat Driven Piles, Mini Piling, Services, Top Driven Piles, Uncategorized
Grundomat are one of the better known brands within the piling industry. With many pile driving and underpinning products, they are popular throughout our industry.
The Grundomat Mole is a technical soil displacement hammer, ideal for use in almost any type of soil. With the ability to bore through up to 50 metres and successfully displace obstructions they encounter, they’re ideal for installing of underground services such as underpinning and piles. Available in sizes including 45mm, 55mm and 65mm diameters, they’re not only useful but essential products.
A key component in trenchless moling technology, the Grundomat Mole is quoted as saving time, cost and minimising disruption in residential and commercial locations where life and business needs to continue as smoothly as possible.
Mini Piling
Filed under: Bored Cased Piles, Drop Weight Driven Piles, Grundomat Driven Piles, Mini Piling
Although the use of piling equipment is widespread throughout the construction industry, there are often cases where site access is limited to the often large and unwieldy pile drivers used by many contractors. Not only is there the embarrassment and inconvenience that can sometimes happen when a piling rig is simply too big to reach the site, but there is the loss of productivity which can be damaging to companies, not only in terms of cost but scheduling.
This is where mini piling is the solution. Mini piling rigs are used in smaller projects from house extensions to sites with uneven or undulating ground. Fortunately, with our years of experience, MK Piling are specialist mini piling rig contractors. With experts in mini-piling rigs, we can offer Grundomat Driven Piles, Bored Cased Piles and also Drop Weight Driven Piles, ideal for small projects or locations where larger piling rigs simply cannot reach safely. Mini piling rigs are also ideal for locations where noise or vibration needs to be limited as much as possible, such as near residential or commercial properties.
So, for any building project, large or small, call us today to discuss your requirements.
Grundomat Pile Driving Hammer
Before beginning on any piling task, the location and ground condition must have been thoroughly researched to make sure that it is safe to proceed. Prefabricated ERW steel tubes are used to install piles and additional tubes can be added if needed. Dry concrete mix, or driving plug, is inserted into the starter tube, which is the initial tube with a pointed end.
Resistance is created at the driving end by electrically welding additional tubes to the original tubes. The resistance needed is calculated and measured in millimetres movements per second (the piling set.) The piles are then put into place from the pile head with a self-compacting concrete mix.
Grundomat piles can be used for a range of applications including underpinning, foundation piles for lightweight structures i.e. extensions, conservatories, fence post foundations and instrumentation holes
Mini Piling
The process of mini piling consists of the pile being driven by an internal drop hammer. A wooden pile tip is fitted to a steel casing which contains a long concrete plug. The casing can be rather tenuous as there will only be tension forces that occur when driving the mini pile. The pile is driven to a specified depth at which point the steel casing is filled with concrete and then is installed with reinforcement. When this has been completed the casing is then extracted from the ground.
There are different ways of driving mini piles into the ground. One such way is using an explosive pile. The explosive charge is put into the casing at the bottom once it has reached the required depth. As the casing is removed the charge is detonated, increasing the size of the pile base. The benefit of this is that the bearing capacity is increased when the soil becomes greatly compacted by the force of the explosion. However, this is not always an ideal technique to use as soil compression and displacement is not always easy to predict.