NEW MICROPILE DATABASE FOR WORLD WIDE USE

ABSTRACT

One of the goals of the FIN-C2M project is to further develop the old DATU (Database on Turku Underpinning Projects) and MIDA databases (Micropile Database). As a result of this the two earlier databases have been merged creating a completely new database.

Following this merger the underpinning database can now be used for projects all around the World and lots of additional details about the projects can be entered into the micropile load test database MIDA. In total there are now details about 110 micropiling projects, almost 400 load tests and close to 9000 micropiles in the database.

The database is accessible with an internet browser and access can be given to either full set of data or to specific parts of it. Inserting data into the database can also be done with a browser. Some graphical representations from the entire dataset can be given to the public.

INTRODUCTION

FIN-C2M project at Turku University of Applied Sciences (TUAS) is part of an international cooperation C2M (Case 2 Micropile Research in ISM Collaboration) coordinated by the International Society for Micropiles (ISM).

The collaboration is lead by Professore James A. Mason (University of Tennessee, USA). C2M Collaboration improves the already strong global growth and expansion of micropile markets. For a long time market growth has been 20…40 % annually and markets in the Nordic have been among the busiest in the World. On the other hand e.g. the underpinning of buildings in St. Petersburg have only begun and the need for underpinning exists in all oldcities  Copenhagen, Venice and old Dutch cities.

The new Micropile Database is a database that can store various details from micropiling projects. The core of the database is formed by the old DATU (Database on Turku Underpinning Projects) and MIDA (Micropile Database) databases. However this new Micropile Database removes many of the restrictions that these old databases had. For example DATU could handle only projects that were done in Turku, Finland and MIDA had very little details about piles outside the scope of load testing. The new Micropile Databse is

designed to handle all kinds of piling projects from around the world whether small or large.

DATA MODEL

Data in the new Micropile Database is stored based on the micropiling project.

Each project is linked to a construction types, usually a building. Construction details include the basic details of the building, including volume, area, year of completion and location. Project details describe mainly the time span of the project. Most of the other tables are linked to the project, including contact details of companies and persons involved in the project, causes for the underpinning project, generic notes and other tasks performed during the underpinning. Also cost details and the cost of the project can be stored into the new Micropile Database. More specific details can be stored about various observations made before, during and after the project such as vibration, settlement, moisture, cracking, noise, water level and sampling hole observations. Load transfer structures, piles, load tests and soil data are inserted separately.

Load transfer structure details include the type and basic measurements of various components of the structure. The type of the load transfer structure tells the basic layout of load transfer components, whether jacks and anchors are used and in what general configuration they are used. Soil data is stored in layers. Each layer represents a distinctive layer of soil the piles are installed into. Each site can have several columns of soil layers and each pile can be linked to a certain soil column. Soil layers are characterized by soil type and few geotechnical parameters.

VISUALIZATIONS

In the new Micropile Database there are several ways to visualize the data in the database. Some visualizations can be drawn from the entire database such as the distribution of various piling methods used during each year (Figure 1), length distribution of piles by piling method (Figure 2) or load transfer type (Figure 3) or cost analysis by for example length of piles and piling method (Figure 4).

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

CONCLUSIONS

As a result of the new Micropile Database, an invaluable tool for analyzing micropiling projects will be available. The database could be used for analyzing various details in micropiling projects and their effects e.g. on load bearing capacity or costs. The data available in the database has already been used to analyze the cost of underpinning.

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C-pile testing

Hello civil engineers,

What was it again?

The C-piles we talked about earlier last month have been tested! And it went alright. The C-pile is a micropile where there is a strip of steel “cut out” in the side of this making it the form of a C. On the other side of this cut out strip there is T part welded to the micropile making it able to connect to each other.

The test was to make a C-pile wall with 6m and 8m piles. The piles went in nicely and there were no problems found here.

Drilling them in

Drilling the piles into the ground was no problem. The soil consisted of moraine, this means there were some big rocks in the layers under the surface. When one of the rocks was encountered the drilling continued without any problems. The piles were connected one by one by shoving the T part in to the to the empty space where the strip of steel was removed. The piles weren’t bent or showed any sign of damage after the drilling. For the future there will be more optimisations to ensure speed and working effect.

The test.

The test of the piles went very well! The wall was tested with an excavation of 3 by 4 meters. The testing was done by filling the CT piles with sand an poles where set in to the pile so there was a starting point for the measurement. Measuring was done by surveying the distance by hand. As you will see on the photos. A very good result was obtained and further testing can be done. The testing was done during 4 hours so this is a very short period of time. A next test would be that this time period would be 4 days to see how the piles would take the pressure. Also the lock system of the piles worked very well, and never broke during the tes

What was it again?

The C-piles we talked about earlier last month have been tested! And it went alright. The C-pile is a micropile where there is a strip of steel “cut out” in the side of this making it the form of a C. On the other side of this cut out strip there is T part welded to the micropile making it able to connect to each other.

The test was to make a C-pile wall with 6m and 8m piles. The piles went in nicely and there were no problems found here.

Drilling them in

Drilling the piles into the ground was no problem. The soil consisted of moraine, this means there were some big rocks in the layers under the surface. When one of the rocks was encountered the drilling continued without any problems. The piles were connected one by one by shoving the T part in to the to the empty space where the strip of steel was removed. The piles weren’t bent or showed any sign of damage after the drilling. For the future there will be more optimisations to ensure speed and working effect.

The test.

The test of the piles went very well! The wall was tested with an excavation of 3 by 4 meters. The testing was done by filling the CT piles with sand an poles where set in to the pile so there was a starting point for the measurement. Measuring was done by surveying the distance by hand. As you will see on the photos. A very good result was obtained and further testing can be done. The testing was done during 4 hours so this is a very short period of time. A next test would be that this time period would be 4 days to see how the piles would take the pressure. Also the lock system of the piles worked very well, and never broke during the test. 

STUDENTS´ VISIONS ON MICROPILE WALL APPLICATIONS: HOW TO CONSTRUCT A LARGE DIAMETER PILE OR AN UNDERPASS

SUBJECT: This paper introduces students´ visions on potential applications of micropile walls used in gravity foundations or large diameter piles and - when installed horizontally - in underpass construction.

The C pile (Fig. 1) is a patented new way of making a micropile. Unlike former micropiles, the top-hammered C pile is utilized in an open profile and installed into the ground with a new kind of eccentric drilling process.

Fig. 1 - The C pile is an open steel section, installed using a new kind of an eccentric drill

INSTALLATION OF MICROPILE WALLS

Drilled piles have been used for retaining walls constructed in Finland, Sweden and Norway since 2008. Drilled pile walls can be used in demanding soil conditions where installation of conventional sheet piles can face penetration problems or vibration risks. In Northern Scandinavia and Finland, hard and large boulders are common obstacles in the overburden limiting use of conventional sheet pile and retaining wall methods.

Two variations of drilled pile walls have been introduced recently in the Nordic countries based on either drilled steel pipe piles (RD piles) or an application of open section drilling utilizing C and CT profiles (Fig. 2). Using open section drilling, a drilled pile wall can be implemented starting with embedding of an open C section (Fig. 2A) and the wall can be extended using CT profiles (Fig. 2B). The first C profile contributes an open access to the next element. The T part of the CT profile penetrates to the previous C section creating a locking structure and the C part of the CT profile is an access to the next element, and so on.

Use of grout flushing improves structural capacity and water tightness of the wall. Grout can be used as insulation material, too. 

Drilled pile walls can be used as temporary or permanent structures. Typically, the wall has capacity to take both high vertical and lateral loads when needed.

Fig. 2 - Installation of a CT micropile wall: the first pile is type of C and

the following piles are drilled using CT profiles

CT MICROPILE WALL IN LARGE DIAMETER PILES

The CT micropile wall can be used to construct specific shapes suitable for use as the shaft of a large diameter pile (Fig. 3). The shaft can be implemented in form of an entire circle or using a butt joint at starting point of drilling (Fig. 3d). The center of the drilled shaft can be treated e.g. using deep mixing or jet grouting. The large diameter piles, made from CT micropiles, have applicability energy towers (monopole foundations) and bridges (multiple structures founded on large diameter piles).

Potential advantages favoring the use of CT micropile walls include:

• The diameter of a drilled shaft or a gravity foundation can be chosen between 0,5 m and several meters – there is no upper limit using CT micropiles.

• The CT micropiles can be lengthened and mechanical couplers have been developed for embedding of e.g. 1 to 6 m long elements.

• The center of the large diameter pile can utilized as part of the gravity foundation when the center is treated e.g. using deep mixing, jet grouting or pressure grouted micropiles.

• Drilled shafts or gravity foundations can be easily installed e.g. in demanding environments (mountain areas, isolated islands, pathless wildernesses) or even under basements using light machinery for CT micropile embedding. 

Fig. 3 -  A proposal to construct a large diameter pile using a C pile (a) and CT elements (b), with angled versions (c) when needed. The large diameter pile can be an entire circle e.g. in sandy soils or equipped with a butt joint (d) when drilling meets boulders or respective obstacles.

TUNNEL EXCAVATION

Until now, construction of underpasses beneath existing railway embankments has been challenged by limitations in breaks of train service. Traditionally, the underpass has be excavated extremely quickly and the bridge deck can be built simultaneously nearby the underpass.

It is proposed that if the CT micropile wall would be installed horizontally, the underpass could be constructed without any stop in train traffic. 

The CT micropile wall would be in the form of an arch and the compressed structure could be e.g. shotcreted. The tunnel for the underpass is possible to excavate in stages while maintaining uninterrupted rail service above: (i) drilling using e.g. cement grouting a horizontal CT micropile wall in an arch shape, (ii) excavation of the first 2 m in the tunnel, (iii) shotcreting of the first excavation, (iv) the second 2 m excavation, (v) the next concreting and so on.

Other types of tunnels could be constructed using CT micropile wall technology, too. The method could be applicable especially when the tunnel is constructed in demanding soil conditions, including e.g. boulders and respective obstacles.