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 | | TRIAX™ PILING RIG WORKING PLATFORM KEEPS HOMES DEVELOPMENT ON SUSTAINABLE TRACK | | | Tensar International | | 11/02/2008 | | | Speed and ease of installation of a temporary piling mat using Tensar International’s new TriAx™ geogrid, enabled Redrow Homes (Midlands) to complete the groundworks phase of its recent Stoke development quickly, cost effectively and in a sustainable manner.
Using the Tensar-designed solution, contractors working on Redrow‘s Doulton Grange site were able to progress the ground stabilisation phase on schedule, while using recycled site demolition material also meant minimal cost and environmental impact.
The development comprises 2 bedroom apartments, and 3 and 4 bedroom houses, in a location to the east of Stoke-on-Trent which was sited on weak clay. Piled foundations were required for the buildings and to facilitate this operation the contractor required a certified working platform for safe operation of the rigs. The formation’s undrained shear strength (Cu) was estimated to be only 15 kPa.
Civil engineering consultants Simpson Associates asked Tensar Technical Services Department to devise a geogrid solution as it was appreciated that a reinforced platform could be much thinner than a traditional unreinforced mat. Jim Walker, one of Tensar’s Technical team, says: “We devised a 610mm granular mattress with two layers of Tensar TriAx™ to create a stiff, mechanically stabilised layer.”
“This took full advantage of the improved bearing capacity offered by TriAx™, enabling a thinner working platform to be constructed than with standard bi-axial geogrid, but ensuring it would safely support all Load Cases, including a maximum imposed track pressure of 340 kN/m2. The isotropic stiffness and load bearing performance of TriAx™ is ideal for a platform construction where the applied loadings are multi-directional. ”
Two contractors were able to build the platform within a day, simply unrolling the geogrids and using an excavator to place the crushed aggregate from the on-site demolition material. This was compacted and, the following day, the piling rig was in operation on the platform.
Says David Partridge of Simpson Associates: ”Tensar’s Technical Services were an enormous help, especially during the initial design phases, and were an important support in keeping the development on programme.” | |
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