The project was to install piles that would form part of a new shock absorber anchorage assembly that will allow the Don Viaduct, which was built in 1880, to remain in use for many more years.
The schedule of works included the installation of 32 no. 762mm spliced circular hollow section (CHS) piles to a depth of 10m (infilled with reinforced concrete) using one of Van Elle's wheeled T10,000 and Tracked T10,000 RRV (road rail vehicle) Colmar's which incorporated a side grip Movax and 2.5t BSP hammer.
CHS casings were driven utilising the RRV's working in rules of the route possessions and following on from the continuous flight auger (CFA) piling to mitigate the effect of the hydrostatic forces from below. A final pile depth of 17.5m was achieved, filling with concrete to support final pile and installing a substantial reinforcing cage, utilising an SR-30 CFA rig.
The project presented opportunities for the business to unearth innovative solutions through joined-up thinking across divisional disciplines to solve issues as they emerged. Working in collaboration with its specialist piling team, Van Elle finally installed 40 no. working piles (10 no. x 4 corners of the Don Viaduct structure), around 7-10 days ahead of published schedules.
