Site Investigation
Site investigation is an integral part of the development process, a well-designed investigation can save project costs in the future and enable designers to be aware of potential issues from both a geotechnical and environmental perspective.
With an extensive history in pile design and construction, Central Piling is ideally suited to provide Clients with a robust ground investigation and consultancy services.
For geotechnical investigations consultancy advice can be provided by Central Piling for a variety of foundation solutions, retaining walls, slope stability and finite analysis modelling.
Where required we work with trusted sub-contractors, laboratory partners and consultants to provide geo-environmental analysis and advice as part of a wider exploration.
In addition to this our utilities and UXO desk studies can provide information regarding potential hazards prior to any intrusive ground investigation and construction work taking place.
We can provide information regarding potential hazards prior to any intrusive ground investigation and construction work taking place.
Monitoring and Instrumentation
In addition to our borehole monitoring techniques we also offer a range of other systems.
These include noise and vibration monitoring; extensometers; inclinometers; and deformation monitoring methods. These services are often provided to help satisfy party wall and local authority requirements. Clients may also wish to work with Central Piling to use the information from the monitoring as part of an observational technique design approach to basement construction and thereby reduce propping requirements and construction programme durations.
Permanent Works Design
Central Piling’s in-house engineers can provide Clients with advice on foundation solutions for new developments.
Whether it is a single storey extension or a multi-storey high rise building Central Piling can produce designs for traditional shallow spread foundations through to complex piled foundation solutions and retaining walls.
Our team have significant experience of designing solutions for ground and groundwater retention problems. This includes walls for deep basements and slope stabilisation techniques.
Ground Investigation and Boreholes
Central Piling have the capability of carrying out ground investigations using Dando cable percussion rigs.
This drilling technique is cost-efficient and provides in-situ tests to aide geotechnical investigations along with the ability to install groundwater and ground gas monitoring wells.
The drilling tools can penetrate clay, sand, gravel and chalk.
During the drilling process small disturbed soil samples may be taken to enable logging of the site soils and further laboratory testing. Undisturbed U100 samples are collected for further laboratory testing including undrained shear strength tests and consolidation tests. Standard Penetration Tests (SPTs) can also be carried out to give an indication of the density of the ground
The boreholes will be logged by an in-house engineer to the relevant British Standard.
For ground investigation in more challenging conditions such as hard clays and rock we can utilise rotary borehole rigs with hollow stem, solid stem and rotary coring techniques adopted as required. The same equipment can also be used to construct soakaways and well boreholes.
Ground Movement Assessments
With an increased demand for space in ever expanding towns and cities, many Clients are looking to extend below the ground by constructing basements beneath existing homes and gardens.
As part of a Basement Impact Assessment (BIA) a soil/structure interaction analysis needs to be carried out prior to construction. Central Piling use state of the art numerical analysis software Plaxis3D for finite element analysis.
Central Piling also have an extensive history of using this methodology to attain agreements with water and rail authorities where structures are to be constructed adjacent to their assets.
Temporary Works Design
A variety of temporary works designs can be provided by Central Piling including working platforms.
This can be supported by the results of plate bearing tests.
In addition to this our team of ground engineering professionals can offer advice on construction methodology for basement construction sequencing and detailed design for propping schemes.
Pile Testing Services
Alongside the installation of piles we offer a range of pile testing services including pile integrity, static load, concrete cube and concrete slump tests.
Integrity tests offer a low-cost quality control method to detect defects along the pile shaft and has become an industry standard test carried out on almost all piling projects.
Static load tests can be carried out prior to or during the construction of bearing piles. As well as providing quality assurance they can also facilitate design savings through the utilisation of reduced factors of safety.
Concrete is always sourced from reputable suppliers conforming to BS EN 8500 and as part of this regular compliance testing in the form of cube tests are carried out. This is carried out routinely on projects but should further cube tests be required this can be arranged through Central Piling. Slump tests are also carried out by Central Piling daily for all projects as a quality control.