Russell Heale Screw Piling has many years experience in the screw piling industry and our engineer has in excess of 1,000 static load test results. We conclude some projects have piles installed that have load capacity very much less than claimed. Unless these piles are end bearing on bedrock (which is very difficult, if not impossible to achieve with screw piles), and geotechnically capable of the concentrated load, we believe it is not possible to achieve such high loads.

Should you have concerns regarding screw piling we suggest that you consider specifying static load testing to be conducted on site to AS 2159-2009 Piling- Design and Installation parameters. The process should be monitored by a professional engineer who is experienced with load testing.

Alternatively, the engineers at P.J. Yttrup and Associates of Geelong, Victoria could review the proposed pile design. They are among the leading authority in Australia in screw pile design. Peter Yttrup has been on the AS2870 Residential Slabs and Footings and AS 2159 Piling – Design and Installation committees for many years and is an associate professor of the University of Tasmania.

After all, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is!

The most significant change to the piling industry in recent years was the release of the AS2159-2009 Piling – Design and Installation Standard. These major changes should ultimately improve confidence levels for the piling work itself and include:

□    Promoting the improvement of geotech reports for piling;

□    Requiring piling design risk ratings; and

□    Encouraging pile testing to verify geotechnical strength, pile settlement characteristics at both serviceability and ultimate loads and shaft integrity

A significant change from the old standard is Section 2 ‘Site Investigation’ which requires a much more comprehensive geotechnical report to base the pile design and Section 4 ‘Geotechnical Design’ which now includes a weighted individual risk rating for risk factors and a formula for testing benefit factors (Section 4.3.1 ‘Design geotechnical strength’).

The other major area of change is the pile load testing section of the code, which includes new pile acceptance criteria- Section 8.2.4 ‘Requirement to test’ and Section 8.4 ‘Static Load Testing’.

The new code encourages more cost effective piling options to be explored; particularly when larger numbers of piles are required as the cost saving will greatly exceed the load testing costs.

Russell Heale Screw Piling has conducted load tests on many sites over the years and the cost savings have been proven. For example, 3 load tests were conducted at a recent NSW Government Housing project, resulting in a total cost saving of 17.5%. To take advantage of this a quality geotech is required of adequate depth.

We have available calibrated load test equipment including 100t, 200t, and 500t rams, along with reaction beams to suit.

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Russell Heale Engineering offer a very high quality plant trailer. Our plant trailers are fabricated using similar techniques we use for the larger tag and float trailers with profile cut coaming rails and this makes our plant trailers very strong and long lasting. We welcome you to visit our factory on the Gold Coast and see why the processes we use make our trailers the best on the market for long term durability and strength.

Whether you want an attachment frame built, extra tie down points or different materials for your deck or ramps we offer choice and flexibility to meet your needs. We can offer galvanising of our trailers as standard, we can also offer a 2pac paint finish in colours of your choice.  Please see photos of our plant trailers at our plant trailer gallery. Download our information brochure here: Plant Trailer Information 2012.

If you require finance for your trailer, Russell Heale Engineering can put you in contact with a few finance companies, please contact us for more details.

At Russell Heale Engineering, we not only offer trailers to high standards, we also offer other services such as repairs and servicing of trailers and earthmoving equipment.

At Russell Heale Engineering, we believe our range of trailers are the strongest and most durable trailers to transport plant equipment and machinery. Give us a call now on 1300 559 375 or e-mail us info@rheale.com.au for any question or requirements about our trailers Australia wide. Our team look forward to advising you on your next trailer purchase.

We often see this type of report at tender stage.

Some engineers are conducting the preliminary investigations and are recommending further investigations are required and putting the responsibility of conducting these onto the builder or piling contractor.

That is fine and we can assist with recommending investigation parameters for further geotechnical investigations so appropriate design parameters can be determined and probable pile founding depths estimated and consequently piling costs likely to be required.

Recommendations

However I recommend that you allow a provisional sum for the piling works and associated geotechnical reports required.

Often we are asked by builders to quote for a specific pile length for costing purposes. This practice although helpful does not assist the builder to readily quantify the probable cost for the client. It is impossible to accurately quantify the possible piling and foundation costs with only a limited geotechnical investigation. We can estimate or guess at the potential founding depth. We can also draw on local experience. But ultimately it is an educated guess.

Let us advise you on geotechnical investigations for piling projects

Pile depth can vary across a site

I have for a long time now highly recommended that the builder does not enter into a building contract that includes the piling works at a fixed price. The potential risk is enormous.

Mother earth can be extremely variable

A recent example which highlights this is as follows. The site had a geotechnical investigation that can only be described as preliminary with 2 boreholes to 4.0 m deep and one to 8.0 m deep and all conducted along the rear of the site. Further investigations were commissioned by the builder. They identified that the piling may extend to 12.5m deep at places.

During the piling of the site there was a very unusual situation where the piling depths suddenly dropped from 6 to 7m deep into a very deep hole at over 22 to 24m deep and even deeper in places.  We have never experienced anything like this in the 15 years I have been piling.

This is a very unusual situation, but illustrates the potential risk.

Do not accept the risk

As a piling contractor I will not enter into a fixed price contract as it is impossible to know exactly what is under the ground. As a builder you should not accept that risk either.