Drilling & Blasting - Norland Limited

FMF Cape Breton Pile Work

19 June 202428 October 2024
by Ellie Elmi

Scope of Work

Our team installed 265 permanently-cased, 610mm diameter CIP piles over two work packages. The process involved several stages to ensure precision and overcome obstructions:

Pre-Auger and Casing: Pile locations were pre-augered with a MAIT 180 hydraulic drill and fitted with oversized starter casings for vertical plumbness. Production casings were driven with an APE200 vibratory hammer through controlled-density fill and blue clay until refusal.
Rock Drilling: Using a Barber DR-40 dual rotary, reverse circulation drill rig, casings were seated one meter into bedrock with an additional 2.5-meter-deep rock socket into 290-350MPa granite.

Challenges & Solutions

Security Protocols: Adhered to strict base security protocols and managed material deliveries under tight restrictions.
Tight Site Conditions: Successfully navigated very tight site conditions and a severely undulating bedrock profile.
Quality Assurance: Conducted video inspections of rock sockets, installed full-length reinforcing cages, and poured 35 MPa tremie concrete. An Osterberg-cell load test confirmed the integrity of the piles.

Overall Impact

Despite stringent security measures and challenging site conditions, CDI installed all piles precisely and to the owner’s satisfaction, demonstrating our expertise in high-security, complex environments.

North Saskatchewan River Bridge Replacement

19 June 202428 October 2024
by Ellie Elmi

The 1st phase started with the construction of the east river pier and installing 5 each 1500mm diameter concrete caissons 14m deep. They were excavated using a temporary casing installed to pile tip. The very dense clay shale bedrock (N100+) would not seal off and all piles were poured using tremie concrete procedures. The temporary casing was extracted as the concrete was tremied. Caissons were tested for H2S gas during the entire drilling process.

The east abutment was also installed in the 1st stage with -35 degree weather.

During the spring of 2012, the berm installed to support the installation of the girders, flooded due to extremely high water levels. Sheet piles were installed to reinforce the berm cofferdam as extra work.

The second stage work started in September, 2012 with the installation of the west abutment h-piles. Excavation for the 3rd pier was completed after the abutment piles were driven. 5 each 1500 mm diameter shafts were completed at the third pier. The drill rig and crew moved from the 3rd pier to the 2nd pier and the shafts were installed. All shafts were wet and tremie concrete procedures were used to complete the shafts.

North East Anthony Henday Bridge Project

19 June 202428 October 2024
by Ellie Elmi

Scope of Work

Our team installed piles ranging from 610mm to 3000mm in diameter for bridge piers, stabilization piles, and deep support piles through abandoned coal mines. Key components included:

Bridge Construction: Installed 16 cast-in-place concrete caissons, 3 meters in diameter, for a new bridge crossing the North Saskatchewan River. Work was performed within a dewatered berm to manage static water pressure.
Slope Stability Wall: Constructed on the riverbanks, featuring 89 CIP concrete shafts, 1500mm in diameter.
Overpass Drilling: Installed 139 drilled shafts, 610mm in diameter, to a depth of 43m through an abandoned coal shaft, utilizing 762mm oversized casings to mitigate hazardous gas exposure.

Challenges & Solutions

Water Pressure Management: Developed innovative solutions to handle massive static water pressure within the river pier piles.
Hazardous Gas Mitigation: Telescoped piles through oversized casings to prevent methane gas leaks and H2S exposure.
Complex Site Conditions: Additional planning was required due to the bridge’s location over an active CP Rail Yard, exposure to hazardous gases, and extreme weather conditions.

Overall Impact

The Anthony Henday Project exemplifies CDI’s capability to manage large-scale infrastructure projects under challenging conditions. Our innovative techniques and commitment to safety ensured the successful completion of this critical development, enhancing Edmonton’s transportation infrastructure and demonstrating our leadership in the specialty foundation industry.

Johnson St Bridge

19 June 202428 October 2024
by Ellie Elmi

Scope of Work

Our team installed 1830mm diameter casings with 25mm wall thickness, up to 33m long, through 18m of overburden into 340mPa granite rock. A 7m deep rock socket was completed below the casing tip. Due to the undulating bedrock profile, with grade differences of 2.2m across the casing diameter, pipe piles were fabricated on-site with cutting teeth and passed to a 160-ton crane on the work platform. The pier piles’ cut-off elevation was 3m below low water, necessitating a specially designed reinforcing cage suspension bracket to support splicing and concrete pouring. All concrete used was 45 mPa, tremie poured.

To excavate overburden, we employed a Leffer LKG1-180 Spherical grab, directly disposing of material into trucks. For seating the steel casing into bedrock and completing the 7m deep sockets, we utilized a Wirth PBA 612 Pile Top drill with a reverse-flood drilling system, recycling water through containment tanks.

Challenges & Solutions

The project’s primary challenge was maintaining installation accuracy, critical due to the pier substructure’s method. We achieved precision with all piles installed within 35mm of design position and 0.5 degrees of vertical. The rest pier, intermediate pier, and east abutment were supported by 1220mm diameter piles drilled through overburden, seated into bedrock, and completed with 3-5m rock sockets, reinforced and tremie concreted as specified.

Utilizing a Nissha RT150 rotator and Down-hole Hammer reverse-circulation drilling system, we managed tailings through a closed loop, ensuring clean and efficient operations. Each pile was flushed with fresh water and inspected via video to meet strict quality standards.

Overall Impact

This project exemplified CDI’s ability to deliver high-quality, precise construction in challenging conditions. Our innovative methods and dedication to excellence ensured the successful completion of the Bascule pier, reinforcing our reputation as a leading specialty foundation contractor.