Pile Driving - 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.