Installation of Precast Reinforced Concrete Piles as Part of the Expansion of Existing Industrial Buildings and Technical Infrastructure-Paper

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The paper describes the installation of precast reinforced-concrete piles for the expansion of Vestas’s wind turbine assembly plant on Brdowski Island in Szczecin, Poland. The project supports the growth of offshore wind energy in the Baltic Sea and adapts existing industrial facilities to manufacture and transport large turbine components.<br /><br />Challenging ground conditions, including organic peat and silt layers up to about seven metres thick, made deep foundations necessary. The works used 40 × 40 cm precast piles made of C40/50 concrete and B500SP reinforcement. Piles were installed beneath a new production hall, to strengthen floors in existing halls, and to support stormwater and sewage networks exposed to heavy vehicle loads.<br /><br />For the new Hall H3, approximately 400 piles supported the building foundations, while around 850 supported the floor. In existing Halls H1 and H2, the floors were demolished and rebuilt with new piles, using separation holes and specially adapted testing methods to protect the original foundations and structures. Network manholes and bases were also pile-supported in areas designated for heavy traffic.<br /><br />Dynamic and static load tests verified pile capacity and design assumptions. Results enabled local adjustments to pile lengths and helped optimize construction time. Working inside occupied industrial structures required careful equipment operation and attention to noise and potential damage to existing infrastructure.<br /><br />The project demonstrates how precast piles can provide reliable support in difficult soils and under substantial structural and operational loads. The successful use of testing, design adjustments, and tailored construction methods enabled the plant expansion while preserving existing infrastructure, offering useful experience for future large-scale energy projects.

Keywords

precast reinforced-concrete piles

Vestas wind turbine assembly plant

Brdowski Island

Szczecin Poland

offshore wind energy

deep foundations

peat and silt soils

dynamic and static load tests

industrial plant expansion

B500SP reinforcement