New Technologies for Future in Deep Foundation Industry in India-Paper

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The paper reviews four deep-foundation technologies that could help India deliver infrastructure projects faster and more economically: barrette piles, continuous flight auger (CFA) piles, spun concrete piles, and secant pile walls.<br /><br />Barrettes are rectangular, diaphragm-wall-like foundations suited to heavy vertical loads and directional lateral forces. A single barrette may replace several conventional piles, reducing foundation size, materials, time, and cost. Construction uses slurry-supported excavation, reinforcement cages, and tremie concrete; load testing can be challenging.<br /><br />CFA piles are formed by drilling with a continuous hollow auger and pumping concrete as the auger is withdrawn. They can be installed quickly without casing or slurry in suitable soils. Their drawbacks include high equipment torque requirements and difficulty installing reinforcement.<br /><br />Spun concrete piles are factory-made, prestressed hollow piles. Centrifugal casting produces dense, durable concrete with good corrosion resistance, making the piles suitable for marine environments. However, driving may cause damage, transport can be costly, and bouldery or highly variable ground can create difficulties. A Dahej project installed 1,684 segmented piles.<br /><br />Secant pile walls, made by overlapping primary and reinforced secondary piles, provide soil and groundwater retention for deep urban excavations. They can fit confined sites, use lighter equipment than diaphragm walls, and may form part of the permanent structure. Their performance depends strongly on construction quality and accurate alignment. The paper describes their use at Mumbai Metro Line 3 sites.<br /><br />The authors conclude that these methods can be adopted in India where ground conditions are appropriate. CFA piles offer a cost-effective option for large projects; secant piles have already been used successfully, while barrettes and spun piles have greater potential for wider acceptance. Overall, modern foundation technologies can reduce project time and cost.

Keywords

deep foundation

barrette piles

CFA piles

spun concrete piles

secant pile walls

India infrastructure

foundation technology

groundwater retention

urban excavations

construction efficiency