Oldie but Goldie Deep Piles at Geneva with Base Enlargement, Tested Bi-Directionally with Osterberg Cells is a Smart and Economical Alternative to Conventional, Larger Piles-Video

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Video Summary

At the Rolex factory expansion in Geneva, deep weak soils made conventional piles over 50 metres long necessary. Implenia proposed piles with enlarged bases anchored in the competent moraine, reducing shaft length and pile volume. Installation followed a standard cased-pile sequence, with a bidirectional load-cell test confirming performance: the pile sustained 3.9 MN, with base settlement under 34 mm. For 41 piles, the alternative cut drilling and concrete volumes to less than one-third of the original design and reduced CO₂ emissions by over 420 tonnes, while maintaining an equivalent technical foundation solution.

Keywords

Rolex factory expansion

deep weak soils

enlarged base piles

bidirectional load-cell test

CO2 reduction