The Innovation of a New Pile System to Reduce Environmental Impacts: The Prefabricated Con-crete Screw Pile-PPT Presentation

PPT Presentation

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The presentation introduces a prefabricated concrete screw pile (PCSP) designed to reduce the environmental impacts of piling, particularly in urban areas. Its intended benefits include low-noise, vibration-free installation, minimal chemical interaction with soil and groundwater, and lower CO₂ emissions.<br /><br />The system uses precast concrete elements with a 377 mm tube and a 487 mm outer thread, joined as needed. A double-key drive rod is lowered through the pile. Installation equipment can apply up to 280 kNm of torque and 20 tonnes of pull-down force, with pitch control to manage progress through bearing layers.<br /><br />Technical developments include a mechanical pile joint with an asymmetric keyway for reliable force transfer, compensation for drive-rod flex, and torque testing to verify pile integrity. Highly automated production uses horizontal moulds and pumped concrete.<br /><br />Centrifuge and excavation tests, project experience, and load testing indicate that the piles can achieve high bearing capacity. Reported learnings include installation through very strong glacial clay, greater penetration by advancing through non-bearing layers, pile retrieval by unscrewing, and installation at a rake as steep as 1:8. Low impact on nearby structures has also been documented. In one example, an 18 m pile was designed for 1,000 kN compression and 438 kN tension; separate tests reported compression and tension loads of 2,600 kN and 2,300 kN, respectively.<br /><br />The PCSP is classified as a displacement pile under EN 12699. Its stated application range includes cohesive soils up to 400 kPa and non-cohesive soils up to 15 MPa, with axial loads approaching 2.5 MN. Product development and testing are ongoing.

Keywords

prefabricated concrete screw pile

PCSP

urban piling

low-noise installation

vibration-free installation

CO2 emissions reduction

mechanical pile joint

high bearing capacity

load testing

displacement pile