Tunnel Construction with Pressed-In Sheet Pile Walls Next to High-Rise Residential Buildings-Video

Video Transcription

Video Summary

Takefumi Takuma of Giken America presented the use of press-in piling for the Kenilworth Tunnel, part of Minneapolis’s 14.5-mile Green Line light-rail extension. The cut-and-cover tunnel required approximately 22,500 pairs of sheet piles, installed near homes, high-rise buildings, and an active freight railway. Project specifications therefore required a non-impact, non-vibratory installation method.<br /><br />Press-in machines use hydraulic force to push sheet piles into the ground, gripping previously installed piles for support. Compared with impact and vibratory methods, press-in piling generates substantially less noise and vibration, making it suitable for sensitive urban sites. Because some project soils were particularly hard, crews used an auger attachment to loosen soil while pressing in the piles. The installation was completed successfully, demonstrating that press-in piling can handle challenging ground conditions and long sheet piles when appropriate equipment and pile designs are selected.

Keywords

press-in piling

Kenilworth Tunnel

sheet piles

Minneapolis Green Line

non-vibratory installation

urban tunnel construction