The pile foundation costs are a decisive factor when planning construction projects with deep foundations. The costs can vary considerably depending on the subsoil, method and requirements. Engineers, geologists, general contractors and building owners should therefore take a close look at the factors influencing pile foundations in order to make informed decisions.
Pile foundation costs and their influencing factors
The pile foundation costs is influenced by various parameters. These include
1. choice of piling method
Different methods are used depending on the subsoil and requirements, including
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Driven piles (concrete, steel or wood)
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Bored piles (incl. cased and uncased systems)
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Micropiles (for low loads or difficult accessibility)
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Displacement piles (minimum excavation, high load-bearing capacity)
Each of these processes has its own material, machine and installation costs.
2. geological conditions
The subsoil plays a central role. The cost of pile foundations depends on the soil conditions:
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Rocky subsoil: Requires complex drilling work, which can increase costs.
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Sandy or soft soils: Often require longer or reinforced stakes.
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Heterogeneous layers: May require additional geotechnical investigations and adapted foundation methods.
3. diameter and length of the piles
The size and dimensions of the piles influence the material requirements and construction time. A larger pile diameter often means higher costs per unit, but can possibly reduce the number of piles required.
4. number of piles
The optimum number of piles is determined based on the structural requirements and the soil parameters. The decisive factor here is whether the piles mainly have to absorb compressive forces (e.g. for heavy structures) or tensile forces (e.g. for tall buildings with wind loads). Building construction projects with a high center of gravity often require deeper or additional piles to ensure stability against overturning moments.
5. additional work and logistical challenges
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Dewatering measures if the groundwater level is high
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Special machinery required for terrain that is difficult to access
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Access and space conditions on the construction site
Pile foundation costs for a small industrial building
To illustrate this, the pile foundation of a small industrial building (e.g. a hall with a floor area of 500 m²) can be considered.
Assuming 20 in-situ concrete piles with a diameter of 60 cm and a length of 12 m are used. With an average production price of approx. 500 € per running meter of pile, the approximate total costs are as follows:
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Pile construction costs: 20 piles x 12 m x 500 €/m = 120,000 €
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Additional costs for drilling, concrete, reinforcement and machinery: approx. 20-30% surcharge (~€30,000)
In total, the pile foundation costs for this example would amount to approx. 150,000 €, depending on the location and ground conditions.
Efficient, safe and high-quality pile head processing! Brextor® is the innovative solution for processing concrete piles (single piles and pile walls) that is faster, more precise and more environmentally friendly than conventional methods.
Brextor® – A Swiss quality product that is patented worldwide and has already been used in many construction projects worldwide.
Importance of pile head processing
An often underestimated but essential aspect of pile foundations is pile head preparation. Once the piles have been constructed, they must be prepared for connection to the foundation. Improper processing can lead to serious structural problems, as this is where the force is transferred from the piles to the structure.
While the costs for pile head processing are often only a fraction of the total pile costs, incorrect implementation can result in serious consequential costs. Precise and quality-assured pile head processing is therefore essential for the long-term stability of the structure.
Brextor®: the experts for pile breaking
With the patented Brextor® milling process the dismantling force is under control at all times. The core and surface tension is broken in a single work step. But that’s not all! Brextor® contributes to efficient and sustainable pile head processing:
🏗 Increased construction quality
Perfectly finished piles without cracks in the pile body or spalling on the pile skin, no bent or torn reinforcements and a height accuracy of +/- 1 cm.
💵 Reduced construction costs
The demolition material consists of 80% gravel 0-30mm and can therefore be reused directly on the construction site. In addition, Brextor® requires less working space than conventional mining methods. This means that not only expenses for transportation and disposal incl. fees are saved, but the purchase and supply of replacement material is also eliminated. Furthermore, the preparatory work eliminates the need for a separating diamand cut at the final extraction level and the cleaning effort is massively lower than with conventional extraction methods.
⏱ Shortened processing time
A pile, e.g. with a diameter of 1 m and a removal height of of 1m can be processed within 40 minutes. Thus a Daily output of up to 16 piles possible. With Brextor® you also get a reliable performance and therefore increased planning security.
♻️Environmentally friendly
With Brextor®, the demolition material (80% gravel 0-30mm) can be reused directly on the construction site. Brextor® also requires less working space. This saves excavation and replacement material. By reusing the demolition material directly on the construction site and saving on excavation and replacement material, transportation can be saved. In addition, landfills are less polluted.
👷Increased health & safety at work
No heavy physical labor is required for pile processing, which massively reduces the risk of health hazards such as HAVS syndrome. Brextor® also avoids working in danger zones.
Interested? Then get in touch with us: www.brextor.com.