Pile wall types
A pile wall occurs in three forms: Secant, tangent and contiguous pile wall. Pile walls are used in special civil engineering and enable loads to be transferred safely into the ground and to secure earth masses. Each pile wall has its own specific area of application and the corresponding advantages and disadvantages.
Content
Areas of application
- Deep excavation pits
- Watertightness
- Lack of space & securing neighbouring buildings
Advantages
- Waterproof, ideal for retaining water-bearing soils
- High stability
- Can be built in a variety of soil conditions
Disadvantages
- More expensive than contiguous pile walls due to the complex construction method
- Tighter tolerances required for pile installation
- Construction is more time-consuming
Tangent pile wall
Tangent pile walls consist of bored piles that touch each other and thus form a continuous wall without clear gaps. This method provides a stiffer structure than a contiguous pile wall, but is not completely watertight.
The tangent pile wall consists of a series of bored piles that are driven into the ground next to each other so that they touch tangentially or are very close to each other. This method is often used to create a continuous wall that retains soil or water.
Areas of application
- Construction pit enclosure
- Sound and noise barriers
- Retaining walls
Advantages
- High load-bearing capacity and stability
- Flexibility in the design
- Use in confined spaces
Disadvantages
- Not completely waterproof
- Time consuming
- Cost-intensive depending on the construction project/requirement
Contiguous pile wall
A contiguous pile wall consists of individual piles set at regular intervals, between which the earth shoring is temporarily secured with other materials such as shotcrete.
Separated bored pile walls are formed by drilling and concreting individual bored piles in a specific sequence and distance from each other.
The piles do not touch each other, but are separated by gaps. This type of wall is typically used when the groundwater level is below the excavation depth, as it is not watertight.
Areas of application
- Slope and slope stabilisation
- Retaining walls
- Excavation support
Advantages
- Drainage capability
- Low-vibration production
- Fast construction
Disadvantages
- Limited application possibilities
- Less stability
- Not watertight
Processing pile wall
One method that can be used to process pile walls is the Brextor® method. Brextor® can be used to process all types of pile walls, regardless of whether they are secant, tangent or contiguous pile walls.
Brextor® offers you the following advantages:
🏗 Increased construction quality
Perfect pile breaking without cracks in the pile body or spalling on the pile outer skin, no bent or torn reinforcements and a height accuracy of +/- 1cm.
💵 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
For example, a pile with a diameter of 1 m and a height of 1 m can be processed within 40 minutes. A daily output of up to 16 piles is possible. In addition, Brextor® provides 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.
Are you ready to increase the efficiency, safety and quality of your construction projects?
Find out more about Brextor here.
Contact us for more information and find out how you can benefit from this revolutionary pile head processing method. Call +41 41 495 05 20 or send an e-mail to info@brc.swiss. We look forward to working with you and taking your construction projects to the next level.
