Driving Sheet Pile Walls
There are several ways of driving sheet pile walls into position; threading into pre-cut trenches, pressed, impact-driven and vibratory driven.
Threading sheet pile walls into pre-cut trenches is a suitable technique for use on most soils. After a trench has been excavated or holes drilled in the ground, they are filled with a suspension and sheet piles can be driven in up to their full depth.
Pressing sheet pile walls is a process that can be used if there are noise and vibration limitations due to the construction taking place in residential areas or near to existing buildings. The sheet piles are driven into the ground by hydraulic pressure. The pressing plant can be supported by a crane, guided by a leader or be supported by heads already in position.
Impact driven sheet pile walls can be positioned in the ground using either slow or rapid-action systems. Drop hammers and diesel hammers are slow-action, with between 24 and 32 blows per minutes and are used in cohesive soils. These hammers allow the pore water pressure to disperse between blows. Rapid-action hammers give between 100 and 400 blows per minute at a lighter driving weight than slow-action hammers.
Vibratory sheet pile driving is derived from harmonic excitation of the sheet pile, causing the restructuring of the soil along with decreasing the friction between the soil and sheet pile. Harmonic excitation is produced by eccentric weights in the vibrator.
Piling Rig Accident
Two construction companies have been fined for an accident that occurred in December 2007 on Tower Street in Hull. On the busy street in rush hour, a piling rig being used for the construction of a hotel fell over and rolled into the middle of the road.
Amazingly, no one was killed or even injured in the event, but both companies, who pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety Work Act, have been fined. The main contractor, Multibuild, who provided the stone platform on which the piling rig worked, have been fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £18,687 in costs. Balfour Beatty Ground Engineering Ltd, who were sub-contractor, responsible for carrying out the work, have been fined £25,000 and ordered to pay £17,676 in costs.
Dave Redman, the HSE Inspector, has said that, “It is every company’s responsibility to ensure that employees and members of the public are not exposed to danger from heavy construction machinery. There is extensive guidance governing safe working in this sector, and we hope today’s prosecution serves to remind people of their duties so that we don’t witness an incident of this kind again.”
Piling Rig Working Platform Guide
It is important that working platforms for piling rig contractors are robust to ensure compliance with health and safety guidelines. Accidents are very dangerous on piling rig platforms and can often prove fatal. The platform needs to be stable to prevent it from settling into the ground under the weight and pressure of the piling equipment.
Piling rig working platforms are made from granular material that is crushed and compacted. For extra support geotextiles are also used. The thickness of the platform is decided by several factors. The rig type including the model, manufacturer and also how the machine is set up for use. The soil type and soil strength; whether it is cohesive (clay) or cohesionless (sand, gravel, most chalks)
Piling rig working platforms should be at least 2m longer than the construction area any ramp platforms should be should be at a safe and suitable angle. If it was necessary to remove any obstructions and holes were left then they must be backfilled properly so that there are no soft ground areas.
Ensure a safe piling rig working platform by following these guidelines and serious accidents will be avoided.
Decline of Home Construction in US
There has been a drop in the number of houses being built in the US during the month of June. According to Commerce Department figures, US home construction is at its lowest level since October 2009.
Builders have been forced to hold back on building projects despite a reported 2.1% increase in building permit applications. This is a positive sign for the future but with the current US unemployment rate being under 10% there are no advancements as yet.
New home and apartment developments fell 5% between May and June which was triggered by a 20% decrease in demand for apartments and condominiums.
High unemployment rates are cancelling out mortgage rates being at a record low. The figures have highlighted the fragility of the US recovery.
What The Future Holds?
According to a recent report, over 60% of all industry professionals believe that 2010 will be a more positive year that 2009.
The survey, conducted by KPMG, asked almost two hundred leading construction company owners, if they felt profits would remain consistent or increase in 2010. Of all the respondents asked, over 50 %were positive.
However, Tom Ford, a piling contractor based in Manchester, thinks that while the outlook is more positive, the construction and piling industry still relies heavily on the stimulus packages given by the government and various Marco economic factors.
T.V. STARS IN THE MAKING?
Two of our piling operatives, Robert Clegg and Lewis Woodruff appeared in the Channel 4 Documentary featuring traditional Public Houses and more specifically those named “The Red Lion” throughout the UK.
The pair were shown playing rugby for the Red Lion’s Whitworth Spartans who have coincidentally been sponsored by MK Piling for a number of years.
The pair talked about their enjoyment both on and off the pitch and the programme showed the obligatory post match rugby drinking games with their fellow team mates. All in good fun and whilst their small screen debut was a success we are that Ant and Dec have nothing to fear……….. just yet!
Whitworth Spartans
The Red Lion
Construction Purchasing Spend Declines
According to a recent report by the CIPS/Markit index, the pace at which purchasing spend has fallen in the construction industry, has speeded up dramatically throughout October.
According to research, the sector that has been most affected is civil engineering, though as the latest figures reveal, no area of the construction industry has gone unscathed.
While residential construction did increase for the second month in a row, the accelerated decline across both civil and commercial sectors indicates that the UK’s construction industry is still firmly in the recession.
Mark James, the administrative editor of the report, comments: “While there are promising signs of recovery with the UK’s construction sector, the latest figures reveal that a return to pre-recessionary spending is still a long way away.”
MK Piling (North West) Offer New Complete Service
We are pleased to be able to offer a fully comprehensive setting out package for builders/develope
rs, house owners and self-build projects, which require the services of fully qualified and insured site engineers.
These service include for the setting out of, pile positions, foundations, building lines, sewers, levels, profiles and as-built surveys. References are available upon request and our charges are very competitive.
We feel that the inclusion of this service will allow MK Piling to offer a more complete service and offers peace of mind to the client.
Construction Industry Slow to Recover
According to a recent report conduced by the Construction Products Association, construction output will fall 15% this year and continue on to descend until 2010.
While results of the last quarter suggested that the UK’s property market is on the road to recovery, the latest figures reported by the Construction Products Association suggest that it may be some time before the construction industry fully recovers.
Commenting on the report, chief executive of the Construction Products Association Mike Ankers states; “News of an uplift in the property market encouraged many to predict the end of the recession. However, our latest forecast reveals that, while the future does look positive for the construction industry, the pace of recovery will be slower than initially anticipated.”
Mr. Ankers added: “One of the main objectives of the CPA is to ensure that the government is aware that the recovery of the construction industry, is key to the broader economic recovery of the UK.”
Are We on The Road to Recovery?
The past month has seen many key economists announcing, that the UK is well on the road to economic recovery. However, though the construction industry is now contracting at a less alarming rate, it is still struggling.
In August, we welcomed news that the rate of deterioration had slowed. However, this can mainly be attributed to a decrease in demand for new houses. Indeed, there are still many challenges, threatening the industry’s full recovery.
The most unanticipated of which, is the decline of the civil engineering sub sector. Throughout the recession, this sector had remained remarkably buoyant. However, August witnessed the sectors worst ever recorded results. Not only does this indicate that – despite initial reports of economic recovery – the UK’s construction industry is still volatile, it also highlights flaws in the government’s economic stimulus plan.
In other areas, the residential construction sector has experienced a slower rate of contraction in August than reported in previous months. Meanwhile, the number of construction workers facing redundancy has been though to have significantly reduced.
In conclusion, as the rate of contraction slows across all areas of the construction industry, it definitely seems that we are on the road to recovery; however, the question as to whether the construction industry will ever fully recover from the impact of the recession over the last year, remains unanswered.