Murphy International Limited (MIL) was employed by L&M Keating (LMK) to install tubular steel piles for a new walkway in Howley’s Quay, Limerick.
The site investigation showed silt in the riverbed down to a level just 0.5m above very strong Limerick limestone. This meant that the steel tubes could not just be driven to the top of the rock, as there would not be enough lateral support. The rock would have to be removed locally.
MIL used its Bauer MBG24 to install the piles. LMK provided a stone platform to work from. MIL used 900mm diameter temporary casing to bore down to the top of the rock. The boring tools then continued down the piles providing an 800mm diameter, 3m deep rock socket. These rock sockets were filled with C40/50 concrete and the piling rig dropped in the steel tube using its own service rope.
The piles were wrapped in a large diameter spacer to keep them within the centre of the bore. LMK then checked the piles for the position and level. The piles were held in place against the temporary casing overnight, until the concrete had cured enough to hold the tube in place.
Dynamic testing was carried out by Lloyd Acoustics Limited and the results showed a load bearing capacity of up to 9.5*SWL.
The Murphy Ground Engineering team delivers a range of piling and geotechnical services including in-house pile design, value engineering and bespoke technical solutions throughout the UK and Ireland. Our direct delivery approach ensures that our clients always receive a reliable and adaptable service for their projects.