Because it requires smaller crews, there is less traffic and
reduced carbon emissions generated during construction
and on-site labour camp requirements are similarly reduced.
And since the system creates its own slurry, there is no need
to inject cement or any man-made materials into the ground.
The system also creates far less vibrations in and above the
ground than other more conventional technologies.
“We at APE feel that the impact on the surrounding
land during the construction phase can be detrimental to
future projects if handled carelessly. Our method is to take
a minimalist approach,” said Fenwick. “We’re trying to use
the ground as Mother Nature intended to establish the load
design on the pile without added foreign material being
placed other than the piling itself.”
Despite its efforts to limit the Spinfreeze system’s impact
on the environment, the company hasn’t given up any ground
when it comes to durability. Fenwick says APE’s designs
incorporate demands of up to 50 to 75 years of life expectancy
based on calculated wall loss of the piling material and
all pile materials are run through their laboratory, checking
yield, chemistry and tensile strength, to ensure traceability of
pile material once it reaches the project.
“We are one of the only manufactures who offer in-house
testing, which provides positive material identification,”
said Fenwick.
To date, the company has been thrilled with the feedback
it has received from customers regarding the Spinfreeze
system, both in the U.S. and here in Canada.
“We’re hearing great things from people. Everybody likes it.
If owners can reduce the cost to execute projects and be able
to look to spend that money in other areas of further expansion,
then that provides opportunities for us all,” said Fenwick.
The origins of the Spinfreeze system date back to 2012
when Fenwick was operating his own consulting firm that
provided risk assessment analysis to engineering companies,
including several who conducted business in the Alaskan oil
patch. Fenwick was often called in to preview what the companies
were planning to do and determine what pitfalls they
might have to contend with.
Later that year, APE Drilling, a division of American
Piledriving Equipment, reached out to him and asked him
to join their operation. The company was looking to extend
its reach in Alaska and was determined to add someone who
understood the market’s nuances, including what worked
and what didn’t. Soon after, the company set out to develop a
piling system that would eliminate a number of steps in the
installation process and decrease installation costs.
Those efforts eventually resulted in the creation of the
Spinfreeze piling system. Despite initial interest in the
system, its creators had to overcome some early hurdles
including opposition from rival contractors and designers.
As a result, the company and its design team decided to
conduct a year-long creep test on the piles to prove their
effectiveness. The results were published in a report issued
by PND Engineers.
Although the use of Spinfreeze piles may not yet be commonplace,
Fenwick has no doubts about the product’s future,
as he says it poses significant savings to both owners and
contractors alike.
“APE has and always will be a very aggressive and innovative
company in the foundation market,” said Fenwick. “Our
efforts to streamline not only equipment used in the industry,
but the very foundations themselves places us on the front
lines of creative solutions.”
TECHNOLOGY UPDATE
The Spinfreeze system is
also unique compared to
other, more conventional
piling systems in that it was
designed to limit its impact
on the environment.
10 Q3 2017 www.pilingcanada.ca
/www.pilingcanada.ca
/www.pilingcanada.ca
/www.pilingcanada.ca
