logistics, with impervious access/
egress and with a Soilmec SR-90 rig
working on benches up and down the
slope. Finally, there also were many
technical complexities, from the pile
design that must conform to bridge
specifications, to the execution of the
work itself.
In fact, the SR-90 is a large rig and on
this jobsite it has been required to work
at its maximum diameter/capacity in
CFA configuration. On their decision to
use this particular rig Klein said, “The
Soilmec SR-90 played a vital role in the
success of this project. The relatively
high stability gained by the large foot-print
of the tracks made navigating the
difficult benched project layout pos-sible.
The large power capability and
down crowd ability made drilling with
continuous flight through the stiff soils
with the large diameter achievable.
Moreover, a large concrete volume per
pile and per shift has been necessary
and is delivered to the rig by a Soilmec
concrete pump.
Two different stages of work are
required. First, Keller Foundations is
executing 124 piles with a diameter
of 1,200 millimetres and a maximum
depth of 15 metres for slope stabiliza-tion
and shear key. These piles are used
to stabilize the slope and tie it into a
Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE)
Wall that is going to support a new
access road into the Aurum Energy
Park. Second, the crew is installing
154 piles with a diameter of 600 mil-limetres
to a depth of 24 metres for
the foundation of a culvert, designed
to allow wildlife access to continue
with minimal impact to environment
and habitat.
“When tackling a large scale proj-ect
like this, many things need to be
considered,” said Klein. “With the
high risk associated with any miscues
in execution, all systems need to flow
seamlessly, especially when install-ing
piles this large during the coldest
months of the year in northern Alberta.
The team came together with an effec-tive
design and seamless execution in
difficult conditions. None of this would
have been possible without being able
to rely on the right equipment for the
PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
46 Q3 2018 www.pilingcanada.ca
/www.pilingcanada.ca
/www.pilingcanada.ca
