Keller completes their first cutter soil
mixing project in Canada
On Sept. 14, Keller, announced the completion of its first
cutter soil mixing (CSM) project for Aragon Properties Ltd.
in Port Moody, B.C., at a new mid-rise development complex
called Platform.
CSM is well-suited for areas in the lower mainland
and Pacific regions of Vancouver with deltaic alluvial flow
deposits where there are few obstructions. Developed from
diaphragm wall technology, CSM uses two sets of counter
rotating, vertically mounted cutter wheels that cut the surrounding
soil and blend the injected cement slurry with the
in situ soil to form soil cement panels.
Keller performed earth retention and excavation support
at 2718 Clarke Street on the approximately 38-metre-tall by
79-metre-wide property to aid in the establishment of Aragon’s
modern living spaces. A CSM shoring wall was designed as a
temporary earth retention structure. Field engineer Johannes
Reinisch explains that construction included the supply and
installation of almost 90 650-mm-thick CSM panels to a depth
of up to nearly 16 metres.
Keller then completed the installation of 124 H-piles
within the CSM panels. Superintendent Bradley McKay was
pleased to report that production finished one week ahead of
schedule due to Keller exceeding production targets.
“Working with Keller was a big win for us and we highly
recommend them,” said Kris Hellens, EIT, senior project
coordinator for Aragon Construction Management Corp. “In
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addition to the excellent backend support from their office
staff, their site crew consisted of some of the most helpful,
cooperative and responsive people I’ve had the pleasure of
working with. Keller’s whole team was able to react on the fly
to changes in the plan without any issues and provided constructive
insights on how to get the best possible product.”
Assistant project manager Anand Mitchell explains that
the significance of CSM technology lies in its efficiency and
consistency and says if Keller had approached this project
with an alternative technique, it would have taken three times
as long, “The cutter tool takes about two hours doing the work
of three drill rigs to create the panels/walls in the ground.”
Hellens said, “Keller’s innovative materials testing solutions
allowed us to meet the requirements of our consultants
without sacrificing schedule, and their precision drilling
saved us valuable square footage within the site. The soil
mixing method proved to be fast, efficient and minimally
disruptive, resulting in no complaints from the neighbours
and saving Aragon from having to perform repairs to the
adjacent properties.”
Keller will return to install two levels of anchors for a
separate scope of work, which is anticipated to last a couple
of weeks.
For more information on CSM services offered by Keller, contact
business development manager Dan Maclean at 519-853-3216
or DMaclean@kellerfoundations.ca. To find the Keller office
nearest you, visit www.kellerfoundations.ca/locations.
News Pile
The Keller crew in front of the cutter head just after
completing the last CSM panel at Platform
The cutter soil mixing rig
PHOTOS COURTESY OF KELLER FOUNDATIONS LTD.
PILING CANADA 79
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