Rock & Alluvium, part of Van Elle, installed its deepest ever continuous flight auger (CFA) piles, reaching 40 metres, at the Bow Green development in East London.
The milestone marks the start of Phase 2 works for St James, a subsidiary of Berkeley Group.
The piling package will support four residential blocks, including social housing, as part of the wider Bow Common regeneration scheme.
Over a nine-week programme, with rigs operating concurrently, the team is installing deep foundations using CFA techniques, delivering low-vibration and low-noise performance to minimise disruption.
The project involves the installation of 594 No. CFA piles, ranging from 400mm to 750mm in diameter and extending to depths of up to 40m, in what is believed to be one of the deepest CFA piling installations in the UK.
Operations are being undertaken using specialist rigs including the Llamada P240 and Soilmec SR-45 for main piling works, with a Klemm 709 deployed in areas of restricted access, enabling efficient installation within constrained conditions.
The scheme is located between railway lines and Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park and Bow Common Lane, presenting significant logistical and technical constraints due to proximity to live rail infrastructure and residential areas.
The wider development will deliver up to 1,764 homes in buildings of up to 19 storeys, alongside around one hectare of landscaped green space on the former gas works site.
Malcolm O’Sullivan, Chief Operating Officer at Van Elle, said: “Reaching depths of 40 metres is a significant milestone for the business and demonstrates our technical capability in delivering complex foundation solutions. It also reflects our long-standing relationship with Berkeley Group and our continued role in supporting major regeneration schemes across London.”
This milestone further reinforces Van Elle’s expertise in delivering complex deep foundation works in urban environments through its Rock & Alluvium team, supporting major regeneration across East London.
