Van Elle was appointed to deliver helical piling works at Drax Substation in Selby forming part of wider improvements to the site, including the construction of new Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) and Air Insulated Switchgear (AIS) buildings.
Project Background
- Appointed by Murphy, on behalf of National Grid’s Eastern Green Link 2 project.
- Delivered as a joint venture between SSEN Transmission and National Grid, the project will transport home-grown clean energy, from where it is generated to where it’s needed, with enough electricity to power two million homes.
- The works comprised the installation of 158 No. helical piles across three visits, using a PC228 excavator fitted with specialist torque head attachments to meet the varying installation requirements.
Challenges
The works were delivered across three separate visits, requiring careful planning and coordination to maintain programme efficiency and minimise disruption to ongoing site activities.
The staged programme consisted of:
- Visit one: 2-week installation period
- Visit two: 6-week installation period
- Visit three: 1-week installation period
Working within an operational substation environment required a high level of control, with specialist equipment and experienced personnel needed to safely access and complete works within a constrained area.
Van Elle Solutions
Building on Van Elle’s extensive experience delivering specialist foundation solutions for National Grid infrastructure projects, the team were selected to provide a reliable and efficient piling solution suited to the site constraints.
We utilised helical pile technology to provide a robust and efficient foundation solution, installing a total of 158No. helical piles across three phases of work. The installation was completed using a PC228 excavator fitted with three torque heads of varying diameters, allowing the team to adapt to different installation requirements across the site.
The successful delivery of the works demonstrated our capability in providing specialist piling solutions for critical energy infrastructure projects, further strengthening the company’s ongoing relationship with National Grid and delivery partners.