Van Elle’s ScrewFast division achieved a significant milestone by successfully completing the largest indoor helical piling project in the UK.
The piling works were awarded to Van Elle by TClarke and carried out as part of the Green Mountain expansion project at LON1-East, Romford.
This project builds upon the success of previous helical piling carried out in the original building, with the client recognising the benefits of this technique.
Their primary focus was on minimising disruption, particularly emphasising the need for minimal wet works and vibration disturbances.
The project involved the installation of 301 helical piles across two expansive data centre buildings, engineered to withstand compression loads up to 500kN.
The piles featured a diameter of 273mm and a wall thickness of 10mm, reaching depths between 10 to 13 meters.
Preliminary pile testing was carried out to confirm pile capacity in site-specific soils, enabling the team to adapt design parameters and generate efficiencies.
To complete the work, the team utilised two 35-tonne excavators and two 250 kNm torque heads.
The team navigated the challenges of working within a live data centre environment. Height and weight restrictions necessitated careful manoeuvring of equipment to execute precision installations without disruption.
For more information on the installation of steel helical piles without heavy piling equipment or in-situ concrete works click here.
