Sengenthal

Retrofitted atlas pile foundation for a grinding plant foundation

Atlas piles perform foundation work for a machine foundation where the hall height is limited

Foundations for precast concrete production

Large-format concrete components are manufactured and processed at the precast concrete plant. The new grinding plant required a separate foundation capable of transferring the loads from the machine base into load-bearing soil layers. To this end, the foundation was decoupled from the existing floor slab and deep-founded using atlas piles. Even before the new plant equipment could be commissioned, the foundations for the future operation of the machinery were constructed beneath the production hall.

25 atlas piles beneath the hall floor

A total of 25 Atlas-system full displacement drilled piles were installed for the retrofitting foundations. The piles transfer the loads from the machine foundation and transfer them into deeper, load-bearing soil layers. The subsoil consisted of fill, gravel, silt and clay. Load-bearing, medium-density sand layers were encountered at a depth of around 24 m. The pile foundation was designed on the basis of the subsoil conditions and the requirements of the machinery foundations.

Working under restricted hall height

The foundation works took place inside an existing hall with a clear height of around 12 m. To reach the required depths, the drill pipes were installed in sections. The reinforcement cages were also installed in several sections and connected to one another. The works were adapted to the spatial constraints within the hall. In addition, the high groundwater level had to be taken into account during the construction of the piles.

Design and execution

In addition to constructing the piles, PORR special civil engineering carried out the structural analyses for the internal and external pile bearing capacity. The design of the deep foundations was tailored to the ground conditions, the machinery loads as well as the geometry of the foundation. The design and execution thus formed the basis for the subsequent work on the plant foundation.

Foundation for the new grinding plant

With the completion of the Atlas pile foundation, the conditions were created for the installation of the new grinding plant. Even before the machine could begin operation, the foundations for the new plant structure were laid beneath the hall floor. This laid the groundwork for a further stage of production in Sengenthal, between the production hall, the machine foundation and the subsoil.