Piling in Ireland Current Practices

PILING IN IRELAND
CURRENT PRACTICES
INTRODUCTION
Murphy International Ltd. have been operating in
Ireland since 1968. We began constructing piles in 1973
using tri-pod bored piles. Since then we have evolved
with the current demands and building practices in
Ireland. Buildings are bigger and safety &
environmental standards have become more stringent,
particularly in the last 20 years. Engineers and
architects are becoming more ambitious with their
designs. The technology available today to piling
companies has advanced to meet these demands.
HISTORY OF PILING
The first documented historical reference to piling can
be traced back to the 4th century BC where records
how the Greeks lived in dwellings erected on timber
piles driven into a lake bed. Similar dwellings have been
found in Switzerland which are believed to be 6000
years old. The Romans would have also used piling
techniques to build bridges as they advanced across
Europe. In Ireland and Scotland such dwellings were
called Crannogs and are believed to have dated back to
the 12th Century.
HISTORY OF PILING
Crannogs were
timber buildings
constructed out
on a lake to
protect villagers
from invaders.
Timber piles were
driven to refusal
and the dwelling
was constructed
on top.
Artists impression of a Crannog.
HISTORY OF PILING
The Romans would
construct bridges built on
timber piles as their armies
advanced across Europe.
The engineers were so
advanced that they would
instruct the soldiers to
break step as they crossed
so that the bridge would not
be subject to dynamic
loadings.
HISTORY OF PILING
Cheshire Calwell Auger Rig. Crane Mounted Hammer Grab.

HISTORY OF PILING
MIL installed Tripod Piles
in 450mm, 500mm and
600mm diameters.
• Slow construction.
• Labour intensive.
• Limited Depths.
• Not cost effective.
MIL Tripod Piling behind the Forecourts

in the early 1980s.
MODERN PRACTICES
Currently in Ireland there are a large number of piling
techniques. On one end of the scale, there are rigs
which can fit through your front door to install piles in
your house and on the other end there are rigs which
can install bored piles up to 40m deep. Taking out rock
is not the problem it used to be as there are rigs
available with up to 50T of torque which can break out
even the toughest of Irish rock.
MODERN PRACTICES
Some of the larger piles MIL have installed are:
• Monaincha Wind Farm – Rotary Bored Piles.
– 31m deep, 900mm diameter piles, with a 5m rock socket
into solid limestone.
• M8 Motorway – Steel Driven Piles.
– 65m deep, 305*305 steel section, welded together in 5
separate lengths.
• N11 Kilmacanoge – Precast Concrete Piles.
– 36m deep, 350*350 precast concrete sections in 12m long
lengths.
ROTARY AUGER BORED PILES
Typical pile diameters and maximum loadings.
Nominal Pile Nominal working Maximum Working
diameter. Mm Load. kN Load, with rock
socket. kN.
600 1,500 2,500
900 3,000 5,000
1,200 5,000 7,500
1,500 7,500 10,000
MIL first bought a dedicated
bored piling rig in 1990 from
Soilmec in Italy.
• Soilmec R10.
– First Rotary Auger Bored
Piling Rig, purchased by
Murphy International.
– 40 Tonne Class Rig.
– Torque; 10,000 Nm.
Our Rigs have gradually got bigger and more powerful since
we first started with the Soilmec R10.
• Soilmec R412. Max depth 21m.
• Soilmec R518. Max depth 23m.
• Bauer MBG24. Max depth 27m.
• Bauer BG28. Max Depth 36m.
• Bauer BG26. Max Depth 36m.
The maximum diameter is dependant on the ground
conditions and depths required.
We have also hired rigs directly form the manufacturer to
suit various jobs.
Typical Casings
Typical Boring Tools
SECANT PILES
Secant piles are interlocking ‘male’ & ‘female’ piles
which form a retaining wall. The pile wall is used to
retain both soil and water. Accuracy is key and the best
way to keep the piles accurate is using a temporary
steel casing.
Pile Diameter Typical Spacing
600mm 500mm
900mm 770mm
1200mm 1050mm
1500mm 1350mm
SECANT PILES
Uncased Piles Cased Piles

SECANT PILES CASE STUDY
• MAN Trunk UIDs, Trafford Park, Manchester.
• 3 no. Secant pile shafts.
• Launch Shafts for TBM and permanent
detention tanks for waste water.
• 192 no. 1200mm diameter piles up to 31m
deep.
• Male C28/35, Female C10/12 Concrete.
• “Quick Splice” used to join cage sections.
CONTIGUOUS PILES
Contiguous piles are similar to secant piles except the
‘female’ pile is not required. The reinforced piles are
bored close together to form a retaining wall which will
keep out soil only. Any water or poor ground will not be
retained.
Pile Diameter Typical Spacing
600mm 700mm
900mm 1050mm
1200mm 1350mm
1500mm 1650mm
CONTIGUOUS PILES CASE STUDY
• Maryborough Hill, Cork.
• Retaining wall for a road widening scheme.
• 99 no. 900mm diameter piles up to 8m deep
with 5m deep rock sockets.
• Piles installed at 1200mm centres.
• C32/40 concrete for all piles.
KING POST/SOLDIER PILES
• Typical Spacing 2m to 3m
• Suitable for Single Basements
• Earth Retention only
• Not Suitable Adjacent to Buildings
KING POST CASE STUDY
• Kestrel House, Clanwilliam Place, Dublin.
• 39 no. 305*305 steel sections.
• Bored 12m deep with 3m deep rock sockets.
• Used 600mm diameter casing and boring
tools.
• King Posts at 2.5m centres.
• C30/37 concrete cast into the rock sockets.
DRIVEN PILES
Junttan PM 20 Piling Rig driving steel tubular Junttan PM20 Piling rig driving precast concrete
piles in the Kinsale Road Landfill for Wills Bros. piles in Millennium Park, Naas for Kerry Group.
PRECAST CONCRETE DRIVEN PILES
The typical precast concrete pile sections available are
as follows.
Pile Section Size Maximum Working Load kN
250 x 250mm 600

300 x 300mm 1000
350 x 350mm 1500
Various other sections can be ordered to suit. MIL use a

Junttan PM20 rig to drive these piles. The max rake
allowed with this rig is 1 in 4.
PRECAST CONCRETE DRIVEN PILES
LEIMET Precast Concrete Pile Joints.
PRECAST PILES CASE STUDY
• Kerry Group HQ, Naas, Co. Kildare.
• 600 no. precast concrete piles. Both 300mm and
350mm square.
• Driven up to 10m deep.
• Junttan PM20 used to drive the piles.
• Drive analysis determined required set.
• 10% of piles dynamically tested.
• 2 no. static tests. 8.6mm deflection at 150% working
load (SWL 1350kN).
STEEL SECTION DRIVEN PILES
• Using our Junttan PM 20, we can drive steel piles up
to 400 x 400mm or 406mm diameter.
• Longest pitched Length of 14m which can be
extended by welding.
• Larger diameter and longer piles, can be installed
using guide frames and crane suspended piling
hammers.
• Better suited for bending moments and lateral loads.
STEEL SECTION PILES CASE STUDY
• Kinsale Road Landfill, Cork.
• 140 no. 406*12mm Circular Hollow Sections.
• Driven up to 26.5m deep.
• 13m section driven with 12m section then welded on top
and driven to set.
• Junttan PM20 used to drive the piles.
• Drive analysis determined required set.
• 10% of piles dynamically tested.
• 2 no. static tests. 4.5mm deflection at 150% working load
(SWL 450kN).
TIMBER SECTION DRIVEN PILES
• Earliest material used for constructing piles.
• Easy to handle.
• Inexpensive where timber is plentiful.
• Can be subject to rot above the ground water
level.
• Can be easily damaged during driving by
boulders.
STEEL SHEET PILES
• Wide Range of Steel
Sheet Piles
• Drive by High Frequency
or Impact
• Guide Frame
• Crane Suspended
Hammers
Combination Sheet Pile and Secant

Pile wall for the drive shaft for Shell in
the Corrib Tunnel Project.
SHEET PILES CASE STUDY
• Corrib Tunnel Reception and drive shafts for
TBM.
• 600 no. 600mm wide sheet piles.
• Driven up to 14m long.
• Sumitomo 50T tracked crane used to drive and
pitch piles.
COMBI-PILED WALLS
Combi-Piled Walls are a combination of steel bearing
piles/Tubular Piles, with Sheet Pile Inserts. Typical
Detail Shown Below;
PRE-TENDER ISSUES
• Receiving the right information.
– Detailed borehole info. Rotary Cores, Levels, SPT
values.
– Pile Loadings, particularly on Secant & contiguous
pile walls.
– Exact Scope of the works.
– Tolerances outside the code of practice, both
position and level.
– Communication between designer and piling
contractor before design is finalised.
– Contract Specific Specifications.
PRE TENDER ISSUES
Which detail is more robust?
Cluster of smaller piles? One single large pile?
THANK YOU
Any further questions or
comments?

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PILING IN IRELAND

Cheshire Calwell Auger Rig. Crane Mounted Hammer Grab.

MIL Tripod Piling behind the Forecourts

Uncased Piles Cased Piles

250 x 250mm 600

Various other sections can be ordered to suit. MIL use a

Combination Sheet Pile and Secant

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