Groundwork Piling at Queens Road

News: September 26th, 2007


Piling at Queens RoadLocal residents and commuters using Queens Road Peckham Station will have noticed an unusual sight last week as a large Piling Rig came to drill foundations for the second phase of development at the Queens Road site operated by Accurate Developments.

Elsewhere on site, drainage and groundwork was also being completed whilst foundations were completed in each area of the site. Canon Piling provided the rig and drilled the piles to depth whilst Accurate staff installed drainage and utility supply to the new site. Piling began on Monday 17 and was completed by Monday 24 September 2007.

More about Piling

At over forty metres tall, the Piling Rig was a massive machine but a baby compared to rigs used on much taller buildings. It drills through the ground, removes the content, and replaces it with concrete columns that “pile down” to the firm foundations below the London Clay. In terms of the technical aspect of these piles, the mathematics works in much the same way as column used in a high-rise building that sits on firm ground foundations. In this case however, the firm foundations of hardened rock are well below surface level and/or friction against the piles maintains stability. In turn, the reinforced concrete slab sits on top of the piles before the steel uprights are aligned in the same relative position above. At this stage, the building begins to take shape but it is only possible due the preparation of the building’s foundation.

Piling replaces the need for the “typical foundation” used in most buildings. The most common type of foundation is a shallow channel that runs the perimeter of the building. In contrast, Piling foundations are circular but borrow deep into the ground and are placed to withstand the stresses of the building above. Piling also assists the engineers to deal with local obstacles within the vicinity and ensures the ground remains stable. This was particularly important since the land borders the railway arches of Queens Road Peckham Station.

Additional Images

Piling at Phase 2 Piling Close Up Piling Rig Against Phase 1

Reducing Levels Drainage Pipe Laid Mixing Concrete

Last Updated on Wednesday, September 26th, 2007 at 1:20 pm.