Edition: 1.4 2014

Estimating & Contracts Contacts

1. Geotechnical Services

Andrew Johnston — Divisional Director andrew.johnston@van-elle.co.uk 01773 580580

Gary Baxter — Divisional Contracts Director gary.baxter@van-elle.co.uk 01773 580580

2. Ground Stabilisation

John Baggott — Divisional Director john.baggott@van-elle.co.uk 01773 580580

David Turner — Senior Estimating Engineer david.turner@van-elle.co.uk 01773 580580

Paul Grocott — Contracts Manager paul.grocott@van-elle.co.uk 01773 580580

3. Restricted Access Piling

Dave Warner — Divisional Director dave.warner@van-elle.co.uk 01773 580580

Chris Downs — Commercial Director chris.downs@van-elle.co.uk 01773 580580

Jack Yarham — Regional Director (South East) jack.yarham@van-elle.co.uk 01362 697097

Piotr Starczewski — Estimating Engineer piotr.starczewski@van-elle.co.uk 01773 580580

Pat O’Hara — Estimating Engineer pat.o’hara@van-elle.co.uk 01773 580580

Neville Wood — Estimating Engineer neville.wood@van-elle.co.uk 01773 580580

Dave Cook — Contracts Manager dave.cook@van-elle.co.uk 01773 580580

Wayne Allen — Operations Manager wayne.allen@van-elle.co.uk 01773 580580

4. Open Site Piling

Andy Waghorn — Divisional Director andy.waghorn@van-elle.co.uk 01773 580580

Phil Carr — Commercial Manager phil.carr@van-elle.co.uk 01773 580580

Mick Hughes — Regional Director (NE & Scotland) mick.hughes@van-elle.co.uk 0191 4178332

Ian Smithson — Senior Estimator ian.smithson@van-elle.co.uk 01773 580580

Karl Roulstone — Senior Estimator karl.roulstone@van-elle.co.uk 01773 580580

Ian Jones — Divisional Director (Eastern) ian.jones@van-elle.co.uk 01773 580580

Scott Mills — Contracts Manager scott.mills@van-elle.co.uk 01773 580580

Peter Bannard — Senior Estimating Engineer peter.bannard@van-elle.co.uk 01773 580580

Colin Winkworth — Estimating Director (Anglia & East) colin.winkworth@van-elle.co.uk 01362 697097

Peter Hudson — QS (Anglia & East) peter.hudson@van-elle.co.uk 01362 697097

5. Smartfoot® Modular Foundations

Kevin Doyle — Divisional Director kevin.doyle@van-elle.co.uk 01773 580580

Chris Bosworth — Divisional Technical Director chris.bosworth@van-elle.co.uk 01773 580580

Dean Goodrum — Estimator (Eastern) dean.goodrum@van-elle.co.uk 01362 697097

Simon Goacher — Estimating Engineer simon.goacher@van-elle.co.uk 01773 580580

Jim Davies — Contracts Manager jim.davies@van-elle.co.uk 01773 580580

6. Rail

Andy Howard — Divisional Director andy.howard@van-elle.co.uk 01773 580580

Richard Smedley — POS/Plant Manager richard.smedley@van-elle.co.uk 01773 580580

Vaseem Ali — Contracts Engineer vaseem.ali@van-elle.co.uk 01773 580580

Will Glover — AOL/Lift Planner will.glover@van-elle.co.uk 01773 580580

7. Design

Darren Milo — Divisional Director darren.milo@van-elle.co.uk 01773 580580

Henry Opata — Design Engineer henry.opata@van-elle.co.uk 01773 580580

Ross Jones — Design Engineer ross.jones@van-elle.co.uk 01773 580580

Vetrak® Restricted Access Cable Percussive Rig

Cable Percussive & Rotary Boreholes

Window Sampling & Dynamic Probing

Environmental Drilling

Insitu Testing & Sampling

Laboratory Testing

Noise & Vibration Monitoring

Insitu Monitoring & Instrumentation

Integrity, Dynamic & Static Pile Testing

Geothermal Boreholes

Drilling & Grouting

Ground Anchors

Soil Nails

Continuous Flight Auger (CFA)

Sectional Flight Auger (SFA)

Rotary Bored

Duplex Rotary Percussive

Odex Rotary Percussive Overburden Drilling System

Elemex Rotary Percussive Overburden Drilling System

Drilled Hollow Threaded Bar Systems

Bottom & Top Driven Steel Tube

Driven Precast

Contiguous & Secant Piled Retaining Walls

Approved installers of Screwpiles

Hoopsafe® & Brickbeam® Stabilisation Systems

Underpinning, Jackdown & Jacking up of Structures

Compaction Grouting & Void Grouting below floor slabs

Continuous Flight Auger (CFA)

Rotary Bored

Driven Steel

Driven Precast

Contiguous & Secant Piled Retaining Walls

Cased Continuous Flight Auger (CFA)

Geothermal Piles

Unique post-tensioned design installed to high tolerance

Uniquely installed with, or without, piles

Full in-house design, manufacture and installation service

Side-Grip, Bottom and Top-Driven Thick Wall Steel Tube up to 762mm Diameter Using Movax & BSP Hammers

Sectional Flight Auger (SFA) up to 750mm Diameter

Continuous Flight Auger (CFA) up to 1050mm Diameter

Rotary Percussive (Odex/Duplex/Elemex) up to 660mm

Rotary Bored Piles up to 2100mm Diameter

Sheet Piles Specifically for the Rail Environment

Ground Anchors & Soil Nails Installed Using RRVs

Smartbase® Precast Modular OHLE Foundations

Applications Include: Platform Extensions, Canopies, OHLE, Signal Bases, Gantry Bases, Embankment Stabilisation, New Station Builds

Our in-house design team offers comprehensive geotechnical design capabilities providing innovative, sustainable and value engineered solutions for ground engineering projects of all sizes and complexities

throughout the UK.

Contents & Services

Other Useful Contacts

Mark Williams—Group Development Director mark.williams@van-elle.co.uk Tel: 01773 580580 Mob: 07834 800524

Sean Kenyon — Northwest and Wales Region BDM sean.kenyon@van-elle.co.uk Tel: 01925 430303 Mob: 07712 389327

Tony Pontiero — Scotland and Northeast Region BDM tony.pontiero@van-elle.co.uk Tel: 01698 464570 Mob: 07834 800527

Ben Taylor — East and Southeast Region BDM ben.taylor@van-elle.co.uk Tel: 01773 580580 Mob: 07702 348284

Gary Levers — Group Health & Safety Manager gary.levers@van-elle.co.uk Tel: 01773 580580 Mob: 07834 800601

Michael Ellis — Group Chairman

Jon Fenton — Group CEO jon.fenton@van-elle.co.uk

Michael Mason — Group Managing Director mick.mason@van-elle.co.uk

Paul Pearson — Group Finance Director paul.pearson@van-elle.co.uk

Vic Handley — Deputy Group Managing Director vic.handley@van-elle.co.uk Mob: 07834 800526

Using our cable percussion, rotary and window sampling rigs, we can undertake contracts of all sizes, obtaining quality, comprehensive data reliably, efficiently and with the support of our other specialist divisions. Our unique Vetrak® rig offers the access capability of a window sampling rig with the drilling capability of a cable percussion rig and at only 700mm wide, it has proven itself on many restricted access sites across the UK. Technical data sheets on our various rigs can be found on our website showing access requirements, bearing capacities and the capabilities. The drilling techniques we use enable us to establish numerous geotechnical parameters for foundation design, pavement design, soakaways, shallow mine workings, slope stability, ground water levels and excavations. Working closely with environmental engineers means we also have a wealth of experience in environmental soil sampling, well installations and gas and ground water monitoring. We are members of the British Drilling Association and our drillers are trained to at least NVQ Level 2 in land drilling.

Van Elle’s Unique Offer

We are so confident in our ability that

if we are appointed to carry out the

site investigation, we will guarantee our

quotation for any follow-on services we

are employed to undertake against any

extra costs.

Geotechnical Services

Offering specialist site investigation

and foundation testing expertise,

Van Elle’s Geotechnical Services

division offers a wide range of

techniques enabling us to offer a

complete ‘one stop shop’ for your

ground stabilisation and foundation

requirements...

Many millions of pounds is wasted every year in our industry by companies obtaining site investigation reports which are either completely unusable or don’t show enough detail to enable accurate prices to be gathered for follow-on trades. To counter this, Van Elle always encourage clients and those looking to have ground investigation reports produced, to speak to us, or other reputable geotechnical engineering companies, who will not only be able to carry out the necessary work but will be more than happy to advise you of what is likely to be required and whether piling is necessary in that area. This should enable you to gauge how many boreholes are required and to what approximate depth. Piling companies will not give you a competitive lump sum price for piles likely to go 20m based on a 1.5m deep trial pit. Spending a little more money upfront to have a quality investigation carried out is likely to save many times this cost later on. Our comprehensive range of services include:

Cable percussion

Rotary open hole/coring

Window sampling

California bearing ratio tests

Plate bearings tests

Static testing

Gas monitoring

Noise and vibration monitoring

Laboratory testing

Factual and interpretative reporting

Ground Investigation

All of our site teams are fully trained in the safe operation of our powerful, reliable and capable fleet of rigs.

Pile Testing

As the UK’s largest and most

experienced independent ground

engineering contractor, it is important

to Van Elle that ‘best practice’ is

promoted rather than typical testing

regimes which can often lead to more

expense for the client or a less

sustainable solution being implemented. Load testing of piles represents an estimated 5% of the value of the UK piling market and can typically account for up to 10% of the cost of the piling works. Fulfilling its traditional role of design validation and quality control, the testing also provides an opportunity for continuous improvement in foundation design and construction practices, playing an important role in value engineering. Pile testing can be carried out at various stages of the pile installation dependant upon the agreed design method. Often, the piling can be designed based upon the site investigation data either on a re-measure, or a lump sum basis if the available data is sufficient. Sometimes, however, test piles can be installed, tested and the results analysed to ensure that the proposed solution is suitable before continuing with installing the working piles. The 3 most common pile testing techniques are integrity, dynamic and static load testing, details of which are set out below. Integrity Testing using sonic pulse echo or transient dynamic response methods is a low cost quality control tool used to detect defects along the pile shaft and, in some cases, give an estimation of the pile length. Dynamic Load Testing consists of striking the pile with a drop hammer and measuring force and velocity at the pile top. Using stress wave theory the pile top measurements are analyzed to predict the pile bearing capacity. Further computer analysis using the CAPWAP software yields a variety of pile performance data including shaft resistance distribution, end bearing and static load v deflection data. This test method is an economic alternative or supplement to traditional static load testing and can be applied to all pile types. Static Load Testing involves the measurement of load and deflection at the pile top. The load is applied by jacking against a reaction provided either by a grillage and kentledge system or a reaction beam restrained by anchor piles. Pile top measurements from the load cell and deflection gauges are recorded on a data logger from which information on ‘load v deflection’ and ‘load & deflection v time’ can be produced. Other specialist test methods are also available including integrity testing using Sonic Logging, Parallel Seismic testing to determine pile length and Pile Instrumentation to measure various parameters including strain, temperature and inclination. With the broadest portfolio of products and services in the sector and working for clients, and on projects, of all sizes you can be guaranteed of the quality service, latest innovative equipment, fully trained site teams and professional attitude you would expect from a company of our experience, success and reputation.

If you are looking at alternative sources to heating either a new build or existing property then the geothermal solution has to be considered as a cost effective and renewable solution. Geothermal energy is produced by the radioactive decay of minerals and solar radiation absorbed at the surface. Although the energy is greatest in regions where tectonic plates meet and therefore volcanic activity is closest to the surface, even cold ground contains heat below circa 3m where, in countries of a moderate climate, the temperature will remain a constant 12.8°C (55°F).

This energy, through the clever use of geothermal piles/boreholes and a ground source heat pump, can be harnessed to provide a sustainable heating solution for a structure, relying on the exchange of energy between the air inside the building and the ground.

During summer months, when the ambient temperature of the building exceeds that of the ground, pumps are used to expel the heat by absorbing it through a transfer medium which is subsequently carried through small diameter pipes into the pile/borehole. With large surface areas, these pipes are ideally suited to dissipating the heat back into the earth. This part of the process is vital so as to return energy into the ground preventing 'ground freeze'. Over time, if energy is taken from the earth without being replaced, it can lose its ability to store energy in the future causing the system to breakdown or preventing it from working to its full capacity. In winter months, when the ambient temperature falls below that of the ground, the process works in reverse and heat is pumped back into the building. As the sole drilling contractor to Eon for the government's social housing contract, we installed many geothermal boreholes to enable residencies formerly burning coal to benefit from this innovative and most sustainable of heat sources. Many sustainable energy sources, such as solar, receive more publicity in the UK than geothermal solutions; however, much of this is due to the funding assistance given by our own government rather than judging these alternatives on their own merit. When you look at the world leaders in renewable energy and take into consideration energy return, whole life costs, our climate and average hours of sunlight, geothermal solutions are the obvious choice. If your new development requires piles anyway or you want to look at installing a cost effective and renewable energy solution to an existing building then why not consider geothermal piles or geothermal boreholes respectively?

Geothermal Boreholes

Ground Stabilisation

Drilling & Grouting

Not just a leader in the world of piling

but one of the most successful,

innovative and experienced ground

stabilisation contractors in the UK...

Operating a modern fleet of drill rigs on both tracks & tyres and ranging from 1.5 to 15 tonnes, Van Elle has the capability to drill boreholes from 50mm to 300mm in diameter. Our drillers are NVQ qualified and are supported by an experienced team of engineers, supervisors and managers located across the UK. We are also active members of the British Drilling Association. Our comprehensive range of services include:

Investigation and subsequent consolidation of abandoned mineral/chalk workings, mine shafts, swallow holes & adits.

Bulk grouting of abandoned tunnels, culverts, sewers, basements & cellars.

Structural stabilisation using grouting techniques in granular & fill materials.

As the 2011 and 2013 ‘Specialist Ground Engineering Contractor of the Year’ and with 30 years’ geotechnical experience, Van Elle have earned an enviable reputation for developing and providing value engineered solutions. We operate nationwide with a modern fleet of rigs on tracks and tyres ranging from 1.5 to 15 tonnes and capable of drilling boreholes from 50mm to 300mm in diameter.

Our continued investment in new rigs and equipment, coupled with the use of bespoke software packages enables us to ensure that our solutions are always the most efficient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly available. We undertake projects of any size across the whole of the UK & Ireland and work within all sectors.

The development & implementation of

bespoke software enables Van Elle to

accurately map existing coal mine

workings, drilling fewer boreholes,

using less grout and pricing more

accurately and competitively.

Due to our experience, expertise and in-house capabilities, we have recently been involved with many of the UK’s largest and most well publicised drilling & grouting contracts including the £250m Scotswood Expo. residential development. This was the single largest mine consolidation project carried out, to-date, in the northern coalfield and we were working for Galliford Try on behalf of the client; Newcastle CC. Full details of this project can be found on our website, however, below is a brief summary showing the scale of the works, volume of materials used and health & safety achievements:

10,000 boreholes drilled.

200,000 metres of drilling.

20,000 tonnes of dry weight grout injected.

25,000 cubic metres of earthworks.

88 tonnes of reinforcement fixed and placed.

175 cubic metres of concrete poured.

50,000 accident free hours.

Van Elle’s vast experience, friendly &

knowledgeable staff and modern,

powerful rigs ensures that our clients

are confident that their project is in

the hands of the industry experts.

This division also undertake specialist projects such as the North Berwick Harbour. The client wanted to instruct a single contractor to undertake all of the works so Van Elle were appointed as principal contractor to carry out the following:

A survey of the stop logs & channels.

Re-pointing of the joints between the masonry blocks, for a 10m length from the pier’s roundhead.

Grouting the core of the wall, to fill any possible voids, for a 10m length from the pier’s roundhead.

Replacement of the stop log channels on the South West and North West Pier.

Removal and disposal of the existing stop log crane.

Replacement of the concrete foundation for the stop log crane.

Replacement of the crane.

All of our site teams are fully trained in the safe operation of our powerful, reliable and capable fleet of rigs.

Ground Anchors

Continuing innovation and development

of sustainable techniques has

contributed to making Van Elle the

UK’s most successful ground

engineering specialist and the largest

independent geotechnical, piling and

foundation contractor. We are able to offer complete design and installation packages for all infrastructure, building and civil engineering projects utilising highly experienced trained operatives and the latest innovative plant and techniques. Our early project involvement has resulted in significant savings in both programme and costs for many of our clients.

We regularly undertake stabilisation projects for many of the UK’s largest and best-known infrastructure contractors and offer a multitude of services in-house including the design and installation of temporary and permanent bar, strand and self drilling anchors and soil nails. Our success on these projects has led to a very high percentage of repeat business and an unrivalled reputation for the same quality, safe and value engineered solutions that our piling customers have come to expect. The investment we have made in recent years in developing our experienced and highly qualified internal design team provides us with many advantages over the competition. These include providing more accurate tender prices for complicated schemes, producing robust, sustainable, yet constructable designs and enabling us to speak as industry experts with the project engineers and principal contractors, always proposing the most cost effective and efficient foundation/stabilisation option.

Whether your project involves installing anchors/nails on a highway, rail, harbour/port, retaining wall or simply to stabilise an embankment or cliff face at risk of moving, give us a call and see what benefits working with Van Elle can bring to your project.

With the experience and equipment to design, install and test nails on both highway and rail embankments as well as many other demanding locations, we have worked on some of the UK’s largest slope stabilisation and earth retention schemes in recent years.

The ability to offer related services in-house allows us to manage programmes effectively and efficiently, minimising costs for our clients whilst also reducing project timescales. One of the largest soil nailing projects we have undertaken in recent years was the M1 widening scheme where we installed over 6000lm of nails, 3000lm of anchors and many bored and SFA restricted access piles. With the batter cut to an approximate incline of 45°, Van Elle installed a series of boreholes to pre-set depths marked out beforehand. A 25mm bar was then positioned in each hole having been suitably spaced before being grouted to the top. When drilling clay, we were able to auger and when we encountered rock we used a ‘own the Hole Hammer (DTH) which is air operated. The rigs in the Van Elle fleet capable of this type of work range from 3t to 30t making us extremely versatile; work can be carried out from scaffolds, within tunnels, on steep embankments and over quarry walls and retaining walls. Soil nailing is usually used in conjunction with a system of meshing on the face of the slope and/or guniting (sprayed concrete). Soil nails can be used for temporary and permanent solutions.

Soil nailing is typically used to stabilise

existing slopes and walls and to allow

for slope cutting and steepening for

applications such as road widening. We

use the technique in virtually all ground

conditions, simply adapting the

construction method to suit site

conditions.

Soil Nails

Van Elle’s continued investment in the latest, most powerful and versatile ground anchor rigs ensures that we can often reduce costs and programme duration without compromising on the safety of our employees and those of other contractors working on site.

One of our newest soil nailing rigs, the Soilmec SM-14, installing soil nails on the northbound carriageway of the M1 widening scheme for MVM JV (Morgan Est., Vinci Grande Projets & Sir Robert McAlpine).

One of our Casagrande C6s installing soil nails on the southbound carriageway of the M1.

By utilising our vast range of rigs

and techniques, we ensure our

customers always receive the most

cost effective, bespoke solution to

meet their foundation and site

requirements, assuring them of a

professional, no-fuss service from

pre-start to completion.

Our extensive, and growing, restricted access fleet of rigs include:

Purpose built mini rotary/drop hammer rigs to work within 750mm widths and 2.4m headroom, weighing between 1 and 18 tonnes.

Bespoke rigs that can install up to 600mm diameter bored piles in only 3.75m headroom.

Drilling rigs capable of installing up to 600mm diameter piles in 5m headroom.

Precast concrete, driven piling rigs with 6m mast heights and weighing up to 24 tonnes for the smaller restricted sites.

Driven Piles

Steel cased 75mm to 323mm diameter.

Thick wall steel tube up to 610mm diameter.

RRV mounted side-grip and top driven steel tube.

Vemech® precast concrete 150mm or 200mm square.

Circular Hollow Section (CHS). Augered Piles

Sectional Flight Auger (SFA) up to 750mm diameter.

Approved installers of screwpiles with all leading manufacturers. Drilled Piles

Rotary percussive up to 600mm diameter.

Duplex rotary percussive up to 660mm diameter.

Odex rotary percussive up to 275mm diameter.

Drilled hollow threaded bar systems.

Elemex rotary percussive up to 406mm diameter.

Restricted Access Piling

If your site has either, or a combination, of restricted load

bearing, width or height conditions then Van Elle has the piling solution for you. Our experience of these types of projects coupled with our investment in the latest bespoke rigs, the training of our staff, continuous expansion of our service offering and innovation into new techniques gives our clients a distinct advantage over their competitors at tender stage and helps them to save costs and reduce the programme once on site. Having undertaken, and successfully completed, some of the UK's largest and most challenging high profile infrastructure projects, we have developed a sound understanding of the specific requirements of Network Rail and the Highways Agency ensuring that there are no programme delays and the schemes run efficiently and safely. Our in-house design team are highly qualified and experienced in designing for such projects and work quickly and proficiently to overcome any unforeseen issues should they arise.

We regularly work on building projects of all sizes and of varying degrees of access restrictions. Having worked on many of the UK's highest profile projects including Cafe Royal, Tate Modern, Lowesmoor Development, Dalston Western Curve and Birmingham New Street, each with their own challenges and for some of the best known names in the industry, it is clear that our clients feel confident in placing their reputations in the hands of the largest independent geotechnical engineering contractor in the UK, the '2011 & 2013 Specialist Contractor of the Year' and the CN Awards ‘2014 Business Growth Champion’. We even carry out large and demanding schemes for competitors when they lack the expertise, capabilities or resources in-house to successfully carry out the work themselves.

Restricted Access Fleet

A project on the site of the old Acton power station. We installed 738No. 300mm diameter SFA piles within the existing shed to house IT equipment for the client, Telecity.

Pile Types Offered

Specialist Sectors

As plane travel has become more accessible and the government and operators' investment in this sector have increased at the same rate, the size and complexity of airport schemes have grown exponentially. Alterations to increase capacity and cater for larger planes and more terminals within limited space have required challenging foundation solutions, sometimes including basements and working with restricted environments, often airside.

Amongst other airport projects, in the last 12 months we have installed piles for both new control towers and radar stations at Manchester and Birmingham Airports.

In recent months, we have seen a significant increase in large waterways projects including bases for static cranes, tracks for roller and container cranes, new bored pile harbour walls and dry docks and renovation of existing canals and ports. We have also been involved in development projects on the sites of disused harbours which often require a great deal of design input and present unique challenges at construction. Fortunately, Van Elle have the experience and expertise to back up these projects’ requirements.

Another area we have been particularly successful in designing, constructing, installing and testing foundations is on waste mgmt. projects. These include Minworth, Stoke Lyme Valley, Alcester and Stoke Bardolph. For further details, please see the case studies on our website.

Highways

Airports

In recent years, as the investment in the UK's rail services has grown, so has the number and value of projects with which Van Elle have been involved. From single platform extensions on minor lines to the largest and most challenging rail projects in the UK, we have worked with some of the best known names in the industry including Birse Metro, Volker Fitzpatrick, Vinci, Amec, Balfour Beatty and Carillion Rail. Our continued investment in new rigs, equipment and staff training ensures that we are able to safely carry out rail projects of all sizes and difficulties with the same focus on value engineering as we offer on other civil engineering and building schemes. We are Link-up accredited and our site teams, supervisors and management team are PTS certified allowing both night and day rail work to be carried out safely, on programme and to budget.

Our in-house design team have extensive experience of producing quality solutions to, what are often, challenging schemes as well as the other required elements associated with rail projects including planning, attending multiple meetings with clients and engineers and producing the various paperwork ensuring a fluid and pain-free experience from start to finish. From working inside tunnels, on platform extensions and new stations to installing the foundations for large maintenance sheds next to multiple lines and main hubs, we have the experience, equipment and capability to meet your requirements and exceed your expectations. Projects successfully completed recently include Birmingham New Street, Croydon Station, Reading Station, Great Western and Hornsey Depot.

Van Elle have been involved throughout the tender, design, installation and testing stages on many of these projects which now make up a substantial proportion of our turnover and profits.

Our portfolio of products/services, in-house design team and engineer's expertise and experience of working in this sector have enabled us to remain competitive and offer clients' true value engineered solutions to what are often challenging and restricted working environments. Our experienced in-house design department have worked with many of the UK's best known contractors to identify possible foundation and slope stabilisation alternatives, working within the limitations of the location.

Contiguous and secant piled retaining walls, bearing piles for gantries and bridge abutments, ground anchors and soil nails are installed efficiently and safely by fully trained, experienced site operatives using innovative, often bespoke, rigs.

Waterways & Utilities

Piling

The UK’s most successful ground

engineering contractor not only has

the UK’s largest portfolio of

geotechnical products but our piling

capabilities are unrivalled and our

modern fleet and dedicated,

experienced workforce are envied by

many competitors... Our piling division provides a wide range of piling methods and techniques for all new build developments, major structural projects, industrial contracts and large commercial extensions for national and local developers, contractors, local authorities and civil engineering clients. At Van Elle, we see it as our primary role and our responsibility to provide our clients with the best possible value engineered solution for their project regardless of the foundation/ground stabilisation requirements or the size of the scheme. Once the ground investigation report, loadings and layouts have been considered, we will identify the options before proposing the most cost effective, quality solution to the client. Wherever possible, we will try to reduce pile numbers, depths and/or diameters. When a client or their engineers request a particular solution we will, of course, quote as required, however, if our engineers can see a more cost effective alternative or have worked on a similar scheme in the past where a different product/method was used successfully then we will also offer this. Our in-house design team have a wealth of knowledge and experience, within all sectors of the industry, to propose the very best value engineered solution providing the desired results whilst minimising costs and programme every time. Examples of recent piling projects: Principal Contractor: Kier Moss Project: Phoenix Sports and Science Park Location: Telford Division: Piling Technique: CFA P iling Description: 618no. 350mm 12.0 – 25.0m + 40no. Dy-namic Load tests Value to Van Elle: £296,117.20 Comments: P iles were socketed into underlying mud-stone / sandstone strata having penetrated up to 20.0m of relatively recently placed fill material. Our design team had significant input at the project meetings to ensure value engi-neering. Principal Contractor: Volker Fitzpatrick Project: Maintenance sheds for the new Thameslink trains Location: Hornsey Rail Depot, Haringey Division: Piling Technique: CFA P iling Description: 380No. 300mm diameter piles, 492No. 350mm diameter piles, 262No. 450mm diameter piles & 174No. 600mm diameter piles Value to Van Elle: Circa £850k Comments: Approx. 13 weeks work for 2 CFA rigs and 3no. prelim tests undertaken to prove pile capacity. Pile lengths up to 24m deep and right next to a Railway.

With the experience and equipment to competently design and install secant piled retaining walls for all applications and

in all locations, Van Elle have become synonymous with complex and demanding projects of this nature. Secant Walls, formed by installing overlapping CFA or Rotary bored concrete piles, are used to retain water as well as prevent the ingress of soil as oppose to

contiguous piled retaining walls which simply retain the earth and don’t overlap at all. In hard/soft secant walls, only the hard, also referred to as male or secondary, piles are reinforced. In the case of hard/hard secant walls, every pile forming the 360° beneath ground structure is reinforced to spread both the horizontal and vertical loads. Primary piles are installed on the first pass with secondary piles constructed in between the primary piles, once the latter have gained sufficient strength. Pile overlap is determined by a number of factors but primarily by the retained height. In a wall constructed of 600mm diameter piles it would typically be 150-200mm. Secant walls offer a significant lateral strength advantage compared to that of sheet piles and are also often designed to take a load applied by the structure above. Cased CFA

piles can offer an added degree of accuracy to the overlap and help maintain the vertical when augering preventing the piles from kicking off and gaps forming between the piles. Contiguous piled retaining walls, also referred to as contig. walls, are formed by installing a row/s of CFA or rotary bored piles leaving a relatively small space between them. They are typically installed prior to one side of the wall being excavated and they are designed specifically to retain earth and often to take a load applied by a structure above too. Unlike ‘secant piled retaining walls’, they do not prevent the ingress of water and can be installed as a single wall or a 2/3 sided box rather than having to be an enclosed 360° construction. Contig. walls can be designed to be free standing, usually

when the retained height is

Secant Piled Walls

Contiguous Piled Walls

Once the guide wall has been constructed, the piles can be augered in alternate order. This diagram shows a hard/soft secant wall with the primary piles un-reinforced.

This diagram shows a typical contig. piled retaining wall construction. In cases where the retained height is significant as in the photo above, struts can be used to prevent flex in the temporary condition.

Piling Techniques

The CFA system of drilling is one of the quietest piling solutions available and is virtually vibration-free, making it ideal for working in close proximity to existing buildings or in environmentally sensitive areas. This method enables piles to be formed in water-bearing strata, without the need for casing, bentonite or polymers. It is suitable for constructing piles in almost any type of strata: sands, gravels, silts, clays and soft rocks, or even a combination of these. Our highly experienced in-house design, pre-contract and contract management teams, are located across the UK, and so have an in depth knowledge of the local ground conditions and the most cost-effective foundation systems. Our modern fleet and sometimes bespoke rigs are increasing in power and capability all the time and we can now install CFA piles to a depth of 28m and up to 1050mm in diameter. Our restricted access rigs are also capable of installing SFA (Sectional Flight Auger) piles up to 750mm diameter in only 3.75m headroom. The entire fleet are fitted with the PL3000 system, designed by NDT, enabling our engineers in the offices to monitor the piles as they are being installed in real-time. We have also invested in equipment enabling us to install cased CFA piles giving the accuracy of a rotary solution and the speed advantages of CFA. The biggest advantage of this system is its increase in tolerance; 1 in 200 as opposed to 1 in 75 of tradi-tional CFA piling.

Driven piles can be used in a wide range of soil conditions, are quick to install and produce no spoil. We use fully reinforced, precast concrete piles manufactured under strict quality controlled conditions. They can be extended using a mechanical joint and we can achieve capacities in excess of 1000kN. Using our fleet of Driven Piling rigs we are able to install a variety of driven pile types including precast concrete piles (200mm square to 350mm square), thick wall steel tube, steel H-section, bottom driven thin wall steel and timber piles Our Vemech® pile is a short segmental concrete pile designed in compliance with European design codes. It is 200mm square diameter and has a safe working load of 350kN. This short, segmental pile is suitable for a wide range of building foundations from restricted access low headroom contracts to large greenfield developments. Vibration is minimal and the 2.5m long, small diameter sections can be installed as close as 500mm from an existing dwelling.

Benefits of this system include:

No spoil removal from site

No wet product deliveries

Small, versatile rigs

Reduced piling matt construction

Easy to cut to level

Bored piles are often larger diameter than conventional continuous flight auger piles and are used to support greater loads, overcome underground obstructions, penetrate ground too hard to bore using a continuous flight auger or create piles with a cut-off level beneath the platform level. Because the rotary bored technique enables the reinforcement to be added into the open bore rather than into the ready poured concrete, as in CFA, it has the distinct advantage of allowing the cage to be the full depth of the pile. They are formed by drilling through a temporary casing to the designed depth, using an auger or other tools such as drilling buckets, core barrels etc. to cope with a variety of ground conditions. The casing gives support to the pile through unstable ground and once the required depth is reached, the auger is removed, the reinforcement is added and the concrete poured. When the concrete reaches the required level, the casing is removed. Where the ground is still unstable at depth, support fluids such as bentonite or polymers can be added. Van Elle's rotary capability, our experience and range of rigs is extensive, enabling us to install, piles of all depths and diameters. We regularly design temporary cased rotary piled secant and contiguous piled retaining walls allowing for tighter vertical tolerances, and therefore greater retained heights.

CFA (Continuous Flight Auger)

Stage 1 Drilling

Stage 2 Withdrawal of the auger

whilst simultaneously pumping concrete

Stage 3 Removal of spoil and

placement of the cage

Driven

Rotary Bored

Precast concrete piling The rig’s hammer impacts on the head of

the pile driving it into the ground.

Steel piling Steel piles can be used in ground where driven piles are suitable but obstructions are expected, there is a high sulphate

content or horizontal loads on the piles.

Rotary piling In the 3rd stage below, you can see the

addition of bentonite to retain the walls of the bore through granular material. Unlike CFA piling, the auger only rotates whilst drilling.

The Smartfoot® Precast Modular

Foundation system is cost effective

providing strength, accuracy and

speed like no other foundations.

Ideal for a wide range of structures including domestic dwellings, hotels, hospitals, MOD barracks and commercial units, Smartfoot® is extremely versatile and sustainable using only as much concrete and steel as is required to carry the loadings. This unique and innovative system is based upon proven post-tensioning technology. Both NHBC and National Building Control approved, Smartfoot is particularly suited to reclaimed and brownfield sites and areas affected by land gases. Minimum site preparation is required, greatly reducing or eliminating landfill tax and where ground conditions prove good enough, it can be installed directly onto the ground without the need for piles. As the UK’s leading independent geotechnical engineering company and with the largest portfolio of services and products of any company in the sector, Van Elle also offer the complete package, including piling, where required.

The Benefits of Smartfoot®

Manufactured under strict quality controlled conditions.

Once tensioned, it acts as a single unit.

Rapid on-site construction.

Minimal site preparation.

Can be installed with or without piles.

Sustainable & environmentally friendly.

Excavations and offsite landfill taxes significantly reduced.

Complete in-house design and installation package.

Strong, durable & versatile.

Unlike competitor’s systems, every beam is designed bespoke for that location, on that plot, on that site.

Ideal for semi-permanent structures as can be installed, de-stressed at a later date and re-installed in

a new location.

Completely dry so no deliveries of wet materials to site.

Effect of weather greatly reduced as lifts can only be affected by high winds.

Ideally suited to modular structures.

Cost effective.

From starting the design to installation on site can take as little as 7 days.

Installed by professional full-time employees of Van Elle.

In the past few years, Van Elle has invested a great deal of

money and time into refining all elements of the Smartfoot® system; the future of sustainable foundations. A major part in making this product even more efficient was automating the design process, further increasing the speed and reducing the cost of this already market leading system. The decision was made to have a bespoke design package made to combine our three previous time consuming processes; completing a drawing, carrying out a design and producing schedules for manufacturing.

The drawings alone for an average housing development have been speeded up by at least 500% due to this software and a typical phase of a housing site, which would have taken an engineer 2 days to complete all 3 processes, now takes about ½ hour. Once the drawings are completed, the beams can then be cast in the factory using the schedules automatically produced by the programme. Once having cured for at least 7 days they can be taken to site and installed.

When working for large house builders, the house types are sometimes duplicated across their various offices and we will, quite often, have designed and manufactured the same beams for a site elsewhere previously. In this case, even if we have never worked for that office before, all we require from them is a site plan to show how many of each house type there is, the order in which they wish them to be built and we can then send them the completed CAD drawings almost instantly. Accuracy is another major benefit of the Smartfoot product (+/- 3mm) and the software has significantly reduced the margin for human error particularly when producing casting schedules for a large development. When working on the Cotswold Waterpark Hotel project, over a 4 week period, our engineers had to manually create a separate schedule for each of the 800+ beams on the site. This would now take minutes with no margin of error. Thanks to this software, Smartfoot is the fastest, and most accurate, precast modular foundation system in the UK.

Design

Below: Casting Schedule.

Above: Beam Layout Design.

Smartfoot® is manufactured in steel moulds ensuring repetitive

engineering tolerances and the very highest quality finish. As every beam is bespoke, the dimensions of the shutters are easily altered to allow rapid transfer of cast beams and the location of steel reinforcement and ducting for the new one ready for the concrete to be poured. As all of the beams are bespoke, we are able to design and manufacture using only as much steel and concrete as is absolutely necessary for the loads each beam is designed to carry. This reduces the carbon footprint making the product more environmentally friendly. Once the concrete is poured into the moulds, it is vibrated to ensure there are no air pockets and then left to cure until the following day. The next day, the moulds are ‘broken’ and each beam is lifted by the crane using the lifting eyes. They are then moved to the storage area to complete the 7 day curing period before being transported to site for installation. Each beam is marked with it’s intended site number, plot and location within that plot and then stored in the corresponding area.

The manufacturing acility, located in Kirkby-in-Ashfield in Notts, is wholly owned by Van Elle and is only used to produce our Smartfoot® beams so there is never a delay in the production process and once a schedule is produced by the design package, the moulds are ‘set’ and casting can begin.

Our large, indoor and heated storage area allows for curing in all weather conditions without the possibility of uneven hardening due to excess direct sunlight or weak and brittle concrete due to the crystallisation of water molecules in freezing temperatures, again, an advantage of a precast system over cast insitu.

Uniquely, Smartfoot® can be installed

both with and without piles making it

the most versatile and cost effective

foundation system available today.

Upon completion of the piling works, they are accurately cut down to the required level and the caps are cast insitu. Should timescales dictate, the caps are cast in our factory and placed on the piles, doweled and grouted into position so the beams can be installed immediately without having to wait for curing. Smartfoot® can be installed with all pile types, whether precast, rotary, steel cased or augered. Once the caps are ready, the beams are lowered into place by a crane and their centre lines are aligned with the corresponding string line markings previously sprayed onto the pile caps. Where each two beams meet, a bitumen impregnated foamboard is used which, under tension, liquefies and seals any gaps making it impervious to water. A high-tensile, 7-strand, steel cable is then threaded through the ducting formerly cast into the X & the Y beams. As an extra precaution, the cable itself is grease filled and sheathed in a protective shroud for anti-corrosive purposes. A locking plate anchors the cable at one end and fits neatly into a preformed socket in the side of the beam ensuring there is no protrusion leaving a clean, water-tight finish.

The other end of the cable is then tensioned to about 210kN using a hydraulic jack. This pulls the interlocked beams together ensuring they are square and causing them to act as a single unit. The excess cable is then cut and the recess grouted leaving it neat & safe. The beams aren’t physically tied to the caps at all and rely on gravity to anchor them in position which is more than enough to ensure they don’t move in future. If heave is an issue on site then a void is left underneath the beams which is protected from being backfilled by a CBF. Once tensioned up, the follow-on trades can immediately begin installing the flooring, drainage and blockwork without having to wait for the foundations to cure as with many competitors’ systems. It also means that as there are no wet elements in the Smartfoot® system, there are no concrete deliveries to site to cast the beams, reducing vehicle movements and so decreasing potential safety risks and the carbon footprint. A major advantage of this product when used with temporary buildings which could be erected elsewhere, is that the tendon can be de-stressed, the whole structure moved to the new location, new tendons inserted and re-stressed creating one of the most sustainable products on the market today. As this prevents the need for new foundations at the 2nd site, there is almost no wastage, very little cost and no waiting on casting & curing. The only weather which can prevent us from lifting the beams into position and completing the installation is high wind. The rest of the process is completely unaffected by the elements. There is also no limit to the shape of structures that we can design, manufacture and install foundations for. Our design package will automatically work out the required corner sections and produce a schedule to suit as can be seen in this image. Smartfoot® is suitable for many construction techniques including:

and building types including:

Educational Establishments (Schools, Universities etc.)

MOJ Builds (Prisons, Deportation Holding Facilities etc.)

MOD Builds (Barracks, Mess Huts, Hangars etc.)

Private & Social Housing

Hotels

Commercial Units (Offices, Retail etc.)

Industrial Builds (Warehousing, Workshops, Garages etc.) For more information on this fantastic foundation solution, please see our dedicated Smartfoot® brochure which can be found on our website or contact the Smartfoot® team.

Manufacture

Above: Using an overhead hopper hoisted by a static crane to pour the concrete into the moulds.

Installation

The Cotswold Water Park Hotel built on a combination of driven precast/steel piles.

Wooden Frame

Concrete Panel

Steel Frame

Modular

Head Office (Nottinghamshire) Kirkby Lane Pinxton Nottinghamshire NG16 6JA Tel: 01773 580580 Fax: 01773 862100 Email: info@van-elle.co.uk Warrington Office (Cheshire) The Whitehouse Greenalls Avenue Warrington Cheshire WA4 6HL Tel: 01925 430303 Email: northwest@van-elle.co.uk Glasgow Office (Scotland) Willow House Kestrel View Strathclyde Business Park Bellshill ML4 3NJ Tel: 01698 464570 Fax: 01698 464465 Email: scotland@van-elle.co.uk

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