The installation of piles in very restricted headroom during the construction of a new dual carriageway under an existing railway crossing.
The project
Piling was needed to provide support and mitigate settlement during the construction of the East Kent Access Road at Ramsgate.
The challenge
A tight 13-week works programme, very tight access under a railway crossing and the need to avoid halting train services on the busy Ramsgate to London mainline made this a very challenging project.
The solution
A total of 520 No 450mm sectional flight auger piles were installed to a depth of 14.0m within the two pilot tunnels. Up to 4 No specially modified electro-hydraulic piling rigs were used to carry out the works in 2.7m headroom. The installation of the piles allowed the client's proposed construction method to be implemented, removing the need to suspend train movements along the busy Ramsgate to London mainline.