Ground engineering sets the tone for any construction or civils project. Efficient, on-time completion of piling and groundworks, to the desired specification, means that nobody has to play catch-up during later stages. Yet it’s a fact of life that once the project goes ‘below ground’ there are a multitude of unknown factors or obstructions that could push the project off-track.
Our philosophy is to simplify ground engineering and avoid potential problems through expertise and a sound process.
Within the ground engineering phase, appropriate and carefully controlled piling is often pivotal. By ‘appropriate and carefully controlled’ we mean that the piling method is optimised for project requirements such as load-bearing capacity, ground conditions and the site location.
‘Controlled’ also means sticking to detailed project plans with rigorous quality control throughout the process. Here’s an overview of what the process looks like from receiving a tender through to completion.
The Preconstruction Process
The first stage is a thorough technical review of the customer’s proposed scope and specification by the Managing Director, Technical Director and Contracts Manager. We then decide whether or not to bid based on the scale, scope, timescales, and existing project commitments.
The emphasis is on rapidly establishing any details that could complicate the project – ideally before the bid is submitted. So the Contracts Manager will often ask for further information not provided with the tender documents. This could include bore hole data, topographical surveys, or a ground investigation to fully examine the suitability of the various piling options.
Design reviews avoid some of the most significant risks, including piles that are too shallow to reach the supporting sub-strata, piling methods that are unworkable for the ground conditions or insufficient to meet the load-bearing requirements of the foundation slab.
We never submit a bid if the proposed solution doesn’t seem practical or viable.
Planning and Costing
Once the design solution is approved by our Technical Director the work is thoroughly planned and costed. This process includes the proposed access and installation methodologies and takes account of any restricted access issues along with any environmental and biodiversity requirements. These details are double-checked with a site visit and inspection.
Delivery Phase Feedback
This methodical preconstruction process simplifies and proves the piling methodology that will be the most efficient and effective. It eliminates the majority of issues that could interrupt delivery.
Should any emerging conditions and potential risks come to light during the delivery phase the team will rapidly develop proposals to overcome them, either by amending the design or promptly changing the delivery, methodology, plant and equipment.
With our robust QA processes and technical expertise, we can identify the most effective ground engineering solutions, highlight emerging uncertainties and risks and solve them. 94% of our piling projects are completed on time and within the customer’s budget.
To find out more, contact Suttle Piling.