FRASER VALLEY

Geotechnical Construction

Local Geotech Construction Solutions Serving

Vancouver, Chilliwack, Hope, Abbotsford, Clearbrook, Mission, Surrey, Langley, Fort Langley, New Westminster
Burnaby, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Ladner, Tsawwassen, Whistler

FRASER VALLEY

Geotechnical Construction

ESTIMATES

Vancouver, Chilliwack, Abbotsford, Clearbrook, Mission,
 Surrey, Langley, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam,

Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Ladner, Tsawwassen

 

Project Location

 

Project Description

 

fraser valley geotechnical drilling and geotechnical construction contractor

Fraser Valley Geotechnical Construction

Fraser Valley Geotechnical Construction is focused on customer-oriented solutions and, therefore, depending on the project specific requirements and access availability.

We can also provide a wide variety of geotechnical drilling equipment to perform the works that the project requires, with special equipment and a team of experts to be able to drill and install all types of anchors and piles

Some of the special equipment that Fraser Valley Geotechnical Construction is able to provide: high shear colloidal grout mixers, digital flow meters for precise placement volumes, grout cube analysis, anchor stressing equipment, specialized high pressure down hole cleaning equipment, verticality-controlled drilling methods, Gyro surveys and down-hole camera surveys.

Fraser Valley Geotechnical Construction Services

Grouting - Geotechnical Construction - Fraser Valley

Grouting is the process of injecting material in the ground in order to reduce the permeability of the ground and/or to strengthen and stabilize the ground. In soft ground this leads to an increase in its strength and in jointed rock in its stiffness. Grouting has numerous applications from ground anchors and pile foundations to road construction.

Pressure Grouting

This pressure grouting technique involves pumping grout or cement into a soft and weak soil in order to fill the soil voids stabilizing and strengthening the soil. This technique allows for an increase in soil strength and a reduction in their permeability and it is an essential geotechnical engineering construction procedure.

There are multiple advantages associated with pressure grouting such as the low noise or vibration, the ability to reach depths not possible with other methods, its effectiveness in a wide variety of soils and ground conditions and also the fact that it is a non-destructive method adaptable to existing structures, such as foundations.

Request a pressure grouting cost estimate for your project online from Fraser Valley Geotechnical Construction – expert local geotechnical construction & pressure grouting contractors with extensive ground improvement experience implementing a broad array of pressure grouting techniques to serve the needs of your next project!

Geotechnical Construction Contractor - Fraser Valley

Fraser Valley Geotechnical Construction Service Area:

Vancouver, Richmond, Chilliwack, Abbotsford, Clearbrook, Mission, Surrey, Burnaby, New Westminster, Langley, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Ladner, Tsawwassen and Whistler.

Compaction Grouting - Low Mobility Grouting (LMG)

Fraser Valley Geotechnical Construction Services

Fraser Valley Geotechnical Drilling - HT-2500

The compaction grouting technique differs from both permeation and jet grouting in that it is a ground improvement technique rather than a ground treatment technique. Compaction grouting consists on injecting a low slump (generally 25-100mm) grout with high viscosity under a controlled pressure and flow rate such that an expanding bulb forms.

The surrounding soils from the injection point become densified as the existing soil pour space is reduced by the expanding mass of grout. Deformation and densification takes place as a result of the expansion which leads to ground improvement. The grout mix is designed to displace the soil into which it is injected.

The compaction grouting technique is performed by either drilling or driving small diameter casings to the required depth, retrieving the rods and then pumping the grout to the bottom of the hole.

This type of grouting is generally performed in weak or loose non-cohesive soils to avoid large settlement and soil liquefaction. Other applications are the prevention of granular soils collapse, filling of cavities and fissures or as a curtain for dams and reservoirs.

 

Low mobility grouting (LMG) is a type of compaction grouting which consists on the injection of a low slump to reinforce the soil by filling the subsurface voids. This technique is typically used where soils are less compactable than that for compaction grouting, and where displacement is the key element for LMG. This method is more commonly used for void filling, displacement of soft soil, solidification of fractured rock, filling voids in rock fill, and foundation lifting over large areas.

Fraser Valley Geotechnical Construction provides the right equipment to perform a successful compact grouting operation:

  • Allentown Magnum grout pumps
  • 0 to 1700 PSI pumping pressure
  • Infinite output flow control
  • 10 cubic ft mixing hoppers
  • Multiple drilling methodologies and equipment types
  • Man-portable auxiliary equipment
    CPT/SPT testing equipment
  • Electronic monitoring systems

Other Types of Grouting Include Fracture Grouting, Jet Grouting and Vacuum Grouting

Fraser Valley Geotechnical Construction utilizes the best grout plant units specifically designed for specialty pumping and grouting projects. The grout plant size ranges are the following:

  • Man Portable
  • Pick-Up Truck
  • Skid Mounted
  • Truck Mounted Grout Plant (self-contained, 900-gallon water tank/storage with a mixing and pumping production capacity of 30 cubic feet per hour).  Mixing capacities range from one to three bags per batch up to 265 liters of storage.

Piling - Geotechnical Construction Services

Fraser Valley – Local Geotech Construction 

Piles are essential structural elements of a foundation, driven or drilled at different depths into the ground at the supported structure site. The goal of a pile installation is to transmit the foundation loads to a soil ground for which they must resist vertical, lateral and uplift load.

Piling forms the very basis of construction and it is the essential support required for any kind of structure.

Based on their structural behavior, there are two fundamental types of pile foundations:

– End Bearing Piles. These piles are used to transmit the load from the structure to a suitable hard bearing stratum. The pile rests on a stronger layer of soil or rock so the structure load is transferred to that stratum, avoiding this way the interaction with the weaker layer on top.

– Friction Piles. These piles are used to transfer the load of the structure to the soil across the full height of the pile, by friction. The installation takes place by pushing the piles into the soil until it is strong enough to support the load. The amount of load that the pile can sustain is directly proportional to its length.

Fraser Valley - Local Geotech Construction 

Piles are Generally Made of Wood, Concrete, or Steel

Wooden piles are generally used to support buildings or other infrastructure in areas with poor soil conditions. Concrete piles are precast prior to its installation, therefore, they are fabricated at ground level and then driven into the ground by hammering or a similar technique. Concrete piles are generally available in square, octagonal or round cross-sections. Steel H-piles are less time-consuming than concrete piles as there is no need to casting, but they are not recommended to be used in areas with corrosive soil.

Based on the Method of Installation, There are Two Fundamental Types of Piles:

– Driven Piles (displacement) 

This piling method consists on driving prefabricated (wood, concrete or steel) piles into the ground through hammering, pushing, jacking, vibrating or screwing.
The piles are generally reinforced and prestressed. The machinery used must be able to hold the piles perfectly vertical into the ground while also acting as a crane. One of the advantages of this method is that the soil displaced during the installation compresses the surrounding soil increasing the friction around the pile and therefore, increasing their bearing capacity.

A special form of driven piles are sheet piles. Sheet piling uses interlocking steel sheets which are driven into the ground forming a barrier. This is normally used in retaining walls cofferdams, land reclamation, basements and underground structures as temporary works. Hammer or crawler drilling are the most common methods used to install these piles.

– Drilled Piles (cast-in-situ piles)

This type of piling technique consists on drilling a borehole into the ground and then pour concrete on it, having previously placed reinforcement bars. This method allows for a larger diameter piles to be installed in relatively dense or hard strata. One of the advantages of this method is that drilled piles can be tested on site allowing to confirm the pile integrity.

In cases where the noise produced by the piling installation must be kept to a minimum, it is possible to a special type of piles, such as micropiling, helical piling or augercast piling, which are not installed by hammering.

Micropiles –  are essentially small diameter drilled and grouted friction piles, which includes steel elements that are bonded into the bearing soil or rock. There are quick and easy to install

Helical Piles – are steel tubes with spiral blades attached to them, to which the loads are transferred to. The pile rotates acting like a bit as it is drilled into the ground. This is a type of end-bearing piling construction that causes no vibrations.

Augercast Piles – are a special type of drilled piles, formed by drilling a continuous flight auger into the ground following by a grout mix being pumped down the stem of the auger at the same time as the auger is retrieved.

Piling construction requires previous geotechnical engineering detailed design, which should determine the pile dimensions and spacing so as the load is evenly distributed, and the bearing capacity is not compromised. The design is normally done by grouping piles together topping them with a pile cap, which is a very thick layer of concrete that extends over a small group of piles, serving as a column base.

Fraser Valley Geotechnical Construction can provide multiple different types of drilling methods to install anchors and piles from our small man portable drills to our Dual Rotary Barber drills. Drill methods vary from air rotary and percussion to large diameter coring in sensitive concrete structures. We can drill vertical holes to precise tolerances and have developed multiple systems for installing anchors in limited access areas and under extreme environmental conditions.

Fraser Valley Geotechnical Construction’s local pile crew enable us to perform piling services with a high degree of excellence. Our experience ranges from steel to cast-in-place piles, large diameter open ended piles and sheet piling, among others

Anchors - Fraser Valley Geotechnical Construction

Geotech Drilling & Construction – Piling, Grouting & Anchors

Geotech Drilling & Construction - Piling, Grouting & Anchors

Anchors are a group of devices that are used to support, restrain and hold a civil structure, either permanently or temporarily. Permanent anchored systems normally have a lifespan of more than 50 years and they require additional corrosion resistant protection. Temporary anchors are generally removed after use.

Ground anchors and anchored systems have become increasingly popular in the last decades as improvements in design, construction techniques and anchor component materials have made them a well demonstrated cost-effective solutions for temporary works. They vary in capacities up to 3,000 kN and sizes to 70m in length.  The most common type of anchors are the grouted ground anchors, also referred as ground anchors or tiebacks.

These are basically grout filled drill holes, for which the drilling methods include rotary, percussion, rotary/percussive, or auger drilling. These type of anchors (generally prestressed) are used for tensile stress in order to transmit the forces from a structure to the ground in which they are anchored.

The method of installation is dependent on the specific situation and ground conditions. Generally, once the borehole is drilled, the anchor is inserted in the borehole using lifting beams, cranes, or in other equipment subsequently grouted using an injection pipe.

The performance of the anchor is dependent upon the shear strength of the soil as well as the depth and of the anchor and the load applied.

The Main Components of an Anchor are the Following:

– Anchorage

The anchor head, bearing plate and the trumpet form the anchorage system, which transmits the prestressing forces from the strand to the ground surface or the structure, acting as the link between the anchor body and the structure.

– Unbonded Length

 This is the part of the anchor that is elastic, and it can elongate transferring the resisting force from the bond length to the structure.

– Bond Length

 The tendon bond length is the part of the anchor that is bonded to the grout and it is transmitting the tensile loads into the ground. The depth should be defined by the geotechnical engineer.

Regarding the suitable ground conditions for the installation of anchoring systems, they usually perform well in granular, cohesive and stiff soils, while weaker soils may require longer anchors.

The most common type of anchors is: Straight shaft gravity-grouted ground anchors; Straight shaft pressure-grouted ground anchors and Post-grouted ground anchors.

Some of the Advantages of Using Anchors are:

  • Low environmental impact
  • Great holding capacity
  • Minimum damage to surface finishes during installation
  •  Fast and easy to install
  • Suitable for a wide range of soil conditions due to its light weight and corrosion-resistant properties

Anchors are Extensively Used in All Areas of Geotechnical Engineering and Construction, the Most Common Applications Indicated Below:

  • Embankments, dams and dyke
  • Landfills
  • Offshore structures
  • Ground improvement
  • Deep Excavations
  • Foundations
  • Hydrostatic uplift loads
  • Tunnels
  • Slope stabilization

With special equipment and a team of experts to be able to drill and install all types of anchors and piles. Fraser Valley Geotechnical Construction is focused on customer-oriented solutions and, therefore, depending on the project specific requirements and access availability, we can also provide a larger wide variety of geotechnical drilling equipment to perform the works that the project requires.

Some of the special equipment that we are able to provide: high shear colloidal grout mixers, digital flow meters for precise placement volumes, grout cube analysis, anchor stressing equipment, specialized high pressure down hole cleaning equipment, verticality-controlled drilling methods, Gyro surveys and down-hole camera surveys.

Local Geotechnical Pros

Fraser Valley Geotechnical Construction Services

Vancouver, Richmond, Chilliwack, Hope, Abbotsford, Clearbrook, Mission, Surrey, Langley,
 Fort Langley, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Ladner, Tsawwassen