An ICE1423 vibrating piling hammer from specialist equipment hirer Piletec is helping Miller Piling install approximately 1,100 concrete piles on what will be one of the Europe’s most prestigious residential developments: One Tower Bridge.

The Berkeley Homes development will comprise 374 new apartments, plus a cultural centre, retail facilities and a health spa, on the site of a derelict coach-park located between the GLA Headquarters building and Tower Bridge on the South bank of the Thames.

The location, while highly sought-after as an address, has less than ideal ground conditions, being very poor and variable soil down to 10 m with London Clay beneath.

Consequently, piling specialist Miller Piling is required to install a series of reinforced concrete piles in diameters from 750 mm to 1,200 mm to depth of up to 28 m.

To help overcome the risk of the ground collapse during the installation of the rotary-bored piles, Miller is using Piletec's ICE 1423 vibrating hammer to install the temporary steel pile casings.

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"Normally we'd screw the temporary casing into position with our rig, before boring the pile, placing the reinforcement and pouring the concrete," explains Miller Piling's technical manager James Hayward.

"To maintain the programme commitments we are using the Piletec hammer to insert the casings before we drill them out. This means the hammer can service two machines simultaneously.

"Some of the casings are up to 12 m long, so we are using the hammer suspended from a crane," he adds.

With this method, Miller Piling can install the piles and then use the ICE 1423 to lift the casings out of the ground before the concrete has cured. "Without the vibrating hammer, the process would have been slow and laborious," says Mr Hayward.

However, using the vibrating technique ensured that Miller Piling has remained on schedule, says Mr Hayward: “We started in January and we have about another 200 piles to go. We should be off-site by the end of April, 6 weeks ahead of programme”.

"We use Piletec a lot for hammers. The equipment is good and the service is very prompt, with good technical backup," comments Mr Hayward.

Although Miller's £2.2 million piling contract is now almost complete, Berkeley Homes will not have completed the development – which comprises several blocks, including one block of affordable social housing for Southwark Council – for at least another five years.

For further information Tel: 01423 533475 or Visit: http://www.groundforce.uk.com/