Lean on me

Sub-contractor Roger Bullivant (RBL) has installed concrete piles on a canal towpath in Lancashire, UK to provide a foundation for a new bridge designed to support a dilapidated structure carrying electrical cables across the water.

RBL's engineers used a custom-built 'kitten' rig to install short sections of 250 mm diameter augered flight to create four piles, each 9 m in length. As the auger reached full depth, the ground was flushed with concrete and sections of flight slowly removed, drawing concrete to the surface.

The existing bridge, which carried two 33 kV electrical cables over the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, was showing signs of decay. Leaving it insitu a new supporting structure was bolted on, ensuring residential power supplies were not disrupted.

The augered piling technique was chosen because it creates very little vibration and did not threaten to disturb electrical services, said RBL engineer Tim Speak.