Problems with stone piling mats
Piling mats are often used in construction to distribute loads and provide a stable work surface for heavy equipment to operate. However, several potential problems can arise with their use:
Soil Compression: If the underlying soil is not adequately prepared or is overly compressible, piling the mat can lead to settlement, affecting the alignment and performance of the piles and plant stability.
Inadequate Load Distribution: If the piling mat is not designed and constructed properly, it may not distribute loads effectively, leading to localized failures or excessive deflection.
Material Degradation: Depending on the materials used (e.g., stone, geotextiles), piling mats can be prone to degradation over time, especially in wet conditions, which may necessitate frequent replacement.
Environmental Impact: The installation of piling mats can disturb existing vegetation and ecosystems, potentially leading to erosion or habitat loss if not managed carefully. Demolition waste or 6F2 can be unreliable in use and potentially lead to ground contamination. Graded virgin quarried stone is more reliable but depletes irreplaceable natural resources and often must trucked greater distances.
Cost Implications: Construction delays due to unforeseen issues with the piling mat can lead to increased costs. Additionally, continual repairs or replacements add to the overall project expense.
Improper Setup: If the mat is not laid out correctly (e.g., uneven surfaces), heavy machinery may become unstable, increasing the risk of accidents and damaging equipment. Also delaying the piling programme due to alignment problems and deflections.
Limited Access: In some cases, installation of a piling mat can restrict access to certain areas, complicating logistics and delaying project timelines.
Water Accumulation: Piling mats can create barriers that prevent proper drainage, leading to water accumulation, which can affect both the mat’s stability and the adjoining soil.
Noise and Vibration: Heavy machinery operating on stone piling mats can generate increased noise and vibration, which may be a concern in urban settings or near sensitive structures.
Temporary Nature: Piling mats are generally temporary solutions. Their removal after construction might cause further disturbance to the site if not executed carefully and involve the disposal/trucking of waste off site.
Conclusions: Proper planning, design, and execution can help mitigate these problems and enhance the effectiveness of piling mats in construction projects.
The really sustainable solution is in most cases to construct your piling mat from the existing in-situ soils. This will reduce the amount of traffic to and from site and the amount of plant operating onsite reducing construction time and improving site safety.
Whilst cement stabilisation will be capable of treating most in-situ soils, it will not be effective where topsoil and really plastic clays need to be treated. Cement can also create over brittle results leading to breakaway around the piles and alignment problems.
PowerCem manufacture a Zeolite based cement additive which when added in very small quantities modifies the hydration process of cement, changing the brittle particle gluing bond of cement to a wrapping process which encapsulates particles in an elastic cage-like structure. Forming a safe mat with minimal breakaway around the piles with easier alignment and deflection free penetration.
Adding RoadCem will also allow most in-situ soil to found on a construction site including silts/clays and topsoil to be used for the piling mat, reducing removal of site material and allowing safe level access onto the treated soil mats.
RoadCem stabilised soil mats have been found to have increased visco-elastic properties, restraining vibration and reducing bounce. Making plant operation safer and faster.
Whilst costs with added RoadCem are a little higher than with cement alone the benefits are substantial.
We are not contractors but can provide full engineering support including mat warrantees and certification. We do though offer a total package that includes installation through our preferred contractor DNS (Midlands) Ltd.
Happy to provide designs and prices for your piling mat applications, please drop us an email to: info@powercem.co.uk