FSG have had a long running involvement in the Yeppen Floodplain Upgrade Project (YFUP), from peer review and optioneering of the initial scheme for the Department of Transport and Main Roads, to tender design during the bid phase, and finally full time engineering support on site and pile testing and verification during construction.
The YFUP comprises the construction of high-level flood access between the Burnett Highway and Yeppen Roundabout, south of Rockhampton. The upgrade consists of the construction of two bridges totalling approximately 2.1km of elevated structure. Bridge piers are supported on groups of 16 No. prestressed concrete octagonal piles and the total number of piles on the project is approximately 1000.
The specification called for 2 No. PDA full drive tests at each pier/abutment (approx. 126 No. PDA tests) to assess driving stresses and geotechnical capacity. In a first for Queensland, 100% of piles were monitored at end of drive using the Pile Driving Monitor (PDM) to record final set and temporary compression.
The use of the PDM was a major safety innovation for the project as it removed the need for piling personnel to stand under working hammers. Through correlation with PDA testing on each pier the PDM was also able to estimate impact energy and pile capacity for every pile on the project, providing increased confidence to the designers and asset owner. All construction data and test results were entered into FSG’s PileManager database system allowing the piling contractor, constructor and owner to view the data in real time. PDM was implemented on site with no disruption to field operations and in fact aided the overall productivity by allowing a large number of piles to be accepted at higher founding levels.
For more information about Pile Manger contact Foundation Specialists Group
Phone: +61 3 9417 4333
Email: contact@foundationspecialists.com.au
