CTRL - Contract 310

Carillion Piling secured a £4.2m contract in Essex to install CFA piles for the Channel Tunnel Rail Link.

This project required the construction of 3500no continuous flight auger (cfa) piles through Rainham Marshes in Essex. Most of the piles were constructed to support the new channel tunnel rail link track support trough.

Various other ancillary structures were also piled by Carillion Piling. Piles varied in size from 350mm diameter to 900mm diameter. Pile depths were to a maximum of 26 metres. Pile production peaked when five piling rigs were required on site. Ground conditions were variable and in some areas the ground was so weak that permanent steel liners were used on 400 piles.

The use of these liners which is unusual with continuous flight auger (cfa) piles was necessary to facilitate construction of the piles through the weak material encountered. The majority of piles on this project were constructed alongside an existing railway line. This adjacent rail line was sensitive to vibration, hence the use of cfa piles which can be installed with virtually no vibration.

Client: Morgan Vinci JV
Piling rig used: Casagrande C50