Brayman Construction Corporation’s Drilling and Grouting Group has extensive experience in the innovative and successful application of micropiles in multiple applications and site conditions. The selection of the foundation support is dependent upon criteria such as: economy of selection, type of ground conditions, required load capacity, ground water level, proximity of existing structures, and installation constraints.
What is a Micropile?
Simply defined, micropiles are high performance, high capacity, small diameter (2” to 15”) - drilled and grouted in-place piles - designed with a centrically placed steel reinforcing member consisting of single (or multiple bars), and used primarily to resist structural loading. They can be placed with relatively small drilling equipment, single piles or in pile groups, in those areas of limited access or restricted headroom and with minimal impact to existing surrounding structures.
Micropiles are preferred supports and typically used by Brayman Construction to stabilize buildings, bridges, highways, cell phone and wind towers, and other man-made structures. Micropiles provide the necessary foundation support when existing subsurface conditions are inadequate.
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Advantages in the use of micropiles, is that they can be installed in almost any type of ground condition with minimal vibration and disturbance to existing structures. Ideally, they can penetrate to hundreds of feet in depth, with design loads of each of the piles supporting as much as 500 tons. They can be used in a multitude of structural settlement, and the countering of uplift and dynamic loads. Brayman Construction, through value engineering practices, continues to incorporate (were feasible) the use of micropiles in lieu of traditional foundation methods - providing clients significant savings in both material costs and production schedules.
Suitable Foundation Design Challenges
With continued urban expansions, limited access, congested areas, existing ground conditions, etc. it is realized that it iss not always possible to locate suitable supporting ground strata at or close to the desired or readily obtainable surface level. To address this dilemma, innovative foundation techniques, other than traditional spread footings have been developed and refined to transfer compression loads down to a suitable load bearing stratum. Similarly, higher and slender structures subjected to wind an seismic loads require suitable foundations - which required large areas and mass excavations, smaller and deeper drilled shaft or pile foundations - defined as micropiles, have evolved and quickly become a preferred and economical solution in numerous applications where traditional foundation designs and methodologies are not feasible.
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| Value Engineering Practices |
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Mon Fayette Expressway Section 52-E
“With the overwhelming success of the value engineered project, Brayman was able to generate over $1,033,500 cost savings, which was split between the owner and the general contractor” |
Lehigh River Bridge SR-33
“This value engineered solution of utilizing the micropile alternative installed through Karstic Limestone to reduce the schedule by 2-3 months and produced significant cost savings for the client” |
Penn State University - IST Building
“The value engineered portion of this micropile re-design produced a $150,000 cost savings to the client” |
 View all Micropile Projects |
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