Screw Piled Bearing Foundations 

Location – River Thames London

Screw Piled Bearing Foundations

Contracted by Woodall and Heward and FM Conways on behalf of the River and Canal Trust, McCance were tasked with installing bespoke screw piled bearing foundations along with pre-fabricated steel platforms. 

The scheme was designed and installed to provide 6 temporary platforms in order to erect scaffolding to encapsulate the pedestrian walkway crossing the River Thames at St Saviour’s Dock. 

Initially, a detailed geotechnical investigation was crucial to determine the riverbed’s composition and load-bearing capacity. Screw piles, manufactured to specific design requirements based on the investigation, were then installed by McCance using specialised barge mounted piling rigs, capable of operating in the tidal river. Precise positioning and verticality was maintained during installation, with torque monitored to ensure the piles achieve the required bearing capacity.

The safety and supervision of the project was expertly run by Woodall and Heward with strict safety regimes, rescue speed boat crews and barge hands manoeuvering the working barge platforms into position each day with the rising and falling tides.

Considerations for corrosion protection, scour prevention, and potential impact from vessels along with adherence to environmental regulations and navigation restrictions were integral to both the design and installation process.