
Contaminated soils and archaeological sites are a common obstacle when building in New Zealand, but with Blade Pile there is an easy solution.
As Blade Piles are screwed into the ground at a low speed, the soil is displaced and encapsulated as the blades penetrate it, so there is no need to remove contaminated soil off site. This not only saves the project time and money, but also limits the health and safety risks of the soil to onsite workers and allows the project site to remain clean.
If a project is on archaeological land, Blade Pile is the perfect option. As no soil is removed from the site when using Blade Piles, the soil and anything underneath it is still preserved for future generations to explore.
Blade Pile New Zealand has piled on many contaminated and archaeological sites throughout the country. Most recently we did a project in Christchurch for a key client where the soil was contaminated by landfill, and consequently had high concentrations of lead (up to 12.5 x the maximum residential acceptance levels) and asbestos fibres present. The decontamination cost for this soil was going to be over $170,000 and would have caused a lengthy delay on the project’s start date. Thanks to Blade Pile there was no decontamination expense, as the soils were encapsulated within the ground so were no longer a health risk to the site. The foundation cost was only $40,000 and the piles were completed in 3 days.
When your projects encounter contaminated soils or archaeological sites, get in touch with Blade Pile and we can discuss the most cost-effective option with your geotechnical and structural engineers.