Project Snapshot
- Type: Commercial Bottom-Driven Piled Underpinning
- Location: Prestwich, Greater Manchester
- Client: Building Contractor
- Piles: 53 x 150mm
- Beam: 52 metre (needle beam)
- Concrete: 17.4 cubic metres
THE CHALLENGE
In a word: Access. This property is located on a very narrow one-way lane, far too tight for access with a van. So, our operators got to work with moving all of their equipment by hand. The distance to available parking for our work vehicles was approximately 75 metres.
Despite this, our two teams performed very well tackling this mammoth piled underpinning job, and work begin with excavating.
WHAT WE DID
Piling
Usually we prefer to work from our own pile design, but as a design had already been thought-out from the contractor’s end, we were happy to oblige. Underpinning with 53 piles in total for this project, all going to depths of between 6 & 8.2 metres.
As this is known as bottom-driven mini-piling, we used the American-made Vermeer pneumatic mole. Our teams are experienced with this method, as it’s our most commonly practiced, and the experience our teams have with this choice of equipment makes for quick, precise workflow. This is crucial on big projects, as 53 piles at depths as deep as 8.2 metres can be very time-consuming.
Work commenced on this site in November 2025, and the last pile was driven to set refusal in mid-January 2026.
Steel Ring Beam
Needle beams are slightly different to our typical ring beam for footings. Made from T16 rebar, they have 10mm links at 200mm centre-to-centre. They act as added reinforcement to spread the weight of the structure evenly. The idea is to support the weight of a specific area of failed foundations, to prevent any further subsidence, which is why this particular design requires 28 needle beams in total.
Concrete
For the most reliable results, we of course use Rhino Concrete. The concrete grade is C35, rated structurally ideal for foundations like these. The concrete was transported in a 1-tonne dumper with a hydraulic feature, allowing the bucket to reach higher up for easier access.
That being said, we will had to fabricate a concrete chute to pour through the window of the property into wheelbarrows, and then manually fill each underpin.
THE OUTCOME
Like most underpinning projects, this one wasn’t without its hurdles. Access being the biggest challenge by far, this was a true test of patience & critical thinking for our piling operators. However, with their wealth of experience and ability to improvise solutions, this project was finished in the timeframe given to us by our customer.
Click here to see another example of underpinning services we offer.
This project is far from finished, though, as we will be installing a footing for a rear extension as soon as requested, so keep an eye on our website for that!
Phone: 0161 706 0365 | Email: enquiries@rhinopiling.co.uk
