Barrett Byrd Associates

Super-strength augered piles designed to withstand an uplift of 300kN each have been installed on the Isle of Wight to pin down a new test frame developed for wind turbine blades.

Foundation engineer Roger Bullivant Ltd installed three such piles to support the test frame and a further eight standard augered piles to support an extension to a steel frame building which houses the blade manufacturing and testing facility. Piling works took place in the town of Newport in September for contractor Mansell on behalf of Vestas Blades UK.

Each of the three super strength piles is designed to work in tension. They feature a robust T40 steel bar, which is installed to a full depth of 14m to give the pile added strength.

All 11 piles were created using an RB mini rig which installed 300mm diameter flights made up of one metre lengths. As the auger descended into the ground, further sections of auger were connected until it reached full depth.

The rotation of the rig was then reversed and concrete pumped down the centre of the auger to fill the resulting void before steel reinforcing cages were installed.
The extension to the manufacturing and testing facility in Newport will allow huge new wind turbine blades of 59m in length to be developed. Once tested, the blades are lowered on to a waiting barge on the nearby River Medina for despatch and assembly at one of the growing number of wind turbine sites springing up across the UK and in mainland Europe.

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