Marine Piling

BBGE has adapted a range of vibroflots for use in marine piling projects, and our specially designed Aquacaster™ equipment can be operated from barges to enable vibro stone columns to be constructed into the seabed. 

The installation of marine stone columns can be achieved in two ways:

Blanket Feed Method  

The vibroflot and gravel containers are loaded onto a barge and transported to the area to be treated. The seabed is normally dredged to form a trench, with gravel then dropped from the barge before the vibroflot is lowered to penetrate through the gravel layer and into the seabed. The gravel then falls into the borehole upon withdrawal, thus densifying the soil.

Bottom Feed Method

Alternatively, BBGE's Aquacaster™ vibroflot system can be deployed. The Aquacaster™ is fitted with a hopper and stone delivery pipe, enabling crushed stone to be delivered directly into the seabed from the tip of the flot. A waterjet is also housed at the tip of the flot in order to jet away granular materials. The flot is lowered to the level of the barge where the hopper is filled with stone before being submerged to design depth. Stone is then introduced into the hole via the stone pipe. Column diameters of up to 1m are possible and as with the land-based bottom feed technique, the column is formed as the vibroflot is removed.

Benefits:

• ideal for port construction and land reclamation projects 
• offers improved bearing capacity of in-shore marine deposits prior to the construction of jetties or submerged tunnels
• columns installed with proprietary GPS system to ensure accurate placement of columns 
• BBGE have developed the capability to swiftly assemble and disassemble rigs for projects in busy shipping lanes
• significantly reduces the risk of liquefaction in areas of the world subject to seismic activity - the Aquacaster™ system prevents the build up of pore pressure under seismic loading, and mitigates both the risk and effects of seismic shock onto associated structures