Green Foundation
“Lafite” sculptures at Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire
T
arget has been devising solutions for nearly
20 years. In that time it has produced nearly
100 unique standard details, based on the
hundreds of design specifications that its
engineers have worked on. Whilst similar it is safe
to say that jobs are rarely the same.
In 1998 Target launched its Heli Pile, an awardwinning, unique foundation system that is simply
hammer driven into the ground causing it to rotate
as it goes.
Produced in one metre sections, lengths are
screwed together during installation and tested
until the required load is achieved. If the load is not
achieved, another length is attached. Heli Pile can
achieve loads in excess of 100 kN.
This installation method is in stark contrast to
traditional foundation methods which involve
digging deeper and deeper if adequate ground
bearing is not achieved.
“
It’s very easy to
create a mess, but
who will tidy up
after you?
”
It is very easy to create a pit that is three or four
metres deep and fill it full of concrete, but costs will
start to multiply once soil is removed and used as
land fill, even without taking into consideration the
mess and environmental cost of pumping concrete.
By contrast, Heli Piles can be capped in a ring beam
that is just 450mm deep or, with Target’s innovative
bracketing system, the structure can be fixed
directly with no concrete at all.
Did you know?
● Concrete production is responsible
for 5% of the world’s carbon
emissions.
?
● Every year, on average three
tonnes of concrete will be
consumed by every person on the
planet.
Heli Pile installation in 450mm ring beam