Spectra Energy – Texas Eastern Gas Line

The main compressor at the station was contained in a tilt up panel building. The tilt up panels were set on a knee wall and footer. Both the knee wall and footer had spalled and deteriorated due to excessive use of calcium chloride during construction in the 1970’s. A method was devised to transfer the panel loads to a deep foundation of drilled hollow bar piles.

38mm hollow bar piles with a 3” bit were driven through clay and shale to depth of approximately 20ft. The piles were rated at an ultimate capacity of 70kips. Two different size dills were used as a smaller dill was needed to work close to the gas lines coming around the back of the building.

All Piles were cased with a 3.5”O.D. pipe to a depth of 10’ and neat cement filled. I-beams were then welded on top of the piles and clamped to the bottom of the tilt up panels.

Concrete was formed around the above grade portion of the piles and behind the I beam.