As part of land reclamation work for Peterhead Port Authority, RJ McLeod contracted Fugro Seacore to undertake pile installation works for a new 150m long quay development. Works included 1.56m diameter rock sockets to a nominal depth of 10m through granite for one navigation pile, 14 vertical jetty piles and 4 berthing dolphin raker piles.
FSCL used its jackup Deep Diver and T8 reverse circulation large diameter drill rig, together with equipment manufactured specifically for this project, including bottom hole assembly and drill bit.
Prior to FSCL’s arrival on site, a dredging contractor had undertaken drill and blast works to facilitate the required dredging, and therefore sacrificial casings were required to stabilise the upper 2-3m of each drilled socket. Each pile installation consisted of setting the pile conductor onto the target location through Deep Diver’s cantilever moonpool, installing the sacrificial casing as part of the drilling works and removing all the drilling equipment when target depth was attained leaving the casing behind to protect the shaft.
The 1.4m floating piles were towed to the jack up and the onboard crane lifted each pile to vertical before inserting it into the drilled socket. Once the pile position had been checked, the annular gap was grouted, securing the pile in the socket. Grouting operations were undertaken using FSCL’s own mixing equipment and project crew. The crane held the pile in position to allow an initial grout cure and then Deep Diver was jacked down and moved on to the next pile location. A partial remobilisation was undertaken following the installation of all the vertical piles allowing the 4 closely spaced raker piles to be completed.
All piles were installed within the tight positional, vertical and orientation tolerances and to the entire satisfaction of the Client.