An ICE 70RF has been working indoors at the Shanghai National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC). 

The center is already one of the largest buildings in the world, but floor space could not meet demand. To solve the shortage of floor space two halls were fitted with an additional floor, adding more than thousand square meters of exhibition space. To access the new halls on the second floor, loading platforms were also built. The center is the venue of the prestigious China International Import Expo Organized and supported by Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, as well as for Auto Shanghai, the biennial international automobile show, so all eyes were fixed on the progress of this key project.

The center’s high utilization rate required a short construction time, therefore steel foundation piles were chosen for the foundations. The 60m long piles were driven by resonance free vibration hammers, without damage to the existing structures and right along gas pipelines. 

The gas supply was disconnected as a precaution during the piling work, but after completion testing showed the pipes had not been affected by the high frequency vibrations of the vibratory hammer. Metro Line 10 operation, in some places just 50m away from the piling work, was also unaffected by the foundation work. As you can see in the accompanying photos and video the hammer drove so close to the building that the contractor had to be careful not to scrape off the paint!

The work was carried out under the canopy running along the exterior of the center, as well as inside the exhibition halls. Excavator mounted vibro’s drove sheet piles for each foundation platform, excavating the soil to a depth of 2-3 meters. Then, depending on the design, 3 to 5 steel piles were driven for each platform, to be connected into a foundation base. The head space inside the exhibition hall was 34 meters, enough to drive the three sections of each foundation pile (total length 58-59 meters, diameter 700mm). In total 600 piles were driven by the ICE 70RF resonance free piling hammer within 45 days, well ahead of schedule.

Steel foundation piles, not just the right solution for elevated highway construction projects, but now also proven to be highly economical in other applications! By choosing steel foundations SCG truck movements were limited to a minimum: no soil was excavated, no bentonite needed, no concrete poured. The integrity of the piles is also more easily determined than those of a bored concrete pile foundation, the casings is of fixed dimensions and strength and its integrity is unquestioned. 

Contact the author today for more information about resonance free installation methods, we look forward to answering your questions.