9 Spearhead Drive

A new plumbing supply warehouse was being built on the remote island of Nantucket and required a deep foundation with an ultimate capacity of 60 kips. Mobilization cost for timber piles was prohibitive.

Project Summary:

  • Helical Pile Type: 3500′.216 Pipe Piles
  • # of Helical Piles: 69
  • Location: Nantucket, MA
  • Installation Depth: 35′-50′
  • Equipment Used: Catapiller 305 with a 12K drivehead and a marian digital torque indicator
  • Challenge/Unique Aspect: High mobilization cost for timber piles drove the decision to use helical piles. There was a dense layer of sand overlaying a layer of soft organic material. The contractor needed to pre-drill to get the helicals through the dense sand layer and then advanced them through the organic layer to reach a suitable bearing strata.
  • Engineer/Architect: Gencorelli Engineering