Resource Terminal Drive Drill Drive Project - Taboguilla Island (Panama)
When LDD, an Acteon company providing near and offshore specialist drilling and foundation installation services, first reviewed details of a jetty extension off Panama’s Pacific coast, the limited amount of site specific ground investigation information could have presented a real challenge.
LDD was able to bid and execute the work in confidence through the supply of a complete drilled and driven pile installation service offering a technically robust and flexible solution to the Client to ensure foundations were installed to specification.
The jetty extension was required for the expansion of Decal’s fuel bunkering facility at Taboguilla Island located in the Pacific Ocean, close to the anchorage area for vessels entering the Panama Canal.
Using our wealth of expertise within LDD and linking services within the Acteon group, we set out to provide our client Decal Panama with our specialist drive–drill–drive (3D) service that can deal with variable and uncertain ground conditions both efficiently and safely.
Our (3D) installation solution negated the requirement for the Client to carry out further expensive ground investigation works and/or incur additional material and programme costs associated with the alternative drilled and grouted pile installation approach.
Following a number of discussions with the Client, LDD was able to develop a framework that ensured cost efficiency for the Client, whilst minimising all parties’ risk exposure.
Using our LD408 Reverse Circulation Drilling Rig in combination with an S90 high performance hydraulic hammer, stocked up with a selection of different cutters and by using highly skilled equipment operators, all piles were installed to specification and within the estimated pile installation schedule.
CLIENT QUOTATION:
“The professional approach of LDD’s personnel and the high standard of their equipment and methods employed, has been essential to our project’s success and we are really happy with their participation in the Taboguilla Works,” said Mario Irastorza, Technical Director at Decal España, S.A.
PROJECT STATISTICS:
Scope of work: drive-drill-drive service
No of piles: 30no
Pile diameter: 42-in. / 1056mm
Average length: 38m
Water depths: 10-12m
Tidal range: <6.3m
Driveable overburden: 8m
Average drilling depth: 11.5m
Socket depth: 3.5m
Geology: <20MPa
Average pile installation duration: <12hrs
EQUIPMENT:
• LD408 – Reverse Circulation Drilling Rig ;
• 36-in. / 914mm drill with variable under-reamer to max 48-in. / 1220mm;
• S90 - High Performance Hydraulic Hammer
CHALLENGES:
• Limited ground investigation data;
• Expected geology to consist of hard cobbles within softer strata overburden and various competent mudstone plus Igneous intrusions to drill <20MPa;
• Central America mobilisation and demobilisation logistics.
The jetty extension consisted of 30no, 38m long ø1056mm piles driven into approximately 8 metres of overburden, 3.5 metres of rock and further into a 3.5 metres under-reamed socket.
12 piles were raked 1/8 from vertical, assembled in 3 groups of 4 connected by a top support platform providing the base for interconnecting foot bridges. A group of 18 piles raked 1/4 and 1/8 from vertical to support the mooring platform.
In April 2011 our team arrived at the mobilisation site 30 minutes up the Chepo River just east of Panama City to mobilise our LD408 Reverse Circulation Drilling Rig .
LDD supplied a supervised pile installation crew consisting of a 6 man fully integrated team, highly experienced in the operation and maintenance of the complete drilling and hammer equipment spreads.
As our Projects Manager Lee Edwards recalls, “It’s a bit intimidating starting a project with very little ground investigation information, but we know our kit so well that with the right drilling rig and stock, we can tackle anything we come across”.
The 3D drive-drill-drive service proved to be the ideal solution for the pile installation works at Taboguilla Island, and gave our client outstanding value to their operations. We hope to soon return to working with Decal Panama.