Bored pile foundations, also referred to as drilled footings, drilled piers, drilled shafts, caissons and bored piles, are suitable for all types of soil conditions.

We have the capability to drill through all soil profiles and most rock profiles.

We are equipped to drill through rock from 5MPa, such as sandstone, to over 150MPa, such as bluestone, with drill range up to 1800mm diameter and depth capabilities of up to 8 metres, and we have a range of tooling to tackle most geological conditions using one or a combination of the following drilling methods:

AUGER DRILLING

Our augers are designed and engineered to drill into all soil and clay profiles, and soft to medium rock profiles. We have an extensive inventory of single and double flight augers which are designed to be effective with little to no down pressure.

Our drill range is from 200mm up to 1800mm diameter and depth capabilities of up to 8 metres and we carry heavy duty auger drives to suit even the toughest applications.

CORE BARREL DRILLING

Our core barrels have the strength and versatility to work in the most difficult conditions.

They are custom designed and engineered with tungsten carbide teeth to drill through medium to extreme hard rock including mudstone, shale, reef, white rock, rock floaters, bluestone, basalt and ironstone.  They are also utilised for penetration through artificial materials such as masonry and reinforced concrete.

A major advantage of drilling with this tool is it will not deflect laterally when encountering deflecting layers of rock or irregular surfaces.

There are several factors we consider when deciding on which drilling method/s to adopt. Strata, depth & diameter, budget, and site constraints all play a part in our decision-making process.

Rest assured we are specialists in our field. With these factors in mind, and our extensive knowledge of subsurface conditions, we can provide the most accurate solution to execute any project.

We drill bored piers for numerous applications that require a footing system, including but not limited to:

CIVIL

• Telecommunication Monopoles
• Radio Masts
• Power Poles
• Safety Barriers
• Traffic Signals
• Light Poles
• Road Signs
• Bridges
• Sound Barrier Walls

COMMUNITY & RESIDENTIAL

• Shade Shelters
• Landscape Structures
• Public Art Projects
• Retaining walls
• Secant, Contiguous and Soldier pile walls
• Swimming Pool ground stabilisation
• Basements
• Footing retention near easements
• Protection Works

COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL

• Bollards
• Factory and warehouse foundations
• Light Poles
• Fencing

These various methods of bored pile drilling require a different skillset than for conventional footings.  At Laino Pilin g & Rock Drilling, we are specialists in this field and are backed by years of experience, knowledge of equipment, and of subsurface conditions to provide the most accurate solution to execute your project.

As well as their use in building foundation piles, the bored piling method is also used to build earth retention systems.  

Earth retention systems are utilized to retain overburden soils adjacent to deep excavations to either facilitate new construction or to protect adjacent streets, buildings, utilities, etc. while an excavation takes place.

We generally drill bored piers for three distinct retention systems; secant piles, contiguous piles and soldier piles.

SECANT PILES

Secant (overlapping) piles are constructed to form structural or cut-off walls around the perimeter of a building site before excavation so adjacent buildings and structures are fully supported and protected from damage or collapse.

This retention system is ideal in situations where there are concerns about groundwater inflow, i.e. where there is a high groundwater table and permeable soils.  The overlapping concrete piles are ideal in these conditions as they create a water-resistant barrier.

CONTIGUOUS PILES

Contiguous (adjacent) pile walls are a line of unconnected but closely spaced concrete bored piles that form a retaining wall around the perimeter of a building site prior to excavation of a below-ground area so adjacent buildings and structures are fully supported and protected from damage or collapse.

They are used in situations where unstable soils and sands are present and retention is required, and are used on a range of engineering projects such as ground stabilisation, underpasses and basement walls.

SOLDIER PILES

Soldier piling is a retaining wall solution and is often the best shoring option for stiff clay and low strength rock profiles where light weight sheet piling would be inefficient.

Soldier Piles can be used as either temporary shoring or permanent walls and may also be designed to carry building loads.

Bored Piers are a popular foundation method for the following reasons:

• Length can be readily changed to suit varying or difficult ground conditions, such as where the soil is prone to swelling.  In this case the piers can simply be extended through unstable soil until suitable ground is penetrated.
• The small amount of space required for bored piers provides a favorable solution for installing structures such as monopoles or self supporting towers in confined areas.
• A single drilled pier can take up the load of a group of driven piles.
• Piers have higher resistance to lateral loads
• Environmentally speaking, bored piers deliver the following advantages:
  • minimise backfill
  • eliminate the need to undertake large excavations
  • produce very little vibration and cause minimal disruption to the adjacent soil and nearby structures, therefore, retaining the strength of the surrounding soil
• Base of drilled pier provides greater bearing capacity and great resistance to uplift.
• Bored piers are easily adaptable to varying site conditions i.e. when soil contains rock.
• Bored piers are an affordable option.