URETEK POWERPILE TECHNOLOGY

The URETEK POWERPILE technology was developed especially for low load bearing capacity loose soils, in order to prevent and stop structural subsidence. In this case the resin does not enter the soil directly, but instead is injected in to a textile column. For this reason the material cannot spread out, the resin does not flow away. The textile structure keeps the resin together, therefore the resin forms a cylinder with a pile like form. The injected resin column compacts the surrounding soil like the URETEK DEEP INJECTIONS method, but in a more calculable way. The URETEK POWERPILE technology was developed to stabilize foundation and slab subsoils, without the need for excavation or wrecking.

During the many years of research with the URETEK POWERPILE technology, well known EU experts developed a mathematical model that takes into account the various soil conditions, the types of building structures, the resin and textile properties - in order for the skin friction, the soil compaction and load bearing properties of the URETEK POWERPILE column to be calculable and model-able by us.

Application areas of URETEK POWERPILE technology:

• Family dwelling foundations
• Apartment building foundations
• Municipal building foundations
• Historical building foundations
• Church foundations
• Industrial and commercial building foundations
• Concrete and asphalt roads
• Airport runways
• Industrial floors
• Tower foundations
• Tanks
• Under pipelines
• Railways

Frequently the cause of building subsidence can be traced to subsoil problems.

Frequent causes of reduced subsoil conditions:

• Broken water pipe
• Moisture from unknown source
• Incorrect water diversion
• Change in ground water level
• Flood
• Ground moisture reduction due to plant life
• Void formation
• Non-homogeneous soil structure
• Inadequate soil compression during construction

Other reasons injection might be required:

• Faulty design
• Incorrect selection of foundation type
• Greater load bearing capacity needed than planned
• Various foundation levels
• Ground water level reduction due to public works project
• Construction work at next lot
• Lack of foundation or aging of foundation (historical buildings)

Description of the URETEK POWERPILE technology

The URETEK POWERPILE method can be used directly under a structure down to 5 meters below the structure (at present), in special cases deeper columns can be created. During injection the resin column expands in place and compresses the surrounding soil in a calculable way. A further advantage is the created skin friction between the resin column and the surrounding soil, which is calculable. This skin friction takes part in the load bearing of the structure and represents a subsidence preventive measure.

Contrary to traditional methods, the URETEK injections do not require part of building to be wrecked or excavation of ditches to be performed. Therefore we can work safely. In many cases only the sidewalk or floors are drilled through. The URETEK technology is many times faster then traditional methods. In general weeks or months can be saved with this method.

In order to plan the injection - to determine the injection zones, a dynamic soil density test is needed in most cases. In more complicated cases a full geotechnical and structural report will be required for the planning.

In almost all cases we prepare the injection holes with hand tools. Therefore the method can be use in hard to access basements and pits also. The bore holes prepared at a distance of 1-2 meters do not weaken the structure in a measurable way, because in most cases the bore holes are 16-40 mm in diameter and normally the rebars are not cut. The injection is performed through thin pipes, one per layer, up to the planned depth. The whole technology is closed system.

The method is especially suited for loose soils, where URETEK DEEP INJECTIONS technology would be uneconomical because of the large expansion area. When the structure is greatly damaged structural intervention can also be required. When the damage is caused by the the soil sliding in a horizontal direction, the intervention has to be planned with care. Normally in these cases the URETEK injections can only be done along with other stabilizing interventions, with common technical supervision required.

The specially developed URETEK resins have a high compressive strength, which adjusts to the surrounding requirements. The resins are water resistant and do not absorb water and do not diminish due to the elements naturally found in the soil. The URETEK POWERPILE method can be applied for every type of foundation and building type, from family dwelling to large industrial plants. Massive buildings like historical monuments, apartment buildings and churches do not represent an obstacle to the URETEK technologies.

Advantages of the URETEK POWERPILE technology:

• Fast execution
• The work is clean
• Wrecking and rebuilding is not required
• In most cases excavation is not required
• Only minimally reduces use of area
• High load bearing capacity resin
• Controllable process
• Can be applied from family homes to industrial plants
• Reestablishes load transfer between the foundation and the subsoil
• Can be used when the subsidence is large
• The technologies can be used when additional stories are added
• For all kinds of foundations: strip foundations, pillar foundations, slab foundations
• The technology can be used with concrete, brick, rock foundations
• Can be used in basements and hard to reach places
• The URETEK technology can be applied in any season - even in -20 °C winter

With the URETEK company you have found a reliable partner for your projects. Turn to us with confidence!

On these pages we have introduced the technologies. If you would like know more about the methods, or would like a quotation, please choose from the following possibilities.

If you would like more information about the application areas of URETEK please click here.

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