SFA Open Bore Piling
SFA piling is an ideal solution for building with limited access.
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- Specialists in Piling
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SFA Open Bore Piling
SFA Open Bore Piling In Essex & London
Providing Services for Restricted Areas
SFA piling is an ideal solution for building with limited access. Our team provides exceptional SFA piling services in places where heavy machinery is not allowed.
What is Open Bore Piling?
Open-bore piling is appropriate for clay, chalk, and sandy soils. This technique is highly effective when the soil is unsuitable for building shallow foundations and tall and high-rise buildings.
At Prime Piling, our workers use Sectional Flight Auger (SFA) open bore piling to achieve the required depth.
Services
Our Services
Mini Piling
Prime Piling has built up to become one of the best Mini Piled Underpinning service providers.
SCD Piling
SCD (Steel Cased Driven) Piling is a bottom-driven piling using a vibrating mole or a drop hammer piling rig
Need some help with your project?
With over 20 years of experience and knowledge we offer a complete package with all foundation work, including design, drawings and calculations.
Portfolio
Our Recent Work
Flexible Piling Method
Our Flexible Piling Method is as follows:
- The process begins with positioning the SFA rig over the proposed pile position and then drilling vertical holes into the ground.
- We will drill an auger into the ground to the desired design depth.
- The sides of the pile bore are supported during this stage by the auger and soil inside the flights.
- An expendable cap on the bottom of the lead flight prevents soil from entering the hollow stem auger.
- Then, the mixed grout is poured and pumped down through the auger’s hollow stem.
- After that, a steel cage is lowered into the wet concrete.
Key rig capabilities:
- Rig loadings: 1.5 – 36 tonnes
- Pile diameter: 300 – 1000mm
- Maximum depth: 25m



Prime Piling
How does the
SFA bore pile work?
As mentioned above, sectional flight auger piling is used where the soil is granular. A rotating hollowed stem auger is used to drill through the soft foundation and then mixed grout is poured and pumped down through the hollow stem of the auger. This way, piles are filled with grout while the augers are being extracted.
Once the auger is extracted, all debris is removed from the area, and a reinforced steel cage is pushed into the wet grout to complete the SFA pile formation.
Where is SFA pile most commonly used?
In areas of unobstructed ground
Where there is limited headroom or restricted space.
Unstable ground conditions
Common Uses of SFA piling
Structural foundations
Sites with logistical constraints
Contiguous and secant piled walls
Suitable for clay, weak rock, water-bearing sand, gravel and glacial till
To provide earth retention
To protect existing buildings
For projects such as bridges, roads or tunnels
What Can You Get from SFA Open Bore Piling?
Sectional Flight Auger (SFA) resists uplift, compressive and lateral loads.
It is a cost-effective and cost-efficient foundation solution.
This piling solution can be used on many soil conditions like sand, clay, silts and gravel.
Can achieve pile depths up to 32m and various diameters of 300 mm to 1000mm+.
There is minimum disruption, low noise and no vibration; therefore, it is ideal for areas with weak soil.
The construction process is relatively quicker than methods like bored piles.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Piling is the process of inserting structural piles into the ground that will become the base of the building. Piles are required where soil and earth are performing poorly and are used to spread the load of a building and firm the ground. They are a cost-effective approach to combating corrosion and are proven to significantly improve the life expectancy of a structure
The size of the trench depends on the size of the ground beam to be installed. For our typical ground beams to an extension an excavation of 600mm deep and 450mm wide is sufficient. Please ring for advice.
There are a number of reasons it may be: A site investigation has highlighted that the ground is unsuitable and un-useable to a depth of more than 2 metres. Removal costs for the excavation of traditional deep trench foundations are too expensive. Foundation trenches are not stable and health and safety, therefore, becomes an issue. There is a high-water table. Where there are soils such as clay that are likely to swell or shrink excessively depending on the amount of water content.
The job of the pile is to distribute the weight of the structure evenly. They are placed into the ground using a pile driver. Holding the piles perfectly vertical, this machine hammers each structure into the ground and also acts as a crane.
For a typical house extension, the work can take around 2-3 days, depending on the depth driven and services requested. For more complex projects, contact us for a more specific time frame.
Mini piling in Essex and Colchester is a type of specialist piling that incorporates a specific arrangement and number of driven pile and screw pile varieties. It allows for the expansion or extension of a building, while also safeguarding against ground heave and subsidence. Crucially, mini piling is often a cheaper, faster option than traditional deep trench foundations.
Contact us
Speak to one of our team today
07872 591446
Give the team a call
info@primepiling.co.uk
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Ducketts wharf, South Street, Bishops Stortford, CM23 3AR
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