Olivier pile
Up to 40% less concrete consumption and no lost drill tip. The foundation pile with the smallest ecological and economic footprint.
An Olivier pile is a patented, innovative, cast-in-place drilled full displacement pile or inclusion with a screw-shaped shaft along the full length of the pile. The screw shape increases the pile core by approximately 200 mm (8″). Depending on the application, the Olivier pile consists of reinforced concrete, for example for structural foundations, or unreinforced concrete, for example for ground improvement applications. Installation takes place without soil removal, resulting in a clean site, no removal of excavated soil and minimal impact on the surrounding environment.
Key Benefits
- 40% less concrete
- Excellent penetration in hard soil layers ⓘ
- No soil removal
- Ideal for contaminated sites
- No need for soil disposal
- Reduces logistical costs
- Increased friction capacity
- Reinforcement placed before concrete
- No lost drill tip
- Increased safety, efficiency, and reduced environmental impact
- Can be made with existing piling machines
- …
The Power of the Screw Shape Design
The working principle of an Olivier pile can be clearly explained by comparing the behaviour of a nail and a screw in wood.
A nail is mainly held in place by limited friction along a smooth shaft. A screw, on the other hand, creates a much larger contact surface thanks to its helical shape, resulting in significantly higher friction and anchorage.
The same principle is applied in the Olivier pile. The helical shaft provides active anchorage in the surrounding soil, with higher friction and more efficient load transfer than conventional cylindrical piles. This results in a more stable load-bearing mechanism and a higher bearing capacity.
Thanks to its screw-shaped shaft, the Olivier pile is particularly suitable for use in soils with low bearing capacity, such as clay and loam, while remaining applicable in almost all soil types. Unlike traditional cylindrical displacement piles or ground improvement methods, the Olivier pile displaces the soil 100% over its full length, down to the pile base, without any soil being brought to the surface. An Olivier pile can be installed using most modern piling rigs equipped with a mast or leader. The required drilling torque depends on the pile diameter and soil conditions and typically ranges from approximately 10 t/m for smaller diameters in softer soils to higher values for larger diameters or harder layers.
Drilling process
In contrast to CFA and traditional full displacement piles, the Olivier pile follows a fundamentally different execution principle.
- Drilling with clockwise auger rotation and vertical force
- Insertion of reinforcing cage and opening of the flaps at the desired depth
- Concrete pumping and extraction of casing with counter-clockwise rotation
- Completed Olivier pile with screw-shaped shaft.
Pile sizes
An Olivier pile is always defined by two diameters and never by a single dimension.
The first diameter is the core diameter (Dk), which corresponds to the diameter of the concrete pile core. The second diameter is the shaft diameter (Ds), being the outer diameter of the screw blade. This shaft diameter is also the pile base diameter (Db), as the pile base is fully formed by the screw blade. For an Olivier pile, the following always applies: Db = Ds.
The designation of an Olivier pile always follows the format Dk/Ds, with the core diameter stated first, followed by the shaft diameter. An Olivier pile with only one diameter does not exist. For example, an Olivier pile d36/56 has a core diameter of 36cm (14″) and a shaft diameter of 56cm (22″).
For the calculation of an Olivier pile, the shaft friction along the full pile length is calculated using the outer diameter (Ds), as if it were a fully cylindrical pile with the same outer diameter. The same outer diameter (Db) is also used for the calculation of the pile base resistance.
The core diameter of the pile (Dk) is used to calculate the structural bearing capacity.
Olivier produces auger heads for Olivier piles in the following standard dimensions:
- d31/51 (310-510mm – 12″/20″)
- d36/56 (360-560mm – 14″/22″)
- d41/61 (410-610mm – 16″/24″)
- d46/66 (460-660mm – 18″/26″)
- d51/71 (510-710mm – 20″/28″)
- d56/76 (560-760mm – 22″/30″)
- d61/81 (610-810mm – 24″/32″)
- d66/86 (660-860mm – 26″/34″)
Proven Technology
The Olivier pile is a foundation technology with a long and well-documented track record. The system has been applied since the early 1990s and has since become one of the most widely used piling systems in Belgium.
The technology was extensively tested during the BBRI test campaign carried out by Olivier NV in Sint-Katelijne-Waver and Limelette between 2000 and 2002. The results of these investigations were published in the reference work “Belgian Screw Pile Technology” (2003), in which the Olivier pile system is explicitly described and analysed.
Since then, the Olivier pile has been applied under licence by various partners both in Belgium and internationally. Over the years, these licensees have carried out numerous pile tests, site applications and additional testing programmes, leading to multiple certifications and official recognitions.
Thanks to this combination of long-term practical experience, independent testing and international applications, the Olivier pile system is today a proven, reproducible and reliably engineered foundation technology, with generally accepted calculation methods and design principles.
Training and support
The correct application of Olivier piles requires more than just the right tools. At Olivier, we provide targeted training and technical support specifically focused on the design, calculation and execution of Olivier pile systems.
More information about our training programmes and technical guidance for Olivier piles can be found on the Academy page.
References
