DYWIDAG Driven Ductile Cast Iron Pile Used for L’Avant Mer Resort in St. Lucia, West Indies

DYWIDAG Driven Ductile Cast Iron Pile Used for L’Avant Mer Resort in St. Lucia, West Indies

The Caribbean island of St. Lucia is an island paradise with a tropical climate, densely wooded mountains, beautiful beaches and bays. The island has developed a reputation as a premier honeymoon and family vacation spot, and continues to attract tourists from all over the world. As a result, commercial and residential real estate development on the island is also booming. Many people are now choosing St. Lucia as an ideal location for their second or retirement home.

NH International (Caribbean) Ltd., is a leading construction company with a highly regarded reputation in the Caribbean, and has been involved in major building projects on the island of St. Lucia. These projects include the Almond Morgan Bay Hotel for which it received the prestigious Contractor of the Year Award by the Trinidad and Tobago Contractors Association; Le Sport Hotel; Sandals Halcyon Resort and Spa; St. Lucia Financial Centre; Hewanorra International Airport; Bordelais Correctional Facility; and the Castries Market Development.

More recently, NHIC was contracted to build the L’Avant Mer Resort project on Rodney Bay. Construction of the Foundations began on June 9th, 2008 and the entire project is scheduled for completion by September 2009.

This resort is situated adjacent to the marina and involves the construction of 73 luxury apartments comprising of Garden and Waterfront Suites including Penthouse Units. The reinforced concrete four-storey buildings, using the FORSA System introduced by NHIC, have been founded on driven pile foundations.

The project specifications required DYWIDAG 170/10.6mm ductile cast iron pipe end bearing pile with 400kN design load, driven at least 3m into weathered rock to a refusal of 30mm per minute. The end of the pile is extended and embedded into the concrete foundation with a hooked rebar dowel and a bearing plate. The geotechnical soil report provided alluvium fills, and weathered rock on top of solid rock.

DYWIDAG ductile iron pipe pile supplied in 5m segments can be easily connected through spigot and socket joint with double wall thickness to resist driven impact. The simplicity of the pile system provides high production rate and vibration free installation, allowing driven close to adjacent existing buildings.

The contractor built a new rapid-stroke hydraulic hammer and shank and installed the piles with the help of an excavator and a skilled crew. The pipe segments with rock point end were quickly driven into the weathered rock up to an average depth of 11m. Pipe excess was cut-off and reused for the next pile. The bore pile was filled with concrete and the rebar dowel and steel bearing plate placed on top of the pile.

DSI America supplied the piles and provided the initial stage of installation and technical assistance. DSI looks forward to its continued successful relationship with NH International (Caribbean) Ltd.