3. Innovation below GroundTM – Foundation Solutions
About Us Business Strategy
G T L offer their services to an array of global
GTL are a leading international foundation solution GTL’s core business strategy is to generate value for all marketplaces including, but not limited to;
c ompany, s pecialising in Helical (screw) pile technology. stakeholders, including employees, c lients , s uppliers and
We are recognised as a world c lass provider of Foundation subcontractors. By remaining the flagship c ompany in pile
Oil & Gas - pipe line restraint, skids , PAU ’s compressors
Engineering consultancy and s ervices and have an technology foundation solutions and by maintaining
and support structures , temporary accommodation,
unsurpassed reputation for innovation, quality and strong and recurring revenue from long-term c lient
c ompound fencing and much more.
performance. O ur commitment to quality in every aspect relations, we c ontinue to achieve this.
of our business has been one of the driving forces behind O ur s trategy is underpinned by our c ore values:
Transport - rail and highway signs , gantries and support
our international success and a key influencer for clients
s tructures
looking for a foundation solutions partner. We have built a • T o support the development of our people, and in turn
reputation as a problem solver with a unique ability to enc ourage innovation and learning
Inf rastructure - telecom towers and masts, pylons and
handle s pecial applications and unusual s ituations. wind turbines
• T o maintain quality standards through our ISO 9001
G T L provide a complete solution at all stages of a project
c ertification
Industrial - steel portal frames, temporary structures ,
Concept stage - feasibility, concept development and • T o commit fully to Health and Safety requirements,
c ar parks, housing and major construction
c ost estimation supported by our CSCS G old s tandard commitment
c ertificate Marine - piers , pontoons and flood defence schemes
Design stage - geotechnical interpretation, structural/civil
• T o commit to the protection of the environment,
des ign and fabrication drawings
s upported by the What makes GTL unique?
achievement and management of our ISO 14001
Construction stage - training, supply and installation • O ur entrepreneurial s pirit
c ertification
O ver the years, GTL have built up a s trong reputation as a • T o build a safe and s ustainable business through the • T he product. It is innovative, incredibly effective and
company that is comfortable in handling s pecial balance of ec onomical, environmental and social benefits provides an excellent solution
applications and unusual situations, one that helps solve • O ur c ommitment to Research and D evelopment
• T o achieve continuous improvement and innovation in
client challenges in a professional, friendly and supportive
all areas of our business through an active and • O ur enthusiasm
way.
s ustainable I R&D policy
However, innovation is always at the forefront of our • O ur ‘c an do’ attitude, respected by all our customers
minds, and in 2004 GTL identified the benefits of the • T o be ethical, trustworthy and to deliver on our
helical (screw) pile as an innovative alternative to promises • O ur exceptional record of c ustomer satisfaction
traditional foundations and piling. From there we moved to • Selected resource
develop a revolutionary method for constructing and
installing foundations using Helical (screw) pile • O ur c ommercial astuteness and awareness
technology. We now offer a wide portfolio of specialist • O ur excellent project management s kills
services and solutions from the design, fabrication and
installation of foundation solutions for major construction • O ur reputation for innovation, quality and performance
projects, through to s maller, eclectic projects. • O ur commitment to strong client relationships and an
ability to account manage
• T he formulation of c opyright and patent pending design
• O ur s uperior product knowledge
GTL House UK
Dubai, UAE
4. Capabilities
Our Capabilities
T he s ervices that GTL can offer include: Design, supply and installation of Geotechnical Consultancy
foundation grillages for Helical (screw) GTL has been involved in a wide variety of projects in
Structural and Civil engineering design
pile solutions which the soil mechanics have been unique to certain
A t the client’s request, GTL can provide a full or partial parts of the world.
GTL hold an array of standard grillages and platforms and
des ign service in all major construction materials In these situations in particular, Geotechnical and
so can provide those most suitable to a specific situation.
(c oncrete, s teel, timber and masonry). T his includes the Foundation Engineering plays an essential role.
O ur solutions are bespoke with our in house structural
production of detailed design drawings, fabrication and Geotechnical Engineering is the application of the
design team developing solutions appropriate to individual
reinforcement drawings and can be tailored for both the sciences of soil and rock mechanics, engineering geology
c ustomers.
c ommercial and domestic market. and other related disciplines to the civil engineering
GTL’s grillages range from a single pile solution to pile
G T L also provides the following technical information on des ign and construction.
caps for multiple piles. O ur grillages are used to tie Helical
as pects of s tructural and c ivil engineering: The inherent variability of soils and other geo- materials
(sc rew) piles together so enabling the loads to be
leads to uncertainty and risk, especially with regard to
dis tributed evenly.
• C alculations & drawings on-site material c onditions and the behavior of materials ,
Grillages for telecommunication sites can be designed as
• Structural inspections/reports including soil-structure interaction. There is therefore an
a complete compound to accommodate equipment
• D efects and structural damage reports associated risk with any Geotechnical design. GTL’s
c abinets and s ecurity fencing.
• G eotechnical interpretation objective is to mitigate that risk and to provide sound
• Foundation design including piling and experienced advice in a friendly and professional
• Feasibility studies Pile testing manner.
• Supervision GTL utilise Helical (screw) piles as reaction piles to GTL provide reports and designs that are both pragmatic ,
undertake Constant Rate Penetration (CRP) and ec onomic, innovative and sustainable.
Foundation feasibility studies and Pile M aintained L oad (M L) tests. O ur geotechnical engineering s ervice includes:
design (Helical, CFA and rotary bored) The use of the Helix (screw) pile has many advantages
s uch as: • D esk studies and site appraisal
O ne of the most important elements of foundation design • Fas ter installation • T errain evaluation and geo-hazard assessment
is to s elect the s olution most appropriate to the ground • No need for transportation of heavy kentledge blocks to • G round investigation design, procurement and
c onditions, but also to c onsider site access and other s ite interpretation
as sociated c onstraints. O ur involvement in major projects • Res istant to both compressive and tension loads • G eotechnical analysis and design
throughout the world has given us the experience to be • E asy to decommission • N umerical analysis
able to evaluate all relevant factors, and the c apability to • Re- usable and therefore economical and sustainable • Roc k engineering
predict foundation performance. We employ the full range • L evel installation surface not required • G eotechnical processes
of tec hniques from traditional empirical approaches to • Installation possible within restricted access (normally • G round improvement
methods based on the latest research and development. as sociated with working pile tests) • Sus tainable G eotechnics
• E nvironmental engineering
Design, supply and installation of Helical • G round risk evaluation and management
(screw) pile foundations
GTL offer a complete solution, from the solution design to
the supply and installation of Helical (screw) pile
foundations. We have a proven track record and have
worked on many major projects throughout the world.
5. Helical (screw) Pile?
What is a Helical (screw) pile? Old Technology Re-engineered
The GTL Helical (screw) pile foundation is an innovative It was Alexander Mitchell, a blind Irish engineer, who
and sustainable foundation solution. T he helical pile, also invented the Helical (screw) pile in the 1830s, an
known as the screw pile, consists of a central hollow shaft invention that proved to be a major improvement on the
of differing diameters and sectional thickness , with helical standard straight pile design and one that enabled piles to
plates s trategically welded at given c enters. be screwed into sandy or muddy sea or river bottoms.
Design depth is achieved by bolting on additional s haft Mitchell and his son promptly patented this cast iron
sections of differing lengths according to site and plant screw pile design and by 1840 the first screw pile
restrictions. T he helixes are rotated into the ground to a lighthouse had been built at Maplin Sands in the mouth of
pre- designed depth. Each helical plate on any single pile the T hames.
will be of the exact same pitch as one another. This This innovative design proved to be extremely popular
minimises soil disturbance during installation compared and it was not long before the technology was introduced
with c onventional piling techniques , such as CFA or Rotary to the United States . Many screw pile lighthouses were
bored. The diameter of the helical plates is governed by constructed in the soft river beds of Carolina’s estuaries
the pre-determined loading and soil condition. Loads are where lightships had previously been relied upon, but
transferred to the soils by the helical plates and shaft screw pile lighthouses could also be found in the Gulf of
friction. The overall number and spacing of the plates are Mexico, with one even built in the Great Lakes in O hio at
designed to maximise the allowable load capacity of the M aumee Bay.
s oils. The typical screw pile lighthouse was a six or eight-sided
The technology of the GTL helical pile foundation is not so building, consisting of a central pile screwed into the
much in the manufacturing of the product but rather in the ground initially, and the six or eight perimeter piles
specific engineering design, with the foundation being screwed into place around it. T his increased the bearing
designed as a solution to a particular requirement or power of the piles as well as the anchoring properties.
c ondition.
Helical piles are referred to as small displacement piles In 1863 Eugenius Birch, the great Victorian engineer, was
and designed in accordance with BS8004: code of practice invited to design and engineer the Brighton West
for foundations or to the standards relevant to the specific pier. T he first piles were put in place in March 1864 with
c ountry. dozens of cast iron threaded columns screwed into the
Until recently had only been used for 400kN SWL , seabed and strengthened by a lattice of ties and girders
however, through GTL’s continued R&D we are able to that provide the necessary strength to support the
c ope with much higher loads. promenade deck. These piles were installed by hand using
large torque bars and much man power. The Brighton
West Pier stands to this day and will hopefully soon be
renovated back to its former glory.
The Helix (screw) pile design is just as effective in the
21st Century as it was back in the 19th Century. It
c ontinues to be installed throughout the world.
6. Applications
Applications
H elical (screw) piles are rapidly becoming a foundation of Infrastructure
T he helical pile has the ability to deal with various
c hoice on s ites that are remote, environmentally sensitive, M onopole structures
Flood defense systems for environmental purposes loadings and can be utilised for many load situations such
flooded, incur financial penalty to shutdown services, have
Q uick s ites as :
poor s oil c onditions that include tree preservation orders,
are temporary s tructures, or are s ubject to adverse E quipment compounds
L attice structures • Static loads (building foundations)
weather c onditions. • D ynamic loads (compressors, pipe racks)
Below are s ome examples of the areas in which the Helical
• H igh lateral forces and overturning moments
(s c rew) pile foundation application is the appropriate Industrial (towers, wind turbines, flare s tacks)
s olution: N ew build • Res istance to heave forces (Expansive clay)
E xtensions • L oad in permafrost with minimum creep.
Oil & Gas/Energy Rapid foundations for modern construction methods • Fros t heave eliminated with GTL heave sleeve
P ipeline and header s upports Soil s tabilization
C ompressor foundations E c o foundations H elical pile c an be used in both tension and compression
T emporary modular accommodation and warehousing P iled raft foundations whic h makes them s uitable for almost all industrial,
Working platforms P iled concrete trench foundations c ommercial and domestic applications.
T idal P iled timber ring beams
Wind Farms/solar P ile s teel ring beams
P iled concrete pad foundations
Innovation, Research & Development
P ipeline buoyancy
M asts and towers L og c abins and modular buildings Innovation, Research and Development is recognised by
T emporary enabling works T emporary enabling works GTL as a crucial factor in our success. In addition to
Substation foundations T emporary s tadiums and structures enabling us to consistently improve our performance by
adding value, improving quality and remaining technically
Rail Marine superior to our competitors, we recognise it as being
Rail s ignage G uy anchors essential in maintaining our position as market leaders in
Refuge and L ocator Platforms P iers H elix (screw) pile technology.
O LE’s Swing mooring O ur approach is one that looks at s hort and mid-term
E mbankment stabilisation and s oil nailing Floating decks actions and as such results in IR&D working transversally
M arinas and harbors and interactively throughout our c ompany.
Footbridges
Retaining s tructures Repairs O ur IR&D department also looks outside the company,
P latform extensions expanding the circle of knowledge by working with key
T emporary works T ermination and structure interfaces can be designed by suppliers and advisors. The IR&D team is therefore a real
G T L as part of our design package. I t is through working driving force behind both in-house and external
c losely with our customers that we formulate the best innovation.
Highways Arup Geotechnics are an IR&D partner of GTL. We also
V MS s igns s olutions.
For more examples please refer to case studies. maintain other partnerships with universities and
Safety barriers equipment suppliers
A coustic barriers
C CTV & lighting masts
Footbridges
E mbankment stabilisation and soil nailing
Retaining s tructures
T emporary works
7. Advantages of Helical (screw) Pile
Why use our solution? Negative skin friction- can be designed for reduced No spoil – with the s piraling c ost of muck away the
G T L’s foundation system is known for its ease and s peed negative s kin friction for collapsible s oils and s oils s olution proves to be financially and environmentally
of ins tallation. Some of the advantages are; s usceptible to heave/drag. viable especially in c ontaminated ground.
Speed of installation - typically a s tandard 6m pile Reduced resource – a typical c rew consists of three. No C oncrete - no c uring time s o loads can be applied
takes on average ten minutes to install. T his reduces A n advantage on hazardous s ites where mitigating risk is immediately. A 60m mast foundation can be installed
c ontract program time, on s ite prelims, speed to market paramount. within one day.
and road/track closures amongst other factors.
Guaranteed product – quality control of s teel and C lose proximity - to trees, services, existing
Sustainable and environmentally friendly – by fabrication gives confidence in the quality of the pile in foundations and buildings. No root damage or
reversing the installation process the helical pile c an be the ground prior to installation. undermining.
dec ommissioned and re-used leaving a G reenfield site.
End Bearing – the s teel helix plate gives very good end Resistance to tension and compression – the
Reduced Environmental Impact - I nstallation bearing characteristics, with very little remoulding of the pile c an be used as a tension anchor and s oil nail.
proc edure produces minimal vibration and noise, allowing s oil surface due to installation.
ins tallation close to noise s ensitive areas and night time Restricted access - Segmented s ections for reduced
operations. Flexible - H elix plates c an be s paced to give particular head heights – piles c an be installed under pipe racks
failure conditions (end bearing or s haft). and in basements.
Less disruption - Reduced deliveries unlike the wet
trades, means less disruption to neighbours and other on Soil verification - M onitoring of s oils quality and C old temperature conditions - unlike concrete that
s ite activities. c apacity during installation, direct c omparison to available c an only be installed above freezing point without
s ite investigation and preliminary pile tests. s pecialist equipment.
Workmanship – not so reliant on s kill of driver. M inimal
I ns truments required to monitor pile installation reducing Soil variability - U nforeseen variability in soils c an be Underwater Installation – by utilising s pecialist GTL
errors and c alibration. overcome by the addition of helical plates or additional equipment helical piles are able to be installed in subsea
s ections marine c onditions
Waste – minimal materials wasted. O ff s ite P re-
fabrication of piles and grillages reduces site waste and Quick test results - P reliminary Pile tests and results Low mobilisation/demobilistation costs –
dis posal c osts c an be carried out and received with 48 hours of s tarting . equipment is delivered by a low loader
Program acceleration – If a program requires On site Modifications - V ariability in penetration C orrosion – within aggressive s oils c an be
ac celeration then this c an be achieved by deploying an ac commodated
depth is achieved by additional pile sections.
additional power-head and hydraulic unit. There is no
waiting for additional materials or deliveries as this would
Reinforcement cages – do not require full length No liners/casings – no requirement for piling through
already be on site. perc hed water tables or underground water c ourses.
reinforcement c ages and the associated problems
Minimal Soil Disturbance – due to installation High Shaft C apacity – varying s pacing of the plates
method unlike CFA or Rotary Bored. Especially through
Flood C ontrol – piles c an protrude above ground and
as s uch provide an elevated platform. and inc reasing the number
s and and gravels
8. Design & Installation
Design CAT 3 checks Installation
Helical (screw) pile designs are developed by GTL’s in- CAT 3 Checks can be carried out as part of our package of The Helical (screw) pile is rotated into the ground by
house engineers taking into the account the performance works , an independent firm will issue the certificates of means of a bi-directional auger, hydraulically powered by
specifications of the client and the available geotechnical compliance for the final issue of calculations and design an excavator. Throughout the installation process GTL
information for the site. T he design of the GTL Helical drawings. monitors the installation torque and pile alignment.
(sc rew) pile utilises the same conventional geotechnical GTL monitor the installation torque for the following
theory as used for the design of CFA or rotary bored piles. Standards/references Testing reasons:
GTL do not use torque as a basis of design and pile set. To provide a qualitative assessment of the s oils being
Torque versus soil stiffness is used on site to monitor Pile testing is recommended to be performed on all sites
penetrated at various depths. T he recorded installation
variable soil conditions that may affect the performance of but should only be carried out after taking into account
torque and depth will be interpreted against the existing
the piles . Piles are designed and plate spacing and depths the quality of site investigation information, the project
soil data, by way of a graph. By interpreting the soil data
set on consideration of the geotechnical site investigation programme and the number of piles.
against the installation torque, a correlation can be
information. GTL recommend that pile testing is performed on projects
obtained that enables a simple verification strategy to be
Helical (screw) piles can be designed to take into account for which there are specific serviceability requirements or
determined.
compression, tension loads and load reversals. T he nature a requirement for proof of load carrying c apacity.
To maintain the integrity of the Helical (screw) pile during
of the Helical (screw) pile is such that it accommodates installation and to mitigate damage through exceeding
the forces from expansive soils and negative skin friction. Corrosion torsional strength to any of the pile’s components . Each
Lateral loads can be designed for using pile groups, single Corrosion of piles is assessed by studying the available Helical (screw) pile has a maximum stress level and this
piles with larger diameter steel sections , and the soil investigation information, the contamination testing mus t not be exceeded.
c entrifugal pile to enhance lateral capacity. res ults and the soil resistivity readings.
I f little or no information is available regarding the Tolerances
Soil Investigations potential c orrosion risk to the piles , a worst case scenario The ICE Piling Specification stipulates certain maximum
will be assumed based on the published guidance and permitted deviation of the finished pile, these being:
Geotechnical Engineering plays an essential role in helical
estimated corrosion rates stated in BS8004 and Eurocode Vertical deviation at any level is 1 in 75 . Any part of the
pile engineering works.
3 P art 5 Steel Piling. finished pile from the specified rake is 1 in 25 for piles
A good ground investigation is key to providing a sound
raking up to 1 in 6 , and is 1 in 15 for piles raking more
engineered design and to reduce risk at all stages of the
than 1 in 6. The maximum deviation of the pile centre
project. T herefore GTL recommend that a ground
from the centre point s hown in the setting out drawings
investigation is carried out at the earliest possible stage
is 75mm in any direction at commencing surface level.
and to a sufficient depths to thorough explore the soil
The top elevation should be within 25mm of the design
c ondition under the site.
vertical elevation. In the vast majority of situations GTL
are able to better these tolerances , however, we design
Grillages and pile caps our pile c ap frame to accommodate them.
GTL design their grillages to meet the specific performance
requirements of the structure that they will be s upporting.
All our grillage designs conform to British D esign
Standards. Designs can be adjusted to meet the design
s tandards of other EU c ountries when required.
9. Quality, H & S, Environment and Accreditation
Quality Assurance Achievements
GTL endeavor to be an industry leader by providing Form A: Design principles for Helical (screw)
customers with a high quality service at a competitive
price. As an organisation we promote an open and learning
Link-up approval piles approval
Link-up is the UK rail industry supplier qualification A pproval for helical piles on N etwork rail property
c ulture, and invest in our most valuable asset ~ PEOPLE.
scheme, providing a single common registration,
Q uality Management Systems I SO 9001
qualification and audit process for s uppliers that are National Expertising license for C entral Asia
ISO 9001 is the internationally recognised s tandard for the
s hared by the U K rail industry.
quality management of businesses. It applies to the
processes that c reate and control the products and C SC S Gold Certification
services an organisation supplies . It prescribes systematic Link-up Proof via Audit
CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme) was set
control of activities to ensure that the needs and Link-up® is the UK rail industry supplier registration and
qualification scheme which provides a single common up to help the construction industry to improve quality
expectations of customers are met. It is designed and and reduce accidents. CSCS cards are increasingly
intended to apply to virtually any product or service, made registration, qualification and audit process for suppliers
that are s hared by the UK rail industry. Link-up is used demanded as proof of occupational competence by
by any process anywhere in the world. Contractors. As part of our commitment to quality and
H ealth & Safety extensively by procurement, engineering, safety and
safety we impose a 100% certification policy to all on site
We are committed to providing a safe working quality professionals and rail organisations, where
necessary, to comply with the requirements of European employees.
environment and so prevent injury and ill health to those
at work and those affected by work activities. Procurement legislation and Railway Group Standard
As well as the need to adhere to the Health and Safety G M /RT 2450. TH E 2010 GATWICK DIAMOND BUSINESS A WARDS
legislation, we believe that it is a fundamental requirement The Gatwick Diamond Business Award winners are those
for all small businesses to ensure the safety of their Q U ALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS ISO 9001 businesses or people who have shown innovation and
inspiration in their work, and have demonstrated a real
employees and clients . Effective Health & Safety (C E RTIFICATE NO : FM 523252)
performance comes from the top of any organisation, and c ommitment to this fast-developing s ub-region.
ISO 9001 is the internationally recognised standard for an
we ensure that our systematic approach to controlling risk, organisation's internal Q uality Management. The term
reducing cost and so maintaining our reputation is 'quality' refers to all those features of a product or service
paramount in everything we do. which are required by the customer. An organisation's
'Q uality Management' refers to an organisation's actions
Environmental Policy to ensure that its products or services satis fy its
GTL Partnership L td is committed to improving our customers' quality requirements and c omplies with any
environmental performance, preventing pollution and regulations applicable to those products or services.
minimising any negative impacts upon the local and global
environment. I n fulfilling our responsibilities to the
environment, we actively promote best practice amongst EN VIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (EMS) ISO
our employees, c ustomers and suppliers. O ur
consideration for the local and global environment is 14001
inherent in our c ulture. ISO 14001 is an internationally accepted standard that
E nvironmental M anagement System (EMS) ISO 14001 sets out how you can go about putting in place an
ISO 14001 is an internationally accepted s tandard that sets effective Environmental Management System (EMS). The
out how to introduce an effective Environmental standard is designed to address the delicate balance
Management System (EMS). The standard is designed to between maintaining profitability and reducing
address the delicate balance between maintaining environmental impact; with the commitment of your
profitability and reducing environmental impact. With the entire organization, it can enable you to achieve both
commitment of our entire organisation, GTL are currently objectives . GTL are c urrently working in accordance with
achieving both objectives in accordance with this standard this standard with full accreditation expected in 2009.
and full accreditation was gained in 2009.
10. Contact details
GTL International LLC
www.gtl-partnership.com
PO Box 118610, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Tel: +971 556041244
