Civil Engineering November 2022 | Vol 30 No 10

4 November 2022 Civil Engineering ON THE COVER “W e are specialists in the design and construction of deep level foundations and lateral support solutions – even in the most challenging geological environ- ments,” says Commercial Director Tiaan Erasmus. “We really do thrive on being challenged by technical contracts where we can leverage our extensive experience to develop innovative and cost-effective solutions for clients.” Stefanutti Stocks’ service offering includes the design and construction of various types of piles, geotechnical inves- tigations and reports, lateral support, rock anchoring, shotcrete, specialist grouting and the installation of vertical drains. “We have a very flat management structure and a hands-on management style that sees decision makers involved with the day-to-day running of the business. This means we are agile and responsive, and therefore, in as far as it is in our power, we can mitigate delays to the programme,” says Erasmus. Highlights of some of the recent projects that were undertaken for a diverse range of infrastructure sectors are included below. PILING AT THE CTS BROCHEM PLANT EXTENSION This project consisted of 436 piles of 450 diameter, installed to an average depth of 8 m. The geology on site, which included a fluctuating water table, medium-grained gravel that developed into a hardpan ferricrete layer, and reworked residual sandstone horizons, resulted in a design that proposed two piling methods. “Due to the hardpan ferricrete layer that was expected to occur between 0.9 m and 2.3 m deep, we combined open hole auger drilling and continuous flight auger piling on the project,” explains Erasmus. “The auger drilling mode was used to punch through the thicker medium-hard rock hardpan ferricrete layer while the continuous flight auger piling method was used to deal with side wall collapse and ingress of ground water underneath the hardpan ferricrete layer.” HILL ON EMPIRE The Hill on Empire project was completed in 42 days and consisted of: Q Q Twenty-seven 600 mm diameter auger cast-in-situ lateral support soldier piles to an average depth of 14 m. The piles are anchored back with thirty-three 10 m long ground anchors, each up to 600 kN. Stefanutti Stocks Geotechnical thrives on technical challenges Stefanutti Stocks Geotechnical is an invaluable construction partner with almost two decades of experience in this niche discipline. The business offers the full spectrum of geotechnical contracting services, boasting almost two decades of successfully completing technically challenging and pioneering piling and lateral support projects.