Hollow pileWith the objective of saving energy, materials and thus costs, ‘Jansen Beton Zeewolde B.V.’ designed the hollow concrete pile so that it was prestressed (FEB 1860) and the steel fibre reinforcement (patent number 1007476).
The hollow pile is a square prefabricated concrete pile with a hollow space in the centre. Steel fibres are added to the concrete to replace the spiral reinforcement in the head of a solid pile. The hollow pile is lighter, but still has the same load-bearing capacity as a conventional solid pile, since the load-bearing capacity is determined by the surface area of the pile head that, with the help of a cover-piece, is identical to that of a solid pile. During the driving-in of the piles, 3 x 18 mm compressed chipwood (O.S.B.) must be used as a filling for the pile cap.
Where piles make use of adhesion, the hollow pile has a significant advantage. The hollow pile also enables heat recovery and cooling via the ground. Thanks to the lighter weight, savings can also be made on transportation and processing costs.
 
The production of the piles takes place using a specially designed pouring machine in accordance with the ‘Langebank principle’ (this can be compared to the production of hollow-core slab floors). The piles are manufactured from concrete quality B65, environmental class 5D, in the following sizes: 220, 250, 290 and 320 mm. The lengths are supplied based on the customer’s specifications and vary from a maximum of 20 metres with a cross-section of 220 mm, to a maximum of 30 metres with a cross-section of 320 mm.
Main properties:
- the same load-bearing capacity as a solid pile;
- significant saving in the use of raw materials;
- less transportation due to low weight per pile;
- can be used as an 'energy pile';
- it is no longer necessary to remove concrete from the top of the pile in order to expose the steel reinforcement bars so that they can be interwoven.
The hollow piles are especially suitable for house-building and (light) commercial and industrial buildings.
The bottom of the hollow pile is sealed with a steel cover plate that is fitted before the piles are driven in. The use of the plate depends on the local soil conditions.
The top of the hollow pile is sealed with a special PVC cover. These covers can be easily slid into the hollow space. A tie-rod is used to make a connection to the foundation above.
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