Custom spile machine helps Saudi Arabia earthwork

The preliminary earthworks for the steel plant at Saudi Arabia's Ras Al-Khair Port were carried out by China Harbour Engineering Co and executed by CCCC Second Harbor Engineering Co.

The project was located in an area with a soft foundation, where the ground was treated and stabilized through drainage consolidation. This marks the first application of the drainage consolidation method in Saudi Arabia, applying spile machines and drainage boards.

Complex geological conditions made construction challenging. The project team used hydraulic spile machines to pre-drill through the hardened saline-alkali layers. However, the loose geological foundation led to sandy interlayers and the collapse of the work platform on the surface, preventing the hydraulic spile machines from penetrating the thick layers.

Recognizing the limitations of traditional spile machines, Project manager Long Jijun proposed developing a new type of spile machine. This new machine consists of an excavator, a vibratory hammer, steel pipes, open-ended and closed-ended drainage boards, and steel rod plugs. The excavator's boom is attached to the vibratory hammer, which is connected to a thin steel pipe. The excavator rotates the vibratory hammer for directional control. Using vibrations from the excavator, the top rollers and internal pressure rods work together to drive the steel pipe and drainage boards into the soil.

The self-made spile machine successfully penetrated the hard layers, but a new problem emerged–the inserted drainage boards tended to move upwards, deviating from the designed depth. The project team addressed this by widening the bottom port of the spile machine, increasing the diameter of the corresponding steel rod plug, and lengthening the drainage boards.