Method Statement for Installation of Micropile

METHOD STATEMENT
for
INSTALLATION OF MICROPILE
Using
Direct-Drill-in-API Pipe with Sacrificial Drill Bit

OVERVIEW OF CONCEPT :
The traditional method of installating micropiles is to drill a hole using drilling rods,
withdrawing the rods, then only installing the reinforcement (API Pipe) then
grouting it.

This direct-drill-in API Pipe with Sacrificial drill bit method uses the reinforcement
of the pile (API Pipe) as a drill pipe to be drilled and directly installed in-place into
the hole. A prefabricated drill bit will be attached to the tip and used for drilling.
This bit is sacrificed and left-in the hole upon completion where the pile is grouted.

Advantages :
Ease of works especially in low headroom area which,
• Saves time especially in low-headroom areas.
• Better pile quality. Pile uniformity is assured – no time wasted withdrawing
rods and re-inserting reinforcement (API pipe) which is time consuming
especially in low headroom area.
• Preventing collapse which is imminent in open hole drilling. Direct tremie
grouting is also employed by pumping grout all the way down the API pipe
using the drill rig immediately after drilling (no time waste) instead of using
a tremie pipe. This also assures pile quality.

Material for pile reinforcement - API Pipes

• Threaded API Pipes must be used for the reinforcement and not normal
rebars for this method.
• The drill bit used is the API Pipe tip welded with a sacrificial drill bit with
high tensile steel (steel from the API Pipe is high tensile and can be used) and
mining tape (tiger jaw) to suit the diameter of the micropile.

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Method Statement for Installation of Micropile

C. METHOD FOR DRILLING / MICROPILE INSTALLATION

STEP 1 : POSITIONING

o Hack away the slab at the area for the proposed micropile pilecap.
o A crawler-type top drive micropile drill rig is proposed for accessibility & maneuverity
and to enable smooth installation of API pipe.
o For low headroom area, a smaller drilling frame can be used to enter the area.
o The pile point is determined by a surveyor and position the drill rig on top of the point.
o Fabricate a sacrificial drill bit (using high tensile steel with tungsten carbide bits, tiger
jaw or high tensile steel/API Pipe).
o The first API Pipe with the drill bit is placed above the drill point.
o Ensure verticality is achieved before starting drilling works.
o This is done by checking the verticality of both the first API Pipe and the mast using a
spirit level.

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Method Statement for Installation of Micropile

STEP 2 : DRILLING

o For drilling in both soft and/or hard soils (typically SPT N>50), the hole shall be drilled
with the wash boring method using the sacrificial drag bit with threaded API Pipe.
o For info : Wash boring is an assembly of a the drill bit - drag bit or roller bit being
assembled to the end of a string of drill rods onto a drill rig or drill frame.
o The drill bit is advanced by adding drill rods (threaded API Pipes) when drilling. Water
is pumped through the string of drill rods and the outflow water emerging from the
borehole is channelled to a holding pit and recycled through a slurry pump back into the
drill rig’s swivel head.
o If the attempt is unsuccessful, withdraw the rods and insert a flat casing shoe with
tungsten bits to attempt to cut through the strand. Repeat step 1 again thereafter.

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Method Statement for Installation of Micropile

STEP 3 (if required)

• If collapsible soil layers is encountered from step 2, or anticipated, installation of a short

length of temporary casing can be employed.
• Advance a casing into by either drilling using a casing shoe (by wash boring method)
without the aid of a drill rod OR using a drill rod with drag/roller bit together with a
casing up to the suspected collapsible layer felt by the driller or SI report.

Note : It is also proposed that we use drilling mud/fluid, bentonite or modified polymers
to maintain borehole stability if there is excessive collapse (depending on soil condition).
This method is also beneficial to effectively flush out slurry and prevent slurry and loose
material from falling back into the drilled hole.

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Method Statement for Installation of Micropile

STEP 4 : COMPLETION OF DRILLING

• Upon completion of the drilling, dismantle the last API Pipe from the rotary head and
move the drill rig back.
• As the drag bit is meant to be sacrificial, it will be left in the borehole. The installation of
the API pipe in the borehole is deemed complete as it has been used as drill rods and left
in the bore hole till the depth required.
• The borehole is cleaned by flushing out any soil particles from the inside of the API Pipe
with water from the top. This step can be done immediately or just prior to to cement
grouting works in Step 5.

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Method Statement for Installation of Micropile

STEP 5 : GROUTING

• Mix the cement bag with water in a mixer according to the design mix measurement. The
mixed grout shall be filtered and poured into a holding tank.
• Grouting of the micropile is then carried out by tremie method by pumping into a cap
fixed on top of the API Pipe with flow holes cut at the tip of the API pipe. Pump the grout
into the pile using a piston or diaphragm pump. Grouting is done until neat grout appears
at the top of the borehole. Upon completion, the grout hose is extracted.
• Shall any leftover temporary casing is extracted, or at any time after grouting, the grout
level drops below the cut-off level, top-up the hole with grout.

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Method Statement for Installation of Micropile

Notes on Sludge Clearing & Cleaning.

• The wash boring method produces a lot of sludge (mud).
• The sludge or mud is produced from soil + water.
• The sludge is not toxic and definitely not hazardous to the
environment.
• However, the sludge cannot be disposed into the drain without
treatment.

• Sedimentation Method : In a sludge pit constructed as above,

allow the sludge to settle to the bottom. The heavier particles
(mud/sludge) will sink to the bottom. The water will be at the top.
The top water shall be free from mud (heavy particles).
• Drain off the top clear water.
• The heavy mud shall be pumped into a water/holding tank and
pumped into a lorry to be disposed off site.
• Alternatively, it shall be contained, dried and removed by a lorry
off-site.

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Method Statement for Installation of Micropile

Photos of low-headroom areas using this method of

Direct-Drill-in-API Pipe with Sacrificial Drill Bit

Photo 1 : Larkin Sentral Upgrading

Photo 2 : Setia Tropika foundation grouting

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Method Statement for Installation of Micropile

Photo 3 : Addition of a column of a Bungalow at Port Klang

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