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Municipal buildings and urban furniture on the ground level

A public space features a bus stop, a light pole, a shelter, an information panel, or a piece of furniture that is installed in the sidewalk, which is densely lined with engineering networks and cannot be closed for weeks. Ground piles allow the structure to be installed point-by-point, without a continuous excavation in the pavement, with load-bearing capacity available immediately — so the area is brought back into operation in the same shift.

Specificities of public space

The networks under the sidewalk. Public lighting, cable lines, gas, water, and optics are often routed through the sidewalk structure — often at depths where the normal foundation of the structure ends. Continuous digging means colliding with several networks at once; a point-based approach can be identified and circumvented.

Operation of pedestrian and traffic control. Neither the stop nor the sidewalk can be closed for the time the concrete hardens. Moreover, for public transportation stops, there is usually only a nighttime window between the last and first train.

Flooring and surface finishes. Interfacing with the paved surface is a sensitive item in municipalities — dismantling, laying, and re-laying the pavement over the entire area of the foundation is often more expensive than the foundation itself. A point-based screw requires only the screw location to be restored.

Sleek profile. The walkway typically has a width of several meters, along one side of the roadway and along the other side of the facade or greenery. The machine must pass through and operate in this profile without blocking the entire passage.

A longer decision-making cycle. Contracts from municipalities and municipal organizations go through public tenders. The decision-making process takes longer, but the contractor is stable and the contracts are repeated — which increases the value of verifiable documentation and verifiable certificates.

Why underground holes in public space

Without digging and without cleaning up the entire area. The rubble is turned over at the point, the pavement is restored only around it. The dismantling and the removal of the excavated material are omitted.

Immediate loadability. The structure is installed immediately after concreting. The stop, which will be closed in the evening, may be operational in the morning — in the case of a concrete base, it would be out of service for weeks.

Point shot near the nets. Instead of a continuous trench, a precisely defined point is created that can be placed outside the line of the conduit. In combination with the laying of the network and the recording of the depth, this is a procedure that is significantly more controllable than digging.

Document for the administrator. The telematics unit records the torque and depth of each turn — a log for the communication manager, for the static analysis, and for the handover of the work.

Reversibility during spatial reorganization. The public space is changing: bus stops are being relocated, the furniture is being updated, and the area is being reconstructed. The rubble is being removed and reused elsewhere without demolition or removal of the concrete.

Engineering networks under the walkway

The procedure is always the same and cannot be shortened:

  1. Expression and designation of networks by administrators for the entire affected area, before the start of the work.
  2. Verification probe in points where the line of the pipeline is located close to the projected position of the screw — or the point displacement according to the project.
  3. DTH drilling over an asphalt or concrete surface, controlled and without impact on the surrounding structure.
  4. Monitoring of moment and depth during rotation. An abnormal increase in torque means immediate stopping.

The working conditions in the protection zone are determined by the statement of the operator of the relevant network. Without a valid designation, it does not apply.

Recommended machine for municipal projects

Glentor C65 — for work in the sidewalk profile. Side mounting means that the stud is mounted on the side of the machine, so the C65 can work close to a curb, fence or facade without having to move and without taking up any free space in front of the machine. For lighting poles and support structures for stops, the stud is available in sizes up to 3.5 m and for the pilot up to 4.3 m; with the MTB36 hydraulic hammer (900 J, up to 900 impacts per minute), it can also handle heavy-duty profiles.

Glentor A70 — for pedestrian zones, parks and confined areas. Transport width 902 mm and the weight 1.7 tonnes They make a model from it that can travel through a regular gate, a parking lane, and a pedestrian zone, and will exert the least amount of strain on the surface of all of them. The torque of 7,000 Nm at 13 rpm will cover the standard bases of the furniture, shelters, and information elements.

Glentor B80 — for larger structures on open areas. Where there is plenty of space around the point and the design places higher demands, it offers the highest torque in a row (8,000 Nm) and a pressure of 12,000 N.

CriterionA70C65B80
Width902 mmside-mounting980 mm
Mass1.7 tonnes3 050 / 3 250 kg2,480 kg
Torque7,000 Nm6,500 Nm8 000 Nm
Downward force5,000 N12,000 N12,000 N
Max. screw / pilot2.4 m3.5 / 4.3 m2.5 metres
Hydraulic breakernoMTB36, 900 Jno
Suitable forpedestrian zones, parks, furniturepathway, lighting, stopsopen areas, larger structure

The implementation process

  1. Project preparation and statements by network operators. The structural engineer will determine the type, length, and arrangement of the brackets according to the design (roof, mast, panel). All the nets will be expressed and marked at the site.
  2. Coordination with the operation of the public space. Work is planned to be completed at the bus stops before the night shift begins; in pedestrian zones outside peak hours. A replacement stop or a loop route will be arranged.
  3. Drilling the cover. An asphalt or concrete cover is drilled at the site of each point, in the case of a harder substrate with a DTH drill hole. The tile is dismantled only at the point of drilling.
  4. Twisting a screw with a telematics record. The drill rotates to the projected depth, and the moment and depth are recorded for each point.
  5. Reinforcement of the structure and restoration of the surface. The construction is installed immediately after drilling. The surface is restored locally around the screw.
  6. Handover with protocol. The record of the rotation of the individual points is submitted to the administrator along with documentation of the actual execution.

What to document in a public tender

In the case of municipal contracts, documentation is just as important as the actual implementation. Available options include:

  • EC declaration of conformity and CE marking for a boring machine
  • ISO 9001:2015 — the manufacturer’s quality management system
  • Protocol on the breaking down of individual points from the telemetric unit (moment and depth)
  • Static assessment of the foundation According to Eurocode 7
  • Documents proving the training of the service staff — Training is provided by Glentor

Frequently Asked Questions

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