Railway Noise Walls
Helical pile foundations for 1,700 m of noise wall along an active railway corridor.
In Tampere, Finland, the foundations were delivered for two noise walls along an active railway corridor, 1,700 m of wall in total: one 1.3 m high and one 3 m high.
The design treated the two walls differently. The 1.3 m wall sits on a single helical pile beneath each post. The 3 m wall uses a dual-pile foundation joined by a steel beam below the posts. This spreads the lateral wind loads better: on one pile the helix works in tension and on the other in compression, at the same time.
The dual-pile setup also improves installation tolerances and welding efficiency. Welding can be done top to bottom, which saves time and generally gives better quality than welding from underneath.
Installation used excavators fitted with railway wheels, to run along the tracks. Because helical pile driving is quiet compared with most methods, work could be done in the evenings and at night without disturbing nearby communities.
800 helical piles · 1,700 m of wall · 1.3 and 3 m high · dual-pile with steel beam · low-noise installation
Have a similar project?
Talk to our foundation specialist about your ground. No cost, no commitment.