Large 130-tonne drill rigs have been placed in the rail corridor close to where Perth’s Carlisle Station used to be, ready on-site for piling works along the METRONET Victoria Park-Canning Level Crossing Removal Project.
Piling started early December following station demolitions in late November, with the first piles being installed near Mint Street.
A total of six piling drill rigs will appear on the project site from Victoria Park to Beckenham and will install 775 piles in total.
Piles will range in depth from 15m to 35m and three different piling methods will be used on the project – carefully chosen to accommodate the diverse ground composition and presence of different types of infrastructure along the line.
Piling activities are scheduled from December 2024 to mid-2024 at locations crucial for building each viaduct structure, including near the five elevated stations and new shared path bridge over Welshpool Road.
Piling is the critical process of drilling foundations (long poles made of steel or concrete) into the ground to distribute weight across a wider surface.
The process prepares the ground to carry heavy loads and, in this project, will strengthen the ground to cater for the elevated rail structures.
Essentially, piles work by distributing weight across a wider surface area.
Six piling rigs each weighing 130 tonnes, will install the 775 piles to lay the foundations for around the 4.5km of planned elevated rail.
Hardstand areas will be built before piling works to provide a stable surface where drill rigs will operate. These areas are designed to withstand the load of the rigs and other heavy machinery.
Piles will be installed up to 35m into the ground to support the weight of the viaduct structure, stations, rail infrastructure and trains it will carry.
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