GCG was commissioned to undertake pile capacity and pile settlement analyses to assess the adequacy of the alternative foundation scheme. The ultimate limit state analyses examined the loading distribution within the foundation system accounting for loading eccentricity, various load combinations, and individual and pile group capacities. Serviceability limit analyses/ checks were also performed for key construction stages and for the long term conditions. The results showed that the new foundation scheme would produce small and tolerable total and differential settlements. Site micro-pile testing, carried out to verify the design, were instrumented with vibrating wire strain gauges and fibre optic cables – a first in micro-pile testing – which revealed the load distribution and the average shaft friction along the pile shaft. The results verified the novel alternative scheme proposed.
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