Contractor drives micropile production, safety with KLEMM equipment By Brian M. Fraley, Fraley Construction Marketing
Technical Foundations drilled holes with a KLEMM KR 806-3G and fed rod and casing sections to the rig with an excavator-mounted HBR 120 rod-handling attachment on a micropile project near Roanoke, Virginia.
Technical Foundations has been providing specialty foundation contracting services along the Eastern Seaboard for 27 years, with a heavy focus on Virginia and the Carolinas. The contractor’s reputation for taking on unique projects is evident in its selection of equipment, the most recent of which was the rental of a KLEMM drilling rig and rod-handling attachment from Equipment Corporation of America (ECA). “Technical Foundations specializes in unique projects,” says Project Engineer Butch Stoneman. “We like to provide cost-efficient, innovative solutions, and sustainable ground improvements for challenging sites where conventional approaches won’t quite work.” 26 PIC Magazine • June 2021
ECA’s Account Manager Greg Barta arranged the rental of the KLEMM drilling rig and rod-handling attachment and KLEMM specialist Burt Kerns conducted on-site operator training for the team at the beginning of the project since this was the contractor’s first time using the HBR 120.
The contractor has done business with the ECA Washington branch for more
Careful hand signaling was required between a spotter and the equipment operators to get the rod-handling attachment and drilling rig mast on the right plane to keep the casing sections properly aligned.
MICROPILES CHOSEN TO AVOID DISRUPTION
than 10 years. Although the original con-
Technical Foundations put the KLEMM
nection was with Branch Manager Mike
drilling rig and handling system to work
Brown – known by Stoneman and many
in January 2021 on a project near Roa-
other contractors for his intimate knowl-
noke, Virginia. The contractor was hired
edge of the KLEMM line – it was Account
to install 230 micropiles to support a size-
Manager Greg Barta that arranged the
able commercial building addition and
rental of the drilling rig and rod-handling
multi-story precast parking garage.
attachment. Technical Foundations is no
The micropiles would be spread across
stranger to KLEMM drilling rigs, but
the roughly two-acre site to support the
ECA’s KLEMM specialist Burt Kerns was
proposed structures in unsuitable soils.
sent to conduct on-site operator train-
The existing site was essentially a valley
ing for the team at the beginning of the
that had been backfilled with a variety of
project since this was the contractor’s first
materials to level it.
time using the HBR 120 rod-handling attachment.
Technical Foundations started off by test drilling to locate the bedrock. During
