PILE SUPPORTED DAIRY BARN AT ORGANIC FARM

Services

  • Engineering & Construction

Customer

Salmon Arm Dairy Farmer

Project Date

2016

Location

Shuswap

Challenge – An aging dairy barn is in need of replacement to meet demand for organic milk. Soil types within the new barn footprint have high organic content and lack bearing capacity to support a new structure. The time required to pre-load the site with aggregate exceeds the available timeline.

Solution – Two problems needed to be solved. First, the bearing capacity of the soil needed to be strengthened to support the barn structure. Secondly, the weight of the fill, required to support the concrete barn floor, had to be reduced. To increase soil capacity, 110 untreated larch timber piles were driven into the underlying organic soil and capped with steel collars. Timber, when driven below the water table, will not rot. Approximately 4000 m3 of productive, organic soil was salvaged for future use, and lightweight fill (expanded polystyrene or EPS foam), was used in place of aggregate to support the barn floor.

The barn is currently under construction for use in spring, 2017.

Another successful project done in collaboration with Terratech Consulting Ltd.

Project Photos