The construction site of our Düsseldorf residential project PANDION ALBERTUSSEE is progressing in great strides. In the past weeks, a total of more than 1,000 piles have been driven into the subsoil. We would like to give you a brief insight into this type of deep foundation and why and how we have used it on our property by the lake. By 2027, we will be building around 450 PANDION condominiums here, which will be supplemented by socially subsidized and rent-controlled units.

At the beginning of the project, a soil survey was carried out as standard. This showed that the load-bearing capacity was not given in large parts, which is why we decided to use pile foundations. 

Pile foundations are a common and proven method in construction to provide a stable foundation for buildings and other structures. They are typically used when the soil is not strong enough to support the weight of the building. There are several types of piles that can be used depending on the soil conditions and loading requirements. The most common types of piles are made of concrete, steel, metal and wood.

Getting to the bottom

In our case, steel-concrete piles were used. For this, a reinforcement cage made of iron mesh was inserted into the liquid concrete. In this method, the existing soil is excavated with the help of a large drilling rig called an auger. While the soil is being drilled out, fresh concrete is already flowing to the site at the same time. Once the concrete has reached the precisely calculated load-bearing point, a steel cage is inserted before the pile consolidates. The reinforcement cage consists of bars laid vertically and horizontally, which are welded together to form a cage. The reinforcement cages prevent the pile from bending or breaking under load and increase the strength of the pile against lateral forces. Depending on soil conditions and load requirements, reinforcing cages can be used in various diameters and lengths. In our case, the piles, which are fully embedded in the ground, have a relatively narrow diameter of 50 to 70 centimeters and are 10 to 14 meters long.

In addition to our project team, specialists from a specialist company were on hand with at least five people per pile-drilling rig. In addition, two surveyors on site measured the corresponding drilling points and marked them out for the pile-drilling rigs, since each pile reaches its corresponding load-bearing capacity at a different point.

We have compiled a selection of pictures from the last few weeks so that you can see the construction progress for yourself. We will be happy to keep you up to date.