Project overview

The Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre (AECC), now known as P&J Live, is a state-of-the-art facility in North East Scotland. The project to create the new facility encompassed six substantial buildings, including an exhibition hall, conference centre and arena, two hotels and an extensive underground car park. The main contractor for the project, Robertson Construction, awarded the piling package, including design and installation, to TechnikGS.

The project involved the installation of over 1600 drilled and driven piles, with an additional comprehensive preliminary trialling and testing regime. The primary goal was to complete the piling work within the allocated six-month programme period and within a specified budget.

Challenges

The site presented challenging ground conditions, consisting of obstructed fills, very dense sand and gravel (including cobbles) and stiff clay layers. Additionally, certain structures within the development generated significant tension loads, whereby the weathered granite on-site had to be penetrated to achieve the required tension capacity, adding to the complexity of the pile installation process.

Given the site’s proximity to Aberdeen International Airport, special precautions had to be taken to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the piling equipment used during the project.

Solutions provided

The project involved the installation of 1622 piles using a combination of 244 and 273-mm-diameter open-ended steel tube piles to depths of up to 19 m. A further 150 micropiles were installed to ensure the required tension capacity was achieved.

Through trialling and testing regimes, the mobilisation of multiple piling rigs all working concurrently and collaborative working with the engineers and main contractors involved, TechnikGS completed the piling work within the allocated time frame and budget, contributing to the overall success of the construction project.