CFA and Driven Pile Foundations
Hamilton Lands
The Hamilton Lands Parcel 1 development required a large-scale foundation system in challenging Queensborough soils.
TerraCana proposed a value-engineered alternative to the original all-driven-pile design, combining continuous flight auger (CFA) piles with driven piles to reduce costs for the owner.
The project marked TerraCana’s first large-scale CFA program, 538 CFA piles verified through a full-scale static load testing program alongside PDA testing on the driven piles.
The Challenge
The Hamilton Lands site sits in Queensborough, where a high groundwater table and soft peat layer created difficult subsurface conditions for deep foundation installation.
The original design called for an all-driven-pile solution, but TerraCana identified an opportunity to deliver a more efficient foundation system through value-added engineering.
The Solution
TerraCana worked with GeoPacific (geotechnical) and Thomas Leung Structural Engineers to develop a hybrid foundation design combining CFA piles and driven piles. This was TerraCana’s first large-scale CFA program, requiring the team to execute at production scale on a new pile type while maintaining quality across nearly 540 piles.
The CFA piles were installed using a Soilmec SR80 drilling rig, while driven piles were installed with a JD345 excavator equipped with a Movax DH45 drop hammer. To verify capacity across both foundation types, TerraCana conducted a full-scale static load test program on the CFA piles and PDA (Pile Driving Analyzer) testing on the driven piles. This dual-verification approach confirmed performance in the variable Queensborough soils and gave the engineering team confidence in the hybrid design.
The result was an accelerated construction schedule and cost savings compared to the original all-driven-pile specification.
The Outcome
Technical Specifications
Key Outcomes
Project Partners
Client
