There are many situations where a retaining wall is needed to be built in the ground. For example, when building a basement for a building, you first set up walls in the ground and then dig the soil away inside the walls. Or perhaps you need a dry area in the middle of water? Again, first build the walls and then pump out the water.
A simple solution in soft soil is to push metal sheets into the ground with the help of a sheet pile driver. But if there is a single big rock in the way of the metal sheet, the journey of the sheet ends there. The solution, then, is Mincon’s M-wall system, which can be drilled through practically anything and used in all ground conditions. This interlocked pipe-pile ring-bit system is a proven method of building interlocked walls all the way into solid bedrock. If necessary, these walls can also be used for watertight applications.
The M-Wall system is designed to work with all available interlocks intended for drilling. The ring-bit is wide enough to drill the space for all male connector types. The next pile is drilled right next to the first pile and the larger female connector occupies the space drilled by the two large ring bits, securely connecting the two piles.
One of the crucial benefits of Mincon’s M-Wall ring-bit system is its compatibility with other wall types, like sheet-pile walls. This means it’s possible to install sheet pile walls into soft ground and use M-Wall piles for difficult terrain. Drilled M-Wall pipe pile walls are also stiffer than conventional sheet-pile walls and have have higher resistance when subjected to heavy loads. Finally, when an M-wall is drilled into bedrock it functions as a load-bearing foundation for the structure, rather than only acting as a retaining wall for the underground space.
Mincon offers two systems of drilling M-Walls: solitary and integrated. In solitary M-Wall systems the ring bit is not permanently connected to the casing shoe. In the hands of an experienced driller, this is a very cost-effective solution for drilling and building M-walls. However, it runs the risk of accidentally dropping the ring bit which would make it less suitable for drilling over water. For those situations, Mincon recommends the integrated M-Wall system which uses an integrated ring-bit in the casing shoe, thus removing the risk of losing ring bits and possibly preventing further drilling at the same location. In both cases, drilling is done using the same pilot bit, a critical feature that lends our systems simplicity and versatility.
All pilot bits designed for use with our M-Wall ring-bit system use Mincon’s tested and patented Spiral Flush technology, which makes drilling safer in complex ground conditions by keeping the airflow in control. This is an important consideration when drilling for example in densely built areas or soft overburden. Learn more about Spiral Flush here.
If you want to know more about M-Wall ring bit systems, contact your local Mincon office to learn more about how we can work with you to solve your construction drilling challenges.
