Screwed Steel Piles

Document Description
Document Type

Specification

Document Number

VSN-CIV-S-11

Predecessor

VSN-O-4

Document Owner
Document Coordinator
Next Review Date

November 2011

Revision History
Sign Off
Rev

Description

Fully reviewed

Date

30-Nov-10

Originator

Reviewer

Owner

D. Willey

M. Hayden

D. Willey

2010 Encana Corporation. All rights reserved.

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Screwed Steel Piles

ECA-CIV-S-11 Rev. 0

LEGAL NOTICE
Paper copies of this document are Veresen. This copy is valid only at the time of printing. The controlled version of this
document is stored on the Veresen Inc website. To ensure the most current version is being used, retrieve the current
version of the document at the start of each project. Information contained in this document is for information purposes
only. The information (including changes to the terms herein) may be changed or updated from time to time without
notice. In consideration for using Veresen Inc documentation, the user agrees to hold Veresen Inc and its affiliates and
subsidiaries, and their respective directors, officers, employees and agents harmless against any claims for damages or
costs or any loss of any kind arising out of the access to or use of any information contained in or obtained through this
document.

Disclaimer of Warranties
In addition to the above disclaimers of warranties, Veresen Inc hereby expressly disclaims any liability for errors or
omissions in the information contained in this document. Although Veresen Inc believes this information to be correct at
the time it is posted, Veresen Inc does not warrant the accuracy, completeness or currency of this information at all
times. All information contained in this document is provided on an as-is and as-available basis without any
representations, warranties or endorsements whatsoever. This document has not been officially sealed and signed by an
Veresen Inc Professional Engineer; however, consultation with Engineering has been made where applicable to ensure
this document is of the highest standard. Engineering work done according to this document shall be sealed and signed
by the responsible Professional Engineer. This alleviates the necessity for this document to be sealed and signed by
Veresen Inc.
No warranty of any kind, implied, expressed or statutory, warranty of merchantability and non-infringement of intellectual
property rights, third party rights, title, and fitness for any particular purpose or freedom from computer viruses or other
contaminating or destructive properties is given in conjunction with the information contained in this document.

Exclusion of Liability
In no event shall Veresen Inc be liable for any damages, including without limitation, direct or indirect, special, incidental
or consequential damages, loss of profits, opportunities or information arising in connection with the Veresen Inc
documentation or with any linked web sites or documents even if Veresen Inc is made aware of the possibility of such
damages, losses, claims or expenses.

Intellectual Property Rights and Ownership

As between Veresen and the users of this documentation (whether it be in printed or electronic form), Veresen is the
owner, or the authorized licensee, of all works contained herein that are protected by copyright, all trade-marks, and all
inventions and trade secrets that may be contained in this documentation, whether or not such inventions and trade
secrets are protected by patents and applications for patents. Without limitation, the unauthorized use, modification,
copying, or disclosure of this documentation may violate laws and protect Encanas and/or others intellectual property
and may give rise to a right in Veresen and/or others to seek legal redress for such use, modification, copying, or
disclosure. To the extent permitted by license or law, Veresen reserves all intellectual property rights in this
documentation.

Patent Rights
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this documentation may be the subject of patent rights.
Veresen shall not be held responsible for identifying all such patent rights. Users of this documentation are expressly
advised that determination of the validity of any such patent rights is entirely their own responsibility.

Authorized Use of this Documentation

Only those companies that have a current signed contract with Veresen may use this document. This documentation is
being provided by Veresen Inc for informational use only. The use of this documentation is limited to the specification,
design, procurement, construction, operation and maintenance of Veresen Inc facilities and equipment. This
documentation in no way absolves the user of his/her obligations to ensure the applicable legislation, codes, regulations,
standards, industry practices, etc., are being upheld. If there are conflicts between this documentation and any legislation
or publications available, the user has the duty and responsibility to inform Veresen Inc prior to applying any guidelines
written in this documentation.
Limited copies of this documentation in print or paper form may be distributed only to persons who are authorized by
Veresen to have such copies, and only if this Legal Notice appears on each such copy. Users may not and may not
permit others to alter this documentation in any way or remove this Legal Notice, sell this documentation or make an
electronic copy of this documentation.
The display of trademarks, trade names or design marks in this document does not imply that a license of any kind has
been granted to any other party.
Any unauthorized use regarding publication, copying or modification of information in this document, including
trademarks, trade names and design marks, may violate applicable legislation and may result in legal action.
If you do not agree with any of the terms and conditions contained in this Legal Notice, you may not use this
documentation or make any copies of the contents hereof, and if you do make such copies, you are required to destroy
them immediately. Use of this documentation constitutes your acceptance of the terms and conditions of this Legal
Notice.

Revised: November 2010

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ECA-CIV-S-11 Rev. 0

PREFACE
The Veresen Specifications and Recommended Practices (SARPs) system is an
essential management tool for controlling and assuring the safety, reliability, operability,
and economic viability of production equipment and pipelines. These documents provide
further clarity to the requirements set forth by Veresen Inc and divisional Environment,
Health and Safety (EH&S) teams via the Corporate Management System and the
Divisional Standards.
The Specifications contain elements that are mandatory requirements as a result of
legislation, regulation, codes and/or guidelines. The Recommended Practices contain
proven, non-mandatory techniques or methodologies. The Management Plans are
mandatory documents that are essential to Veresen remaining compliant with
government regulations. All of these documents within this SARP system must be
considered by the parties engaged in the design, procurement, construction, and
maintenance of equipment and pipelines in which Veresen has an interest.
The Specifications and Management Plans may not be departed from in practice without
official approval via the electronic waiver procedure. The Recommended Practices are
subject to interpretation in their application, but where this results in an increased risk,
including a financial risk, the Facilities Engineer responsible must:
1. Ensure that such interpretations are made by a qualified Professional
Engineer.
2. Report such interpretations to the Facility Asset Management Group (FAM)
(i.e., the SARP Owner and Coordinator) via the formal electronic waiver
procedure for the purpose of quality assurance and communication with all
stakeholders.
The responsibility for design, build, and maintenance of equipment and pipelines resides
within the business units, while FAM makes itself available for advice to the business
units when required and provides current information to users of the SARPs. FAM will
continue to update the SARPs to ensure that they express regulated minimum
standards and to mitigate the problem of differing interpretation of legislation, regulation,
codes and/or guidelines by different users. FAM will alert the users to changes in these
publications through the issuance of revisions to the SARPs.
The above approach will address the specific needs of stakeholders without
compromising regulatory requirements or essential corporate values.
These SARPs will be posted on the Veresen Inc web site, and it will be the responsibility
of the users of these SARPs to use the most current revision.

Revised: November 2010

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ECA-CIV-S-11 Rev. 0

REVISION SUMMARY
Rev

Clause(s) Affected

Revised: November 2010

Uncontrolled when printed.

Description of Change

2010 Encana Corporation. All rights reserved.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0

Introduction ...................................................................................................................1
1.1

2.0

3.0

General Requirements ..................................................................................................1

2.1

Codes and Standards ..........................................................................................1

2.2

Conflicts ...............................................................................................................2

2.3

Deviations ............................................................................................................2

2.4

Submittals ............................................................................................................2

Site Conditions ..............................................................................................................2

3.1

4.0

6.0

8.0

5.1

General ................................................................................................................4

5.2

Tolerances ...........................................................................................................5

5.3

Screw Piles ..........................................................................................................5

Delivery, Storage and Handling ....................................................................................5

General ................................................................................................................5

Inspection and Testing .................................................................................................6

7.1

Inspection ............................................................................................................6

7.2

Screw Pile Installation Records ............................................................................6

7.3

Testing .................................................................................................................6

Site Clean-Up .................................................................................................................7

8.1

9.0

Screw Piles ..........................................................................................................3

Installation .....................................................................................................................4

6.1
7.0

General ................................................................................................................2

Materials.........................................................................................................................3
4.1

5.0

Scope ..................................................................................................................1

General ................................................................................................................7

Guarantee ......................................................................................................................7
9.1

General ................................................................................................................7

Appendix A: Definitions............................................................................................................8
Appendix B: References ...........................................................................................................9

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LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Minimum Pipe Wall Thickness ......................................................................................3

Revised: November 2010

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1.0

ECA-CIV-S-11 Rev. 0

INTRODUCTION
This specification covers the materials, design and installation of screwed steel pipe
piling.
1.1

Scope
This specification covers the requirements for screwed steel piles.
Key terms used in this Specification are defined in Appendix A.

2.0

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
2.1

Codes and Standards

2.1.1

Design and construction shall be performed in accordance with the

applicable provisions of the latest edition of the following codes and
standards:
Federal Codes
National Building Code of Canada (NBC), including Supplements
Provincial Codes
Applicable Provincial Building Code
Applicable Occupational Health and Safety Regulations
Canadian Standards Association
CSA W47.1, Certification of Companies for Fusion Welding of Steel
CSA W48, Filler Metals and Allied Materials for Metal Arc Welding
CSA W59, Welded Steel Construction (Metal-Arc Welding)
CSA G40.21,Structural Quality Steel
American Society for Testing and Materials

ASTM D1143, Standard Test Method for Deep Foundations Under

Static Axial Compressive Load
ASTM D3689m Standard Test Method for Deep Foundations Under
Static Axial Tensile Load
ASTM A252, Welded and Seamless Steel Pipe Piles
ASTM A53, Standard Specifications of Pipe, Steel, Black and HotDipped, Zinc Coated, Welded and Seamless
ASTM A106, Seamless Carbon Steel Pipe for High Temperature
Service
Access to these external codes and standards is available internally
through Encanas Information and Records Centre via Standards
Expert. To simplify the search, a compiled list of all codes referenced in
all SARPs has been created, which you can easily search to find the
reference document of interest.

Revised: November 2010

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Screwed Steel Piles

2.2

2.3

Conflicts
2.2.1

Where there are conflicts between Veresens drawings, data sheets

specifications or requisition, and the specified code or governmental
requirements, such conflicts shall be referred to Veresen in writing for
resolution.

2.2.2

The Contractor shall comply with changes and/or additions incorporated

in the most recent issue or edition of codes, regulations and other
references issued up to the time of award of contract.

2.2.3

Where there is conflict between any changes to codes, regulations or

other references listed in the contents of this specification, the changes
shall apply.

2.2.4

Where there is conflict between the contents of this specification and

detailed engineering drawings, the Owner shall be called upon to make a
final and binding decision.

2.2.5

In case of conflict, metric (SI) shall over rule Imperial units.

2.2.6

In case of conflict, province/state and then country shall rule in that order.

Deviations
2.3.1

2.4

Veresen must approve any deviations from this document, in writing via
the waiver procedure. See VSN-GEN-S-01, SARP System.

Submittals
2.4.1

3.0

ECA-CIV-S-11 Rev. 0

Submittals shall be done in accordance with specification VSN-CIV-S-13,

Concrete, Section 2.4, and the requirements defined in Section 7.2 in this
specification.

SITE CONDITIONS
3.1

General
3.1.1

A copy of the soils report, when available, will be provided to the

Contractor who will be responsible to familiarize himself with the soil
conditions described therein.

3.1.2

Layout and surveying of piles shall be the responsibility of the Contractor.

3.1.3

The Contractor shall ensure that the site conditions are adequate to
support the required piling installation equipment and for the proper
performance of the piling operations.

3.1.4

Contractor shall adopt safe work procedures and protect the public,
construction personnel, existing structures, both surface and
underground, and any concurrent work on site from hazards attributable
to piling operations.

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4.0

ECA-CIV-S-11 Rev. 0

3.1.5

For piles that are installed within 1 m of existing underground structure or

utility, expose the existing structure. Pile location shall be verified to
ensure that a minimum of 300 mm clearance will exist between the
structure and the edge of the helix.

3.1.6

Contractor shall be responsible for the protection of survey monuments

and shall repair any damage caused during the course of work to these
monuments.

MATERIALS
4.1

Screw Piles
4.1.1

Pipe material shall conform to the codes and standards referenced in this
specification.

4.1.2

Splices shall be performed using complete joint penetration groove

welds.

4.1.3

Welding shall conform to CSA W59. Welders must be qualified under the
provisions of CSA W47.1.

4.1.4

Welding procedures and welding qualifications shall conform to CSA

W59 and CSA W47.1. Welding electrodes shall be E49XX classification,
conforming to CSA W48.

4.1.5

Minimum pipe wall thickness shall be as given in Table 1, unless

otherwise indicated within the contract documents. The values shown
include 1.5 mm corrosion allowance.

Table 1: Minimum Pipe Wall Thickness

Pipe Size (mm)

Wall Thickness (mm)

114.3

6.02

141.3

6.55

168.3

7.11

219.1

8.18

4.1.6

Helix(s) shall be minimum 12.7 mm thickness and conform to CSA

G40.21, Grade 300 W material. The leading edge of helix(s) shall be
sharpened to minimize soil disturbance during installation.

4.1.7

Helix(s) shall be welded to the pipe section using a continuous fillet weld
on both sides of the helix to pipe section.

4.1.8

The pile shall incorporate a starter point which shall be an open ended
pile cut at 45 or as approved by the engineer.

Revised: November 2010

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Screwed Steel Piles

5.0

ECA-CIV-S-11 Rev. 0

INSTALLATION
5.1

General
5.1.1

All underground lines shall be located by the Contractor prior to pile

installation for the safety of all employees and subcontractors on site.

5.1.2

Should pipelines, cables or other buried equipment be of an uncertain

nature, then either hydrovacing or hand digging should be utilized to
locate lines or utilities.

5.1.3

When installing piles in the vicinity of powerlines, the Contractor shall

hold a meeting with all workers involved prior to installation to establish
safe work practices to be followed. A hot work permit will be required in
these areas.

5.1.4

Piles shall be installed under the supervision of competent inspectors or

geotechnical personnel.

5.1.5

Install piles in location as shown on the drawings or as directed by the

Owner.

5.1.6

Piles shall be installed with a rotary type torque motor with forward and
reverse capabilities. The torque motor shall be capable of continuous
adjustments to the RPM during installation.

5.1.7

The torque motor shall have a minimum torque capacity of 33.9 kN-m
(25,000 ft-lbs) or a capacity 15% greater than the torsional strength of the
largest shaft to be installed, whichever is greater.

5.1.8

Equipment shall be capable of applying adequate down pressure and

torque simultaneously to suit the soil conditions and ensure the pile is
installed with minimal soil disturbance. Equipment shall be capable of
continuous position adjustment to maintain proper pile alignment during
installation.

5.1.9

Screw piles shall be installed in a smooth and continuous manner. The

rate of advance shall match the pitch of the helix.

5.1.10 Stop pile installation immediately if abrupt high torque resistance is

Veresen. The pile installation records shall be carefully examined to
determine if adequate pile capacity and embedment depth have been
achieved.
5.1.11 Any manipulation of piles to force them into proper position, considered
by the Owner to be excessive, shall not be permitted.
5.1.12 Pre-drilling may be used if necessary to ensure alignment while driving
through coarse materials. Pre-drilling may also be used where seasonal
frost is Veresen. The proposed pre-drill diameter and pre-drill
methodology shall be submitted to the Owner for approval prior to
beginning the work.
5.1.13 Install each pile to the depth shown on the drawings.
Revised: November 2010
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5.1.14 A torque monitoring device capable of monitoring torques during the

entire installation shall be provided. Calibration records shall be available
to the Owner upon request.
5.1.15 Provide sufficient length of pile above cut-off elevation so that any part
damaged during installation can be cut off. Any installation-pin holes in
the pile shaft shall be cut-off or suitably patched. Cut off piles neatly and
squarely at the elevations shown.
5.1.16 The Contractor shall notify the Owner immediately if any screw pile is not
installed in compliance with the drawings and specifications.
5.1.17 Pile caps shall be located exactly as shown on the drawings. Due to
horizontal placement tolerances, the center lines of the pile cap and the
pile may not be in alignment.
5.2

Tolerances
5.2.1

No pile shall be placed more than 75 mm off-centre at the cut-off

elevation. No pile shall be placed more than 2% out of plumb.

5.2.2

The following pile cut-off elevations are required:

5.2.3

5.3

6.0

+/- 25 mm for piles that will be cast into a concrete foundation

+0 and -10 mm for piles to be connected directly to structural steel
without a concrete pile cap. The maximum difference in cut-off
elevation within a group of piles that are to be connected directly to
the same steel beam or structural assembly shall not exceed 3 mm.

Centre-to-centre spacing of piles in a group shall not be less than 3.0

times the diameter of the largest helix, or not less than 750 mm,
whichever is the largest value, unless otherwise shown on the drawings,
scope of work, or approved in writing by the engineer.

Screw Piles
5.3.1

When multiple helixes are used, they must be placed in such a way as
not to increase soil disturbance.

5.3.2

When using multiple helixes of different sizes, the smallest helix must be
on the bottom with larger helixes spaced appropriately along the pipe.

5.3.3

In order to prevent frost jacking, the top helix must be below the frost line.

DELIVERY, STORAGE AND HANDLING

6.1

General
6.1.1

Contractor shall take all necessary prVSNutions to ensure that all piling
materials and any protective coatings are not damaged during delivery,
storage, handling and positioning.

6.1.2

Contractor shall carry out at its expense all repairs and replacements
made necessary by faulty handling and storage.

Revised: November 2010

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7.0

ECA-CIV-S-11 Rev. 0

INSPECTION AND TESTING

7.1

7.2

Inspection
7.1.1

Contractor shall provide the Owner with access to the work at all times for
checking materials and fabrication and installation procedures.

7.1.2

The Owner shall have the right to stop work and require repairs or
alterations if, in his opinion, the materials or workmanship do not meet
the specified requirements.

7.1.3

Any omissions or failure on the part of the Owner to disapprove or reject

any work or materials must not be construed as an acceptance of any
defective work or materials.

7.1.4

Repairs or changes due to improper placement of piles or due to

structural damage shall be made as directed by the Engineer. This may
include pulling and reinstalling of piles or the addition of new piles. The
cost of such repairs shall be borne by the Contractor.

7.1.5

Contractor will bear the cost of repair and additional inspection resulting
from faulty material or workmanship.

Screw Pile Installation Records

7.2.1

Contractor shall maintain accurate records of all piles and shall submit its
records to the Owner as follows:

7.3

Pile number and location

Date and time of installation
Pile type and size
Sequence of installation
Tip elevation
Cut-off elevation
Embedment depth of pile
Make and model of pile installation rig
Type and maximum installation torque of rig
Installation torque
Deviation of top of pile from designated location
Remarks such as interruption of continuous installation, pile damage,
field splice or obstructions Veresen, etc.

Testing
7.3.1

Where required by Owner, Contractor shall carry out load tests on piles in
accordance with ASTM D1143 and Owner shall be the sole judge of any
test result. Failure of a pile to sustain the test load may result in further
tests being required by Owner.

Revised: November 2010

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8.0

SITE CLEAN-UP
8.1

General
8.1.1

9.0

ECA-CIV-S-11 Rev. 0

The Contractor shall remove all surplus material and debris from the site
on a daily basis and upon satisfactory completion of the work. All waste
material shall be disposed of in properly designated locations, or as
directed by Owner.

GUARANTEE
9.1

General
9.1.1

Contractor shall guarantee all works against defective materials and poor
workmanship for a period of one year after piling has been placed. Any
remedial work including replacement piles, if necessary, shall be at
Contractors expense.

9.1.2

Contractor shall guarantee compliance with the Codes and Standards

identified in this specification, drawings or other documents
accompanying contract documents.

Revised: November 2010

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2010 Encana Corporation. All rights reserved.

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ECA-CIV-S-11 Rev. 0

APPENDIX A: DEFINITIONS
Term

Definition

Contractor

Any company that has undertaken to carry out the work.

Contractor shall include vendor, fabricator or authorized subcontractor.

Veresen

Veresen Inc. Can also refer to Encanas representatives.

Engineer

The Owners Engineer or consulting Engineer, authorized to

make engineering decisions in regard to piling work.

Management Plans

Mandatory documents that are essential to Veresen remaining

compliant with government regulations and contain requirements
for inspection, testing, competency, etc. If any deviation from
these documents is desired, the waiver procedure (see VSNGEN-S-01, SARP System) must be followed.

Owner

Veresen Inc or its designated representative.

Recommended Practices

Non-mandatory documents that describe techniques or

methodologies that, through experience and research, have
proven to reliably lead to a desired result. Recommended
Practices do not require official approval for waivers but the
same waiver procedure outlined in VSN-GEN-S-01, SARP
System must be followed, with the exception of a delay in waiting
for a response from the Owner. This is to maintain consistency in
our practices and to ensure communication is made to all
stakeholders if there proves to be a better, or alternative method.

Specifications

Mandatory documents that specify, in a complete, precise,

verifiable manner, the requirements, design, behavior, or other
characteristics of a system, component, product, result, or service
and, often, the procedures for determining whether these
provisions have been satisfied. These documents will refer to
appropriate guidelines, codes, and legislation/regulation and only
repeat such information as a point of clarification/interpretation.
They may at times exceed the requirements of these publications
to provide best lifecycle economics, not necessarily capital
savings. If any deviation from these documents is desired, the
waiver procedure (see VSN-GEN-S-01, SARP System) must be
followed.

Standards Expert

Veresen subscribes to Standards Expert, a tool provided through

IHS. Standards Expert provides Veresen employees online
access to industry codes and standards. Any documents not
available on this site should be requested through the Information
and Records Centre to track requests and to provide funding to
purchase the documents on a license or one-off basis.

Revised: November 2010

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2010 Encana Corporation. All rights reserved.

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ECA-CIV-S-11 Rev. 0

APPENDIX B: REFERENCES
***This is an optional standard appendix. Identify all relevant supporting documents,
standards, codes, etc. Hyperlink all publicly available documents where possible. Delete
this paragraph.
If you do not have References, you can use Appendix B as your first appendix.
***Add as many additional appendixes as required.
***NOTE: Do not delete the last paragraph in this document. It contains a
bookmark to set the proper page count for the body of this document.
ge

Revised: November 2010

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