We recently undertook a combination of plate load tests and boreholes at a Government facility between Abingdon and Oxford, in Oxfordshire. This was to check the ground bearing capacity to ensure that a planned crane lift had competent strata to work off.
The point loads on the crane legs were a maximum of 60T, giving a pressure of 100kN/m2 beneath the spreader plates. We carried out plate bearing tests at the location of each crane foot and a borehole in each location to ensure that no soft strata was present below the zone of influence of our 450mm plate.
The plate was loaded to 2.5 times the working pressure and the recorded settlements were well within tolerance rates. A quick and simple process ensuring the crane lift was undertaken on safe ground.
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