Construction of greenhouses on fill: Fid-Bau Portal

Construction of greenhouses on fill

Levenstam, V. V. / Zekun, N. S.

Conclusions The state-of-the-art in greenhouse foundation installation (zero cycle) is lagging considerably behind that of construction of other surface structures. Any progress in this area can be accomplished by founding the footings in natural formations (composite or monolithic) by pressed-in, or driven, short piles as well as by utilization of fill material such as man-made foundation. Such pile foundation will accelerate construction, permit utilization of inherent strength properties of construction materials and underlying soils, improve the technical reliability of structures (on account of smaller settlement), reduce volume of earthwork, and also reduce the present waste of construction materials. Application of improved methods of pile installation by sinking them under pressure into the soil can be achieved with proper equipment and proper methodology to obtain the required precision. A better reliability of pile installation can, in principle, be obtained by the pressure method. However, at the present time pressure-sinking units for installation of piles or pedestals for greenhouse construction are still unavailable. For fill material that will not permit pressure installation (gravels, coarse sands, etc.), footings with anchor plates are recommended.