Michelin Tyres Factory Extension, Dundee

Barr Construction were contracted to build a new factory for Michelin Tyres at their existing facility in Dundee. The new building was to be constructed on a previously used site and comprised of a portal framed shed (22,000 m2) and sprinkler tanks.

The site is underlain by up to 1.5 m of low strength made ground which comprises mainly of mixed granular lithology’s and some silty clay. Below the made ground soft to firm clays are encountered occasionally with peaty lenses to depths of up to 4.0m, below which are dense sands and gravels.

Menard installed stone columns through the weak made ground and natural clays to provide bearing pressures of up to 35kPa (locally 90kPa) beneath the floor slabs and 150kPa beneath main foundations. Columns were installed using the dry bottom feed technique due to the shallow water table.