In Saint-Maurice, construction of the Foyer St-Jacques extension is progressing. Following the earthworks and the installation of the piling platform, load-bearing tests carried out on the foundation piles confirmed the design assumptions. This marks an important milestone before the construction of all foundations for the future facility.

The building foundations are based on displacement piles installed at depths of 13.5 and 18 metres. This method allows the piles to be driven into the ground without removing any material. The soil is progressively compacted during installation, improving its mechanical properties and promoting better interaction between the ground and the foundation system.

To verify the soil bearing capacity, several dynamic pile load tests (PDA) were carried out. This method consists of applying a controlled impact to the pile head using a drop weight and analysing the resulting penetration in order to assess the pile load-bearing capacity and confirm the assumptions established during the design phase.

The results proved satisfactory and validated the selected foundation concept. The project can now proceed with the installation of the permanent piles that will support the future building.

The next stages will include pile cropping, construction of underground utility networks and pipelines, ground beams and the raft foundation, which will distribute building loads to the deep foundations.

The foundations play a decisive role in this project by reaching more favourable soil strata and ensuring the transfer of structural loads from the future buildings to the ground.

Client: Fondation Saint-Jacques
Civil Engineer: INGPHI
Architects: Wolff Obrist Architectes, Lausanne
Contractors: Bitz-Implenia Consortium (earthworks and specialist foundation works), Marti-Cuénod Consortium (structural works)