Key principals of Layne GeoConstruction have been instrumental in the development and advancement of drilled micropile technology and production since its origins in Italy. With over 30 years of experience, Layne GeoConstruction continues to innovate and advance micropile technology. As a result, Layne GeoConstruction offers drilled micropile systems superior in both design and installation.

Drilled micropiles were invented in Italy in the 1950’s as a means to underpin sensitive historic buildings. The pile, called the Palo Radice or root pile, was a small diameter cast-in-place, lightly reinforced drilled pile developed by the Italian geotechnical construction company, Fondedile. The palo radice was generally designed to achieve 10 tons capacity.

The first application on record was in 1952 to underpin a masonry wall. The ongoing success of this pile and its applications over the next decade drew the attention of many engineering professionals. The palo radice was then introduced to the United Kingdom in 1962, and Germany in 1965, with other specialty geotechnical contractors developing their own adaptations of the pile.

Post WWII, drilled micropiles were widely accepted in Europe, as steel was at a premium, labor was inexpensive and the need to preserve existing structures imperative. The situation in post war North America differed greatly from that of Europe. Steel was plentiful, and the advent of the Interstate Highway System promoted development in rural areas, where structures were constructed in the open with inexpensive steel.

Drilled micropiles, first introduced to the United States in 1973 to underpin buildings in Boston and New York, are now widely accepted as a means to underpin sensitive structures. Subsequently, engineers and contractors have developed standards for the design, installation, and testing of drilled micropiles - which are provided for in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and New York State building codes.

Drilled micropiles can be installed in a wide range of soils from non-cohesive, poorly graded granular soils, to cohesive plastic clays. Drilled micropiles are a viable solution to underpinning or structural foundation support projects.