Soil Improvement Modernizes Mexico 

Edited by Debbie Reaney 

Ingenieria Proyectos y Construcciones IPC SA de CV (IPC), a leader in maritime and groundwork construction across Mexico, is working on a particularly important soil improvement job in Hormiguero (near Paraiso) Tabasco Mexico. Once completed, the area will be utilized by the Mexican Navy/Marines to construct new modernized barracks and education buildings. 

This soil improvement technique, also known as stone columns, involves construction of concrete columns with a bottom-feed, down-hole vibratory probe to transfer loads through weak strata to a firm underlying stratum. Mainly used in big fields with soft soils, a tremie is used to pour concrete underwater in a way that avoids washout of cement from the mix due to turbulent water contact with the concrete while it is flowing, producing a more reliable and strong foundation. Correctly performing soil stabilization or earthmoving is crucial for contractors and construction projects, as it not only improves safety and efficiency on the job site but also helps to minimize ground settlement and improve the bearing capacity of existing soil, ultimately keeping construction costs down.  

For this project, IPC reached out to the experts at International Construction Equipment, Inc. (ICE®) and after some discussion, they chose to utilize an ICE® 55HB Rotary Drill with ICE® Leads and 105 Spotter using an ICE® 350 Power Unit to predrill the 14" (in) & 12" (in) diameter holes required. The IPC crew also used an ICE® 44B and an ICE® Model 416L vibratory driver with sheeting clamp and hopper tool to vibrate the stone columns to achieve the required soil densification. Due to the tight schedule of this job, the IPC team is running 24 hours a day, with three crews rotating continuously and have been quite pleased with the performance and abilities of the equipment- helping them remain on time and within budget. Fantastic work, Ingenieria Proyectos y Construcciones IPC SA de CV! International Construction Equipment, Inc. looks forward to continuing to work with our international partners like IPC and thanks them for the opportunity to aid in the modernization of Mexico. 

Learn more about the ICE® 44B Vibratory Driver/Extractor, ICE® 416L & ICE® 55HB Rotary Drill 

Media Contact-       
Pollyanna Cunningham, MA, MBA       
Vice President Marketing, Brand and Media Relations     

Vice President IT and IT Comm    
ICE® - International Construction Equipment, Inc       
Office - 704-821-8200       
Email - marketing@iceusa.com