PILING · KNOWLEDGE CENTRE
What is CFA piling?
Updated [MONTH YEAR] · Reviewed by [AUTHOR/REVIEWER NAME, ROLE — VERIFY]
CFA piling (continuous flight auger piling) is a piling method in which a hollow-stem auger drills to design depth in one continuous pass, and concrete or grout is pumped through the stem as the auger is withdrawn, before reinforcement is placed into the wet concrete. It is one of the most widely used piling methods for commercial, industrial and urban residential foundations.
How CFA piling works
A continuous flight auger — a rotating shaft with a helical flight and a hollow centre — is drilled into the ground to the design founding depth in a single, continuous operation. Once the design depth is reached, concrete or cement grout is pumped under controlled pressure through the hollow stem as the auger is slowly withdrawn, filling the void left behind. A steel reinforcement cage is then pushed or vibrated into the fresh concrete before it sets.
Practical application
Because the method does not typically require temporary casing or drilling fluid, and produces comparatively low vibration and noise, CFA piling is often selected for urban and infill sites, sites near existing structures, and projects where a fast, continuous production rate is valuable. It is used across commercial, industrial and residential foundation projects where ground conditions are suitable — generally soils without major obstructions or very dense, bouldery strata.
Company experience
HarbourProjects Ltd provides CFA piling as part of its foundation engineering services. See the CFA piling service page for methodology, equipment and project experience detail.
Project evidence
[REPLACE WITH VERIFIED PROJECT REFERENCE.] See example: Industrial Warehouse Foundation, Lagos (demo entry).