Barrettes

Resists large vertical and significant horizontal loads

Foundation support for bridges

01/03

Transbay Bus Ramp | San Francisco, CA

We installed load bearing elements to a depth of 180 feet below grade as foundation support for a new bridge pylon as part of San Francisco’s Transbay Transit Center project.

Foundation support for buildings

02/03

Columbia University Manhattanville | Harlem, NY

We installed load bearing elements (barrettes) and drilled shafts (84 at 6 foot and 8 at 7 foot diameter) to support interior columns for the Phase 1 building of Columbia University’s massive Manhattanville campus expansion.

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03/03

Foundation support for bridges

01/02

Transbay Bus Ramp | San Francisco, CA

We installed load bearing elements to a depth of 180 feet below grade as foundation support for a new bridge pylon as part of San Francisco’s Transbay Transit Center project.

Foundation support for buildings

02/02

Columbia University Manhattanville | Harlem, NY

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What are barrettes?

Barrettes are load-bearing elements that are excavated rectangular piles used as foundations to resist large vertical and significant horizontal loads that can accompany the construction of diaphragm walls.

How do they work?

The same techniques utilized in diaphragm wall construction can be used to form individual barrettes of various shapes including I, T, X or L to accommodate top-down construction.

Why do you need barrettes?

Barrettes provide resistance to horizontal stress and to bending moments better than circular piles of the same section, so that one single pile is sufficient under each column or bearing element.