Solutions
Piling
DAWSON-WAM is a leading piling contractor in the UK and Ireland, owning and operating a modern, versatile fleet of piling equipment backed by continuous annual investment in the latest piling technologies. Our capability spans design, supply, and installation for a wide variety of piling and retaining wall applications, delivering safe, efficient, and cost-effective foundation and structural solutions.
Complete Design & Build Piling Services
We offer a full design-and-build service across all major piling disciplines, covering:
- Retaining walls – for basements, embankments, and excavations
- Basement construction – including close proximity and zero-tolerance piling
- Cofferdams and temporary works for marine and inland projects
- Flood walls and water-retaining structures
- Quay walls for harbours and marine infrastructure
- Load bearing piles for building foundations and industrial facilities
- Vibro displacement piles for ground improvement and foundation support
- Bridge foundations for transport infrastructure
Our in-house expertise allows us to design solutions tailored to site conditions, regulatory requirements, and programme demands, ensuring quality and efficiency on every project.
Market-Leading Cased CFA Capability
DAWSON-WAM is the largest Cased CFA (Continuous Flight Auger) piling specialist in the UK and Ireland. This capability complements our conventional CFA techniques and allows us to:
- Install concrete piles from 300 mm to 1,200 mm in diameter, up to 25 metres deep
- Install piles within 100mm of adjacent structures and into tight corners
- Bore through obstructions, mass concrete, and medium-strong rock
- Eliminate flighting risk and achieve exceptional bore stability
- Work in urban, sensitive, and restricted-access environments with low noise and vibration
We also own and operate some of the UK and Ireland’s largest CFA rigs, capable of installing CFA piles to 1,200mm diameter and 38m deep.
Industry-Leading Sheet Piling Equipment
We own and operate the largest sheet piling rigs in the UK and Ireland, capable of installing sheet piles up to 27m, and enabling us to undertake the most challenging sheet piling and vibro driving projects.
We also stock over 4,000 tonnes of quality second-hand sheet piles for hire or sale, with full fabrication, clutch sealant, and storage facilities.
Pioneering Sustainability – First-Ever Reuse of Sheet Piles in a Permanent Structure for National Highways
In a UK industry first, DAWSON-WAM successfully reused sheet piles in a permanent structure for a National Highways project – a significant departure from standard practice where permanent works typically require new steel.
This innovative approach delivered:
- Huge carbon savings by avoiding the production of new steel
- Significant cost reductions for the client
- A proven, repeatable, and scalable method that can be applied to future infrastructure projects
This milestone demonstrates DAWSON-WAM’s commitment to sustainable engineering solutions and our ability to challenge conventional methods in pursuit of better environmental and economic outcomes.
Our Piling Disciplines
We offer a broad portfolio of piling solutions, each with its own dedicated service page and project examples:
- Secant Piling – Interlocking bored pile walls for watertight and load-bearing retention
- Contiguous Piling – Cost-effective soil retention where water tightness is not required
- Sheet Piling – Permanent and temporary steel sheet pile solutions for marine, civil, and infrastructure projects
- Silent & Vibrationless Sheet Piling – Press-in systems for sensitive and noise-restricted environments
- King Post Walls – Quick-to-install retaining walls with flexible infill options
- Load Bearing Piles – Foundation piling for all ground conditions
- Close Proximity Piling – Zero-tolerance piling adjacent to existing structures
- Vibro Displacement Piling – Ground improvement and settlement control
- Basements – Complete design-and-build basement packages
- Sheet Pile Sales – Supply, hire, and fabrication services for new and used sheet piles
Integrated Civil Engineering Capability
One of DAWSON-WAM’s key strengths is our civil engineering capacity, which is closely integrated with our piling operations. This combined expertise allows us to design, build, and deliver complete structural solutions rather than standalone piling works. We routinely undertake associated foundation construction, concrete works, structural steel fabrication, and permanent retaining structures as part of a single package.
This integrated approach ensures:
- Seamless coordination between piling and civils phases
- Fewer contractor interfaces, reducing delays and risk
- Higher quality control, with all works delivered to DAWSON-WAM standards
- Cost efficiencies through combined planning and resource deployment
Steel Temporary Works & Access Solutions
Our in-house temporary works capacity enables us to design, fabricate, and install complex steel temporary structures to support piling and excavation activities. This includes:
- Steel mat platforms for safe access and stability
- Steel propping systems for basement and retaining wall stability
Engineered steel mats – designed to provide stable working platforms for heavy plant and piling rigs, even in poor ground conditions. These capabilities allow us to deliver piling solutions safely and efficiently, even in difficult or restricted-access environments, while maintaining high standards of safety and productivity.
Discover more – Browse our piling sub-categories and associated projects to see how DAWSON-WAM delivers high-performance piling solutions for the most demanding environments in the UK and Ireland.
