East Side Mall

In the middle of Berlin – right between Warschauer Bridge and the Mercedes-Benz Arena – the East Side Mall shopping centre is being developed. The shopping mall, with a futuristic design from the Dutch architect Ben van Berkel, is to attract young customers in particular with its three floors and up to 120 businesses. After the opening in autumn 2018, visitors will be able to reach the mall over an especially designed 50-m-wide platform directly from the street level of Warschauer Bridge. 
 
In March 2016 PORR received the order for the pile foundation. As a special solution PORR submitted a proposal for a foundation on FRANKIPFÄHLEN NG®. This reduced the quantity of piles and allowed for immense savings in the construction of the foundation. PORR was supported by the isg, which took over the planning and structural analysis of piles. From May to September 2016 FRANKI drove nearly 550 piles with lengths between 12 and 15 metres. The building ground consisted of fillings, six metres of loosely bedded sand, and medium-density bedded sand from a depth of about nine metres. The groundwater is present at a depth of three metres under ground level. The carrying capacity of the piles was proven in advance with proof loads.

Instances of soil liquification resulted due to the vibrations of the pile driving. This prevented a sufficient number of strokes for the depositing of the piles. Therefore a new proof load with new criteria for driving was conducted. The carrying capacity was able to be proven successfully and production of piles was able to be conducted without pre-compression of gravel. 
 
A construction period of ten weeks was planned. Since there is an eye clinic near the construction site, which operates lasers that are extremely vibration-sensitive, delays in the construction process resulted. Adjusted construction times were agreed upon so as to enable work for both parties.