Railway Noise Walls: 800 Helical Piles Along Tampere Rail Corridor

In Tampere, Finland, Paalupiste delivered the foundations for two noise walls along an active railway corridor. The scope included foundation design, manufacturing, and installation of helical pile foundations for a total of 1,700 metres of noise wall. One wall was 1.3 metres high and the other 3 metres high.

Load cases and structural design were carefully considered to ensure reliable performance and cost efficiency. The foundation design differed between the walls. The 1.3 m wall used a single helical pile beneath each fence post. The 3 m wall used a dual-pile foundation connected by a steel beam below the fence posts. This configuration improves load distribution under lateral wind loads, with one pile helix countering uplift and the other countering compression simultaneously.

The dual-pile setup also improves installation tolerances and welding efficiency. Welding work can be done from top to bottom, which brings time savings and typically improves weld quality compared to cases where pile caps must be welded from underneath.

Installation was performed using excavators equipped with railway wheels, enabling smooth movement along the rails. Because helical pile installation is low-noise compared to most other piling methods, work could also be carried out during evenings and nights without disturbing nearby communities.

Helical piles are suitable for many railway applications beyond noise walls, including traffic signs, portals, and bridges. Lightweight installation equipment reduces the need for extensive site preparations compared to heavier piling machinery.