“We are using the Liebherr rig to bore down to a maximum depth of 59 meters,” says project manager Phyo Win Aung, who has worked with the machine on several contracts since it arrived in Myanmar. “The soil is mostly silty sand, with the ground water level at 12 meter depth. We are taking no more than six hours to drill one pile hole with the Liebherr, which is considerably faster than the other machine we are using. In fact, the Liebherr is drilling the greater number of holes.”

A total of 206 piles, each 1.2 meters in diameter, are being installed for the foundations, using the LB 28-320. Golden Tri Star is also using a Liebherr R 906 excavator on the site.

The LB 28-320 has a high torque rating of 320 kNm and can drill down to 70 meters.

After the pile holes are completed, the Liebherr R 906 excavator is used to tamp the pile casing into place. A total of 45 Golden Tri Star site personnel are working on the Inya Lake View Residence, and the contractor has two operators who are experienced in working with the Liebherr rig.

The project, Inya Lake View Residence, is one of a new generation of condominiums that is springing up as Myanmar emerges from its years of military rule.

Golden Tri Star has been the first Myanmar contractor to invest in Liebherr rotary drilling technology, and Aung says the efficiency with which it works has given the company a competitive edge in the bidding for new projects. The present contract is for four months. After that, the rig is being moved directly to the Landmark development, a high-profile project in Yangon that will see retail, residential and office space constructed around the heritage-listed Burma Railways building.

Liebherr’s product range includes earthmoving and material handling machinery, mining equipment, mobile cranes, construction cranes, machine tools and automation systems as well as high-performance components for mechanical, hydraulic and electrical drive and control technology. For more information, go to www.liebherr.com.