Customer 

Research Institute of Rosneft, large oil and gas company with over $2 bln revenue.

Pile load capacity calculations in permafrost

Permafrost regions are prone to landslides due to thawing. Therefore, piles are used to reinforce buildings and structures. 

Engineers consider ground density, heat conductivity, and compressive strength to accurately design the load on each pile. Under zero load, the pile expands by heat, and the pile top has a large upward displacement. This can cause thawing and a reduced bearing capacity of the structure. To avoid that, separate thermal insulation is essential. Since regular CAD systems are unsuitable for these calculations, the customer developed their own service.

The service required advanced engineering expertise and concentration. Engineers entered soil property data manually. They needed additional skills to interpret this data. For example, they classified soil types and converted metric units. These manual steps led to mistakes in projects by inexperienced specialists and resulted in lengthy calculations.

Solution: Rubius engineering calculation module

Rubius specialists developed a calculation module for engineers. They integrated this module with data from the soil properties manuals. The module calculates vertical and lateral loads on the piles in permafrost. Then, the system provides recommendations for pile fastenings and connections, such as rods or wire cables. This helps reinforce the pile’s foundation and enhance its stability underground. The module also predicts the behavior of protective structures during landslides and evaluates potential damage risks in the case of pile refusal. Additionally, the module selects appropriate fittings for the lightning poles and lightning rods of a structure.

Service functions:  

• Calculating load capacity for piles of various length 
• Creating geological sections on drawings from CAD systems
• Choosing appropriate pile fastenings and connections 
• Calculating pile refusal
• Selecting fittings for lightning poles and lightning rods
• Generating reports with visualization on drawings from CAD systems

Results of module integration with the customer’s system

Rubius specialists developed a calculation module and integrated it with the necessary directories containing frozen soil properties. This integration significantly reduced the time required for the calculation of pile loads to just a few seconds. Calculation data helps select the optimal number and length of piles for ensuring structural sustainability in permafrost conditions.