By: Pacific Corrugated Pipe Company
The Komatsu proving grounds are a 660-acre facility that conducts research and development in support of heavy-duty equipment design. Komatsu focuses on three different types of tests at this facility: Performance, Structural and Durability. So, when Komatsu made the decision to open their test site to any equipment manufacturers, they looked to develop new testing protocols that would further challenge the engineering and design of heavy-duty equipment.
This new test site required the creation of three large holes that would be filled at varying depths. These holes were going to be used to test equipment’s capability of lowering and lifting varying weights into and out of these holes. Creating holes that would stand up to the surrounding weights of backfill and equipment was something Komatsu was familiar with, but the supportive insights of Pacific Corrugated Pipe Company were requested to ensure a safe and durable solution. Working closely together on varying configuration options, ultimately Komatsu selected 15-foot sections of caissons that were 120” in diameter and 15′ long. These caissons were produced utilizing a 5×1 corrugation pattern and 14 gage aluminized steel.
The caisson solution was easy to install by lowering our pipes into three holes and finishing with native fill backfill. The versatility and strength of CSP in this design allowed for heavy equipment to park at the center above of these caissons during testing with no worry of collapse.
Another simple, safe an innovative solution utilizing CSP and exposing our product to the construction industry in a very unique way.