Saudi Arabia: Hiper Piles to be installed in two more modules of NEOM’s The Line

 

Saudi Arabia's Neom using advanced concepts in construction of The Line  

Keltbray’s innovative geothermal energy system, known as Hiper Piles, is set to be installed in two more modules of NEOM’s The Line, following test results that exceeded expectations.

Stuart Norman, director of Hiper Pile, shared the news at the GE Piling and Foundations conference, confirming that modules 45 and 47 of the ambitious Saudi Arabian megaproject will be the next to feature the technology over the coming six months.

The Line—a 170km-long linear smart city along the Red Sea—includes the Hidden Marina, a striking 2.5km stretch of modules 45–47 that rises 500m high.

 

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The decision to expand the use of Hiper Piles follows successful testing on module 41, where two piles were installed in collaboration with Trevi Group. One pile reached 30m deep, the other 50m, with both incorporating a 900mm void and a dual-layer concrete wall—150mm precast and 150mm cast in-situ. The piles are designed to bear nearly 50MN of load while also functioning as thermal energy exchangers.

"Neither pile failed geotechnically or structurally, which was fantastic,” Norman said. “They outperformed all our expectations.”

The piles are part of a wider initiative to create “net zero foundations” using solar-powered ground source heat pumps to store and release thermal energy, dramatically reducing operational carbon.

Keltbray began work on the concept more than two years ago, undertaking feasibility studies and developing designs compliant with Saudi seismic and structural codes—an unfamiliar task for the UK-based team.

“Getting our head around the seismic codes was a learning curve,” Norman noted.

 

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Construction involved installing stacked 10m precast sections in a bored shaft, spliced together and backfilled with concrete. Instead of the typical 100m³ of concrete used in solid piles, only around 32m³ was required per pile due to their hollow-core design.

A full-scale static load test using a 50MN test frame—constructed, dismantled, and rebuilt for safety—validated the piles’ strength and performance. Advanced monitoring equipment, including fibre optic sensors and strain gauges, has been embedded to track structural and thermal behavior.

With the technology proven in NEOM’s demanding desert environment, Keltbray is now preparing for broader deployment.

“We’re delighted to have proven this in such a harsh environment and are now ready to roll out Hiper Piles across the industry,” Norman said.

 

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NEOM’s The Line is part of a $8.8 trillion vision to reshape urban living by 2080, aiming to run entirely on renewable energy.

Source: https://www.geplus.co.uk/