Choosing the right tools for the job is key when installing ground screw building foundations in challenging ground conditions. In a recent job undertaken at the Masterton Medical Centre by Quick Slabs of Wairarapa, Kyne Equipment’s post driver and Rock Spike stood out from the crowd.
Quick Slabs was tasked with installing foundations at the Masterton Medical Centre, a site with extremely challenging ground conditions. The subsoil consisted of demolition material from a previous concrete building combined with river gravel. The original design called for 1-metre-diameter augered concrete piles, some extending over 3 metres to reach virgin ground. Based on site investigations and experience, traditional augering was deemed costly, high-risk, and inefficient.
Large augered piles would have required extensive excavation and removal of contaminated soil, creating environmental compliance issues, higher costs, and logistical complexity. Quick Slabs proposed stop-dig screw piles as a more practical solution, and worked alongside Kyne to come up with a custom-built rock spike to do the job.
Multiple spike sizes were trialled to achieve the ideal balance between penetration and pile engagement. A 90 mm spike created holes that were too large, preventing piles from achieving full load, while a 50 mm spike was too narrow, restricting screw advancement. After testing, a custom 75 mm rock spike from Kyne proved optimal, consistently penetrating the hard, abrasive material while maintaining required pile performance.
This combination allowed screw piles to be installed efficiently, reliably, and repeatably. The solution eliminated ongoing auger replacement, reduced pile damage, avoided large-scale excavation and disposal of contaminated soil, and kept the project on schedule.
The Kyne Super Thumper with custom rock spikes proved simple to operate on a confined commercial site and delivered significant time and cost savings:
- Reliable pile installation through demolition fill and river gravel
- Consistent achievement of 60 kN design load
- Minimised equipment wear and reduced labour requirements
- Eliminated the need for large-scale excavation and contaminated soil disposal
- Streamlined installation within tight site constraints
Following this success, Quick Slabs and Kyne Equipment are exploring enhancements to allow stop-dig screw piles to be installed directly using the post driver, removing the need for a separate auger system. This innovation promises to further reduce equipment, labour, and site congestion on future projects.
Kyne Equipment has an innovative team set-up and specialise in working directly with the end users – we all know the importance of getting the right tools for the job. Kyne has been working with fencers and farmers across New Zealand and Australia to ensure the fencing sector is set up to achieve results, whether it be using our range of post drivers, rotating bases, fencer forks, spinning jennies or augers.
Ryan Garrity, founder and operator of Quick Slabs said, “Quick Slabs would confidently recommend Kyne Equipment’s post drivers with a purpose-built rock spike for installing stop-dig screw piles on similar commercial projects, particularly where ground conditions are hard, abrasive, contaminated, and not suitable for conventional auguring. What could have become a costly and high-risk foundation installation was instead delivered as an efficient and practical solution through innovation, collaboration, and adaptability.”
Ryan went on to say, “The Masterton Medical Centre project demonstrated the strength of Kyne’s integrated solution. By combining the Super Thumper post driver with custom rock spikes we were able to deliver a high-quality, cost-effective foundation solution in ground conditions that would have challenged conventional methods.”
Kyne’s equipment proves to be innovative, reliable, and adaptable, making its post drivers and custom rock spikes the preferred choice for stop-dig screw pile installations in hard, abrasive, or contaminated ground conditions.
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Published in WIRED issue 80/March 2026 by Fencing Contractors Association NZ
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