BARRETTES

WHAT THEY ARE:

Barrettes are load-bearing elements that are excavated rectangular

piles used as foundations to resist large vertical and significant
horizontal loads that can accompany the construction of diaphragm
walls.
HOW THEY WORK:

The same techniques utilized in diaphragm wall construction can be

used to form individual barrettes of various shapes including I, T,
X or L to accommodate top-down construction.
WHY YOU NEED THEM:

Barrettes provide resistance to horizontal stress and to bending

moments better than circular piles of the same section, so that one
single pile is sufficient under each column or bearing element.