Iran Mall

Iran Mall Excavation Pit Stabilization Project The Iran Mall excavation pit stabilization project is one of the largest and most complex urban excavation stabilization projects in Iran and is regarded as a prominent example of its kind on an international scale. In this project, more than 100 kilometers of borehole drilling and 45 concrete piles , each reaching a depth of 55 meters, were executed within a 60-meter-deep excavation pit in less than seven months. The table below summarizes the key technical specifications of the project. Iran Mall at a Glance * Excavation depth: 60 meters * Concrete piles: 45 piles, each 55 meters deep * Total borehole drilling: More than 100 kilometers * Anchorage borehole length: 47 meters * Execution period: Less than seven months * Time to achieve the design strength of the grout: Less than 30 hours Technical Challenges of the Iran Mall Excavation Pit Stabilization The proximity of the excavation pit to a bridge and an office building along its northern side, the presence of an access tunnel on the western side, and the convex geometry of the excavation walls created a combination of simultaneous technical challenges. Each of these factors, on its own, could have increased the risk of settlement or localized instability of the excavation walls. The simultaneous presence of all these factors within a single project made its design and execution one of the most technically demanding urban excavation experiences in the country. Drilling 47-meter-long boreholes for seven-strand anchors under such conditions required precise design, rigorous engineering management, and fully coordinated execution among the various project teams. Construction Method and Technical Innovations Achieving the design strength of the injected grout in less than 30 hours was one of the key achievements of the Zigurat technical team on this project. This accelerated strength development had a direct impact on the overall rate of excavation progress. Alongside the successful installation of concrete piles and long boreholes, the use of seven-strand anchors and extensive instrumentation and monitoring systems enabled real-time control and assessment of the excavation wall behavior throughout construction. Advanced grouting techniques and a project-specific grout mix design were also developed to suit the particular soil conditions of the site. This customized mix design was instrumental in enabling the grout to reach its design strength at an early stage. The fabrication of specially designed stressing jacks for the project was another example of the project’s technical innovations. Integrated Project Management Managing a project involving such a large number of simultaneous technical decisions would have been nearly impossible without an integrated management system. The use of a Project Management Information System PMIS on the Iran Mall project made it possible for design information, instrumentation reports, construction planning, and technical documentation to be accessed by different project teams through a shared platform. This integration played a particularly important role in reducing decision-making time and improving coordination between design and construction, especially in a project where site and construction conditions were subject to frequent changes. The Importance of Excavation Pit Stabilization in Large-Scale Urban Projects In projects on the scale of the Iran Mall excavation pit stabilization, excavation support is not merely an auxiliary construction activity. It directly affects the safety of adjacent structures, the overall project schedule, and even the design of the main structure. Selecting the appropriate method, whether concrete piles, anchoring, grouting, or a combination of these techniques, must take into account both the behavior of the site soil and the loads imposed by neighboring structures. In many urban projects, the costs and delays resulting from an inadequate excavation stabilization design can be significantly greater than the cost of implementing an appropriate stabilization system from the outset. For this reason, selecting an experienced technical team with proven expertise in this field is considered one of the key decisions in any major urban construction project. Project Achievements and Significance The Iran Mall excavation pit stabilization project represents a milestone in the development of technical expertise in the design and construction of deep excavations in Iran. We are proud to have contributed to this project, which, beyond its successful execution, advanced the standards for the design, construction, and management of deep excavation stabilization projects in the country. The technical experience gained from this project now serves as a basis for many of Zigurat’s design decisions on other similar projects and has evolved into a reference model for future complex projects, forming a common foundation for all of Zigurat’s projects in the field of deep urban excavation stabilization.