Pile Load Testing
Pile foundation is a substructure working underneath the ground surface. We don’t often pay attention to its existence when it is transferring loads from a structure to the soil or bedrock safely and as planned. However, possible shortcomings in the pile design or implementation are easy to observe when settlement occurs. Unfortunately, at this point, correcting those shortcomings are already too late or, at the very least, expensive.
For a safe foundation to perform as desired the ultimate strength of each pile must fulfill both structural and geotechnical limits present. A pile load test is a direct method of determining the ultimate geotechnical capacity of a pile. Dynamic load testing (PDA-measurement) is a fast and reliable way to evaluate the bearing capacity of a pile. In addition to pile capacity, the dynamic load test provides information about structural integrity, driving stresses and hammer efficiency. If a dynamic load test is out of the question then a static load test can be performed to identify the pile behavior under a static load.
In challenging projects, a preliminary test pilling together with a dynamic load test can help you to pick the right pile type for the job, one which withstands the strains focused on the pile during driving. Guidelines usually give cautious end-of-driving requirements, which lead to unnecessarily long piles. With a PDA-measurement, it is possible to assign each pile rig with an individual end-of-driving requirement for a specific project and therefor cut the cost of overlong piles.
Possible structural defects from the pile installation can be detected afterwards with an integrity test carried out by Inspecta using either low strain or ultrasonic methods. This is an essential part of your quality control for both precast and cast-in-place concrete piles. Our services also include pile wave equation analysis and acceleration-based quality control for dynamic soil compaction where the impulse inflicted from the impact is recorded from the drop weight and then analyzed. (This is important especially when the required threshold value is hard to reach or if there’s a doubt concerning the soil compaction.)
All of Inspecta’s pile testing services are carried out by experienced and skilled personnel who have demonstrated their competence in dynamic testing with a Dynamic Measurement and Analysis Proficiency Test.
