PILE INTEGRITY TEST

                                                      PILE INTEGRITY TEST

SCOPE OF WORK

For Pile foundation it is vital important that the piles constructed are of sound quality, shape and dimensions is a structural integrity. The routine vertical load tests carried out on working piles do not provide direct information on structural integrity and also these tests shall be conducted on very limited number piles and hence it is not possible to reliably testify the structural quality of piles. However testing of all piles is also not possible due both economic and time constraints.For this non-destrctive dynamic low strain pile integrity load test is very useful.

Majority of pile fails due to defective pile shaft necking, discontinuity of concrete, intrusion of foreign matter, improper toe formation due to contamination of concrete at base with soil particles and hence it would be imperative to check all possible defects in the pile and to ensure that pile is sound this integrity test is necessary to conduct before starting of the pile cap works. The integrity test is simple and quick and thus enables to conduct maximum number of test in a single working day.

METHODOLOGY & SEQUENCE

i)       Pile shall be trimmed to cut off level or sound concrete level before the test with all laitance removed.

ii)    The area surrounding the pile should be free from standing water and should be kept dewatered during the tests.

iii)     A small metal / hard rubber hammer shall be used to produce a                  light tap on the top of the pile.

iv)   The shock travels down the length of the pile and is reflected back       from the toe of the pile and recorded through a suitable transducer /   in  a computer disk for subsequent analysis.

v)     For diameter above 600 mm it is recommended that test to be carried out at multiple locations on the pile head to accurate determination of the integrity.

The primary shock wave which travels down the length of the shaft is returned from the toe by change in density between the concrete and the sub strata. However, if the pile has any imperfections or discontinuities within its length these will set up secondary reflections which will be added to the return signal.

In pile integrity test, velocity assume in the test is based on aggregates, grade of concrete, and the age. Higher the velocity lowers the apparent length and vice versa.

   Test Plan

Sr. No.	Location	Dia. Of Piles	No. of Piles	Pile to be tested