Ref NO.

GES/PILEGAMMON/DOC-01 Date- 10/07/2011

METHOD STATEMENT
VERTICAL LOAD TEST

1. GENERAL
The test is to be conducted at the cut off level. The Kentledge load, Incremental Load and the ultimate
load has been calculated as follows:
1. Safe Design Pile Capacity = DL MT
2. Test Load (1.5 times Design Load), UL = 1.5 x DL MT
3. Total Load as Kentledge on Platform (1.25 times Test Load) = 1.25 x TL MT
4. Incremental Load (20% of Design Load) = 0.20 x DL MT
The Diameter, Length, Design Load, Maximum Test Load, Kentledge to be provided on prepared
platform and the incremental load of each stage has been tabulated as below.

TABLE 1

Design No. of Jacks

Sr. Diameter, Length, Max. Test Incremental
Load, to be used of
No. mm m Load, MT Load, MT
MT 250MT cap.

1 600 24 125.0 187.5 1 25.0

2. PILE HEAD PREPARATION:

The test shall be performed at cutoff level. Pile shall be chipped to required level without cutting
reinforcement. The projected reinforcement shall be bent to safe curvature and head shall be prepared
with concrete of one grade higher than the pile concrete. The top surface shall be finished smooth and
level with plaster of Paris or similar synthetic material where required.

3. LOADING SYSTEM:
The test is to be conducted by Kentledge Method of loading as shown in figure. The Kentledge load in the
form of Concrete Blocks of size 1.0m x 1.0m x 1.0m shall rest on Platform of suitable size. The total
Kentledge load for respective test pile is given in Table 1. Loading will be applied by a hydraulic jack of
250MT capacity, placed over the furnished pile and reacting against a steel Joist of Composite ISMB 600

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as shown in the sketch. The applied load will be measured in the pressure gauge mounted on the
Hydraulic Pump.

4. Measuring System:
Vertical load applied on the pile shall be measured by a Calibrated Pressure Gauge mounted on the jack.
Settlement is measured by four displacement Dial gauges placed diametrically opposite to each other
fixed to datum bar. The dial gauges is of 100mm run as and when required having a least count of
0.01mm. The datum bar (ISMC 150) shall be housed with two spikes at the end of the datum bar
embedded well into the ground. Datum bar supports will be at a distance of 3 D (subject to minimum of
1.5 m) from the edge of the piles, where D is the pile stem diameter of circular piles as per IS 2911 Part 4
clause 6.1.4

5. Method of Conducting Tests:

On verification of the entire test requirement, first incremental load is applied as per the table 1 given
above. On application of load, the settlement readings are observed at 5 min intervals for 1/2 h, 15 min
interval between 1/2h and 1 h, at 30 min intervals between 1 h and 4 h, and at 1 h intervals between 4 h
and 12 h after the application of the increment of load.

Each stage of loading will be maintained for a period till the rate of movement of the pile head is not
more than 0.1 mm per 30 minutes or 0.2 mm per hr. whichever occurs earlier. Once the criterion is
achieved, next increment is allowed. In the same way, the test is continued till the maximum test load.

For unloading, each stage of unloading shall be maintained for a period of 15 minutes and the readings
are observed at the end of each unloading stage

Loading shall be continued till one of the following occurs:-

• The applied load on the pile is 1.5 times the vertical safe load capacity of the pile OR
• Permissible settlement of 12mm.

For Geo Engineering Services

Authorized Signatory

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