Construction Technology IV

(DQS252)
Week 13:
Pile Testing (CT)
Lecturer / Team Teaching
DR. NORHAFIZAH YUSOP
Email:
norha158 @uitm.edu.my
PILE TESTING (CT)
By
DR NORHAFIZAH YUSOP
 The main objective – to confirm that the design and
formation of the chosen pile type is adequate
 Randomly selected
 2x design load.

Other reasons:
1. To obtain back-figured soil data that will enable
other piles to be designed
2. To confirm pile lengths
3. To counter-check results from geotechnical and pile
driving formulae
4. To determine the load-settlement behavior of a pile
5. To verify structural soundness of the pile
 How to define failure of load.
✓ Determine the final load bearing
capacity.
✓ Examine the characteristics of load
settlement.
✓ Examine the splice.
✓ Examine the quality of concrete.
Types of Testing
1. Maintained Load Test (MLT)
2. Pile Driving Analysis Test (PDA)
3. Statnamic Load Test
4. Integrity Test
5. Sonic Logging Test
Standard Procedure (JKR) – MLT

❑ Kentledge or adjacent tension piles or soil anchors are used to provide

a reaction for the test load applied by jacking(s) placed over the pile
being tested

❑ Load increment
✓ 8 stages (increment 25% of working load)
✓ Every 2 hours

❑ Record taken every 15 minutes

❑ Maintained for 24 hours (at max load)

❑ Unloading
✓ 4 stages (increment 50% of working load)
✓ Every 1 hour

❑ After unloading, wait until 1 hour to record the balance of the

penetration.

❑ Plot the result.

Standard Procedure (JKR) - MLT
❑ Failures if:
✓ balance of the penetration exceed
6.50mm (after unloading).
✓ Total penetration exceed 12.50mm
(under the working load).
✓ Total of penetration (2x design load)
exceed 38mm.
Example:
❑ Working load = 50 tonnes
❑ Test load = 2x design load
= 100 tonnes
❑ Increment = 100 / 8
= 12.5 tonnes
❑ Unloading = 100 / 4
= 25 tonnes
MAINTAINED LOAD TEST-USING
REACTION BEAM SYSTEM
Kentlendge (Reaction Beam System):
❑ The pile is steadily jacked into the ground by
giving a constant rate of downward movement to
the pile.

❑ This is maintained until point of failure is reached.

❑ Failure of the pile is defined in to two ways:

❑ The load at which settlement continuous to

increase without any further increase of load
or,
❑ The load causing a gross settlement of 10% of
the pile diameter.
Reaction Beam System
Pile Driving Analyser (PDA)
❑ Used to determine:
✓ strength/mobilized static load capacity of pile
based on the effort required to drive the pile.
✓ condition of pile (pile integrity)
✓ Compression stress at pile head during
impact.
✓ Energy transfer from hammer during impact.
✓ length of the pile.

❑ However, it cannot replace the previous load

test as it does not provide overall information
about the real capability of the pile.
❑ A piling plant together with a self contained 1.5 tonne drop
hammer system suitable of demonstrating up to 120 tons.

❑ A set of strain transducers mounted near the top of the pile

(convert input energy into output energy during installation of
driven pile).

❑ A set of accelerometers mounted to the top of the pile.

✓ Dynamic measurements of force and velocity.

❑ A pile driving analyzer (PDA).

✓ Monitors and registers the output from the strain transducers
and accelerometers as the pile is driven or impacted during
a test.

❑ A hammer to cause sufficient impact force on the top of the pile

to allow measurement mobilized pile resistance.

❑ A pile wave analysis will be carried out on the signal acquired

by using Pile Wave Analysis Program by Characteristic (WAPC)
Pile Driving Analyser (PDA): Advantages

❑ Cost-efficient tool used to replace the time consuming

conventional static load test in determination of pile capacity.

❑ PDA testing is usually at least 10 times smaller than conventional

static load testing

❑ Advanced method to quickly evaluate the bearing capacity and

other necessary information of a foundation pile

❑ Immediate results for each hammer

❑ Detection of extent and location of pile damage:

✓ pile integrity, driving stresses and the energy transmitted to the
pile.

❑ Ability to trace potential problems to hammer, pile or soil

(Information are very useful in assessment of the pile capabilities by
the engineers).
 THANK YOU
ANY QUESTIONS?
J