Direct Mud Circulation method of pile foundation installation is used

for bored cast in-situ piles. Direct Mud Circulation method is best
suited when working-space is a huge constraint.

In Industries and power plants where there is a labyrinth of

pipelines snaking all around, DMC comes to the rescue. While the
other methods are comparatively expensive, DMC is a fairly cheaper
method to install piles.

The apparatus basically comprises a Tripod with pulley, winch

machine, wire-rope, Chisel, drill pipes, tremie pipes, a vertical pump
and a pit where bentonite powder is mixed with fresh water.

A tripod as the name suggests is a three-legged structure which is

mounted with a pulley at the apex to maneuver the chisel that
bores the earth, which is further appended to drill pipes in tandem
with a wire rope that is ultimately knotted to the winch machine. To
make it sound simple, the chisel is the primary boring tool and the
drill pipes are mere appendages that provide the depth, and also,
suffuse the bore with bentonite suspension.

The number of drill pipes required varies depending on the depth of

the bore required. Besides this, a vertical pump is installed in the
bentonite pit so as to pump the bentonite solution into the bore hole
through drill pipes and chisel.

The method is termed as Direct Mud Circulation because it involves

the circulation of mud from the pile bore directly to the bentonite pit
where the pump reuses the bentonite slurry leaving alone the
settled mud.
 Fig1. Direct Mud Circulation Method of Pile Installation
Procedure for Direct Mud Circulation Method of Pile
Foundation Installation
1) The Tripod is made to stand around the target pile (two legs
around the pile and one into the slot provided in winch machine)
and a plumb bob is then hung down the pulley (mounted on the
tripod) aiming the center of the target pile so as to obtain the
center for the chisel. The maximum tolerance permissible for piles
with diameter 600mm or more is 75mm or D/2, whichever is more.

2) Once the position of winch machine and the tripod is fixed,

casing is installed into the earth keeping the center point intact. A
wall made up of sacks filled with rubble or soil is created around the
pile-area so as to channel an artificial conduit directed towards the
bentonite pit. This channel directs the mixture of mud and bentonite
slurry coming out from the bore to the bentonite pit.

3) The topmost drill pipe is connected with a hose emerging from

the vertical pump (installed in the bentonite) pit sending fresh
bentonite slurry to the borehole through a fine opening in chisel and
when the bore hole is filled to the brink, it flows back to the
bentonite pit along with the mud through the artificial conduit. In
this way the mud from the bore keeps on moving up the borehole
and is directed to the bentonite tank.
 4) It is preferred to use fresh and clean water for the preparation of
bentonite suspension as the minutest impurities may alter the
properties of a suspension. In case, clean water is not available at
the site, special additives such as Ferrosome lignosulphate in
combination with soda ash, phosphates and flocculants are added.

The specific gravity of the bentonite suspension should be between

1.05 to 1.12 as it is responsible for the retention of the vertical cut
soil surface of pile borehole. Cohesiveness and surface tension
develop among the soil particles if the specific gravity of the
suspension is overlooked which eventually leads to the collapse of
vertical cut soil surface.

To achieve the requisite specific gravity of the bentonite solution,

the concentration of bentonite is calculated as under:

Ys=1+0.006 x Cs
Where “ys” is the density of the bentonite suspension and “Cs” is
the concentration of bentonite by weight.

“Concentration of bentonite” means percentage of bentonite (by

weight), to be mixed with water.

So, Cs=1/6 x (1.05-1) x1000 =8.33% by weight.

i.e In 1m3 of water 83.3kg bentonite shall be mixed to get 1.05
specific gravity of the bentonite solution.
There are two stages of use of bentonite suspension:
 First flushing: When earth is being bored, bentonite suspension of
specific gravity between 1.05 to 1.12 is to be maintained.
 Second flushing: When the bore has to be cleaned after the
completion.

5) Chisel is then driven inside the casing and the earth is bored until
the chisel has fully gone down inside the earth. Drill pipes are
attached to the chisel in tandem and the boring progresses by
maneuvering the winch machine until the requisite depth is bored.
Flushing is done all the while during the pile boring. After the
completion of bore, chisel is brought outside and the second
flushing of the bore hole is done to remove all the mud and
impurities.

6) Cage Insertion should be done immediately after the completion

of second flushing. It is recommended to provide temporary hooks
to the cages so as to keep the verticality of the cage in view while
inserting it down the bore hole.

7) Tremie are finally inserted into the bore hole attached to a

hopper at the top hung by the wire rope. The joint between the
hopper and tremie pipe is closed with a steel plug before the first
charge of concrete. The hopper is then filled with concrete to its full
capacity. Once filled, the steel plug is removed to allow the concrete
to flow down the tremie pipes thereby replacing the bentonite
solution.

Concreting is done up to at least 1m above the cut-off levels to

ensure good concrete for proper embedment into pile cap.

Fig: Direct Mud Circulation Method of Pile Foundation Installation

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