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Strain Bored Piles: Low Integrity
Strain Bored Piles: Low Integrity
of bored piles
by JORN M. SEITZ", Dipl-Ing
pile may be detected and the wave velocity where c is the wave velocity in the concrete
gives a relative indication of concrete quality. medium,
Difficulties in record interpretation may arise L the pile length below the
from a lack of systematic investigations. accelerometers,
The low strain integrity testing technique is T the time difference between the
/
described in this Paper. Three examples are / first and the reflected maximum,
/
given that demonstrate the advantages and E the Young's Modulus and
benefits from wave propagation testing as a m the mass density of the pile
diagnostic tool. / material.
November 1986 25
Fig. 2 (eftj. Vibro strength values from 20-70N/mm'Fig. 2).
driven castin-place Such a range is normal compared with other
pile test results.
At the time of testing, the concrete had an
age of about 220-300 days. The concrete
velocity was evaluated, based on test results
'V i'b
= t,ms of the concrete samples, and on the velocity-
time history. For this kind of calibration, 16
piles were cored and/or drilled; the results
are also given in Fig. 2.
The range of wave velocity values varied
from 3 900 to 4 700m/s. An average value of
4 000m/s for concrete gives a fairly accurate
length of a sound vibro-driven pile.
The general condition of the concrete
could be classified by the wave velocities into
10m the quality groups" shown in Table I.
The concrete of the tested piles was in
(al Integrity test result
good to excellent condition.
/8=2s/
2. Large diameter bored pile
50- This pile was constructed by a hydraulic
casing machine; it had a diameter of 1.1m
and a length of 5.5m (Fig. 3).
Integrity tests were performed 200 days
after construction. On this site the soil
consisted of loose to dense well-graded
gravels. A concrete quality of B25 was used.
Young's Modulus was estimated to be
approximately 38kN/mm'or concrete of
such age.
Again R, means reflection of the first
compressive wave from the pile bottom. The
wave velocity had been calculated to be
4230m/s, assuming the pile length to be
accurate. No irregularities in the pile shaft
2.2 2.6 20 70 3 700 4 700 were detected.
N/mrns m/s Fig. 3 (belowj. In contrast to the signal of the vibro-driven
—
t/m'bl
Density Compressive strength Wave velocity Integrity test bored pile, the reflection of the compressive wave
pile (casi ngj for this large diameter bored pile from the
The basic test equipment for bottom was very strong. Among other
measurements on site is shown in Fig. 1.The factors, concrete placement and compaction
test equipment includes one piezoelectric are important reasons for such a good
accelerometer, the hand-held impact device, transmission. Also damping due to soil
pile driving analyser, storage oscilloscope resistance and the concrete material was not
and a polaroid camera for the production of as high as for the vibro-driven piles. The
an immediate photograph. r, ms
length/diameter ratio was 5:1 as against
For the low strain test method only little 17:1 for the vibro-driven pile.
preparation of the pile top is required. The
accelerometer is mounted at the pile top. For 3. Bentonite slurry bored pile
the impact it is important that the time of The third study dealt with the testing of 48
blow is as short as possible. bentonite slurry bored piles without casing.
'.
f.'~: 'o ; -. '. v . : . o '. After the piles had been constructed, a head
Case studies beam was built (see Fig. 4).
1. Vibro
'v
driven cast-in-place pile "oi. Low strain integrity testing was carried out
For the construction of a factory, by mounting the accelerometers on the pile
approximately 1 200 vibro-driven cast-in- top. The impact was induced both inside the
place piles were installed. The nominal surface of the recess (Fig. 4a) and on the
diameters of the piles were 0.5m and 0.6m, (continued on page 33j
and their overall lengths were about 10m. the pile.
About 15% of these piles were tested. The data been recorded by an
had
The soil conditions and pile data for this instrumentation recorder and the test
particular construction site are given in Fig. 2. records of all piles were compared in the
The piles were driven into a layer of well- laboratory using a computer. Velocity-time
graded sands and gravels; groundwater was histories as shown in Fig. 2 were typical for
encountered approximately 7m below grade. nearly 90% of this type of vibro-driven piles
The in-place properties of the soil were at that particular site. After integrity testing
determined by dynamic sounding (SRS- was done, additional laboratory t, ms
DIN 4094), and penetration resistances investigations of mass density m and
indicated that the soil was medium dense or compression strength or of some cores of the
dense. cast-in-place concrete were run. Densities o i'b 8
To obtain exact wave speed values of the ranged from 2.2-2.6t/m'nd compression
concrete, complete cores were drilled in
several piles. In the laboratory, the com-
pressive strength as well as the density of TABLE I: CONCRETE CONDITION AND WAVE
VELOCITY
individual samples were determined. B25
concrete was used. An example of a velocity- General condition Velocity (m/s)
time-history is shown in Fig. 2. R, indicates
the signal from the compressive wave after Very poor (1 920
reflection from the bottom of the pile, and r, is Poor 1 920-2750
a reflection from an irregularity —in this case Questionable 2 750 — 3 300
the change of well graded sands to gravels, Good 3 300 — 4 120 I 7.0m
which caused a somewhat larger diameter of Excellent )4 120 Fig. 4. Integrity test —bored pile (bentonitej
26 Ground Engineering
I IW : eae
k4h m,
Fig. 10. Example of sliding on base, due toinstability below wall Fig. 1 1. Example of distributed slidingin wall retaining sloping ground
As more data becomes available the probable that their long-term behaviour will walls.
simple analysis presented here can be also prove to be similar, differing only in
extended, not only to provide a more rational terms of wall compressibilities and
basis for dry-stone wall maintenance, but construction geometries. References
also to include consideration of the modern The aim of this initial review of dry-stone Jones, C J.FP. (1979): "Current practice in
successors of dry-stone walling, such as crib wall deformations however is to provide designing earth retaining structures." Ground
walls and high gabion structures. These some insight into how a full and careful Engineering Vol. 12, No. 6
modern flexible walls with little or no tensile consideration of the actual causes and Ticof, J. (1978): "Surface footings on sand under
strength gain their stability in a manner very mechanisms involved can promote more general planar loads." PhD Thesis, University of
similar to dry-stone walls and it seems efficient maintenance of deforming flexible Southampton
November 1986 33