Types of piles according to method of installation.
If a pile is driven into saturated silty or cohesive soil, the
Pile foundation is a type of deep foundation. It is used
where foundation work is not possible by ordinary
method of open pit excavation.
 Pile foundation is one type of deep foundation. It is
used where the good soil is at higher depth (10 or 15 m)
or soil having low bearing capacity.
Pile is also used for tall structures. In pile foundation
load coming from the super structure is taken by pile
cap and equally distributed in no. of piles.
According to the method of construction, there are
three types of piles. They are
1. Driven piles,
2. Cast-in-situ piles and
3. Driven and cast-in-situ piles
Driven Piles
Piles may be of timber, steel or concrete. When the
piles are of concrete, they are to be precast. They may
be driven either vertically or at an angle to the vertical.
Piles are driven using a pile hammer. When a pile is
driven into granular soil, the soil so displaced, equal to
the volume of the driven pile, compacts the soil around
the sides since the displaced soil particles enter the soil
spaces of the adjacent mass which leads to densification
of the mass. The pile that compacts the soil adjacent to
it is sometimes called a compaction pile. The
compaction of the soil mass around a pile increases its
bearing capacity.
soil around the pile cannot be densified because of its
poor drainage qualities. The displaced soil particles
cannot enter the void space unless the water in the
pores is pushed out. The stresses developed in the soil
mass adjacent to the pile due to the driving of the pile
have to be borne by the pore water only. This results in
the development of pore water pressure and a
consequent decrease in the bearing capacity of the soil.
The soil adjacent to the piles is remolded and loses to a
certain extent its structural strength. The immediate
effect of driving a pile in a soil with poor drainage
qualities is, therefore, to decrease its bearing strength.
However, with the passage of time, the remolded soil
regains part of its lost strength due to the reorientation
of the disturbed particles (which is termed thixotrophy}
and due to consolidation of the mass. The advantages
and disadvantages of driven piles are:
Advantages
1. Piles can be precast to the required specifications.
2. Piles of any size, length and shape can be made in
advance and used at the site. As a result, the progress of
the work will be rapid.
3. A pile driven into granular soil compacts the adjacent
soil mass and as a result the bearing capacity of the pile
is increased.
4. The work is neat and clean. The supervision of work
at the site can be reduced to a minimum. The storage
space required is very much less.
5. Driven piles may conveniently be used in places
where it is advisable not to drill holes for fear of
meeting ground water under pressure.
6. Drivens pile are the most favored for works over
water such as piles in wharf structures or jetties.
Disadvantages
1. Precast or prestressed concrete piles must be
properly reinforced to withstand handling stresses
during transportation and driving.
2. Advance planning is required for handling and driving.
3. Requires heavy equipment for handling and driving.
4. Since the exact length required at the site cannot be
determined in advance, the method involves cutting off
extra lengths or adding more lengths. This increases the
cost of the project.
5. Driven piles are not suitable in soils of poor drainage
qualities. If the driving of piles is not properly phased
and arranged, there is every possibility of heaving of the
soil or the lifting of the driven piles during the driving of
a new pile.
6. Where the foundations of adjacent structures are
likely to be affected due to the vibrations generated by
the driving of piles, driven piles should not be used.
Cast-in-situ Piles
Cast-in-situ piles are concrete piles. These piles are
distinguished from drilled piers as small diameter piles.
They are constructed by making holes in the ground to
the required depth and then filling the hole with
concrete. Straight bored piles or piles with one or more
bulbs at intervals may be cast at the site. The latter type
are called under-reamed piles. Reinforcement may be
used as per the requirements. Cast-in-situ piles have
advantages as well as disadvantages.
Advantages
1. Piles of any size and length may be constructed at the
site.
2. Damage due to driving and handling that is common
in precast piles is eliminated in this case.
3. These piles are ideally suited in places where
vibrations of any type are required to be avoided to
preserve the safety of the adjoining structure.
4. They are suitable in soils of poor drainage qualities
since cast-in-situ piles do not significantly disturb the
surrounding soil.
Disadvantages
1. Installation of cast-in-situ piles requires careful
supervision and quality control of all the materials used
in the construction.
2. The method is quite cumbersome. It needs sufficient
storage space for all the materials used in the
construction.
3. The advantage of increased bearing capacity due to
compaction in granular soil that could be obtained by a
driven pile is not produced by a cast-in-situ pile.
4. Construction of piles in holes where there is heavy
current of ground water flow or artesian pressure is
very difficult.
A straight bored pile is shown in Fig. 15.1 (a).
Driven and Cast-in-situ Piles
This type has the advantages and disadvantages of both
the driven and the cast-in-situ piles. The procedure of
installing a driven and cast-in-situ pile is as follows: A
steel shell is driven into the ground with the aid of a
mandrel inserted into the shell. The mandrel is
withdrawn and concrete is placed in the shell. The shell
is made of corrugated and reinforced thin sheet steel
(mono-tube piles) or pipes (Armco welded pipes or
common seamless pipes). The piles of this type are
called a shell type. The shell-less type is formed by
withdrawing the shell while the concrete is being
placed. In both the types of piles the bottom of the shell
is closed with a conical tip which can be separated from
the shell. By driving the concrete out of the shell an
enlarged bulb may be formed in both the types of piles.
Franki piles are of this type. The common types of
driven and cast-in-situ piles are given in Fig. 15.1. In
some cases the shell will be left in place and the tube is
concre It is a type of driven pile.

They are constructed by driving a steel casing in to the

ground. The hole is then filled with concrete by placing
the reinforcement and the casing is gradually lifted.ted.
This type of pile is very much used in piling over water.
 Classification based
on load transmission:
End bearing piles (Point bearing) 
These transmit most of their loads to the load bearing
layer (which can be dense sand or rock). Most of the
pile capacity is inferred from the end bearing point.

2. Characteristics of piles according to function

(i) End bearing piles:

The piles which transfer its load to a hard and relatively

incompressible stratum like rock or dense sand are
called end bearing piles. These piles derive its bearing
capacity from end bearing at the pile tip.
End-bearing pile
(ii) Friction piles:
Friction piles : 
The piles which do not rest on hard stratum but derives
its carrying capacity from skim friction or adhesion These transmit their load through the layers through
which the piles pass which is mostly through the
between the pile surface and surrounding soil are called
surface friction (skin friction) with the surrounding
friction piles. soils. Here the piles are driven to such a depth that
the frictional resistance which is developed at the side
(iii) Tension pile:
of the piles equals to the load coming on the piles.
Tension piles are also called uplift piles. These piles are
used to anchor down the structures subjected to uplift
due to hydrostatic pressure.

(iv) Compaction piles:

These piles are used to compact loose granular soil to

increase its bearing capacity. Compaction piles do not
carry load and hence they can be of weaker material.
Sand piles can be used as compaction piles.

(v) Anchor piles:

These piles are used to provide anchorage against

horizontal pull from sheet piling.
Friction pile
(vi) Fender piles and dolphins:
Classification based on Material of
Fender piles and dolphins are used to protect water
front structure from impact of any floating object or
Piles Construction:
ship. Timber piles:
Timber can be used for manufacture of temporary
piles and also for permanent ones in regions where
timber is readily and economically available. It’s most
suitable for long cohesion piling and piling under
embankments.

Steel piles: 
Steel can be used for both temporary and permanent
works. They are suitable for handling and driving for
piles with prolonged lengths. Their relatively small
cross sectional area along with the high strength
makes penetration easier in firm soil. If it’s driven in to
a soil with low Ph value, there may occur a risk of
corrosion which can be eliminated by tar coating or
cathodic protection.

Installation of steel piles

Concrete piles:  Composite pile of concrete and timber
Concrete is used to manufacture of precast concrete  
piles, cast in place and pre-stressed concrete piles.
Pre-stressed concrete piles are becoming more Classification based on the effect of
approved than the ordinary pre-cast as less soil:
reinforcement is required.
Driven piles:
In this process of driving of pile into the ground, soil is
moved radially when the pile shaft enters the ground.
There may exist a component of movement of
the soil in the vertical direction. Hence driven piles are
Composite piles:  considered as displacement piles.

When a pile consists of a combination of different

materials in the same pile, it’s called as Composite
pile. For example, part of timber pile which is installed
above ground water could be endangered to insect
attack and decay. So to avoid this, concrete or steel
pile is used above ground water level whilst timber is
installed under the ground water level.

Different cross sections used for steel piles

Bored piles:
In this process, a void is formed by boring or
excavation before pile is introduced into the ground.
Piles can be produced by casting concrete in the void.
Boring piles are considered as non-displacement
piles.

Pile Installation Methods

In pile foundations, Installation process and methods
of installation are equally important as the design
process. During the design of piles,
the installation method and equipment should be
carefully selected in order to avoid the damages to the
pile.
Pile driving methods (displacement
piles)
Continuous flight auger (CFA): If boring and
pouring takes place simultaneously during pile driving,
then they are called CFA piles. Here the equipment
comprises of a mobile base carrier fitted with a hollow
main flight auger which is rotated and driven into the
ground to get the required depth of piling. This
method is especially effective on soft ground.

Dropping weight: A hammer with approximately the

weight of the pile is raised to a suitable height and is
released to strike the pile head.

Continuous Flight Auger process

Underreaming: This is a special type of auger bored
piles which is used to exploit the bearing capacity of
respective strata by providing an enlarged base. The
soil should be capable of standing open unsupported
to employ this technique.

Pile driving using hammer

Vibration: The amplitude of vibration used here
should be sufficient to break the skin friction on sides
of pile. This is bested suited for sandy or gravelly
soils.
Jacking (only for micro piles): To install jacking
piles, Hydraulic rams are used to push piles into
ground
Jetting: To aid the penetration of piles in to sand or
sand gravel, water jetting can be employed.

Boring methods (non-displacement

piles)

Underrreaming tool open position
Negative skin friction
When a fill or load is placed on compressible soil
deposit, consolidation takes place. When the piles are
driven through the soil deposit before consolidation is
complete, the soil will move downward relative to the
pile. The downward movement of the soil develops
skin friction between the pile and the surrounding soil
and it’s termed as negative skin friction. It can also be
developed from lowering the water level in
compressible soils such as clay, mud and soft soil and
also due to increase in stress.
Negative skin friction
Classification of pile with
respect to type of material
Piles are usually made of timber, concrete
or steel. Timber can be used for the
manufacture of temporary piles and when
the wood is available at an economical
price.
Concrete is used for the manufacture of
precast concrete piles, cast in place and
prestressed concrete piles, while steel piles
are used for permanent or temporary
works.
o Timber
o Concrete
o Steel
o Composite piles.
Timber piles
Used from earliest record time and still
used for permanent works in regions where
timber is plentiful. Timber is most suitable
for long cohesion piling and piling beneath
embankments. The timber should be in a
good condition and should not have been
attacked by insects.
For timber piles of length less than 14
meters, the diameter of the tip should be
greater than 150 mm. If the length is
greater than 18 meters a tip with a diameter
of 125 mm is acceptable. It is essential that
the timber is driven in the right direction and
should not be driven into firm ground. As
this can easily damage the pile.
Keeping the timber below the groundwater
level will protect the timber against decay
and putrefaction. To protect and strengthen
the tip of the pile, timber piles can be
provided with toe cover. Pressure
creosoting is the usual method of protecting
timber piles.
be easily connected together in order to
reach to the required length (fig 1-4 a). This
will not decrease the design load capacity.
Reinforcement is necessary within the pile
to help withstand both handling and driving
stresses. Prestressed concrete piles are
also used and are becoming more popular
than the ordinary precast as less
reinforcement is required.

Advantages and disadvantages of Wood piles

+ The piles are easy to handle
+ Relatively inexpensive where timber is
plentiful.
+ Sections can be joined together and
excess length easily removed.
— The piles will rot above the ground water
level. Have a limited bearing capacity.
— Can easily be damaged during driving by Figure 4:a) concrete pile connecting detail. b)
stones and boulders. squared precast concrete pile
— The piles are difficult to splice and are The Hercules type of pile joint (Figure 5) is
attacked by marine borers in salt water easily and accurately cast into the pile and
Concrete piles is quickly and safely joined on site. They
Concrete piles can be divided to are made to accurate dimensional
precast and cast in place concrete piles: tolerances from high grade steels.

Precast concrete Piles or Prefabricated concrete

piles
it is formed and reinforced in a high-quality
controlled concrete, Usually used of square
(see fig 1-4 b), triangle, circle or octagonal
section, they are produced in short length in
one meter intervals between 3 and 13
meters. They are pre-caste so that they can

Figure-5: Hercules type of pile joint
Advantages and disadvantages of
Precast concrete Piles
+ Stable in squeezing ground, for example,
soft clays, silts and peats pile material can
be inspected before piling.
+ Are easy to splice. Relatively
inexpensive.
+ Can be driven in long lengths.
+ Can increase the relative density of a
granular founding stratum.
— Displacement, heave, and disturbance of
the soil during driving.
— Can be damaged during driving.
Replacement piles may be required.
— Cannot be driven with very large
diameters or in condition of limited
headroom.
Cast in place Concrete piles
Cast in place concrete piles are the most
type commonly used for foundations due to
the great diversity available for pouring
concrete and the introduction of the pile into
the soil. Driving and drilling piles are two
types of cast in place concrete piles;
however, the implementation of these piles
in place may be accompanied by some
problems such as arching, squeezing and
segregation.
These piles are divided to:
Piles are poured in tubes with underneath
heels and left when lifting the tubes. some
of those types:
o Simplex pile: it is a tube of cast of diameter
40 cm, has an underneath heel, it is banged
underground by an automatic hammer until
reaching the arable land for the establishment, then
concrete is poured inside it and banged by another
hammer. In the meantime, the pipe is raised with a
certain amount so as not to enter the soil inside.
This pile can bear about 40 – 50 ton.
o Frankie pile: It is a number of tubes
entering each other in order to easily access to great
depths within the earth. A heel of reinforced
concrete can be used and left in the ground to
prevent the entry of cold water pipes. This pile can
carry a load of 50 – 80 ton.
o Vibro pile: It is a steel pipe of diameter 40
cm, has a conical heel with a separate flange, it is
banged underground by an automatic hammer until
reaching the arable land for the establishment, then
the heel is removed and put into a tube, after that
concrete is poured. The tube is moved up and down
 (about 80 times per minute) in order to compact
concrete. This pile can bear about 60 ton.
o Strong pile: this pile is largely similar to
Simplex pile except that the bottom heel is made
from reinforced concrete covered with cast heel.
This pile can carry a load of 25 – 30 ton.
o Under rimed pile: this pile is used at black
clayey soil and lands of non residual soil, so this
soil is very dangerous to be established on it.
o Piles with open tubes without heel, then
concrete are poured inside the tube. The pipe has a
diameter of 40 cm and an average concrete well of
12 to 15 meters depending on the level of land to be
established. Some these piles:
o Strauss pile: Which is very similar to the
Simplex pile but without a heel. Soil can be
removed from the tubes by special devices and
concrete is poured instead of soil. The maximum
load that can be carried by these piles is from 20 –
25 ton.
o Kimbersol pile: A well is done of diameter
about 80 cm, until reaching the arable land for the
establishment, then the bottom of the well is
compacted using a rounded hammer and filled with
concrete with a ratio of 1 : 5 (cement : sand). This
pile can carry a load of 80 – 120 ton.
o Welfchaulzer pile: a pipe of diameter 30 –
40 cm is banged until reaching the arable land for
the establishment, and the inside soil is removed,
then steel bars are placed and the opened upper hole
is covered tightly Leaving holes to connect the
compressed air so that leachates can be expelled,
then concrete is poured by a ratio 1 : 4.
o Raymond pile: Consists of cylindrical chips
inside each other with a diameter of 40 – 60 cm at
the top of the pile and 20 – 28 cm at the bottom. It is
banged inside by a Mandrill and the cylindrical
chips are leaved in the soil and filled with concrete.
Advantages and disadvantages of cast-in-place
concrete piles
+ Can be inspected before casting can
easily be cut or extended to the desired
length.
+ Relatively inexpensive.
+ The piles can be cast before excavation.
+ Pile lengths are readily adjustable.
+ An enlarged base can be formed which
can increase the relative density of a
granular founding stratum leading to much
higher end bearing capacity.
+ Reinforcement is not determined by the
effects of handling or driving stresses.
— Heave of neighboring ground surface,
which could lead to re consolidation and the
development of negative skin friction forces
on piles..
— Tensile damage to unreinforced piles or
piles consisting of green concrete, where
forces at the toe have been sufficient to
resist upward movements.
— Damage piles consisting of uncased or
thinly cased green concrete due to the
lateral forces set up in the soil. Concrete
may be weakened if artesian flow pipes up
shaft of piles when tube is withdrawn.
— Light steel section or Pre-cast concrete
shells may be damaged or distorted by
hard driving.
— Cannot be driven where headroom is
limited.
— Time consuming; cannot be used
immediately after the installation.
— Limited length.
Bored and cast-in-place (non-
displacement piles)
+ Length can be readily varied to suit
varying ground conditions.
+ Can be installed in very large diameters.
+ End enlargement up to two or three
diameters are possible in clays.
+ Material of piles is not dependent on
handling or driving conditions.
+ Can be installed in very long lengths.
— Concrete is not placed under ideal
conditions and cannot be subsequently
inspected.
— Water under artesian pressure may pipe
up pile shaft washing out cement.
— Cannot be readily extended above
ground level especially in river and marine
structures.
— Boring methods may loosen sandy or
gravely soils requiring base grouting to
achieve economical base resistance.
Steel piles
Made of sectors in the form of H, X or of
thick pipes (see fig. 6). They are suitable for
handling and driving in long lengths. Their
relatively small cross-sectional area
combined with their high strength makes
penetration easier in firm soil.
They can be easily cut off or joined by
welding. If the pile is driven into a soil with
low pH value, then there is a risk of
corrosion, but risk of corrosion is not as
great as one might think. Although tar
coating or cathodic protection can be
employed in permanent works.
It is common to allow for an amount of
corrosion in design by simply over
dimensioning the cross-sectional area of
the steel pile. In this way the corrosion
process can be prolonged up to 50 years.
Normally the speed of corrosion is 0.2-0.5
mm/year and, in design, this value can be
taken as 1mm/year.
Figure 6: Steel piles cross-sections
Advantages and disadvantages of Steel piles
+ The piles are easy to handle and can
easily be cut to desired length.
+ Can be driven through dense layers. The
lateral displacement of the soil during
driving is low (steel section H or I section
piles) can be relatively easily spliced or
bolted.
+ Can be driven hard and in very long
lengths.
+ Can carry heavy loads.
— The piles will corrode,
— Will deviate relatively easy during
driving.
— Are relatively expensive.
Composite piles
Combination of different materials in the
same of pile. As indicated earlier, part of a
timber pile which is installed above ground
water could be vulnerable to insect attack
and decay. To avoid this, concrete or steel
pile is used above the ground water level,
whilst wood pile is installed under the
groundwater level (see figure 7).
Driven piles are considered to be
displacement piles. In the process of driving
the pile into the ground, soil is moved
radially as the pile shaft enters the ground.
There may also be a component of
movement of the soil in the vertical
direction.

Figure 7: Protecting timber piles from

decay: a) by precast concrete upper section
above water level. b) by extending pile cap
below water level
Classification of pile with
respect to effect on the soil Figure 8: driven piles
A simplified division into driven or bored Bored piles
piles is often employed
Bored piles (Replacement piles) are
Driven piles generally considered to be non-
 displacement piles a void is formed by
boring or excavation before piles is
produced. Piles can be produced by casting
concrete in the void.
Some soils such as stiff clays are
particularly amenable to the formation of
piles in this way, since the borehole walls
do not requires temporary support except
cloth to the ground surface.

In unstable ground, such as gravel the

ground requires temporary support from
casing or bentonite slurry. Alternatively the
casing may be permanent, but driven into a
hole which is bored as casing is advanced.

A different technique, which is still

essentially non-displacement, is to intrude,
a grout or a concrete from an auger which
is rotated into the granular soil, and hence
produced a grouted column of soil.

There are three non-displacement

methods: bored cast- in – place piles,
particularly pre-formed piles and grout or
concrete intruded piles.

The following are replacement piles:

o Augered

o Cable percussion drilling

o Large-diameter under-reamed

o Types incorporating pre caste concrete unite

o Drilled-in tubes

o Mini piles