1

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction ............................................................................... 2

1.1 Introduction .............................................................................. 2
1.2 Composition of Instrument ....................................................... 2
1.3 Key Performance Indicators ..................................................... 3
1.4 Instrument Daily Usage and Maintenance ................................ 4
1.5 Preparation Before Testing ....................................................... 4
Chapter 2 Introduction of Instrument Functions .................................... 6
Chapter 3 Pile Testing with Reflected Wave Method............................ 7
3.1 Parameter Settings .................................................................... 8
It’s used to set the number of the tested pile. Users can key in directly.
A pile number can be maximally 6 characters. ...................................... 8
Directly key in. The reasonable pile length range is 0.5m ~ 200.0m. In
actual testing, the pile length should be set with a certain margin (1-5
m). ................................................................................................................ 9
3.2 Signal Acquisition ................................................................... 14
3.3 Signal Analysis ....................................................................... 15
3.4 Back to Home Page ................................................................ 21
Chapter 4 Data Transmission................................................................. 22
Chapter 5 System Settings ..................................................................... 23
 2

Chapter 1 Introduction

1.1 Introduction

Pile Integrity Tester With Reflection Wave Method is an

intelligent and portable analyzer for pile foundation detection with
such capabilities as signal acquisition, data analysis and processing,
and storage and output of results. This instrument mainly uses a
reflected wave method to examine the shaft concrete integrity of
various types of piles in order to determine the extent and location of
defects in the pile shafts.

1.2 Composition of Instrument

Pile Integrity Tester With Reflection Wave Method mainly

includes a host machine, sensors, a hammer (or rod),
Windows–based analysis and processing software and other
accessories (such as U disk, manuals, etc.).

Figure 1-1 Schematic of Instrument Appearance

Figure 1-1 shows the appearance of the instrument, with two

LEDs on the upper panel of the dynamic tester to indicate power
status and charging status.
There is a sensor socket on the interface panel of the instrument.
There is also a power socket and a U disk interface port on the
 3
left side of the instrument. In use of an external power supply, the
battery is directly charged.

1.3 Key Performance Indicators

Number Items Indicators

1 System noise voltage（mV） ≤2
2 Sampling time interval （μs） From 2.0 to 512.0
3 Amplifier (floating point) gain ≤64
（dB）
4 A/D resolution（bit） 16
Acceleration 2～8000
5 measurement
Frequency frequency
response range (Hz)
(frequency Speed 10～1000
error≤10％) measurement
frequency
range (Hz)
6 Amplitude nonlinearity ≤10％
7 Time indication error ≤1％
8 Gain error ≤1 dB
9 Sampling length 4k sampling
points
10 System dynamic range (dB) ≥66
11 Accelerometer: Uncertainty（k=3）
System
is 3%
reference
sensitivity Speedometer： Uncertainty（k=3）
is 5%
12 Power supply External:
AC220V,DC12V
Internal: 12V,
rechargeable
lithium-ion
battery, 6 hours
continuous
operation
13 Temperature adaptability -10～+40℃
 4
14 Volume：mm×mm×mm 250×200×100
15 Weight：kg 1.8

1.4 Instrument Daily Usage and Maintenance

The following precautions should be taken:

1． Avoid dust or moisture during the use and storage of the
instrument.
2. The LCD screen is very sensitive to temperature. The
operating temperature should be controlled at -10 ° C-+40 ° C and
the instrument should not be placed directly under the sun. Beyond
this temperature range, the instrument display is not normal or even
simply not functional. When not in use place the instrument inside the
box. The storage temperature should be controlled at -20 °C-+65 °
C.
3. The instrument is powered by a built-in high-capacity special
rechargeable lithium battery. If fully charged, it can continuously work
for more than 6 hours. Please pay attention to the power indicator
status during the usage. If the indicator color is green, continue with
normal use. If the light turns red, the instrument should be charged
ASAP with the power charging module provided by us.
To charge, simply connect the charging module to the charging
socket of the instrument. Right after plugging in, the indicator of the
charging module is red. The indicator turns green when the battery is
fully charged. The instrument can be used normally during charging.
After charging, if no use for a long time, the usage time of the
instrument becomes shorter. Re-charge if necessary.
4. The sensor should be protected carefully. A strong impact or
vibration can cause performance degradation or damage to the
sensor. Therefore prevent the sensor falling from a height or being
pressed by heavy items.
5. When connecting a patch cable, it’s advised to turn off the
instrument or PC first. Re-boot after connection. “Hot plugging” is not
advised.

1.5 Preparation Before Testing

1. The sensor coupling point and the hammer percussion point

 5
must be clean, smooth and hard. Therefore necessary processing on
the pile head should be performed before testing - remove the
laitance and other debris off the pile head surface and polish two
small pieces of flat surfaces for sensor placement and hammer
percussion respectively.
2. Sensor installation – first connect one end of the sensor
signal line to the sensor and plug the other end in the sensor socket
of the instrument interface board (Please make sure to align the red
dot on the plug of the signal line with that on the socket. Then install
the sensor on the pile head. The sensor and the pile head should be
tightly coupled. Butter, vaseline and others can be used as coupling
agents. The coupling agents can’t be too thick.
3. Select the appropriate impact device - excitation technology
is one of the important aspects in pile foundation integrity testing with
reflected wave-based method. Excitation devices with different
materials and that can produce different energies are required for
different types of piles with different lengths.
 6

Chapter 2 Introduction of Instrument Functions

When everything is ready for operation, switch on the

instrument's power. After a short period of time, an interface shows
up, as shown in Figure 2-1, with three modules: Pile Testing with
Reflected Wave Method, Data Transmission and System Settings.

Figure 2-1 Starting Interface

Use↑, ↓ keys to select the function modules. Press the OK key

to enter the corresponding module.
 7

Chapter 3 Pile Testing with Reflected Wave Method

On the starting interface, select “Pile Testing with Reflected Wave

Method” to enter the testing interface (shown in Figure 3-1).

3-1 Testing Interface

Parameter Settings Area: is mainly used to set the project

parameters and test parameters required in the process of pile
testing with the reflected wave method.
Waveform Signal Acquisition Area: is the waveform display area in
the testing process. This area is the main observation area during
testing. The main testing process is completed in this area.
Help Information Area: displays operating information, allowing
 8
users to operate the instrument easily even when the manual is not
available.

3.1 Parameter Settings

3.1.1 Projects

It is used to set the project name. Users can key in directly.

Please note that the input can’t be more than 8 characters. (The first
four characters of the project name plus the last four characters of
the date will be used for the stored directory of the current file). Press
OK and an interface will pop up, as shown in Figure 3.2. Users can
move the cursor on the existing project names by pressing↓, ↑ key to
select. Press OK to select the project name where the cursor stays.
After the selection of an existing project, the data will be read out and
displayed in the waveform area. Press the Sampling key to continue
the test.

Figure 3.2 Selection of Project Names

3.1.2 Pile Number

It’s used to set the number of the tested pile. Users can key in
directly. A pile number can be maximally 6 characters.
 9
3.1.3 Pile Length Setting

Directly key in. The reasonable pile length range is 0.5m ~

200.0m. In actual testing, the pile length should be set with a certain
margin (1-5 m).

3.1.4 Pile Diameter Input

Directly key in. The pile diameter rang is 20mm ~ 4000mm.

3.1.5 Wave Velocity Setting

Directly key in. The velocity values are generally estimated

based on the concrete strength grade of piles and experience. The
reasonable range is 100m / s ~ 10000m / s. The velocity range of the
various types of piles is roughly as follows:
• Precast piles: 3600 to 4200m / s
• Cast-in-situ piles: 3400 to 4000m / s
• Steel piles: 5100 to 5400m / s
• DJM piles: 1400 to 2100m / s
For concrete piles, the corresponding relationships of different
strength grades with the velocity ranges are as follows:

Concrete C15 C20 C25 C30 C35 C40

Strength
Grade
Velocity 250 2800 3300 3600 3800 4100
Range 0 to to to to to to
(m/s) 300 3500 3800 4000 4200 4400
0

3.1.6 Gain

Press the OK key and a pop-up menu appears, as shown in

Figure 3.4. The gain value can be properly adjusted according to the
pile length, the surface condition of the file head and the impact
device. When the signal is weak and not easily triggered, the gain
value should be increased; when the signal is too strong, the gain
 10
value should be reduced.

Figure 3.4 Gain Selection

3.1.7 Trigger Level

Press the OK key and an option menu pops up, as shown in

Figure 3.5. A higher number indicates a higher level required to
trigger. The positive and negative signs mean a rising edge and
falling edge, respectively. Different sensors may have different trigger
edges. If no trigger is observed or the waveform is not normal
(absence of straight line segments before the direct wave), it may be
caused by an incorrect trigger edge. Interchange of the positive and
negative of trigger level is advised).
 11
Figure 3.5 Trigger Level Selection

3.1.8 Trigger Means

Press the OK key to pop up an option menu with Signal Trigger

and External Trigger, as shown in Figure 3.6. Select the Signal
Trigger means when the reflected wave method is used to test piles.
External trigger is only used for testing system noise and dynamic
range in a leave factory test.

Figure 3.6 Trigger Means Selection

3.1.9 Signal Type Selection

Press the OK key to pop up an option menu with Speed and

Acceleration, as shown in Figure 3.7.

Figure 3.7 Signal Type Selection

3.1.10 Integration Selection

Press the OK key to pop up the menu, as shown in Figure 3.8, to

select Integration or not. If Integration is selected, the waveform
signal after integration is directly displayed.
 12

Figure 3.8 Integration Selection

3.1.11 Low-Pass Filter Setting

Press the OK key to pop up the menu, as shown in Figure 3.9, to

select Filter or not.

Figure 3.9 Filter or Not

If select Yes, the Filter Cut-off Frequency Input Interface pops up,
as shown in Figure 3.10

Figure 3.10 Filter Cut-off Frequency Input

After cut-off frequency value input and data acquisition, the

waveform after the filtering treatment is directly displayed. Low-pass
filter is to filter out the high frequency components of the signal, so
that the useful signal is prominent. During pile testing, low-pass filter
 13
is used very often and the cut-off frequency should be set based on
experience. If some high frequency components have not been
filtered out after filtering, the cutoff frequency value should be
decreased. Vice versa the cutoff frequency value should be
increased and the low-pass cut-off frequency be reset. Low-pass
cutoff frequency is in the range of 0.1 ~ 5kHz. At 0.1 no low-pass
filtering will be performed.
 14

3.2 Signal Acquisition

After setting the project information and test parameters, press

the Sampling button to enter the waveform acquisition (Figure 3.11).
The waveform area can acquire three waveforms. As shown in the
figure, the green dot represents the current acquired waveform area.
For every percussion, the waveform will be displayed in the current
area.

Figure 3.11 Signal Collection Interface

Operations in the acquisition process are as follows:

1. Acquire data: in the acquisition mode, percuss the pile head and
the data will be acquired automatically and the acquired waveform
will be displayed in the current waveform area.
2. Save data: after acquiring waveforms, press the Save button to
save the current waveform and continue with the next waveform
testing. If no saving, continue percussing to overwrite the previous
waveform. A continuous percussion is possible until saving is
required.
 15
3. Modify the pile number: each tested pile corresponds to a single
pile number for easy data management. Therefore after each pile
testing, the pile number should be changed. In the test mode,
press the Shift button to return to the parameter setting mode to
set the pile number. After pile number setting, press the Sampling
button to continue the test.
4. Adjust the gain: during the testing, the gain can, as needed, be
adjusted according to the signal strength. The operation is the
same as for pile number modification. Return to the parameter
setting mode to modify.
5. Modify other test parameters: during the acquisition process,
parameter settings can be modified as needed. The operation is
the same as for pile number modification.
6. Review data: on the acquisition interface, use↑ and↓ keys to review
the stored waveforms.

3.3 Signal Analysis

On the acquisition interface, after acquiring waveforms or

recalling saved waveforms, press the OK key to enter Waveform
Analysis (Figure 3.12). Same as the acquisition interface, the first
is analysis parameter setting.
 16

Figure 3.12 Signal Analysis Interface

3.3.1 Analysis Parameter Setting

⒈ Pile Length Modification

On the analysis interface, the pile length can be modified. After the
modification, the system will automatically recalculate the velocity
based on the set pile length; when the pile bottom position is modified
on the adjustment interface, the velocity will also be automatically
recalculated based on the set pile length. When the pile bottom
position is modified on the waveform analysis area, the velocity will
also be automatically recalculated based on the set pile length.
⒉ Velocity Modification
Velocity modification can be performed on the analysis interface.
After the modification, the system will automatically recalculate the
pile length based on the set velocity; when the pile bottom position is
modified on the adjustment interface, the pile length will also be
automatically recalculated based on the set velocity.
 17

⒊ Low-Pass Filter
Directly key in a low-pass cut-off frequency value. The
low-pass cutoff frequency is in the range of 0.1 ~ 5kHz. At 0.1 no
low-pass filtering will be performed.

⒋ High-Pass Filter
Directly key in a high-pass filter cut-off frequency value.
High-pass filter is to filter out low-frequency components in the signal
so that the useful signal is prominent. High-pass cut-off frequency is
in the range of 0 ~ 2000Hz, with no high-pass filtering at 0.

⒌ Magnify
Press the OK button to pop up the Magnification Type Selection
menu (Figure 3.13).

Figure 3.12 Magnification Type Selection Menu

⒍ Magnification

After select the magnification type, key in a magnification.

⒎ Smoothing
Key in smoothing points. This function is used to remove the burr
on the waveform.

⒏ Rotation
If the waveform tail deviates from the baseline due to integration
or other reasons, the tail can be returned to the baseline with the
rotation function. A rotation factor is a percentage in the range of -100
 18
to 100, with negative for downward rotation and positive for upward
rotation. Key in a rotation factor.

⒐ Integration Selection
Press the OK key to pop up the Integration Selection menu, as
shown in Figure 3.13. If Integration is selected, the waveform after
integration will be displayed in the waveform analysis area.

Figure 3.13 Integration Selection

⒑ Restore Settings
This function is to remove the waveform operations by the user,
such as filtering, integration and other features, and restore back to
the original waveform.

⒒ Amplitude Spectrum

When the cursor is moved to the amplitude spectrum in parameter

settings, press OK to enter the amplitude spectrum analysis (Figure
3.14).
 19

Figure 3.14 Amplitude Spectrum Interface

In the amplitude spectrum analysis interface, use ←, → keys to

move the frequency pointer and the real-time frequency value will be
displayed at the top of the screen. Press OK to set the frequency
point so that a mark line at the current cursor position appears and
displays its frequency value. When there are two and more frequency
pointers, the frequency difference will show on the right (shown in
Figure 3.14).
To delete a frequency pointer, simply move the cursor to the set
frequency pointer position and press the Delete key.
Press the Return key to return to the waveform analysis
interface.

3.3.2 Waveform Analysis

After setting the analysis parameters, press the Shift key to enter
the waveform analysis area (Figure 3.15).
 20

Figure 3.15 Waveform Analysis

Use ←, → keys to move the cursor. Press OK and the setting menu
pops up (as shown in Figure 3.16).
 21

Figure 3.16 Analysis Setting Menu

After setting the pile bottom, the system will automatically

calculate the velocity based on the pile length or calculate the pile
length based on the velocity.
After selecting the Defect setting, a cursor line appears on the
screen and the information is displayed below the cursor, as shown in
Figure 3.16.
On the cursor line for a set defect, a repeated setting for the same
type defect will cancel the setting and upgrade for the different types.
In the waveform analysis area, press ↑, ↓ keys to bring up the
previous one or the next saved data for review and analysis.
Press the Back button to return to the test interface to continue
testing and save the analyzed parameters and defect settings.

3.4 Back to Home Page

When the test is completed, press the Return key to pop up the
interface, as shown in Figure 3.17. The user can press the OK key to
exit, or press the Return key to continue testing.

Figure 3.17 Exit

 22
Chapter 4 Data Transmission

The main function of the data transmission module is to import

the data into a U disk so that the user can analyze and process the
data with the external data analysis and processing software. The
overall interface is shown in Figure 4.1, with a total of two columns.
The Project indicates the existing projects. Move ↑, ↓ keys in the
project list. The Information on the right shows the test information for
this project, as shown in the figure. Move the cursor and use the
Sampling key to select the project that is to be transmitted. There will
be a “*” mark appearing in front of the file, indicating that the file is
selected. Press the Save key to start the data transmission.
If the user wants to delete a data file and empty the disk capacity,
use the Sampling key to select the file or folder, then press the Delete
key to delete the selected folders or data files.

Figure 4.1 Transmission Interface

 23
Chapter 5 System Settings

System Settings is to set the date and time and to view disk
information, as shown in Figure 5.2, 5.3. To upgrade, users can insert
the U disk installed with our company’s built-in software into the
instrument U disk port, then press this button to upgrade the software.
Note: After the upgrade, restart the instrument.

Figure 5.1 Software Upgrade

In the Date and Time setting, users can set the date and time for
the instrument.

Figure 5.2 Date and Time Configuration

In the Disk Information, users can check the disk capacity

information. If the available space is relatively small, users can delete
some of the test data and empty disk to avoid affecting the use of the
instrument.

Figure 5.3 Disk Information