Common Construction Methods for Pile Foundation

The following are three common construction methods for piling:

1. pile-driven foundations

The most common materials used to construct piles for the driven pile foundation method are concrete, steel, and wood. Similarly, contractors order prefabricated steel and timber piles that they can drill directly into the soil with a piling hammer. These piles displace an equal volume of soil in granular soils, assisting the soil in becoming more solid. Soil compaction increases density and, as a result, bearing capacity.

This construction method, however, is not appropriate for saturated silty soils with poor drainage capacity. When you drill piles through the soil, the watery condition prevents compaction. In fact, this has the opposite effect on the soil, reducing its ability to withstand heavy loads.

2. Cast-in-place pile foundations

Concrete piles are used in cast-in-place foundations. Rather than bringing precast piles to the job site, workers drill holes in the ground, insert steel reinforcements, and then fill the hole with concrete. This allows them to tailor the foundation's depth to the needs of the project and use piles with a smaller diameter than those used for driven pile foundations.

3. pile foundations that are integrated

Combined pile foundations combine the driven pile foundation and cast-in-situ pile foundation processes. As a result, it retains the advantages of both methods.

Workers begin by driving a steel shell into the ground that is the same diameter as the pile. After that, the foundation is secured by pouring concrete into the shell. Engineers commonly use this technique to pile over water.

Types of pile

Building engineers consider a variety of factors when determining the best piling type for a project, including:

• The excavation's depth
• The required installation angle for the pile
• Environmental issues affecting local residents

Here are the eight main piling types to consider for construction workers:

End-bearing piles

The bottom of end-bearing piles is supported by a layer of dense soil or rock. Engineers create this type of pile to transfer a building's heavy load through the pile to the strong layer. It is essentially a column that cuts through a weak layer of ground to support a structure with the strongest layer underneath.

Friction piles

Friction piles are cylindrical in shape. They use their entire height to transfer the forces generated by a building into the soil. The amount of load that a friction pile can support is directly proportional to its length. This also means that the pile can support more weight at greater depths.

Bored piles

Bored piles must be augured into the ground to create a hole that will later be filled with poured concrete. The advantage of this type of pile is that it is cast into place, making bored piles extremely secure. Bored piles are used in city construction projects because the installation process produces less vibration than other methods.

Driven piles

Driven piles require a great deal of force to be hammered into the ground. This type of pile is commonly used for foundations with non-cohesive soils or soils containing a high concentration of contaminants.

Screw piles

Screw piles resemble large steel screws that must be fastened into the ground in the same circular motion that regular screws are used to attach to other surfaces, such as wood.

Timber piles

Timber piles have been used in construction for thousands of years by engineers. Timber piles are precast and installed on-site using the driving method. They are an extremely cost-effective, safe, and efficient foundation solution for both temporary and permanent structures.

Steel pilings

Steel piles are installed by construction workers using impact or vibration hammers that can penetrate dense soil and rock. Steel tube piles are available in a variety of diameter sizes to meet the needs of your project.

Concrete piles

Offshore construction projects such as bridges, oil rigs, and floating airports frequently use concrete piles. It is a cutting-edge tool that effectively supports vertical structural loads as well as lateral wave loads. Because of how the pile reacts and distributes loads through the pile, it is frequently used to stabilize complex terrain.