Measuring the Inclination of Deep Foundations

Erez, Joram

MEASURING THE INCLINATION OF DEEP FOUNDATIONS

Amir, Erez1, Amir, Joram2
1
2

President, Piletest.com Ltd. ErezAm@piletest.com

Chairman, Piletest.com Ltd. JMAmir@Piletest.com

Abstract
The allowable deviation of piles from verticality is mentioned in practically all piling
specifications, with typical values ranging from 1.33 to 2 percent. Similarly,
specifications also limit the tolerance of raked piles from their specified inclination. This
restriction is easily understood for piled retaining walls which are required to remain
water tight or serve as walls for underground parking garages.
Exceeding the above limits in piles foundations can introduce large bending moments and
shear forces (Amir, 2012) and may even lead to structural failure in piles designed strictly
for axial loads.
Still, the above specifications are seldom enforced due to the lack of convenient testing
apparati. In this paper, we describe the BIT (Borehole Inclination Tester), present its
details and operation, and show a variety of field results.
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Classification of test methods for inclination
Several methods exist for testing inclinations of deep foundations. Those can be classified
according to timing of test or sensor positioning:
Timing of test
During drilling, providing information during the drilling process
Post drilling, checking the verticality of freshly drilled borehole, dry or slurry-filled
After casting - testing the finished foundation
Sensor positioning
Pendulum-based devices - a pendulum lowered into the fresh borehole senses the
distance to the walls using either:
o Feeler arms: A set of mechanical arms which follow the borehole walls in
several positions (typically four) around the pendulum
o Remote sensing: A set of distance meters measure the distance to the borehole
walls using laser (in dry holes) or ultrasound (in wet boreholes)
Centralizer-based devices keeping a mechanical device aligned with the borehole axis
and measuring its inclination.
Pendulum based systems, in addition to inclination, usually provide additional
information about the borehole shape and volume. Those systems, however, cannot be
used to test raked piles or slender boreholes where the permitted deviation is larger than
the borehole diameter.
Centralizer based systems only provide information about the borehole inclination. The
main challenge with those systems is the size and weight of the centralizer needed to test
full-size boreholes. Additional challenge is the rotation of the centralizer.

DFI INDIA 2014: Deep Foundation Technologies for Infrastructure Development in India

Measuring the Inclination of Deep Foundations

Erez, Joram

2. OVERVIEW OF THE BIT SYSTEM

The BIT system falls into the category of centralizer based devices. It is dual purpose:
During drilling, it can be mounted on the drilling bucket that acts as centralizer.
In the finished pile, it can be lowered inside the access tubes which are routinely
installed for crosshole ultrasonic testing (ASTM D6760 - 14).
In large boreholes, the BIT system overcomes the challenge of centralizer size and weight
by using the drilling bucket as centralizer and the drilling rig to move it up and down.
BIT overcomes the centralizer rotation by continuously measuring azimuth and
compensating any rotation using trigonometric calculations.
In finished piles, BIT uses a specially designed centralizer (Figure 1 item 3) that fits into
access tubes as small as 40mm ID.
The system consists of five main parts (Figure 1).
1. The upper unit which contains the electronic circuitry and is mounted inside a
100 m. cable-reel.
2. The sensor, containing a bi-axial (X-Y) MEMS inclinometer, a MEMS gyro and
a thermometer, all packaged in a compact waterproof housing. For drilling
monitoring the lower sensor is rigidly mounted on the drilling bucket crossbar
3. For finished pile testing, the sensor is mounted on a stabilizer that acts as both a
centralizer and a rotation-suppressor.
4. A wireless depth meter
5. A hand-held computer for recording and presenting data.

Figure 1. BIT system components.

3. PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
3.1 Principle of operation - Drilling configuration
After the hole is drilled to the desired depth, the sensor is fixed on the bucket cross bar
and inserted into the hole while pointing to the reference North. The depth, inclination
and azimuth are measured at ground level and then at predetermined stops until the
drilling bucket has reached the bottom of the hole. The procedure is then repeated on the
way up, with readings taken at the same stops as before. During the whole procedure, the
rig operator should keep Kelly bar rotation to a minimum (although some degree of

DFI INDIA 2014: Deep Foundation Technologies for Infrastructure Development in India

Measuring the Inclination of Deep Foundations

Erez, Joram

unavoidable rotation is tolerable). When the bucket returns to the surface, it is aligned
back with the reference North, and a final reading taken. Typical test duration is in the
order of 10 to 15 minutes.
3.2 Principle of operation - Access tube configuration
The sensor with the centralizer is inserted into the access tube pointing to the reference
North. The depth, inclination and azimuth are measured at pile head level and then at
predetermined stops until the unit reaches the bottom of the tube. The procedure is then
repeated on the way up, with readings taken at the same stops as before. When the unit
returns to the surface, it is aligned back with the reference North, and a final reading
taken.
3.3 Error assessment
Since deviation readings are taken at intervals going down and up again, the final
accumulated deviation on the top of the pile/borehole (which should theoretically be zero)
serves as an indication for any inaccuracies during the test. In case those inaccuracies are
larger than a desired value, the source of the error could be investigated and the test can
be repeated.
4. TYPICAL TEST RESULTS
4.1 Testing finished pile using CSL access tubes
A 45m deep, 1.2m diameter pile supporting a power station structure was installed with 2
plain metal 50mm CSL access tubes. BIT testing on both tubes showed nearly identical
deviations in both tubes (differences could be attributed to inaccuracies in the access tube
placement within the cage). The maximal measured deviation from vertical was 0.19m at
the depth of 27.5m (0.69%). The test closure error was 0.025m (<0.1%). The results of
the measurements in the two tubes labeled East and West are in Figure
Power Station - Pile #5
Offsets from vertical (m)
0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0
5
10

Depth (m)

15
20
25
30
35
40
45

2.

East

West

Figure 2. BIT test results in access tubes.

DFI INDIA 2014: Deep Foundation Technologies for Infrastructure Development in India

Measuring the Inclination of Deep Foundations

Erez, Joram

4.2 Testing a finished retaining wall using CSL access tubes

50 piles with a 0.6m diameter and 15m deep, serving as a cut-and-cover tunnel walls were
installed with 3 CSL tubes each. BIT testing was done on all 150 tubes to the depth of 7m
in order to plot the deviation of the wall into the tunnel space.
Average testing time per tube was 5.5minutes
Average closure error was 0.02m
Deviations of 0.2m into the tunnel space were found in some piles, providing the owner
and contractor with valuable information long before the tunnel was excavated.
4.3 Testing fresh boreholes
A 40m deep, 1.8m diameter single pile supporting a railway bridge was tested at several
stages during the drilling during process and at the maximum depth of 40m. Drilling was
done using Bentonite slurry using several buckets to overcome the soil and hard rock
layers.
The max deviation found was 0.52m (1.27%) at 40.5m towards 245 (WSW), Test closure
error was 0.1m
Note that test closure errors in those conditions is larger than in CSL access tubes
probably due to the unavoidable tolerances between the bucket and borehole walls.
The results are presented in top view (Figure 3) and in side view (Figure 4). The shaded
triangular areas represent the no-go zone according to the project specifications.
Offset [m]

ENE <<

>> WSW
0.10m 0.25m 0.40m

0.10m 0.30m
10

Depth [m]

15

20

25

30

35

40

Figure 3. Top view.

Figure 4. Side view.

DFI INDIA 2014: Deep Foundation Technologies for Infrastructure Development in India

Measuring the Inclination of Deep Foundations

Erez, Joram

5. CONCLUSIONS
The system presented is a versatile and portable instrument for quickly measuring the
deviation of bored piles from the vertical with accuracy within 0.1%. It may therefore
assist the geotechnical engineer in enforcing the specification for pile verticality. The
system may also serve piling contractors who have to meet strict verticality tolerances in
contiguous and secant piled walls. In addition, it can help the contractors to evaluate the
suitability of specific rigs to difficult site conditions, such as the presence of boulders or
rock.
REFERENCES
1

Amir, J. M., Amir, E. I (2012): Testing of Bored Pile Inclination - The 9th International
Conference on Testing and Design Methods for Deep Foundations, Kanazawa, Japan,
211-216
ASTM (2014): Standard Test Method for Integrity Testing of Concrete Deep Foundations
by Ultrasonic Crosshole Testing D6760-14, http://www.astm.org/Standards/D6760.htm

DFI INDIA 2014: Deep Foundation Technologies for Infrastructure Development in India