glossary f geotechnical terms

acceptance test
a load test to confirm that each anchor conforms with the acceptance criteria
essai de rception
Abnahmeprfung

action radius
theoretical distance travelled by the grout from the injection point.

additive (admixture)
any grout ingredient {e.g. liquifiers, stabilisers) other than the basic components of a grout mix
(water, aggregates, or cementitious material), which is used to modify the liquid and solid state
properties of the grout

agitator tank
a tank with rotation paddles used to prevent segregation of grout after preparation.

air lifting
pumping technique in which air is pumped into the base of a suction pipe to cause reduced
density of material in the pipe and induce upward flow to evacuate solids and fluids (flushing).

anchor
an installation capable of transmitting an applied tensile load to a load bearing stratum
tirant d'ancrage
Anker

anchor head
the component of a ground anchor which transmits the tensile load from the tendon to bearing
plate or structure
tte d'ancrage
Ankerkopf

anchorage
anchoring system for the sheet pile wall, for example anchor plates or anchor walls including
the connecting rods (tie rods), screw anchors, ground and rock anchors, driven ground
anchors, anchoring piles and anchors with grouted or expanded bodies

apparent tendon free length

the length of tendon between the connection of the tendon to the stressing jack and a point
along the tendon, deduced from load testing of an anchor
longueur libre quivalente
Rechnerische freie Stahllnge

1 / 32

area grouting
see blanket grouting.

ascending grouting
see upstage grouting.

auger
tool consisting of a stem, helical flights and a cutting edge or edges for intermittent excavation
(when operated by a kelly bar) or continuous excavation (continuous flight auger).

auxiliary structures
all structures necessary for the proper and safe execution of the sheet piling works

barrette
discrete length of diaphragm wall, usually short, or a number of interconnecting lengths cast
simultaneously (e.g. L-, T- or cruciform shapes), used to support vertical and/or lateral loads.
barrette
Schlitzwandefement

batch
quantity of grout mixed at one time.

bentonite
a clay composed principally of minerals of the montmorilionite group, characterised by high
water adsorption and a very large volume change upon saturation or drying. They are clays with
a content of swellable smectites of at least 70 % and a water absorption capacity of more than
500 %..A distinction is made between natural, sodic, calcic, modified, and activated
bentonites.A naturally-occurring or manufactured sodium or calcium montmorillonite clay.
When wetted the minerals swell to form a suspension that is fluid when starred, but thixotropic
action causes the fluid to gel when the suspension is at rest.

bentonite suspension
stabilizing fluid that comprises bentonite and water.

bentonite-cement grout
a grout having bentonite, cement and water as its basic ingredients.
-

binder
a substance which causes cohesion in loosely assembled substances.

Bingham fluid
a substance which possesses both viscosity and cohesion.
Bingham

2 / 32

blanket (or area) grouting

the creation of a grouted mass whose lateral dimensions greatly exceed its depth.

bleed
the separation of water from grout paste
ressuage
Absetzma

bleeding
the autogenous flow of mixing water within, or its emergence from, newly placed grout.

bleeding rate
the rate at which water is released from grout by bleeding.

bonding (bond) strength

strength developed between the grout and its host material.

bored pile
pile formed with or without a pile casing by excavating or boring a hole in the ground and filling
with plain or reinforced concrete.
pieu for

borehole diameter
the diameter of a borehole as defined by the drill bit or casing diameter, excluding any
enlargements
diamtre de forage
Bohrlochdurchmesser

boring (drill) string

tool assembly used for continuous excavation consisting of a head (e.g. drilling head, bit, auger,
bucket) and an operating string (e.g. drilling pipes, Kelly bars, stabilizers, counter weights).

bracing
a system of walings and struts to support the structure

brooming
separation of fibres at the toe or head of a timber pile

bucket
boring tool in the form of a cylindrical container, at the bottom of a Kelly bar, used for
intermittent excavation and incorporating cutting blades or teeth and corresponding openings in
its hinged base plate for the intake of material.

3 / 32

bulk filling
bulk filling is the placement of grout with a high particulate content to fill substantial voids
injection de comblement
Hohlraumverfllung
( )

casing
steel tube used temporarily or permanently to support shaft walls during the construction of a
pile. In permanent situation the casing can act as a protective or load bearing unit
()

cast in place (displacement) pile

pile installed by driving a closed ended concrete shell or permanent or temporary casing, and
filling the hole so formed with plain or reinforced concrete

cast in situ concrete diaphragm wall

wall made of plain concrete or reinforced concrete, which is constructed in a trench excavated
in the ground. The concrete is placed through concreting pipes, beneath the supporting fluid in
the case of liquid-supported trenches or in some cases, in dry conditions
paroi moule en bton
Ortbetonschlitzwand

casting level
final level to which concrete is cast in a pile excavation. It is above the cut-off level by a margin
depending on the execution procedure.

cast-in-place bored pile

a pile cast either within a bored hole in the ground or within a driven casing.

cast-in-place screw pile

screw pile formed by screwing into the ground a closed ended permanent or temporary casing,
comprising at its base a displacement head in the form of a screw. The hole so formed is filled
with plain or reinforced concrete.

cathodic protection
a means of protecting steel piles from corrosion by providing a consumable anode or by
applying an external electrical potential

cement grout
a grout in which the primary bonding agent is cement.

centralizer
device to locate reinforcement centrally in a bore hole.
()

4 / 32

characteristic internal anchor resistance

the characteristic load capacity of the anchor tendon
rsistance interne caractristique du tirant
Charakteristischer Innerer Ankerwiderstand

chemical grout
any grouting material characterised by being a solution, i.e. having no particles (other than
impurities) in suspensions.

chisel
tool for breaking up obstructions in a pile excavation or for socketing a pile into hard soil or rock.

circuit grouting
a grouting method where grout is supplied to a hole or group of holes, leaving excess grout
travelling back through a return line into a holding tank.

circulation grouting
a grouting method by which grout is circulated through a pipe extending to the bottom of the
hole and back up the hole via the annular space outside the pipe. The excess grout is diverted
back to the agitator tank. The method is used where holes tend to cave and sloughing material
might otherwise clog openings to be grouted.

claquage or claquage grouting

see hydraulic fracturing in Definitions (French terminology).

client's technical representative

represents the client and is fully acquainted with all aspects of the works related to the use of
the anchors, including specialist knowledge of ground anchor technology
reprsentant technique du client
Technischer Bauherrn Vertreter

coefficient of permeability (hydraulic conductivity)

the rate of discharge of water under conditions of laminar flow through a unit cross-sectional
area of a porous medium under a unit hydraulic gradient and standard temperature conditions,
usually 20 C. Intrinsic permeability, k, is a prop erty of the material and measured in [m2].
Hydraulic conductivity is measured as the proportionality constant, K, between flow velocity, v,
and hydraulic gradient, i and has units of [m/s]:

colloid
a substance consisting of very small particles dispersed in a continuous medium. A colloidal
particle is generally accepted as having a size between 5 and 5 000 Angstrom.

5 / 32

colloidal grout
a grout with an artificially induced cohesiveness, in which the solid particles or large molecules
(colloids) are totally dispersed and remain in suspension, i.e. a grout mixture that does not
segregate or bleed.

combined pile
pile made up of two or more types or sizes of piles joined together. The connection between the
components is designed to transmit load and to prevent separation during and after
construction. (=composite pile)
( )

combined wall
retaining wall composed of primary and secondary elements. The primary elements can be
steel tubes, beams, or box piles. The secondary elements are normally U or Z-shaped steel
sheet piles.
()

compaction grouting
a displacement grouting method which aims at forcing a mortar of high internai friction into the
soil to compact it without fracturing it
injection solide
Verdichtungsinjektion (Kompaktionsinjektion)

comparable experience
documented, or other clearly established information related to the ground and installation
conditions, involving similar types of soil and rock and for which similar behaviour is expected.
Information gained locally is considered to be particularly relevant

compensation grouting
a term employed for controlled displacement grouting with the aim to counteract ground
settlement induced by excavation works. This term refers to a number of grouting methods.

compression pile
pile to resist compressive forces.
pieu en compression
Druckpfahl

concreting pipe
metal pipe comprising several joined lengths, surmounted by a hopper or chute for concrete
placement.

consistency
the relative mobility or ability of freshly mixed mortar or grout to flow. The usual measurements
are slump for stiff mixtures and flow for more fluid grouts.

6 / 32

consolidation grouting
this term refers to several injection methods including impregnation, fissure grouting, bulk filling,
hydraulic fracturing and compaction grouting, whereby the aim is to strengthen the soil or rock
mass.

constant rate of penetration test

static loading test in which a test pile is forced into the ground at a constant rate and the force is
measured (CRP-test).
essai de chargement vitesse d'enfoncement
weggesteuerte Probebelastung
(CRP)

contact grouting
the injection of grout into the interface between man-made structures and the ground
injection de contact
Kontaktinjektion

continuous flight auger pile (CFA-pile)

bored pile formed by means of a hollow stemmed continuous flight auger through the stem of
which concrete or grout is pumped as the auger is extracted .
pieu la tarire continue creuse (CFA)
Schneckenbohr-pfahl

continuous mixing
a process in which the ingredients of the mixture are fed without interruption and from which the
mixed product is discharged in a continuous stream.

coring
removal of soil by core sampler (e.g. to mitigate the effects of heave by pile driving)

coupler
a device for joining lengths of bar or strand which comprise an anchor tendon
coupleur
Koppelelement

cover
see overburden.

creep limit
the maximum creep displacement rate permitted at a specific load level
vitesse limite de fluage
Grenzkriechma

7 / 32

critical creep load

the anchor load corresponding to the end of the first linear part of a plot of anchor load against
creep rate
traction critique de fluage
Kritische Kriechkraft

cushion
material, fitted into a recess in the driving cap, which smoothes the impact force of the falling
hammer on the driving cap and on the head of the sheet pile

cut-off level (trimming)

prescribed level to which a pile is cut or trimmed back before connecting it to the superstructure.

cutting ring
bottom part of a casing, usually reinforced and with teeth to facilitate penetration into the ground.

cutting-off
(1) removal of contaminated or substandard concrete from the pile head. (2) Removal of
surplus concrete above the designed cut-off level.

datum load
the level of anchor load from which the anchor head displacement is measured during a stress
test. In general, a value of 10 % proof load is adopted
traction de rfrence
Vorbelastung

de-clutching
disconnection of the interlock during sheet pile driving

de-clutching detector
instrument for determining whether or not the interlocks of adjacent sheet piles are fully
engaged during driving

degree of settling
see sedimentation rate.

design strength
the strength required to fulfill the design requirements fur the grout or grouted ground.

direct circulation boring

continuous excavation method in which fluid is passed down the central pipe of the boring string
for the purpose of displacing spoil upward in the pile bore.

displacement grouting
injection of grout into a host medium in such a manner as to deform, compress, or displace the
ground
injection avec dplacement des terrains
Verdrngungsinjektion

displacement pile
pile which is installed in the ground without excavation or removal of material from the ground
except for limiting heave, vibration, removal of obstructions or to assist penetration

8 / 32

Dn, dn
the largest size of the smallest n% of soil grains and the largest size of the smallest n% of grout
particles.

double packer
a device consisting of a pair of seals (packers) fitted to a grouting pipe at a predetermined
distance apart, used to limit grout injection to the ground between the two packers, i.e. the
packed-off length or stage.

downstage (descending stage) grouting

a grouting technique where a given distance (stage) is drilled and grouted before the borehole
is advanced by further drilling or packers are employed start grouting at the top of the
borehole and advance the grouting process progressively down the hole.

drilling fluid/mud
suspension composed of water and bentonite, polymers or clay, and with or without cement and
other additions, for stabilization of bore hole wails and for flushing.

drive tube
steel tube used to displace the ground during the formation of a driven cast in place pile. Drive
tube is withdrawn during concreting

driven cast-in-place pile

pile installed by driving a closed ended permanent or temporary casing, and filling the hole so
formed with plain or reinforced concrete.

driven pile
pile which is driven into the soil by hammering, vibration or static pressure, the soil being
displaced .

driving
method to bring the piles into the ground to the required depth, such as hammering, vibrating,
pressing, screwing or by a combination of these or other methods

driving assistance
method used to assist a pile to penetrate the ground e.g. jetting, preboring, preblasting,
predriving

driving cap
device, placed on the top of the sheet pile which transmits the blow of the hammer evenly,
thereby preventing damage of the sheet pile head

driving criteria
driving parameters used to be fulfilled when driving a pile

driving method
method of driving such as panel driving, pitch and drive, staggered driving by means of impact,
vibration pressing or by a combination of these

9 / 32

durability
resistance to mechanical and chemical attack. Mechanical durability is usually measured by
either slake durability tests or flow durability tests, during which ground water is flown through a
bore in a specimen of cemented host material. Chemical durability tests are usually conducted
on ground samples of the cemented host material which are kept in the ground water.
()

dynamic pile test

loading test where a dynamic force is applied at the pile head for assessment of pile capacity.
essai de chargement dynamique de pieu
dynamischer Pfahlversuch

effective pressure
the actual grout pressure acting in the ground
pression effective
wirksamer Druck

empty bore
length of excavation from the working level to the casting level or the prescribed pile head.

emulsifier
a substance that modifies the surface tension of colloidal droplets, keeping them from
coalescing, and keeping them suspended.

emulsion
a system containing dispersed colloidal droplets

encapsulation
a corrosion protection applied at least to the tendon bond length
protection
Korrosionsschutz-umhllung

end bearing pile

pile transmitting forces to the ground mainly by compression on ist base.
pieu travaillant en pointe
Spitzendruck-pfahl

enlarged base
base of a pile formed to have an area greater than that of ist shaft. For bored piles, normally
constructed by the use of special underreaming or belling-out tools.
base largie
Fuaufweitung

epoxy grout (resin)

a multi-component resin grout that usually exhibits very high tensile, compressive and bond
(adhesive) strengths.

excavation
(1) digging, lifting and removing soil, rock or fill for the formation of a borehole, (2) the borehole
constructed for a bored pile.
,
10 / 32

external anchor resistance

the load resistance of an anchor at the interface between ground and fixed anchor length
rsistance externe du tirant
Herausziehwiderstand des Ankers

false set
the rapid development of rigidity in a freshly mixed grout without the evolution of much heat.
Such rigidity can be dispelled and plasticity can be regained by further mixing without the
addition of wafer. Premature stiffening, hesitation set, early stiffening, and rubber set are other
terms that refer to the same phenomenon.

filler
an inert material added a grout to modify its properties or to replace a component.

film time
see setting time.

filter cake
a concentrated solid or semi-solid material that is separated from a liquid and remains on the
filter after pressure filtration.

filter press
an instrument used for measuring the filter-loss characteristics of a grout.

filtration water
quantity of water which comes out of a grout in a given time during a filtration test.

final set
a degree of stiffening of a grout mixture greater than the initial set, generally stated as an
empirical value indicating the time in hours and minutes that is required for cement paste to
stiffen sufficiently to resist the penetration of a weighted test needle.

fish plate, splice plate

steel plate which joins two lengths of sheet pile together

fissure grouting
the injection of grout into fissures, joints, fractures and discontinuities, particularly in rock
injection de fissure
Kluftinjektion

fixed anchor length

the designed length of an anchor over which the load is transmitted to the surrounding ground,
through a grout body
longueur de scellement du tirant
Krafteintragungslnge

flash set
the rapid development of rigidity in a freshly mixed grout, usually with the evolution of
considerable heat. This rigidity cannot be dispelled nor can the plasticity be regained by further
mixing without addition of water also referred to as quick set or grab set.

11 / 32

flow cone
a device for measurement of grout consistency in which a predetermined volume of grout is
permitted to escape through a precisely sized orifice, the time of efflux (flow factor) being used
as the indication of consistency.

flow rate
the volume of fluid (grout) passing through a unit area per unit time.

fluid concreting pipe

pipe used for placing concrete beneath the supporting fluid, to avoid contamination and
segregation
tube plongeur
Betonierrohr

fluidifier
an additive which improves the flow characteristics of a grout.

fly ash
a fine residual product derived from the combustion of ground or powdered coal. Similar to
Pulverised fuel ash.

foam
foams used in grouting are solid structures encapsulating air, usually in closed pores. They are
obtained either by injecting a gas into a grout or by a reaction between the grout and the ground
water which liberates a gas.

follower
a temporary extension, used during driving, that permits the driving of the pile top below ground
surface, water surface, or below the lowest point to which the driving equipment can reach
without disengagement from the leaders

fracturing
see hydraulic fracturing.

free anchor length

the distance between the proximal end of the fixed anchor length and the tendon anchorage at
the anchor head
longueur libre du tirant
Freie Ankerlnge

friction pile
pile transmitting actions to the ground mainly by friction and adhesion between the lateral
surface of the pile and the adjacent ground.
pieu flottant
Reibungspfahl

12 / 32

gel
the condition where a liquid grout begins to exhibit measurable shear strength. A colloidal
material in which the dispersed substances form a continuous branching cohesive network. It
may contain a proportion of liquid but possesses some properties of a solid. Some gels can be
returned to the liquid phase by disturbance or mixing and will thereafter reform as a gel again
(see Thixotropy).

gel strength
the shear strength of a gel. This may be measured at a fixed time interval after mixing or
breaking up of a gel or when the gel has fully developed.

gel time
the measured time interval between the mixing of a grout and the formation of a gel.

GIN method
GIN stands for "Grouting Intensity Number". The method, applied in rock grouting, uses this
number as a parameter for limiting grouting applications, notably in fissures, to a maximum
given GIN value. This value is obtained by multiplying the injected grout volume (in litres) by the
effective grouting pressure (in bar) per meter of borehole.

grain size distribution

the distribution by weight of the grain sizes of a medium, usually expressed as a cumulative
percentage.

gravity grouting
grouting under no applied pressure other than the height of grout fluid. Sometimes referred to
as trmie grouting
injection gravitaire
drucklose Verfllung

grout (1)
a setting material which transfers toad from the tendon to the ground over the fixed anchor
length, and which may fill the rest of the borehole and/or contribute to corrosion protection.
coulis
Verpremrtel

grout (2)
a pumpable material (suspension, solution, emulsion or mortar), injected into soil or rock, which
stiffens and sets with time. Fluid mixture of a setting agent (usually cement), fine aggregate and
water that generally hardens after being placed in position.
coulis
Injektionsgut

grout curtain
a grouted mass whose vertical dimensions greatly exceed the width.

13 / 32

grout mix
the constituents of a mixture normally expressed by weight or volume, or as a proportion of the
quantity of water or other major constituents.

grout take
the measured quantity of grout injected into a unit volume of ground, or a unit length of grout
hole, or a complete hole.

groutability
the ability of a ground to accept grout

groutability ratio
the groutability ratio, GR, expresses the relationship between the particle size of the grout
(suspension type grout) and the grain size of the soil to be grouted. The ratios, GR = D dgs or
GR = D 10^90 are used, where: Dx = the size which x% of the soil particles are smaller than, dy
= the size which y% of the grout particles are smaller than.

grouted pile
prefabricated pile fitted with an enlarged shoe to create along a part or the full perimeter of the
pile a space which is filled during driving with grout, mortar or microconcrete.

grouting
injection of a fluid cementitious mixture (e.g. cement grout, mortar, micro concrete)

grouting (trial) test

test injection prior to grouting operating to assess the groutability of a ground or the
appropriateness of a given grout type.

grouting Intensity Number (GIN)

the product of pressure and injected grout volume. See GIN Method.

grouting pressure
a pressure applied during the grouting process and measured at defined locations (usually at
the pump or the borehole collar)
pression d'injection
Injektionsdruck

guide frame
frame consisting of one or more stiff guide beams, normally of steel or wood, to position and
maintain the alignment of sheet piles during pitching and driving

14 / 32

guide-walls
small, parallel temporary wails which are used to provide a guide for the excavating tool and to
secure the sides of the trench against collapse in the vicinity of the fluctuating level of the
supporting
murettes-guides
Leitwnde

hammer
part of piling equipment for driving sheet piles by percussion impact

hammer cushion
device or material placed between the impact hammer and the helmet to protect the hammer
and the pile head from destructive direct impact. The hammer cushion material shall have
enough stiffness to transmit hammer energy efficiently into the pile.

hammer grab
excavation tool with two or more jaws or shovels, to remove soil or debris from an excavation
by an intermittent operation.

hardener
in a two component chemical grout, the component that causes the base component to cure.

hardening
increase in strength of a grout after setting.

hardening time
the time for a grout to reach its design strength.

heave
upward movement of ground or pile

helmet
device, usually steel, placed between the base of the impact hammer and the pile or drive tube
so as to uniformly distribute the hammer impact to the top of the pile.

hydration
the formation of a compound by incorporation of molecular water into a complex molecule with
molecules or units of other species.

hydraulic binder
finely ground inorganic material which when mixed with water forms a paste which sets and
hardens by means of hydration and which retains, after hardening, its strength and stability
even under water.

15 / 32

hydraulic fracturing (hydraulic fracture claquage grouting)

the fracturing of a ground initiated by the injection of water or grout under a pressure in excess
of the local tensile
fracturation hydraulique (injection de claquage)
Hydraulische Rissbiidung (Claquage)

hydrofracture
see hydraulic fracture. Term not recommended.

hydrostatic head
the fluid pressure expressed as an equivalent height of water above a given level.

impact hammer
tool of construction equipment for driving piles by impact (striking or falling mass)

initial pile
first working pile on construction site

Initial set
a degree of stiffening of a grout mixture generally stated as an empirical value indicating the
time in hours and minutes that is required for cement paste to stiffen sufficiently to resist the
penetration of a weighted test needle.

Injection valve
openings along the injection string of a sleeve pipe, usually covered by a flexible sleeve, the
whole of which acts as valves.

integrity test
test carried out on an installed pile for the verification of soundness of materials and of the pile
geometry.
essai d'intgrit
Integrittsprfung

investigation test
a load test to establish the ultimate load resistance of an anchor at the grout/ground interface
and to determine the characteristics of the anchor in the working load range
essai pralable
Untersuchungsprfung

jacked pile
pile pressed into soil by means of static force

16 / 32

jet grouting
a process consisting of the disaggregation of the soil (or weak rock) and its mixing with, and
partial replacement by, a cementing agent. The disaggregation is achieved by a high energy jet
of a fluid which can be the cementing agent itself.
-

jetting
use of pressurised water facilitate the driving of a pile by means of hydraulic displacement of
parts of the soil

kasumeter
instrument for measuring the yield point.

Kelly bar
sliding shaft on a boring rig that transmits the torque necessary for the boring operation from a
powered rotary table to the boring tool.
Kelly

layer hardening time

see setting time.

leader
beam or similar, attached to the driving rig to lead the sheet pile and the hammer {or the
vibrator) during driving

leader slide
guiding device connecting the drive cap and/or the hammer to the leader

leading system
whole system to guide the sheet pile and the hammer (or the vibrator) during driving

Lefranc test
in situ falling head permeability test, where the development of a water level in a standpipe is
observed to calculate the permeability.
Lefrank

liner, lining
tube, generally of thin steel plate, forming part of the pile shaft (e.g. used for the protection of
pile shafts in soft grounds or to reduce negative skin friction).

load loss limit

the permitted cumulative loss of load at the end of a specified time period
pert de tension admissible
Grenzkraftabfall

lock-off load
the load transferred to an anchor head immediately on completion of a stressing operation
traction de blocage
Festiegekraft

17 / 32

Lugeon value
a relative unit of transmissivity representing the absorption of a water flow of one litre per
minute, per meter of a 76 mm diameter borehole, at a pressure of 1 MPa in rock.
Lugeon

maintained load pile test

static loading test in which a test pile has loads applied in incremental stages, each of which is
held constant for a certain period or until pile motion has virtually ceased or has reached a
prescribed limit {ML -test).
essai de chargement par palier
lastgesteuerte Probe Belastung

mandrel
a steel core for driving that is inserted into a closed-end tubular pile. After installation the
mandrel is withdrawn

Marsh funnel
see flow cone.
arsh

Marsh viscosity
viscosity tests are carried out with the Marsh cone. The duration of flow, of a given volume of
liquid, expressed in seconds, is called the 'Marsh viscosity'. See also Flow cone.
Marsh

micro-fine or ultrafine product

very fine product having a uniform, steep particle size distribution curve, where d95<20 m.

mini (or micro) pile

bored pile with diameter D<0,3 m. Usually constructed by special methods .

moisture content
the ratio, expressed as a percentage, of the weight of water in a given grouting material to the
weight of dry solid particles. Also called Water content.

monitoring
the passive role of checking the technical quality of the piling process

mortar
a highly particulate grout containing sand.

mud cake
see filtercake.

mudding-in
technique of stirring bentonite or clay powder and water by an auger into granular soil to
facilitate the installation of a temporary casing.

negative skin friction

frictional and/or adhesive force by which surrounding soil or fill transfers downward load to a
pile when the soil or fill settles relative to the pile shaft.
18 / 32

neutralisation rate
for sodium silicate gels, the proportion of sodium neutralised by the reactant

Newtonian fluid
a true fluid that exhibits constant viscosity at all rates of shear. A Newtonian fluid has no yield
point.

non-displacement grouting
substitution of the natural interstitial fluid in the accessible existing voids of the ground by a
grout or mortar without any significant displacement of the ground. The term includes
penetration grouting and bulk filling
injection sans dplacement des terrains
Verdrngungsfreie Injektion (Injektion ohne

obstruction
natural (or man made) hard strata, blocks or similar ground requiring special tools or methods
for the excavation.

overburden
the thickness of rock and soil material overlying the stage of the hole being grouted.

packer
a device inserted into a drill hole or sleeve pipe to isolate one part of the hole from another. A
packer is usually an expandable device activated mechanically, hydraulically or pneumatically.
()

panel
section of a diaphragm wall which is concreted as a single unit. A diaphragm panel may be
linear, T-shaped, i_- shaped, or of other configuration
panneau
Schlitzwandelement

particle size distribution

the distribution by weight of particles of grouting material among various sizes, usually
expressed in terms of cumulative percentage larger or smaller than each of a series of
diameters (sieve openings) or the percentages between certain ranges of diameters (sieve
openings).

particulate grout
a grout containing particles, larger than colloids, suspended in the liquid.

pass
injection of a given length of hole without interruption.

penetrability
the ability of a grout to penetrate a ground.

19 / 32

penetration grouting
grout injection of joints or fractures in rock, or pore spaces in soil, without displacing the
ground. The term includes permeation (impregnation), fissure and contact grouting
injection de pntration
Eindringinjektion

permanent anchor
an anchor with a design life which is in excess of two years
tirant d'ancrage permanent
Daueranker

permanent casing
permanent continuous surround to a cast-in place pile designed to support bore walls and/or to
act as a protective or load bearing unit.

permeability
a measure of the ease with which a fluid passes through a porous medium. See also
Coefficient of permeability.

permeation (impregnation) grouting

the replacement of interstitial water or gas of a porous medium with a grout at injection
pressures low enough to prevent displacement
injection d'imprgnation
Poreninjektion (Imprgntion durch Porenverfllung)

phase
grouting activity, with defined criteria which is a part of a sequence.

pile
slender structural member in the ground for the transfer of actions.
pieu
Pfahl

pile base
bottom area of pile.

pile base grouting

Injection of grout under pressure below the base of an installed pile base in order to enhance
performance under load. Grouting pipes or a preformed void at the pile base are installed for
this purpose.

pile bottom
lower part of a pile.

pile cushion
material, usually softwood, placed between the helmet and the top of a precast concrete pile.

pile head
upper part of a pile.

20 / 32

pile joint
means of joining lengths of pile elements either by welding or by mechanical joints

pile shaft
the body of the piie between the head and the base.

pile shaft grouting

Injection of grout carried out after pile concrete has set for the enhancement of skin friction by
the use of grouting pipes which are installed together with the pile reinforcement.

pile shoe
shoe or point fitted the base of a pile or drive tube to form the toe

pile top
upper area of pile.

plain bored pile

bored pile constructed in soils which are sufficiently stable not to require support to bore hole
walls.

plan deviation of pile

horizontal distance between the as built and the design pile axis at the working level. (Pile
eccentricity refers to the deviation at the cut-off level).

plastic concrete
a low strength, high plasticity concrete. Here, high plasticity means the ability to sustain larger
strains than normal concrete. It is usually made with a low cement content, containing bentonite
and/or other clay materials. It may also include other materials such as PFA and admixtures
bton plastique
Tonbeton

plastic concrete wall

wall made of plastic concrete, which is constructed in a trench in the ground. The concrete is
placed beneath the supporting fluid using concreting pipes in liquid-supported trenches, or in
some cases, in dry conditions
paroi moule en bton plastique
Tonbetonschlitzwand

porosity
the ratio, usually expressed as a percentage, the volume of voids of a given soil or rock
mass, to the total volume of the soil or rock mass.

post grouted pile

pile where shaft and/or base grouting is performed after installation through pipes fixed along or
incorporated in the pile.

pot life
see setting time.

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potyurethanes
chemical resins reacting to produce loams. Their viscosity is largely similar to that of epoxy
resins and they harden very quickly (0,5 min to 10 h). One component polyurethanes harden
upon reaction with water. Two-component polyurethanes usually foam up in contact with water,
the foaming process causes a kind of self-injection which ensures a better adhesive strength
and a certain deformability.

pozzolane
a siliceous or siliceous and aluminous material, which in itself possesses little or no
cemenitious value but will, in finely divided form and in the presence of moisture, chemically
react with calcium hydroxide at ordinary temperatures to form compounds possessing
cementitious properties.

preboring
preliminary excavation process mainly for the penetration of top layers or the removal of
obstructions.

preboring (preaugering, predrilling)

boring through obstructions or materials too dense to penetrate with the planned pile type and
driving equipment

precast concrete diaphragm wall

wall made of precast elements which are lowered into a trench containing a self-hardening
slurry
paroi prfabrique en bton
Fertigteilschlitzwand

precast pile
totally preformed pile of reinforced or prestressed concrete cast in one length or a series of
joined lengths and usually installed by driving .

precast screw pile

screw pile formed by screwing into the ground a cylindrical preformed pile of reinforced or
prestressed concrete, comprising at its base a limited number of concrete flanges.

prefabricated (displacement) pile

pile or pile element which is manufactured in a single unit or in pile segments before installation

preliminary pile
pPile installed before the commencement of the main piling works or section of the works for
the purpose of establishing the suitability of the chosen type of pile and/or for confirming the
design, dimensions and bearing capacity. Pile installed to assess the practicability and
suitability of the construction method for a particular application.
pieu prliminaire
Probepfahl (1)

prepacked pile
pile where the completed excavation is filled with coarse aggregate which is subsequently
injected with cement mortar from the bottom up.
pieu ba!last inject
Prepacked-Pfahl
22 / 32

proof load
the maximum test load to which an anchor is subjected
traction d'preuve
Prfkraft

pulverised fuel ash (PFA)

by-product of burning of coal for electric power generation with high content of mineral matter.
(PFA)

raking pile
pile installed at an inclination related to the horizontal.

recording
t make a permanent record of the facts relating to the piling operations and aspects monitored

redrive (1)
an additional series of hammer blows used to drive the prefabricated pile to re-establish the
required driving resistance

redrive (2)
method used to form an enlarged shaft on a temporarily cased driven cast in place pile

reinforced slurry wall

wall made from a self-hardening slurry reinforced by steel beams, steel mesh or other suitable
means
paroi moule en cois lis arm
Bewehrte Einphasenschiitzwand

reinforcement cage
reinforcement for piles comprising longitudinal steel bars arranged to form the generatrices of a
cylinder or a rectangular prism around which links, hoops or helices are wound and fixed.

resin
a material that constitutes the base of an organic grout system, such as acryl, epoxy, polyester
and urethane.

restrike
a single hammer blow to a prefabricated pile thai is monitored for energy input and
measurement of pile strain/acceleration and/or pile set are made, to allow assessment of pile
bearing resistance

reverse circulation boring

continuous excavation method in which fluid contained in the bore is pumped up a central pipe
to transport spoil (e.g. by air lifting).

rheologicai properties
the properties governing the flow of a fluid or plastic solid.

23 / 32

rheopectic
the viscosity (structuring) of rheopectic fluids increases with increasing shear rate (loading) and
returns to its initial value after a certain time of rest.

rock dowel
rod protruding from the toe of the sheet pile, used for fixing sheet piles to the bed-rock

rotary viscometer
in rotary viscometers the viscosity and yield point are determined on the basis of the
relationship between torque and rotation speed, respectively shear stress and shear gradient.
The viscosity is derived from the ratio of shear stress to shear rate.

screw anchor
rod with a screw blade at the end, which is rotated into the natural ground behind the sheet
piles to provide an anchorage

screw pile
displacement pile in which the pile or the pile tube comprises a limited number of helices at its
base and is installed under the combined action of a torque and a vertical thrust. By the
screwing-in and/or by the screwing-out, the ground is essentially laterally displaced and virtually
no soil is excavated.

second choice
prefabricated section originally manufactured for other purposes but accepted as suitable for
use as a pile e.g. steel pipe for oil

sedimentation
the accumulation of grout particles at the bottom of a container when left unagitated as a result
of gravitational forces.

segregation
the non-uniform distribution of particles within a grout or mortar due to sedimentation.

self-hardening slurry
suspension slurry which hardens with time. The slurry is a suspension which contains cement
or another binder, and additional materials such as clay (bentonite), ground granulated blast
furnace slag (GGBFS) or pulverized fuel ash (PFA), fillers, and admixtures
coulis autodurcissant
Selbsterhrtende

sequence
the order in which different grout types are injected in different holes over time, or programmed
succession of grouting phases.

set
the condition reached by a grout when it has lost plasticity to an arbitrary degree, usually
measured in terms of resistance to penetration or dformation. Initial set refers to first stiffening
and final set refers to an attainment of significant rigidity.

set time (setting time)

the time between mixing and the achievement in a significant change in the rheological
properties. The setting time is volume and temperature dependent and is measured in a
number of ways.

24 / 32

shackle
device for lifting sheet piles from the ground and placing them in the vertical position

shaft diameter
diameter of the part of the pile between the pile head and the pile base: a) for bored piles
constructed with casings: equal to external diameter of the casing, b) for bored piles
constructed without a casing: equal to the maximum diameter of the boring tool.
diamtre du ft
Pfahldurchmesser

shear
the apparent viscosity, measured in [Pa.s] represents the ratio of shear stress, , and shear
rate, . For most solutions, the viscosity is a function of the shear stress and depends on the
agitation of the substance. If subjected to rapid agitation, the viscosity of a substance reduces
and tends towards a minimum value called plastic viscosity. For some substances, notably
Newtonian liquids, the viscosity is independent of the shear stress and the ratio, , becomes a
constant, the absolute (dynamic) viscosity, . Hence, for Newtonian fluids such as the true
solutions used during grouting, the concept of plastic viscosity does not apply. The kinematic
viscosity, v, measured in m2/s is a function of the density of the material = /.

shear strength
the stress at which a material can no longer resist the applied shear force.

shear stress
is the shear force applied per unit area.

shearometer
an instrument for measuring the shear strength of fluids or weak gels.

sheet pile
individual element of a sheet pile wall (single, double or multiple sheet pile)

sheet pile wall

screen of sheet piles which forms a continuous wall. For steel sheet piles continuity is provided
by interlocking of the joints, fitting of longitudinal grooves or by means of special connectors
and for timber sheet piles, by tongue and groove

sheet pile wall structure

structure, consisting of sheet piles, soil and rock, anchorages, bracings and walings, which
retains ground and water.

shrinkage
a reduction in volume of grout.

single packer
a single packer comprising one seal See Packer and Double packer.

site inspection
inspection of the construction site and its surroundings

25 / 32

site investigation
geotechnical investigations on and near the construction site

skin friction
frictional and/or adhesive resistance on the pile surface.

sleeve grout
a grout which fills the annulus between the sleeve pipe and the borehole wall.

sleeve pipe (tube)

a grout pipe perforated at regular intervals. The perforations are covered externally by sleeves
acting as non-return valves.

sleeve pipe () grouting

grouting method using sleeve pipes, which allow repetitive placement of grout.

slippage
relative longitudinal displacement between the interlocks of adjacent sheet piles

slump test
test for assessing the consistency of a mortar by use of an Abram's cone. The cone is filled
with mortar to a given height, the cone lifted and the distance of initial height of the cone to final
height of the mortar mound measured.

slurry wall
wall made from a self-hardening slurry. In most cases, the excavation is carried out using a selfhardening slurry as the supporting fluid. Sealing elements such as membranes or sheet piles
may be inserted
paroi moule en coulis
Einphasenschlitzwand

socket
bottom part of a pile in hard ground (usually rock),

solution
a liquid formed by completely dissolving a chemical in water to give a uniform fluid without solid
particles. Solutions are Newtonian liquids with neither rigidity nor particles and harden in a
predetermined period of time, called the 'setting time. They can be true or colloidal solutions. In
the case of colloidal solutions, large molecules are contained in the liquid.

sonic coring
sonic integrity test of pile concrete carried out from core drillings in a pile shaft or from a preplaced tube system.
essai d'auscultation sonique par transparence
Ultraschall versuch im Pfahl

26 / 32

sonic test, low strain integrity test

Integrity test of a pile where a series of sonic waves is passed between a transmitter and a
receiver through the concrete of a pile and where the characteristics of the received waves are
measured and used to infer continuity and section variations of the pile shaft.
essai d'auscultation sonique par rflexion
Ultraschallversuch

spacer, spacer pad

appliance of plastic or steel material or concrete (pad) fixed to the steel reinforcement to hold
the reinforcement cage laterally and maintain the concrete cover to reinforcement.

split spacing
the procedure by which additional grout injection holes are located at half the distance from
previously grouted holes.

stabilizing fluid
Water mixed with clay, bentonite or other material for the support of the excavation walls and
the base in unstable ground.

stable suspension
stable suspensions exhibit in 2 hours less than 5 per cent bleeding of clear water at the top of a
1 000 mm cylinder with an internal diameter of 60 mm at a temperature of 20C
suspension stable
stabile Suspension

stage
a given injection length.

stage grouting
sequential grouting of a hole in separate stages as opposed to grouting the entire length at
once.

starter bars
steel bars inserted into the fresh concrete at the pile head so that they partially project to
provide connection with the superstructure.

static pile test

loading test where a pile is subjected to chosen axial and/or lateral forces at the pile head for
the analysis of its capacity.
essai de chargement statique de pieu
statische Probebelastung

stray current
direct current that is induced in the soil which can cause corrosion of a pile

27 / 32

strength and confining pressure

also called hydrofracturing, hydrosplitting, hydrojacking or claquage

strut
long compression member, usually of steel, wood or reinforced concrete, for the support of the
sheet pile walls and normally connected to the walings

suitability test
a load test to confirm that a particular anchor design will be adequate in particular ground
conditions
essai de contrle
Eignungsprfung

superplasticizer (plasticizer)
additive, which increases the workability of mortars and reduces the viscosity of suspensions.

supervision
the active role of overseeing or directing the piling operations

supporting fluid
fluid used during excavation to support the sides of the trench, it is usually a bentonite
suspension, a polymer solution or a self-hardening slurry
fluide d'excavation
Sttzende Flssigkeit

suspending agent
an additive that decreases the settlement rate of particles in liquid.

suspension
a mixture of liquid and solid materials. Behaves as a Bingham fluid during flow, possessing both
viscosity and cohesion (yield strength). Particulate suspensions contain particles larger than
clay size, while colloidal suspensions contain particles of clay size.

suspension rods
steel appliances to prevent a reinforcement cage for the upper part of a pile from dropping to
the bottom of the hole (hangers).

syneresis
the expulsion of liquid (generally alkaline water) from a set gel which is not stressed,
accompanied by a contraction of the gel. Syneresis occurs over a period of a few months.

28 / 32

system test
a test which is carried out on an anchor system to verify its competence to perform as required
essai de systme
Systemprfung

take
see grout take.

template
specific type of guide frame, used for positioning curved or angled sheet pile walls. They often
incorporate a working platform or access staging for piling operatives

temporary anchor
an anchor with a design life of less than two years
tirant d'ancrage provisoire
Kurzzeitanker

tendon
the part of a ground anchor that is capable of transmitting the tensile load from the fixed anchor
length to the anchor head
armature
Zugglied

tendon bond length

the length of the tendon that is bonded directly to the grout and capable of transmitting the
applied tensile load
longueur de scellement de l'armature
Verankerungslnge des Zuggliedes

tendon free length

the length of tendon between the anchor head and the proximal end of the tendon bond length
longueur libre de l'armature
Freie Stahllnge

tension pile
pile designed to resist tensile forces.
pieu en traction
Zugpfahl

test pile
pile to which loads are applied to determine the resistance deformation characteristics of the
pile and the surrounding ground.
pieu d'essai
Probepfahl (3)

29 / 32

thixotropy
the property of a material that enables it to stiffen in a relatively short time on standing, but upon
agitation or manipulation to change a very soft consistency or to a fluid of high viscosity, the
process being completely reversible, i.e. the viscosity of thixotropic fluids decreases with
increasing shear rate (loading) and returns to its initial value after a time of regeneration. Fluids
that show an increase in apparent viscosity with time are called thixotropic. Thixotropy is
common in non-Newtonian grouts.

threader
device fixed to the toe of a sheet pile in order to guide the sheet pile into the interlock of a sheet
pile already placed in the guide frame

toe level
lowest level of pile.

TPA method
TPA stands for "Transient Pressure Analysis". The method, used in rock grouting, is based on
the information obtained from observation of the pressure development after shut-in of the
grout after a pass. This is done by stopping the pump deliberately and observing and plotting
the ensuing pressure drop against time.

transmissivity
the transmissivity [m2/s] is the rate of flow of water through a vertical strip of ground which is
1 meter wide and extends the full saturated thickness of the ground when the hydraulic gradient
i = 1. It can be expressed as the product of the hydraulic conductivity [m/s] and the thickness
of the aquifer. A customary unit of transmissivity of the rock mass is the Lugeon. The
transmissivity of the rock mass in Lugeon units is defined as the seepage flow in litres/minute
per meter length of borehole under a pressure of 1 MPa.

trmie grouting
see gravity grouting.

trmie pipe
concreting pipe, with watertight joints for submerged concrete placement. During placement the
lower end of the pipe remains immersed into the concrete.
()

trial pile
pile installed to assess the practicability and suitability of the construction method for a
particular application.
pieu de faisabilit
Probepfahl (2)

true solution
one in which the components are 100 % dissolved in the base solvent.

30 / 32

tube--manchette
see sleeve pipe.

unconfined compressive strength

the load per unit area at which an unconfined prismatic or cylindrical specimen (height = 2 x
width) of material will fail in a simple compression test without lateral support.

upstage grouting
a grouting procedure, usually in rock grouting, where the grout hole is drilled to its full depth and
thereafter grouting takes place in stages from the base of the hole upwards.

vibrator (vibrating hammer)

tool of construction equipment for driving or extracting piles, drive tubes or casing by the
application of vibratory forces
( )

viscosity
the internal fluid resistance of a substance which makes it resist a tendency to flow. A
distinction is made between kinematic viscosity, v, and dynamic viscosity, , for which: = /,
where : = density. Apparent viscosity is equivalent to dynamic viscosity, but considers point
events.

void filling
see bulk filling. Term not recommended.

W/C ratio
the water-cement ratio is the ratio by weight of water to the dry cement content of a grout.

waling
horizontal beam, usually of steel or reinforced concrete, fixed to the sheet pile wall and
connected to the anchorage or struts, in order to distribute the applied anchor- or strut forces
equally over the sheet pile wall.

water content
see moisture content

water retention capacity

the ability of a suspension to retain water if not subjected to pressure.

watertable
the phreatic surface at which the pore water pressure equals atmospheric pressure, i.e. the
standing water level which establishes in a hole dug in the ground.

31 / 32

wings
shaft enlargements to steel piles formed by welding steel sections to the pile,

working level
level of the piling platform on which the piling rig works.

working pile
pile for the foundation of a structure.
pieu de fondation
Bauwerkspfahl

yield point (yield stress)

the lowest shear stress value at which there is a sudden drop in the value of the applied stress
and from where continuing extension occurs at more or less the same stress value. The yield
point, yield stress or cohesion is the shear stress at which plastic deformation occurs and a
Bingham fluid begins to flow. The yield stress, 0, of a Newtonian fluid is zero.

yield strength
the stress at which a material exhibits a specific deviation from proportionality of stress and
strain.

32 / 32