Construction

of Bored
Cast-in-Situ Piles Using Rotary Drilling ProcedureA Case Study
IGC 2009, Guntur,
INDIA

CONSTRUCTION OF BORED CAST-IN-SITU PILES

USING ROTARY DRILLING PROCEDUREA CASE STUDY
I.V. Anirudhan
Geotechnical Solutions, Chennai, India. E-mail: anirudhen@eth.net
ABSTRACT: This paper describes the defects reported for some bored cast-in-situ piles constructed using hydraulically
operated rotary drilling rig (auger type) in a site at South Chennai, India. The analysis of the defects leads to the conclusion
that these defects were mainly due to improper construction practice and also due to improper identification of the bearing
stratum. There may be genuine difficulties in identifying the bearing stratum when rotary drilling procedure is adopted in the
construction. The construction drawings do not always specify the bearing conditions and the methods for ensuring such
bearing condition. The conclusions are applicable to several such cases recently experienced in Chennai, even though they are
not reported and analysed with an open mind. The paper calls for immediate corrective measures to overcome such defects in
the forthcoming projects in Chennai.
1. INTRODUCTION
The history of piling dates back to 200300 BC when the
timber driven piles were extensively used for supporting mostly
river side establishments and until late 19th century timber
driven piles ruled the roost. The theories developed, types of
piles increased, depths, capacities, etc. increased over the years.
Then came experiments with concrete piles and steel piles
driven to relatively larger depths and for relatively large carrying
loads. Notwithstanding the quality and integrity of driven
concrete and steel piles, the capability of heavy machinery to
drill holes into the ground of almost any soil formation gave
rise to the development of different sizes of bored cast-in-situ
piles. By the time, quite different from the theories of spread
footings, empirical and semi-empirical formulae were developed
for deriving the load carrying capacities of piles. In a very
simple form, the load carrying capacity Qp of a pile is expressed
as (Tomlinson 1981),
Qp = Qb + Qs Wp
where Qa is the resistance offered by the pile base, Qs is the
friction along pile length and Wp is the self weight of the pile.
One of the early empirical equation for driven piles by
Meyerhof (1956), qp = 4N Ap, does not account the friction
component separately or completely neglects the friction
component. Later, several studies brought out the significant
contribution of the friction to the pile resistance. Many studies
have also shown that the working load on a pile is carried
significantly by the skin friction, especially when the pile length
is large. The attempts by Cole & Stroud (1977) in developing
relation between the shear strength and extrapolated SPT N
values in weathered rock and soft rock formations emphasised
significant contribution from the friction from highly weathered
rock portion. Gandhi, et al. (1987) reported from an
instrumented pile load test that more than the design safe
capacity was mobilised from friction for a pile resting in

relatively hard rock but passing through roughly 3 m thick

soft rock with SPT N >100. These and similar studies have
shown that an economical pile design can be made without
socketing the piles into hard rock wherever a sufficiently thick
very dense residual soil and soft weathered rock are available.
The excavation for placing the spread footing does not really
disturb the soil that is involved in realising the load
carrying capacity. On the other hand the pile foundation
construction produces significant changes in the soil around
the pile and at the base of the pile. The influence of such
changes and the subsequent changes during the life of the
foundation is very significant in the case of pile foundations.
One of the difficulties in directly using the theories of soil
mechanics in the estimation of the load carrying capacity of
pile foundation arise out of such changes. There are several
empirical and semi-empirical formulae available now for
estimating the load carrying capacities of piles, almost all of
them recognising the two components vis--vis friction and
end bearing. The empirical constants and assumptions in the
development of most of the equations of estimating the pile
load carrying capacity resulted difficulties in using them
whenever new methods of constructions evolved. The
capability of drilling machines to make piles of very large
diameter with large penetration into very hard formations
such as solid rock leaves the design engineer in a totally
confused state. The designer adopts a shortcut specifying a
limiting settlement and then confirms this by a very short
term static load testing of one or more piles.
The observations that the development of skin friction to its
almost full value by small displacement of the pile helped in
adopting a reduced factor of safety for the skin friction
component, while a specified overall factor of safety is
ensured for the total capacity derived from both skin friction
and end bearing. The partial factor of safety for skin friction

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Construction of Bored Cast-in-Situ Piles Using Rotary Drilling ProcedureA Case Study

component, the overall factor of safety for the total resistance

and a limiting settlement stipulation decide the safe capacity of
a pile. However, application of partial factor of safety for
friction component had to be done carefully after ensuring that
the such friction component is not severely altered by the
construction procedure itself. This shall also stipulates a very
healthy pile tip bearing so that the total settlements are within
the limits.
Bored cast-in-situ pile construction in India was mainly
concentrated in Mumbai region and to some extent in Madras.
While most of the bridge projects used bored cast-in-situ piles,
driven piles were being commonly used for industrial,
commercial and large residential projects. The cities have grown
and the awareness and intolerance to the noise pollution
increased, pushing the construction of driven piles towards
more isolated project sites. The conventional bentonite bored
cast-in-situ piles were accepted as the most reliable piling
system for most of the projects. The expressions still being
practiced in India for the estimation of safe capacities of
bored cast-in-situ piles are recognising the benefits and the
adverse effects of bentonite mud circulation employed in the
borehole construction. The procedures for maintaining the
consistency of drilling mud for allowing effective tremmie
concrete operations are reasonably well established.
During the last six to eight years, the constructions increased
significantly and the demand for much faster installation of
bored cast-in-situ piles also increased. Several hydraulically
operated rotary drilling machines were imported for satisfying
such demand. Chennai also witnessed a very rapid growth in
the construction of bored cast-in-situ piles using the rotary
drilling machines. The conventional DMC chisel boring that
was being successfully adopted in the construction of bored
cast-in-situ piles became unpopular and pushed to small
projects. There was also a tendency to use larger design
capacities than those recommended in the geotechnical
investigation reports, just because of the fact the piles were
being installed using rotary drilling machines. Unfortunately,
there were several reports of defective piles installed by the
rotary piling method. This paper describes one such case and
tries to analyse the reasons for such defects. The analyses
conclude that the defects are due to serious deficiencies in
the construction procedure. The soil profiles in Chennai and
surroundings call for proper mud circulation procedure even
in the case of piles installed using hydraulically operated rotary
piling machines. The conclusions derived from the analyses
are applicable to several such cases in South Chennai even
though they are not reported and analysed with an open mind.
Some of the details given in the paper such as project details,
number of piles, etc. (that are not relevant to the present
analysis) are not accurate so as to keep the confidentiality.

followed by very dense residual sand layer, very weak fully/

significantly weathered granitic gneiss (Charnockite) and
then by weathered jointed rock of same type. The thickness of
weak marine deposit varied from couple of meters to more
than ten metres and comprises soft marine clay and loose to
very loose clayey sand. The thickness of very dense residual
sand varies between less than a metre to five meters, while
the significantly weathered weak rock is for one metre to
three metres. Significantly jointed and partly weathered rock
follows. Hard rock with good RQD is available only after a
significant thickness of jointed rock. The ground water table
is always at very shallow depth and the natural ground levels
are such that the sites are waterlogged during the rains.
Considerable thickness of filling to reach the finished ground
level and very shallow ground water table call for the use of
deep foundation for supporting multi-storeyed constructions
even if the highly weathered rock with very good shear
strength is available at reasonably shallow depth.
3. THE SITE SPECIFIC SUB-SOIL PROFILE AND
THE DESIGN OF BORED CAST-IN-SITU PILES
The site under review has the average sub-soil profile described
in Table 1. The elevation of very dense residual sand varied
to some extant while the variations in the elevation of highly
weathered jointed rock were significant.

2. THE SUB-SOIL PROFILE OF SOUTH CHENNAI

A significant portion of the south Chennai has a soil profile
that comprises a thick layer of loose and soft marine deposit
955

Table 1: Subsoil Profile of the Site

Depth range

Soil description and N value

GL

to

0.50 m

Yellowish grey or greyish

brown silty clay, dry at surface

0.50 m

to

1.50 m

Greyish brown soft to medium

stiff clay, N = 1 to 10

1.50 m

to

3.00 m

Greyish very soft clay with

shells & mica, N = zero

3.00 m

to

4.00 m

Greyish very soft sandy clay

with N = zero to 1

4.00 m

to

6.00 m

Greyish, very loose, dirty fine

to medium sand, depth varying,
N = zero to 9

6.00 m

to

7.00 m

Yellowish grey & brownish

clayey silty sand with N = 35

7.00 m

to

10.00 m Very dense dirty sand, weathered

disintegrated rock, with N >100

10.00 m

to

11.20 m Highly weathered and severely

jointed rock with SP rebound
Followed by partly weathered
and partly jointed rock.

Construction of Bored Cast-in-Situ Piles Using Rotary Drilling ProcedureA Case Study

Based on the subsoil profile, bored cast-in-situ piles resting

in highly weathered and jointed rock using DMC chisel
boring method was recommended. The piles were to be
penetrated just 0.50m to 0.60 m into the highly weathered
jointed rock realising significant skin friction from dense to
very dense residual sand above apart from the end bearing
from highly weathered jointed rock. Typical estimation of
safe compression capacity using the procedure suggested by
Cole & Stroud (1977) was adopted for the design of piles.
The summary of estimation is given in Table 2. The
recommended pile termination is presented in Figure 1.
Table 2: Safe Capacity Estimation for Piles with Limited
Penetration into Highly Weathered Jointed Rock (0.50 m)
Pile diameter, mm
Ultimate end bearing, kN

800

1000

4520

7070

weathered jointed rock was assumed as 1000 kPa for end

bearing estimation and 1200 kPa for skin friction estimation
from the same layer.
However, when the installation of piles were taken up,
hydraulically operated piling rigs were available easily and
the designer decided to adopt larger safe capacities by
penetrating the highly weathered jointed rock fully and then
terminating the pile in weathered jointed rock. The safe pile
capacities adopted in the design was 2850 kN for 800 mm
diameter piles and the design safe capacity of 1000 mm
diameter pile was 4350 kN. The estimated safe capacity for
longer piles is given in Table 3. The average shear strength of
the weathered jointed rock was assumed as 1500 kPa for end
bearing estimation and 1700 kPa for skin friction estimation
from the same layer. The recommended pile termination for the
piles with higher safe capacities is shown in Figure 2.

Ultimate skin friction

from very dense soil, kN

690

860

from highly weathered jointed

rock, kN

Table 3: Safe Capacity Estimation for Piles with Full

Penetration into Highly Weathered Jointed Rock (1.20 m)
and 0.50 m Penetration into Weathered Jointed Rock

300

380

Pile diameter, mm

total ultimate skin friction, kN

990

1240

Ultimate end bearing, kN

Safe end bearing with FS = 3 kN

1510

2360

Ultimate skin friction

570

710

2080

3070

Safe skin friction with FS = 1.75 kN

Total safe capacity, kN
Overall factor safety

2.65

2.71

Pile

0.00m
0.80m

Desiccated clay layer,

SPT N = 5

800

1000

6790

10600

from very dense soil, kN

690

860

from highly weathered jointed

rock, kN

720

900

from weathered jointed rock, kN

320

400

total ultimate skin friction, kN

1730

2160

Safe end bearing with FS = 3 kN

2260

3530

990

1230

3250

4760

Safe skin friction with FS =1.75 kN

Total safe capacity, kN

Soft clay,
SPT N = 0 to 1

Overall factor of safety

2.61

2.68

4.00m
Loose clayey sand,
SPT N = 0 to9

Pile

0.00m

6.00m
7.00m

Dense sand,
SPT N = 35

0.80m

Very dense sand

SPT N = >100

4.00m

Highly weathered jointed

rock, SPT rebound

6.00m

Weathered jointed rock,

SPT rebound

7.00m

Soft clay,
SPT N = 0 to 1

Loose clayey sand,

SPT N = 0 to9

10.00m
11.20m

Desiccated clay layer,

SPT N = 5

Dense sand,
SPT N = 35

Very dense sand

SPT N = >100

Fig. 1: Recommended Pile Termination

10.00m

The limited penetration into highly weathered rock was

recommended based on the experience the author had with
the general piling procedures and capability available with
the DMC boring. The average shear strength of the highly
956

11.20m

Highly weathered jointed

rock, SPT rebound
Weathered jointed rock,
SPT rebound

Fig. 2: Revised Pile Termination Suggested in Design

Construction of Bored Cast-in-Situ Piles Using Rotary Drilling ProcedureA Case Study

The design capacities are marginally less than the above

estimated capacities and this was to account for small
differences in the thickness of dense sand and the highly
weathered jointed rock. However, the construction drawings
did not specify the revised bearing stratum and the criteria to
ensure the bearing stratum.

5. INITIAL LOAD TESTS AND OTHER

INVESTIGATIONS
One initial load test was conducted on 800 mm diameter pile.
The load settlement curve obtained from this initial load test
is presented in Figure 3.
0

4. PILE EXECUTION AND PERFORMANCE

100

Load, tonnes
200
300

400

500

The cut off level for these piles was decided as 2.0 m to 3.0
m below present GL and the steel and concrete was provided
up to a depth equal to 1.0 m above the proposed cut-off level.
The concrete as per the theoretical quantity was poured. It
was reported that most of the piles consumed more than one
cum concrete to make the concrete up to the stipulated level.
The temporary casing was removed after full tremmie
operation and there as an anticipated slump in the concrete to
fill the annular space of the temporary casing. However,
there was a sudden sinking of concrete by more than two
meters 30 to 40 minutes after the withdrawal of the casing in
many of the piles thus completed. This phenomenon was,
however, not reported in the records and no significance was
given to this otherwise unusual experience.
The piling work completed and the site was handed over for
superstructure construction. The excavation was to be made
to a depth of roughly 2.50 m for accommodating the thick
pile caps connecting 4 to 10 piles in a group. Many piles did
not record concrete even after 2.50 m excavation. Deeper
excavations revealed pile concrete of almost required size.
The issue of sinking of concrete at the time of pile
installation was brought to notice and the immediate
conclusion was that the concrete flowed laterally into the soft
sandy clay and loose sand present between 2.0 m and 5.0 m
(Refer Table 1 for soil profile).

5
Settlement, mm

More than 600 piles, both 800 mm diameter and 1000 mm

diameter, were installed for supporting the proposed G+10
commercial building with large column loads. The piles were
in groups of 4 piles to 10 piles. Hydraulically operated rotary
piling procedure was adopted in the execution of these piles.
The boreholes were advanced using augers fitted to the
rotary stem and the soil cuts were frequently removed from
the borehole by withdrawing the auger and then reintroducing it for further advancement. Bentonite mud and
bentonite powder were periodically introduced for stabilising
the borehole sides and bottom. Temporary casing was
provided to a depth of roughly 7.0 m from the working level.
The ground water table was at about 1.50 m below the
ground level during the construction of piles. The soil cuts
obtained from the auger blades were collected and identified
for establishing the pile termination depths. Relatively large
size stones (pieces of weathered rock) were collected by
segregating large chunk of soil retrieved from the borehole.
The depth of pile thus executed was 10.50 m with respect to
the typical profile shown in Figure 1.

10

15

20

25

Fig. 3: Load-Settlement Curve for Test Pile

The test load was planned as 638.4 tonnes (2.25 times the
safe capacity 285 tonnes). However, the test was discontinued
after 427 tonnes even though the pile was initial test pile. The
load settlement curve will show that after 23 mm settlement
recorded up to 342 tonnes, the pile refused to move further
under next load increments. The settlement of pile under
427 tonnes load was 23.36 mm, about 0.40 mm only for the 80
tonne load increment. The reason for discontinuing the test in
spite of almost nil incremental settlement is not known. The
behaviour of the test pile was explained as soft muck trapped
between the pile tip and the borehole bottom. Further analysis of
this load test data will be given later in the paper.
Pile Integrity Tests (PIT) were carried out on 43 piles initially
and out of these, sixteen piles recorded reduction in impedance
at a depth varying from 2.0 m to 7.5 m, most of them being
at about 4.0 m from the test level. Unfortunately the reason
for reduction in impedance was not established by the pile
integrity test. The pile top levels (test levels) were also not
recorded for any of these piles. However, since it was necessary
to excavate 2.50 m to 3.00 m to reach the pile concrete, the
test level could be about 3.0 m below working level. This
would suggest that the reduction in impedance shall be at 6.0
m to 8.0 m below original working level. The soil within this
depth range is dense sand with N = 30 and very dense sand
with N equal to more than 100 (refer Table 1). It is important
to note that the piles did not record any impedance change
within the loose sand and soft clay portion. Typical results
from two PIT on 1000 mm diameter pile with defect at about
4.50 m below test level is presented in Figure 4.
High strain dynamic tests were conducted on three piles
identified with defects and the reported capacities were in the

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Construction of Bored Cast-in-Situ Piles Using Rotary Drilling ProcedureA Case Study

range of 100 tonnes to 120 tonnes against 285 tonnes design

capacity used for 800 mm diameter piles.

Another practical possibility here is the absence of concrete

round the reinforcement for some length allowing the
reinforcement to buckle outward resulting large displacement
while supporting a significant amount of load. However, the
load settlement curve clearly suggests development of a good
amount of friction before transferring load to the reinforcement
bars. But the surface area to develop about 120 tonne friction
should extent well into the very dense stratum and the
possibility of reinforcement buckling is fairly remote in this
particular case.

Fig. 4: PIT Results for Two Defective Piles

6. ANALYSIS OF INVESTIGATION DATA
Many studies have established that the mobilisation of almost
full skin friction needs only a very small movement of the
pile, say 4 mm to 6 mm. Thus the skin friction mobilised here
is roughly 120 tonnes. However, if the assumption of having
soft muck between the pile tip and the good bearing stratum,
the pile has to move further without developing any significant
resistance. A most probable load settlement curve for such
pile may be as illustrated in Figure 5.
Load, tonnes
0
0

Settlement, mm

100

200

300

level. Comparing the static load test result and the pile integrity
test, there is a possibility that the pile have an enlarged
section at about 7.50 m below the working level, similar to
under-reaming. The soil at this depth is dense residual sand
derived from complete weathering of granitic gneiss. More
or less static dial gauge readings over a loading of more than
80 tonnes should suggest failure of the measuring system.

The pile integrity test results further established that the piles
were resting only in the highly weathered and fracture/jointed
rock and not in the weathered jointed rock as stipulated for
the revised safe capacities. This inference is made from the
pile lengths established by the pile integrity tests. As stated
earlier, the construction drawings did not clearly specify the pile
bearing stratum and the criterion for ensuring the bearing
stratum.
7. PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE DEFECTS

400

500

As stated earlier, there was an observation of concrete slumping

down by about 2.0 m in 30 to 40 minutes after the concreting
and removing the temporary casing. The conclusion that the
concrete was flowing into the soft sandy clay and loose
clayey sand at bout 4.0 m below natural ground level was not
confirmed by the pile integrity tests. Assuming a very low
undrained shear strength of 1.0 t/m2 for the soft soil, the force
required to push this soil side ways can be estimated as 4cu +
p0, where cu is the undrained shear strength equal to 1.0 t/m2 in
this case and p0 at 4.0 m depth was 4.7 t/m2 with water table
at 1.50 m below working level. The squeezing will occur only
under a vertical load of 8.7 t/m2, where as the 2.5 m to 3.0 m
concrete column can produce only less than 7 t/m2 at the
most. In several areas, excavation was very deep and there
was no indication of concrete flowing into the soft soil. The
possibility of excess concrete consumption within the soft or
loose soil is hence ruled out. However, the escape for roughly 2
m concrete (1.0 to 1.5 cum concrete) is to be accounted.

Field curve
Series1
PSeries2
robable curve with
soft muck at tip

10

15

20

25

Fig. 5: Load-Settlement Curve for Test Pile and Probable

Load Settlement Curve of a Pile with Soft Deposit
below the Tip
However, roughly 240 tonnes is further mobilised over a
displacement of 18 mm in the present case. This is a very
significant contribution. The nature of curve suggests that the
load mobilised over 18 mm settlement should significantly
be from end bearing. The trapped muck below the pile cross
section of roughly 0.50 sq.m. cannot offer such resistance (more
than 450 t/m2). The pile integrity test recorded reduction in
impedance at about 7.5 m below the working level and test

From the details obtained from the site, the temporary casing
pipe used for stabilising the sides was of about 7.0 m long.
The concreting was completed using tremmie and the concrete
was observed to the stipulated level in all the cases. Most of
the piles required more than theoretical quantity of the concrete
to reach the required concrete top level in the casing pipe. This
suggests that there was an excess consumption of concrete
below the casing tip level. The slump of roughly 2.0 m after

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Construction of Bored Cast-in-Situ Piles Using Rotary Drilling ProcedureA Case Study

the removal of the casing pipe can only suggest that this part
of excess consumption took place above the temporary
casing tip level.
These piles were executed using rotary drilling which had no
provision for continuous mud circulation. The bentonite mud
was supplied intermittently as the auguring advanced. When
the step by step procedure of the pile construction operation
is reviewed, one would realise that the cutting tool, auger in
this case, was taken out of the borehole several times for
removing the soil cuts. When the auger along with the soil
cuts between the fins of the auger was being lifted, a suction
was created below the auger bottom which produces
tremendous upward pressure within the borehole. Moreover,
a significant amount of water and drilling mud poured from
the top were brought out of the borehole creating excess
hydrostatic head outside the borehole. The dense to very
dense residual sand present at the casing tip level being highly
permeable, sand blow condition took place. At the same time,
the soil just above the temporary casing tip flowed downward
creating a cavity around the temporary casing at least for some
length. This cave like annular was filled with ground water or
drilling mud which had no escape towards sides or upward. The
process continued creating larger cavity around the casing
pipe and loosening the dense sandy soil till the completion of
the boring operation. The loosening during the boring process is
described in Figure 6.
During the tremmie operation keeping the temporary casing
in place, the water/drilling mud within the cave portion
around the temporary casing pipe had no escape leaving the
cavity as it is. When the casing pipe was withdrawn allowing
gradual escape for the trapped water/drilling mud along the
soil-concrete interface allowing the green concrete from the
pile to flow into the cavity. The concrete in the borehole
gradually slumped down. Obviously there is no guarantee
that the concrete flows freely and uniformly as the initial
setting could have been over.
AFTER BORING
OPERATION

The final shape of the pile expected under the above situation
is also presented in Figure 6.
The rectification measures included construction of more
piles, almost 130 percent of the original number. Later when
additional piles were being installed close to the existing
piles, the cutting tool hit the concrete outgrowth of many of
the existing piles confirming the above hypothesis.
8. CONCLUDING REMARKS
There were several other cases of underperformance of bored
cast-in-situ piles reported from the same region where rotary
drilling procedure was adopted. Rotary drilling machines as
such cannot be blamed for this failure, since such system is
working with success in many places. The overall procedure
adopted in these cases shall be defective. The major reason
for the defects can be identified as improper stabilisation of
the borehole sides and bottom during different stages of
boring.
In this case, the piles were also not taken to the stipulated
bearing stratum because of the difficulties in identifying the
bearing stratum during boring process. The temporary casing
provided up to an intermediate depth resulted mining of soil
around the casing tip and below the casing because of the
hydrostatic imbalance created within the borehole during
frequent withdrawal of the cutting tool as a part of the
construction programme.
Very dense residual sand and the highly weathered and
significantly fractured rock below can offer tremendous skin
friction for the piles resting in the jointed rock below. These
formations being highly permeable and the ground water table
being very shallow, the temporary casing shall advance before
boring and should penetrate up to weathered jointed rock
where sand mining is not expected. The cutting tool/auger
shall have suction relief system so that the borehole is filled
with water preventing any sand blow at intermediate level.
AFTER REMOVAL
OF CASING

AFTER TREMMIE
CONCRETING

0.00m
Desiccated clay layer , N = 5

0.80m
Concrete top level

5.00m

7.00m

Temporary casing
pipe
Soil scoured /
collapsed
during boring
Unsupported length
Loosening of soil /
caving in

Loose clayey sand

Cavity remained
unfilled with
concrete because
of trapped water
Concrete flow
Loosened soil

10.00m

Soft clay, N = 0 to 3
Probable loss of concrete
because of initial setting
and arching of top concrete
which may eventually settle
to some extend- Steel
exposed
Concrete flowed into the
cavity
Dense sand N=30 to >100

Weathered rock, SPT rebound

Fig. 6: Loosening of Soil around the Casing Tip and Over-Excavation below Casing
959

Construction of Bored Cast-in-Situ Piles Using Rotary Drilling ProcedureA Case Study

Use of temporary casing to intermediate depths will lead to

the hazard described above.
Another method to stabilise the sides and bottom of the
borehole is to provide continuous mud circulation during the
drilling process avoiding frequent withdrawal of the cutting
tool. Pouring of drilling mud intermittently can be effective
only if the mud level in the borehole is always maintained
much above the ground water table.
The system of collection of representative samples from
different depths along the pile bore depth need to be
modernized. The wash samples collected from the cuttings
will not be representing the actual formation. Thick tube
sampler driven to the founding stratum can bring representative
samples in the case of highly weathered and fractured rock
bearing stratum. There are gadgets available for measuring the
resistance to cutting that can reasonably identify the bearing
stratum.
The indications to improper boring operations usually come
from local subsidence of the ground, extra or short consumption,
difficulty in lowering and positioning the reinforcement cage,
etc. Extra consumption at any stage can result tremmie lifted
above the concrete. This can readily be observed by sudden
rise of drilling mud/water in the tremmie. It is essential to
observe the concrete level in the tremmie after every lifting
operation.
The non-performance of large diameter bored piles constructed
using the conventional DMC chisel boring is mainly due to
improper use of the drilling mud and the inferior quality of
the mud itself. This is true in the case of rotary drilling
equipments also. Substitutes for bentonite mud are now
available that can offer stability under different sub-soil
conditions. When the pumps used for mud circulation are

very light and not capable of handling the large volume of

mud in the case of large diameter piles, the mud flow is
limited to small diameter around the DMC pipe. This will
result suspension of large size particles at deeper levels that
will readily settle at the borehole bottom when the circulation
is stopped.
It is to be noted that the construction of bored cast-in-situ
piles using rotary drilling procedure has several advantages
over the conventional DMC chisel boring procedure. The
construction is three to four times faster and the pile diameter
and length can be larger for realising large safe capacities. It
also has the advantage of proper quality control capabilities
when provided with advanced gadgets like torque measurement
system, etc. And of course the necessity of a trained operator
cannot be underestimated.
REFERENCES
Cole, K.W. and Stroud, M.A. (1977). Rock Socketed Piles
at Coventry Point, Market Way, Coventry, Proc. of Piles
in Weak Rock, Institution of Civil Engineers, London, pp.
4762.
Gandhi, S.R, Raju, V.S. and Rawat, P.C. (1987). Load Transfer
in PilesAnalysis and Field Test on Instrumented Pile,
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