Dynamic

Dynamic Testing
Testing Methods
Methods for
for
Evaluation
Evaluation of
of Integrity
Integrity and
and
Capacity
Capacity for
for Drilled
Drilled Shafts
Shafts
PDA

CSL

PIT

GRL

Deep Foundation Solutions:

Driven Piles
Steel, Concrete, Timber
Drilled Shafts
Wet or Dry, Cased or Uncased
Augercast Piles

Each pile type has different

inspection needs

GRL

Planned
Planned inspection
inspection ( Preferred )

GRL

Included
Included in
in project
project specifications
specifications
Planned
Planned costs
costs -- normal
normal pay
pay item
item

Unplanned
Unplanned inspection
inspection
in
in response
response to
to something
something gone
gone wrong
wrong
Unplanned
Unplanned costs
costs -- who
who pays?
pays?
Delays
Delays project,
project, extra
extra claims
claims

GRL

Low
Low Strain
Strain Integrity
Integrity Methods
Methods
PILE INTEGRITY TESTING (PIT)
Measure
Measure Pile
Pile Top
Top Motion,
Motion, Reflections
Reflections from
from Defects
Defects
For
For concrete
concrete piles,
piles, concrete
concrete filled
filled pipes,
pipes, drilled
drilled
shafts,
shafts, augercast
augercast piles,
piles, and
and sometimes
sometimes timber
timber piles.
piles.

CROSS
-HOLE SONIC LOGGING (CSL)
CROSS-HOLE
Determines
Determines Concrete
Concrete Quality
Quality Between
Between Tubes
Tubes in
in Shaft
Shaft
For
For drilled
drilled shafts
shafts and
and larger
larger augercast
augercast piles
piles

Pile Integrity Testing...

looks for major defects
Small hammer
impact device

Accelerometer
measures response

ASTM D5882

(defect)

GRL

PIT - Basic Interpretations

Local Defect:

small

Local Bulge:

small

medium

medium

GRL

large

large

GRL

Normal test
(pile top free)

Bad Pile

Good Pile
800 mm drilled shafts
L = 25 m (L/D = 31)

GRL

Test Pile

Defect

GRL#994034

14 inch augercast pile with 15 foot rebars.

Failed static load test often prompts testing.

Defect in this test pile shaft caused failed test
(rather than soil failure)

PIT detected bored pile defect at 4.1 m depth;

confirmed by core

GRL

GRL

Good pile with local bulge

at about 25 ft and clear toe

Bulge
- / + cycle

Neck
+ / - cycle

Bad pile excavated

to reveal neck

Bad pile with major defect at

about 3.5 ft and no clear toe

Classifications

GRL

(4 categories proposed by GRL)

A - Good Pile
Clear toe response, no obvious defect; sound shaft

B - Bad Pile
Clear identification of serious defect; no toe signal
needs contingency tests or corrective measures

C - Possible Defect
re-test, other tests, reduce capacity or replace

D - Inconclusive data
(poor pile top quality,
or no reflections due to strong soil)
fix pile top & re-test; might give info for upper pile shaft
which is reason to accept pile.

What to do if find a problem ?

GRL

Compare with other observations

Re-test with PIT (trim pile top to solid concrete)

Excavate if near top
Request pile core
Request a PDA test or a static test
Replace pile (or repair)
Other?

Have a plan what to do if find a defect

PIT Limitations
Some studies suggest a 30 L/D limit.
Actually this is only a rule of thumb and
useable length depends on:
soil strength,
pile uniformity,
actual diameter and length,
and equipment noise and resolution.
We often see much farther

Highly non-uniform piles difficult to interpret

Cracks or mechanical joints block waves
Small defects (or of short length) hard to find
Gradual changes hard to find

GRL

PIT Conclusions

GRL

PIT finds major defects

defects,,
low cost so can test every pile
Inclusion of inspection requirements in
job specifications is suggested
PIT can sometimes test piles in structure
Guideline of use till 30 L/D is not a limit.
Cracks or gaps limit transmission of wave
No information about capacity

Cross
Cross Hole
Hole Sonic
Sonic Logging
Logging

GRL

ASTM
ASTM D6760
D6760

Transmit

Receive

Stress Waves, emitted

in one tube are received
in another one if concrete
quality is satisfactory

Cross Hole Sonic Logging

GRL

Cross Hole Sonic Logging

Arrival
Arrival

Arrival

Signal
Energy

(wave speed) = ( tube distance ) / (arrival time )

GRL

Cross Hole Sonic Logging

How do we spot defects?
Low energy
Late arrivals

Defect

Defect

Defect

GRL

48 shaft with soft toe condition

GRL

Shaft with tremie defect

GRL

GRL

CSL Testing Advantages

insensitive to surrounding soil or pile length
finds multiple defects, depth and quadrant
finds soft bottoms if tubes go to bottom
inspires careful construction by contractor

GRL

CSL Testing Limitations

must plan and install access tubes
tubes preferably less than 2 meters apart
evaluates concrete only between tube pairs
defects undetected when outside cage

CSL Conclusions

GRL

Can
Can find
find multiple
multiple defects
defects and
and their
their quadrant;
quadrant;
not
not sensitive
sensitive to
to pile
pile length
length or
or soil
soil
CSL
CSL finds
finds defects
defects between
between (steel)
(steel) access
access tubes;
tubes;
consider
consider defect
defect remedy
remedy in
in advance
advance
CSL
CSL access
access tubes
tubes in
in every
every shaft
shaft inspires
inspires
high
high quality
quality installation
installation for
for every
every shaft
shaft
(even
(even if
if do
do not
not test
test every
every shaft)
shaft)
Allows
Allows low
low cost
cost testing
testing access
access if
if problems
problems occur
occur
during
during installation
installation
Waterfall,
Waterfall, FAT
FAT and
and energy
energy compliment
compliment
interpretation
interpretation of
of results
results

GRL

The End