INSTALLATION OF BORED PILES

METHOD
STATEMENT
for the construction
of

BORED PILES

General Use

Method Statement for Bored Piles

 INSTALLATION OF BORED PILES

METHOD STATEMENT FOR THE

CONSTRUCTION OF BORED PILES
The method statement for bored piling below describes the whole construction
procedures including material and equipment required for the construction of bored
cast-in-situ piles. The piles to be constructed will be of a nominal specified diameter,
bored through overlying soils and upon completion to withstand loads with shaft
friction and end bearing as designed by the Engineer/Consultant.

A. PRECONSTRUCTION & INSTALLATION OF CASING

1. Setting out of boundary shall first be carried out and confirmed by a licensed
surveyor.
2. After that, the pile location shall also be surveyed by the same licensed surveyor
and properly pegged. Offsets to these pile pegs shall be created to reconfirm the
pile location before the works start.
3. Before excavation of each bored pile, identify any possible obstruction by site
inspection at the ground surface. Ensure the area is free from underground
services and other obstruction such as timber, tree trunks etc.
4. Existing terrain which cannot place the bored piling rigs shall either be cut or
filled to ensure a stable ground and working platform for the drilling rigs.
5. Set out the correct position of the bored pile on site. See Photo 1.
6. Set up the vibrator (vibro-hammer) lifted with a crane to pick up a steel casing.
7. Carefully place the casing onto the centre of the peg and let it rest on the ground
by gravity. Install the steel casing into the ground by vibrating motion exerted by
the vibrator.

Method Statement for Bored Piles

 INSTALLATION OF BORED PILES

B. DRILLING / BORING WORKS

1. Boring in soil typically uses the augering method. The auger is lowered down by
a telescopic boom to excavate soil and retrieve the auger to the top after
excavation.
2. Move the auger with soil in it away from the excavated hole by swinging the
machine. Rotate the auger in the opposite direction to remove the soil from the
auger.
3. The augering process is repeated until the required depth is reached or hard layer
or rock is reached.
4. A boring/drilling bucket can also be used to drill into soil or harder material,
usually in flooded boreholes.
5. If necessary, use a cleaning bucket to clean the bored hole with the process
similar to the auger. However, for dumping of soil/spoils, the bucket needs to be
released by pulling a pin manually.
6. For hard soils and solid rock, if necessary, rock auger head can be employed to
grind into hard soils and rock and subsequent removal of fragments by bucket.
7. Continue the above procedure until the tentative completed level / sound rock
level has reached. Soil samples & rock fragments will be collected for inspection.

Fig 1 : Example of an Auger and

Bucket

Method Statement for Bored Piles

 INSTALLATION OF BORED PILES

Method Statement for Bored Piles

 INSTALLATION OF BORED PILES

C. STABILITY OF THE BORED HOLE / SHAFT

These steps shall be employed either individually or collectively at the discretion of the
bore pile contractor when there is a collapse / possibility of collapse of the borehole to
ensure its stability.

1. Extension of the steel casing (if necessary to prevent collapse) can be done by
welding on additional casing during excavation. A sample is shown in Fig.1.
However, the method may vary from site-to-site, depending on the soil condition.
If the soil is soft, simple full welding is sufficient. Verticality of the casing will be
monitored by means of spirit level from time to time.

2. The use of drilling mud (chemical polymer-type hole stabilizer) can be employed
to stabilize a flooded borehole. The polymer shall be added and mixed in a tank
prior to being pumped into the borehole to stabilize it. Boring can then continue
with the polymer stabilizing the borehole. The polymer can be either recycled to
clean away augered mud/soil using a recycling system tank or it can be discarded
away from site as sludge/soil. The main aim is to advance the hole as deep as
possible without causing a collapse. The quantity and time of polymer mixture
shall be at the discretion of the bore piler with experience in determining hole
stability. (See catalog from www.thl.com.sg/consumable/poly/index.php)

3. If bentonite is used and recycled, the properties of recycled bentonite shall be sent
to a lab for testing to ensure compliance with the specifications.

4 . The bored hole shall be concreted as soon as possible to prevent further collapse.
However, if casing or polymer is in the hole, it can hold up the soil and prevent
collapse longer.

Method Statement for Bored Piles

 INSTALLATION OF BORED PILES

Figure 3 : Details for Connection of Casing

Method Statement for Bored Piles

 INSTALLATION OF BORED PILES

D. CLEANING OF PILE SHAFT & TOE

1. The pile shaft shall be cleaned by the bore pile BUCKET if there are suspected
loose material at the toe.
2. Note : The presence of water in the shaft (if any) is OK, provided there are no
collapse of soil in the hole during the cleaning process. (See Item C). The
borehole is termed as flooded only if the water level in the borehole is > 10% of
the pile length.
3. This can be checked with when the withdrawal of bucket, there shall be no debris,
soils or rock fragments in the bucket after cleaning.
4. The depth of the pile is checked using a weighted measuring tape.

E. PREPARATION OF REINFORCEMENT BARS

1. The reinforcement and links cage is prepared, prefabricated prior to the
completion of the bore pile.
2. The links shall be prepared first and subsequently tie the required amount of
reinforcement, spaced equally onto the link.
3. Place circular spacers onto the spiral link at intervals required by the design.

F. INSTALLATION OF REINFORCEMENT BARS

1. When the reinforcement cages are ready, they can be installed into the pile.
2. The weight of the prefabricated cage can be calculated in order to select a suitable
crane for lifting. If a mechanical bored pile machine is used, the bore pile machine
engine shall be detached and the mounted crane can be used for lifting.
3. The prefabricated cage shall be lowered down into the hole, segment by segment
by lifting the entire cage using a suitable crane. The top of the cage will be
welded with a suitable hook for lifting of the cage.
4. Shall lapping of reinforcement is needed, a lap length of 40D shall be used. The
laps shall be done using welding, or tied with tie wires or U-bolts– See Fig 2.
5. Repeat the step above until required depth is reached.

Method Statement for Bored Piles

 INSTALLATION OF BORED PILES

G. CONCRETING (TREMIE METHOD)

1. Set up a working platform to the top of the temporary casing if the ground is soft
using steel plates.
2. If the hole is dry, direct pour method can be used. But the chute and tremie pipe
shall be also inserted till a depth as per the specification, to ensure the correct fall
height of the concrete to avoid concrete segregation.
3. If the pile is flooded with water, the pile shaft will be concreted by "Underwater
Tremie Technique". The tremie pipe sections will be inserted and be jointed until
it reaches the near the bottom of the pile shaft. Borehole is deemed to be flooded
if the water level is >10% of the pile length.
4. Concrete will be poured into the tremie pipe by using a concrete skip. Concreting
will be carried out in one continuous operation to a stop-off level (min 600mm
above the cut-off level ) agreed with the Client. (See Fig 3).
5. As concreting proceeds, the level of the concrete relative to the ground level can
be monitored by measuring with weighted tape after each skip of concrete is
placed.
6. The base of the tremie pipe will be kept with a minimum depth of approximate 1
to 2m below the surface of the concrete.
7. The temporary casing can either be extracted simultaneously by the vibrator in
course of concreting, or after completion of concreting. A head of about 2 m
(minimum) is always maintained between the top of concrete and the bottom of
steel casing.
8. If a length of permanent casing is required, the extraction of casing shall be
stopped after the bottom of casing reaches the required level.
9. If the length of the permanent casing is already installed to depth, leave the casing
intact after concreting.

Method Statement for Bored Piles

 INSTALLATION OF BORED PILES

Fig 4 : Concreting using a tremie pipe & Direct Pour.

Method Statement for Bored Piles