INTRODUCTION

Foundations provide support to the structure and transfer the loads from the structure to the
soil. But the layer at which the foundation transfers the load shall have an adequate bearing
capacity and suitable settlement characteristics. There are several types of foundations
depending on various considerations such as

 Total load from the superstructure.

 Soil conditions.
 Water level.
 Noise and vibrations sensitivity.
 Available resources.
 Time-frame of the project.
 Cost.

PILE FOUNDATION

A Pile foundation, a kind of deep foundation, can be defined as a slender column or long
cylinder made of materials such as concrete, steel or timber which are used to support the
structure and transfer the load at desired depth either by end bearing or skin friction. Pile
foundations are deep foundations. They are formed by long, slender, columnar elements
typically made from steel or reinforced concrete, or sometimes timber. A foundation is
described as 'piled' when its depth is more than three times its breadth. A pile is basically a
long cylinder of a strong material such as concrete that is pushed into the ground to act as a
steady support for structures built on top of it. Foundation piles are usually used for large
structures and in situations where the soil at shallow depth is not suitable to resist excessive
settlement, resist uplift, etc.

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WHY PILE FOUNDATION?

Pile foundation are principally used to transfer the LOADS from superstructures, through wea,
compressible strata or water onto stronger, more compact, less compressible and stiffer soil or
rock at depth, increasing the effective size of a foundation and resisting horizontal loads.

WHEN TO USE PILE FOUNDATION?

Following are the situations why using a pile foundation system can be beneficial.

 When the groundwater table is high foundation pilings are the best solution.
 Other types of foundations are costlier or not feasible.
 Heavy and un-uniform loads from superstructure are imposed.
 When the soil at shallow depth is compressible.
 When there is the possibility of scouring, due to its location near the river bed or
seashore, etc.
 When there is a canal or deep drainage system near the structure.
 When soil excavation is not possible up to the desired depth due to poor soil conditions.
 When it becomes impossible to keep the foundation trenches dry by pumping or by any
other measure due to heavy inflow of seepage.

Whenever one of the above conditions occur (where pile foundations are suitable for), the
foundation engineer has to choose a foundation for the structure among different types of pile
foundation.

HOW?

It is based on 3 methods which are as follows:

1. Bored pile
2. Driven pile
3. Jacked pile

BORED PILE: is a commonly used foundation for supporting heavy vertical loads. It transfers
the load to the soil below or rock strata with sufficient bearing capacity and reduces the
settlement of the structure. The construction of the bored pile is divided into two phases: the
drilling phase and the construction phase. In the drilling phase, the spoil is removed to form a

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hole of the required diameter and depth, while during the construction phase, the reinforced
concrete is poured in situ. Therefore, bored piles are also called replacement piles. Bored piles
are popular in urban areas where minimal vibration is a prerequisite during construction.
Moreover, it is employed where the headroom is limited, the depth of the piles remains the
same, and there is no risk of heaving. Bored pile foundation is also known as replacement pile.

JACKED PILE:

This method can be used when the depth of a suitable bearing capacity subsoil is too deep to
make traditional underpinning uneconomic. Jack pile underpinning is quiet, vibration free and
flexible since the pile depth can be adjusted to suit subsoil conditions encountered. The existing
foundations must be in a good condition since they will have to span over the heads of the pile
caps which are cast onto the jack pile heads after hydraulic jacks have been removed.

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DRIVEN PILE

A driven pile foundation is a specific type of pile foundation where structural elements are
driven into the ground using a large hammer. They are commonly constructed of timber,
precast pre-stressed concrete (PPC), and steel (H-sections steel and pipes). Driven pile
foundation are also called displacement pile.

NECESSITY OF PILE FOUNDATION

 Transfer load to strong and or less compressive strata.

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  Transfer loads in weak soil by friction between the pile and the soil.
 Compact loose granular soil.
 Provide foundation and inclined forces from bridge abutment and retaining walls.
 Carry uplift forces.
 Stiffen soils beneath machine foundation to control both the amplitude vibration and
natural frequency of the system.

TYPES OF PILES

Types of pile foundation depends on the following,

1. Based on function (i) End Bearing piles (ii) friction piles. (iii) combined bearing and
friction piles.
2. Based on pile materials (i) timber piles (ii) concrete piles (iii) steel piles

BASED ON FUNCTION

END BEARING PILES These piles transfer their load on to a firm stratum located at a
considerable depth below the base of the structure and they derive most of their carrying
capacity from the penetration resistance of the soil at the toe of the pile. The pile behaves
as an ordinary column and should be designed as such. Even in weak soil a pile will not
fail by buckling and this effect need only be considered if part of the pile is unsupported,
i.e. if it is in either air or water. Load is transmitted to the soil through friction or cohesion.
But sometimes, the soil surrounding the pile may adhere to the surface of the pile and causes
“Negative Skin Friction” on the pile. This, sometimes have considerable effect on the
capacity of the pile. in end bearing piles, the bottom end of the pile rests on a layer of
especially strong soil or rock. The load of the building is transferred through the pile onto
the strong layer. In a sense, this pile acts like a column. The key principle is that the bottom
end rests on the surface which is the intersection of a weak and strong layer. The load
therefore bypasses the weak layer and is safely transferred to the strong layer.

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Advantages

1. It experiences low settlement compared with other types of pile like floating pile. That
is why multi-story buildings are mostly constructed on this type of pile.

2. The end bearing piles are generally used in the most of the construction sites.

3. End bearing pile can be precast to specifications.

4. They can be prefabricated into any length, shape, and size and used on-site, hence
reducing the completion time.

5. End bearing pile goes does not experience buckling failure in weak soil except if it passes
through air or water.

6. The pile rests on firm stratum that could be stronger than the steel for the maximum
design load that can be applied.

7. The cost of pile construction can be optimized since its length can be specified based on
the depth of firm soil layer.

8. The length of the pile to be used can be easily computed based on bedrock depth obtained
from soil exploration borehole records

Disadvantages

1. Heavy equipment is needed for the construction of end bearing.

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2. The soil surrounding the pile may adhere to the surface of the pile and causes “Negative
Skin Friction” on the pile.

FRICTION PILES: Friction piles work on a different principle. The pile transfers the
load of the building to the soil across the full height of the pile, by friction. In other words,
the entire surface of the pile, which is cylindrical in shape, works to transfer the forces to
the soil. To visualize how this works, imagine you are pushing a solid metal rod of say
4mm diameter into a tub of frozen I ice cream. Once you have pushed it in, it is strong
enough to support some load. The greater the in the ice cream, the more load it can support.
This is very similar to how a friction pile works. In a friction pile, the amount of load a pile
can support is directly proportionate to its length.

BASED ON MATERIALS

TIMBER PILES are the types of piled foundations that are placed under the water level.
They last for approximately about 30 years. They can be rectangular or circular in shape.
Their diameter or size can vary from 12 to 16 inches. The length of the pile is usually 20
times the top width. They are usually designed for 15 to 20 tons. Additional strength can
be obtained by bolting fish plates to the side of the piles.

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 Advantages of Timber Piles

i. Timber piles of regular size are available.

ii. Economical.
iii. Easy to install.
iv. Low possibility of damage.
v. Timber pile footings can be cut off at any desired length after they are installed.
vi. If necessary, timber piles can be easily pulled out.

Disadvantages of Timber Piles

i. Piles of longer lengths are not always available.

ii. It is difficult to obtain straight piles if the length is short.
iii. It is difficult to drive the pile if the soil strata are very hard.
iv. Spicing of timber piles is difficult.
v. Timber or wooden piles are not suitable to be used as end-bearing piles.
vi. For the durability of timber piles, special measures have to be taken. For example-
wooden piles are often treated with preservatives

STEEL PILES

Steel piles may be of I-section or hollow pipe. They are filled with concrete. The size may vary
from 10 inches to 24 inches in diameter and the thickness is usually ¾ inches. Because of the
small sectional area, the piles are easy to drive. They are mostly used as end-bearing piles.

Advantages of Steel Piles

i. They are easy to install. They can reach a greater depth compared to any other type of
pile foundations.
ii. Can penetrate through the hard layer of soil due to the less cross-sectional area.
iii. It is easy to splice steel piles Can carry heavy loads.

Disadvantages of Steel Piles

i. This piling type is prone to corrosion.

ii. Has a possibility of deviating while driving
iii. Comparatively expensive

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CONCRETE PILE

Precast concrete Piles or Prefabricated concrete piles it is formed and reinforced in a

high-quality controlled concrete, usually used of square, triangle, circle or octagonal
section, they are produced in short length in one meter intervals between 3 and 13 meters.
They are pre-casted so that they can be easily connected together in order to reach to the
required length. This will not decrease the design load capacity Reinforcement is necessary
within the pile to help withstand both handling and driving stresses. Prestressed concrete
piles are also used and are becoming more popular than the ordinary precast as less
reinforcement is required.

Advantages and disadvantages of Precast Concrete Piles

1. Stable in squeezing ground, for example, soft clays, silts and peats pile material can
be inspected before piling.
2. Are easy to splice. Relatively inexpensive.
3. Can be driven in long lengths.
4. Can increase the relative density of a granular founding stratum.

Disadvantages

1. Displacement, heave, and disturbance of the soil during driving.

2. Can be damaged during driving. Replacement piles may be required

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CAST IN PLACE CONCRETE PILES

Cast in place concrete piles are the most type commonly used for foundations due to the great
diversity available for pouring concrete and the introduction of the pile into the soil. Driving
and drilling piles are two types of cast in place concrete piles; however, the implementation of
these piles in place may be accompanied by some problems such as arching, squeezing and
segregation.

Advantages of Cast-In Place Concrete Piles

1. Can be inspected before casting can easily be cut or extended to the desired length.
2. Relatively inexpensive.
3. The piles can be cast before excavation.
4. Pile lengths are readily adjustable

Disadvantages of cast-in place concrete piles

i. In this type of pile foundation, installation requires careful supervision and quality
control.
ii. Needs sufficient place on site for storage of the materials used for construction.
iii. It is difficult to construct cast in situ piles where the underground water flow is heavy.
iv. The bottom of the pile may not be symmetrical.
v. If the pile is un-reinforced and uncased, the pile can fail in tension if there acts an
uplifting force

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HOW?

It is based on 3 methods which are as follows:

4. Bored pile
5. Driven pile
6. Jacked pile

BORED PILE: is a commonly used foundation for supporting heavy vertical loads. It transfers
the load to the soil below or rock strata with sufficient bearing capacity and reduces the
settlement of the structure. The construction of the bored pile is divided into two phases: the
drilling phase and the construction phase. In the drilling phase, the spoil is removed to form a
hole of the required diameter and depth, while during the construction phase, the reinforced
concrete is poured in situ. Therefore, bored piles are also called replacement piles. Bored piles
are popular in urban areas where minimal vibration is a prerequisite during construction.
Moreover, it is employed where the headroom is limited, the depth of the piles remains the
same, and there is no risk of heaving. Bored pile foundation is also known as replacement pile.

JACKED PILE:

The common uses of jacked pile is underpinning existing foundation or to increase the load-
carrying capacity of existing foundation element. This method can be used when the depth of
a suitable bearing capacity subsoil is too deep to make traditional underpinning uneconomic.
Jack pile underpinning is quiet, vibration free and flexible since the pile depth can be adjusted
to suit subsoil conditions encountered. The existing foundations must be in a good condition
since they will have to span over the heads of the pile caps which are cast onto the jack pile
heads after hydraulic jacks have been removed.

DRIVEN PILE

A driven pile foundation is a specific type of pile foundation where structural elements are
driven into the ground using a large hammer. They are commonly constructed of timber,
precast prestressed concrete (PPC), and steel (H-sections steel and pipes). Driven pile
foundation are also called displacement pile.

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 CONSTRUCTION STRATEGIES

Bored Pile Construction Strategies:

The bored piling process involves the following stages:

1. The construction starts by drilling a vertical hole into the soil using the bored piling
machine. The machine is outfitted with accessories like drilling tools, buckets, and
grabs that help remove soil and rocks during the drilling process.
2. The piles drilled can go up to a depth of 60 m and a diameter of 2.4 m.
3. A temporary steel cylinder or sleeve is inserted into the drilled hole until the pile is
poured.
4. After this, a rebar cage for the pile is inserted into the hole and, subsequently, filled
with concrete.
5. The top of the pile is capped either with a footing or a pile cap near the ground level
so that the structure above can be constructed

Driven Pile Construction Strategies: Driven piles are made from preformed material having
a predetermined shape and size that can be physically inspected prior to and during the
installation. Which is installed by impact hammering, vibrating or pushing into the earth.

Jacked Pile Construction Strategies:

Using the structure as the reaction load, a hydraulic ram is used to pushed a 3.5 ft section of
steel casing into the ground. This method essentially load tests each pile, as we are monitoring
the pressure/resistance needed to install the casing. This installation resistance directly
correlates to the pile capacity. After reaching bearing depth, the tops of the piles are bracketed
to the structure’s footing, filled with grout, and locked off to a specified percentage of the
design load.

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