Initial Pile Load Test:

Pile load test is the most direct method for determining the safeloads on piles including its
structural capacity with respect to soil inwhich it is installed. It is considered more reliable on
account ofitbeing in-situ test than the capacities computed by other methods, such asstatic
formula, dynamic formulae and penetration teat data. The main objective of the test is to
determine the ultimate load capacity of the pile and to arrive at a safe load by application of a
factor of safety. This test also proves guidelines for setting up the limits of acceptance for routine
test. This test is carried out on a test pile.

Procedure:

Vertical load test (Compression) was applied as per IS 2911.4.2013 in which load was applied at
pile top by means of a hydraulic jack against rolled steel joist capable of providing reaction and the
settlement is recorded by suitably positioned 4 numbers of dial gauges. These dial gauges have
sensitivity of 0.01 mm and are positioned at equal distance from the centre of the tested piles,
held on datum bars resting on immovable supports at a minimum distance of 1.5m from the edge
of the piles. The pile heads are chipped off to natural horizontal plane till sound concrete is met.

The reaction for jack was obtained from kentledge placed on a platform supported clear of the test
pile. The centre of gravity of the kentledgewas coinciding with the axis of the pile and the load
appliedby the jack was also coaxial with the pile.

The test is be carried out by applying a series of vertical downwardincremental load each
increment being of about 20 percent of safe loadon the pile group up to a load of 2.5 x design load
or up to a settlement of 10% of pile diameter whichever is smaller.

Each increment of test loading is maintained till rate of displacement of the pile top is either 0·1
mm in first 30 minutes or 0·2 mm in first one hour or till 2 h whichever occur first. The test load
shall be maintained for 24 h.

Deliverables:

1. Load settlement observation sheet.

2. Load –settlement curve
3. Conclusions to be drawn from the test.
TEST DETAILS:

Jack used: 1000 ton capacity

Ram dia:410 mm

Design load: 200 Ton per pile

Load to be applied: 2.5 x 200 T = 500 T per pile.

The test was carried out by applying a series of vertical downward incremental load of 40 Ton. The
final load applied is 500 Ton. The settlement corresponding to the applied final load is 9.33mm
after 24 hours of observation.

Analysis of Results:

INTERPRETATION:

The safe load on single pile for the initial test should be least ofthe following:

a) Two-thirds of the final load at which the total displacementattains a value of 12 mm unless
otherwise required in a givencase on the basis of nature and type of structure in which case
the safe load should be corresponding to the stated total displacementpermissible.
b) 50 percent of the final load at which the total displacementequal 10 percent of the pile
diameter in case of uniform diameter piles and 7·5 percent of bulb diameter in case of
under-reamedpiles.

I) Hence for the Pile of the Abutment Structure the Maximum settlement corresponding
to the applied load is 9.33mm after 24 hours of observation
II) The settlement did not attain the value of the permissible value of 12mm (Clause
7.1.5.1 is 2911 Part 4 -2013)

Interpretation of Load -Displacement Curve:

From the graph it is found that,

 I) Load corresponding to 12 mm settlement(extra polated) = 600 Ton
Safe load=(2/3 x 600) ton = 400 Ton

II) 10% of pile dia. = 10% of 1200 mm= 120 mm, settlement of pile did not reach a value of
120 mm. So clause b) is not to be considered.

So, allowable load= 400 Ton>200 Ton.

Conclusion:1. Safe load on the pile is found to be greater than the design load by 200Ton, hence it
can opined that the pile is safe for a design load of 200Ton.

LOAD SETTLEMENT CURVE

Load in tonne
0.00 100.00 200.00 300.00 400.00 500.00 600.00
0.00

2.00
Settlement in MM

4.00

6.00

8.00

10.00

12.00

14.00
 PILE LOAD TEST
Name of project: Construction of 2-laning with hard shoulder configuration of
Lungei to Chhumkhum from Design Chainage Km 0.000 to
Km 37.420 [Pkg -A]for Lunglei-Tlabung section of NH-302 in
the State of Mizoram
Pile Dia: 1200 MM Location NH-302
Pile Length: 25.00 M Pile no: A1
Safe Design load: 200.00 MT Load Applied: 500 MT
Date of
Type of test: INITIAL testing: 15/02/2025
VERTICAL Date of
Mode of Loading: casting: 07/05/2024
1000
Pressure Gauge Capacity : Load per Division : 20 MT
MT
Dial Gauge least
Dial Gauge Used: 4 Nos.
Count :
0.01 mm
Time Load Applied Settlement of Dial Gauge(mm) Mean
Date
A B C D (mm)
2/15/2025 11.30 AM 0 0 0 0 0 0.00
11.40 AM 0.37 0.39 0.32 0.45 0.38
12.10 PM 40 0.37 0.39 0.33 0.45 0.39
12.40 PM 0.37 0.40 0.33 0.45 0.39

12.40 PM 0.68 0.76 0.63 0.80 0.72

1.10 PM 80 0.70 0.78 0.65 0.82 0.74
1.40 PM 0.71 0.79 0.66 0.83 0.75

1.40 PM 120 1.11 1.20 1.08 1.25 1.16

2.10 PM 1.13 1.23 1.10 1.27 1.18
2.40 PM 1.14 1.24 1.11 1.28 1.19

2.40 PM 160 1.63 1.72 1.62 1.79 1.69

3.10 PM 1.66 1.75 1.64 1.81 1.72
3.40 PM 1.67 1.76 1.65 1.82 1.73

3.40 PM 200 2.29 2.36 2.26 2.43 2.34

4.10 PM 2.32 2.39 2.29 2.46 2.37
4.40 PM 2.33 2.40 2.31 2.47 2.38

4.40 PM 240 3.01 3.11 2.99 3.16 3.07

5.10 PM 3.04 3.14 3.03 3.19 3.10
5.40 PM 3.06 3.16 3.05 3.21 3.12

5.40 PM 280 3.66 3.82 3.68 3.87 3.76

6.10 PM 3.70 3.86 3.72 3.91 3.80
6.40 PM 3.71 3.88 3.73 3.93 3.81

6.40 PM 320 4.38 4.58 4.43 4.61 4.50

 7.10 PM 4.42 4.62 4.47 4.65 4.54
7.40 PM 4.44 4.64 4.49 4.68 4.56

7.40 PM 360 5.20 5.35 5.23 5.37 5.29

8.10 PM 5.24 5.40 5.23 5.42 5.32
8.40 PM 5.26 5.42 5.29 5.44 5.35

8.40 PM 400 6.10 6.27 6.12 6.31 6.20

9.10 PM 6.15 6.32 6.16 6.36 6.25
9.40 PM 6.17 6.33 6.18 6.38 6.27

9.40 PM 440 7.15 7.25 7.13 7.33 7.22

10.10 PM 7.20 7.30 7.18 7.38 7.27
10.40 PM 7.22 7.32 7.20 7.41 7.29

10.40 PM 480 8.27 8.39 8.26 8.45 8.34

11.10 PM 8.33 8.44 8.32 8.51 8.40
11.40 PM 8.40 8.47 8.34 8.54 8.44

11.40 PM 500 8.93 9.01 8.87 9.09 8.98

2/16/2025 12.10 AM 9.00 9.07 8.93 9.14 9.04
12.40 AM 9.03 9.10 8.95 9.17 9.06

OBSERVATION
2/16/2025 1.40 AM 9.08 9.16 9.01 9.23 9.12
2.40 AM 9.12 9.20 9.05 9.27 9.16
3.40 AM 9.14 9.22 9.07 9.29 9.18
4.40 AM 9.16 9.24 9.09 9.31 9.20
5.40 AM 9.17 9.25 9.10 9.33 9.21
6.40 AM 9.18 9.25 9.11 9.34 9.22
7.40 AM 9.20 9.27 9.13 9.36 9.24
8.40 AM 9.21 9.28 9.13 9.37 9.25
9.40 AM 9.22 9.29 9.14 9.38 9.26
10.40 AM 9.24 9.30 9.15 9.38 9.27
11.40 AM 9.24 9.30 9.16 9.38 9.27
500
12.40 PM 9.25 9.31 9.16 9.39 9.28
1.40 PM 9.25 9.31 9.17 9.40 9.28
2.40 PM 9.27 9.32 9.18 9.42 9.30
3.40 PM 9.27 9.32 9.18 9.42 9.30
4.40 PM 9.28 9.33 9.18 9.43 9.31
5.40 PM 9.28 9.33 9.18 9.43 9.31
6.40 PM 9.29 9.34 9.19 9.44 9.32
7.40 PM 9.29 9.34 9.19 9.44 9.32
8.40 PM 9.30 9.34 9.19 9.45 9.32
9.40 PM 9.31 9.35 9.19 9.45 9.33
10.40 PM 9.31 9.35 9.19 9.45 9.33
 11.40 PM 9.31 9.35 9.19 9.46 9.33
2/17/2025 12.40 AM 9.31 9.35 9.19 9.46 9.33
RELEASE
2/17/2025 12.40 AM 480 9.27 9.30 9.14 9.41 9.28
12.55 AM 9.27 9.30 9.14 9.40 9.28

12.55 AM 440 9.12 9.14 9.00 9.23 9.12

1.10 AM 9.12 9.14 9.00 9.23 9.12

1.10 AM 400 8.92 8.95 8.80 9.02 8.92

1.25 AM 8.91 8.95 8.79 9.02 8.92

1.25 AM 360 8.68 8.71 8.57 8.79 8.69

1.40 AM 8.68 8.71 8.57 8.79 8.69

1.40 AM 320 8.47 8.51 8.37 8.58 8.48

1.55 AM 8.46 8.50 8.37 8.58 8.48

1.55 AM 280 8.21 8.24 8.10 8.30 8.21

2.10 AM 8.21 8.24 8.10 8.30 8.21

2.10 AM 240 7.99 8.02 7.89 8.09 8.00

2.25 AM 7.98 8.00 7.88 8.08 7.99

2.25 AM 200 7.74 7.73 7.64 7.83 7.74

2.40 AM 7.73 7.72 7.63 7.82 7.73

2.40 AM 160 7.47 7.45 7.38 7.54 7.46

2.55 AM 7.46 7.43 7.37 7.52 7.45

2.55 AM 120 7.21 7.18 7.14 7.26 7.20

3.10 AM 7.19 7.16 7.12 7.25 7.18

3.10 AM 80 6.89 6.87 6.81 6.95 6.88

3.25 AM 6.87 6.85 6.79 6.93 6.86

3.25 AM 40 6.47 6.43 6.39 6.52 6.45

3.40 AM 6.44 6.41 6.37 6.49 6.43

3.40 AM 0 5.64 5.58 5.55 5.66 5.61

3.55 AM 5.58 5.53 5.50 5.61 5.56

According to IS:2911
1. The safe load is taken as one-half of the load at which the total settlement is eual to 10%
of the pile diameter or
2. Two-third of the final load at which the total settlement is 12mm whichever is less.
3. Two-third of the final load which causes a net settlement (residual settlement after
removal of load) of 6mm.