Foundations and other structures need some form of support or stability to remain standing over time. Piling is an important method used to provide a secure foundation for these structures. It is a process that involves driving steel, concrete, or timber piles into the ground to provide a strong base. Piling is a cost-effective and efficient technique that can be used in a variety of settings. This blog post will discuss the types of piling that are available and their features and benefits.
Piled foundations are an ideal choice for many different construction projects, as it is a very versatile technique that can be tailored to the specific needs of the structure. Depending on the type of piles used, the foundation can be designed to last for many years and withstand a variety of environmental and structural conditions. With a strong base, the structure will be able to withstand a wide range of ground movement, including earthquakes, tides, and winds, as well as extreme weather. Additionally, piles are often used when
Types of Pile Foundation
When to use piling foundations in construction
When using a piling foundation during construction, there are a number of things to take into account. Before workers begin to construct anything above, their main goal is to ensure the stability and safety of the ground. Following are some scenarios in which applying a pile foundation system can be crucial:
What is piling?
Piling is the process of boring foundation holes through the ground to strengthen the unstable soil beneath. Piling gets the ground ready to support heavy loads, like a new house, office building, road, or other infrastructure.
Typically, piles are long poles made of concrete, steel, or wood. Depending on the soil’s characteristics and the project’s requirements, its shape, circumference, and weight may change. For instance, piles might need to support higher structures, like skyscrapers, by carrying uplift loads. Engineers must take wind or wave overturning forces into account in this situation. In essence, pile foundations function by dispersing the weight of large structures over a larger surface area.
How are piling types used in construction?
Building engineers must evaluate the conditions of their construction site, including the soil, climate, and other pertinent factors, before deciding between piling types. In order to fully comprehend the scope of their infrastructure project, they will also need to consult with architects. With this knowledge, they can anticipate construction difficulties and select the ideal piling type. Right now, they want to use a kind of piling that increases the longevity and structural integrity of the foundations beneath their construction.
Common pile foundations
Three typical approaches to using different types of piling in construction are described below:
1. Driven pile foundations
The most popular materials used to create piles for the driven pile foundation method are concrete, steel, and wood. Before they are brought to a construction site, concrete piles are precast. Similar to this, contractors can order prefabricated steel and wood piles that they can use a piling hammer to drill into the ground. These piles move an equal volume of soil in granular soils, strengthening the soil. Because of this soil’s increased density as a result of compaction, it has greater bearing capacity.
However, silty soils that are saturated and have poor drainage capacity are not a good fit for this construction technique. When you drill piles through the wet soil, the soil won’t compact as much. Actually, this damages the soil’s capacity to support heavy loads, which has the opposite effect.
2. Cast-in-situ pile foundations
Cast-in-situ foundations use concrete piles. Workers drill holes into the ground, insert steel reinforcements, and then fill the hole with concrete rather than transporting precast piles to the construction site. This enables them to use piles with a smaller diameter than those used for driven pile foundations and customize the depth of the foundation to the project’s needs.
3. Combined pile foundations
The driven pile foundation process and the cast-in-situ pile foundation process are both used in combined pile foundations. Thus, it retains the advantages of each method.
First, workers insert a steel shell into the ground that has the same diameter as the pile. In order to secure the foundation, they then pour concrete into the shell. Engineers frequently employ this technique to build up over water.
Types of piling
Building engineers look at a variety of factors to choose the best type of piling for a project, including:
The eight primary piling types that builders can take into account are as follows:
End-bearing piles
End-bearing piles are supported at their base by a layer of solid rock or soil. The heavy load of a building is transferred through the pile and onto the strong layer by engineers when they design this type of pile. In essence, it is a column that penetrates a weak layer of the ground so that a structure can support itself with the strongest layer below.
Friction piles
Friction piles are cylindrical. They transfer the forces that a building generates into the ground by using their entire height. In a friction pile, the length of the pile directly affects how much load it can support. This also implies that the pile can support more weight at greater depths.
Bored piles
In order to create a hole that can later be filled with poured concrete, bored piles must first be augured into the ground. The advantage of this kind of pile is that it is cast into place, making bored piles very secure. Bored piles are used in urban construction because they require less vibration during installation than other types of piles.
Driven piles
Driving driven piles into the ground requires considerable force. This kind of pile is frequently used for foundations with non-cohesive soils or soils that are contaminated.
Screwed piles
Similar to how regular screws are attached to other surfaces, like wood, screw piles resemble large steel screws that must be driven into the ground in a circular motion.
Timber piles
Timber piles have been used in construction by engineers for thousands of years. Precast off-site timber piles are installed using the driving technique. They offer both temporary and permanent structures a highly cost-effective, secure, and effective foundation solution.
Steel piles
Impact or vibration hammers can be used by construction workers to drive steel piles into solid rock and soil. Steel tube piles are available in a variety of diameter sizes as well, depending on the type of support your project requires.
Concrete piles
In offshore construction projects like bridges, oil rigs, and floating airports, concrete piles are frequently used. It is a contemporary tool that successfully supports lateral wave loads as well as vertical structural loads. Because of how the pile responds and how it distributes loads through the pile, it is frequently used to stabilize complex terrain.
FAQ
What are the two types of piling?
- End Bearing Piles & Friction Piles.
- Driven piles.
- Bored piles.
- Screw pile.
- Timber piles.
- Steel piles.
- Concrete piles.
- Pile Foundation in Construction.
How many type of pile do we have?
- Bored Piling. Concrete is poured into a hole created by auguring into the ground to install bored piles, casting them in place.
- Driven Piling. Vibration is used to hammer or drive driven piles into the ground.
- Screw Piling. …
- Mini Piling. …
- Sheet Piling.
