Issues regarding pilot piles in survey and design work
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As is well known, after a geological survey report is submitted to the design firm, the latter usually requests that pilot pile tests be conducted in order to determine the appropriate depth of the piles based on specific pressure values, such as 1200KN or 1600KN. In reality, however, the number of pilot piles required for some projects is very small – only three piles. If pilot pile tests are indeed necessary, it is necessary to issue a tender to select a company capable of carrying out these tests. After the tests, another month is required to wait for the results of the inspections, and the costs involved are quite substantial. In reality, during the construction of pile foundations, it is not possible to maintain exactly the same geological conditions, so it is not feasible to drive the piles based solely on their depth. Instead, a certain pressure level must be achieved. By driving a portion of the piles first for testing and determining the appropriate depth through pressure measurements, this approach can fully replace the need for trial piles. The above are merely personal opinions; I’m curious to know what others think on this issue
This phenomenon is common, but based on the geological reports, it is necessary to conduct pile tests for a few key locations.
In terms of geology, if the design team is not sure about the situation, they can only opt for a conservative design, which inevitably leads to increased costs； There is nothing that the property owner can expect from the design firm to be just right