Pile Integrity Test
Monitoring the quality of piles and deep foundationd.
Monitoring the quality of foundation piles is important to avoid unsafe conditions or collapses of the structure and/or subgrade during construction phases.
Among the various control methods that can be used for this purpose, IMG Monitoring offers instruments and services for the following selected solutions:
– PEM: Pulse Echometric Method (also called PIT: Pile Integrity Test)
– TRM: Transient Response Method
– Ultrasonic Crosshole Testing
Pale Integrity Test (PIT) is the simplest, fastest and cheapest solution. It involves measuring the reflection time of a wave generated by low-stress excitation at the top of the pile. The instrumentation used to perform the test consists of a hammer to generate the impact and an accelerometer that measures the pile’s response to the impact. Since the propagation of waves is largely influenced by ground conditions and the technology of pile construction, the PEM test (PIT) should be treated as an extemporary test that can be applied even to all foundation piles.
By having an instrumented hammer that measures the force applied during impact, while also measuring the vibration of the pile head with an accelerometer, it is possible to analyze frequency or time data. This is the case with the TRM test. Preparing data for the TRM test is much more complex than the PEM(PIT) test, but it allows to obtain more information about the vibration length, average diameter and defects of the pile, and soil-pile interaction.
The Ultra Sonic Crosshole test is able to provide more reliable information on pile depth, integrity and defects. It involves measuring the propagation speed of vibration waves along the entire length of the pile.
To perform the test, before the pile is constructed, at least three pipes must be installed in the reinforcement cage. Two probes in each pair of pipes, an emitter and a receiver, measure the vibration velocities of the pile section between the pipes. Performing a test on various pairs of pipes, on various sections of the pile, allows you to generate a three-dimensional visualization of the pile along with its possible anomalies and defects.
INSTRUMENTY
• Kit for Non-Destructive testing ALL-IN ONE
