FORENSIC EVALUATION OF BORED PILES FOR A FACTORY PROJECT AT JHAJJAR-PPT Presentation

PPT Presentation

Pdf Summary

A forensic evaluation was conducted on 246 bored cast-in-situ piles, each 500 mm in diameter, at an automobile-parts factory project in Jhajjar, Haryana. The piles were installed using both hydraulic rotary rigs and truck-mounted rigs. Although the contractor’s initial static load tests passed, excavation exposed defects in several working piles, prompting a broader investigation.<br /><br />The assessment included three confirmatory boreholes, low-strain pile integrity testing (PIT) of all piles, coring of selected piles, and probe holes beside selected piles. PIT identified likely major defects in about 17 working piles, including possible changes in cross-section, concrete discontinuities, and potentially short piles. Some results were inconclusive because of poor pile-top preparation, weak or inconsistent concrete, and unclear toe responses.<br /><br />Coring confirmed that selected piles were shorter than their planned length of approximately 12.37 m. For example, TP-1 measured 9.75 m and had necking at 7.1 m; TP-4 measured 9.0 m; and TP-6 was about 9–10.5 m long. Concrete quality was also poor in some samples. Probe holes generally did not confirm suspected deep bulging, though concrete encountered beside one pile indicated shallow bulging. Exposed piles also showed defects including poor concrete and exposed reinforcement.<br /><br />The investigation demonstrated that passing static load tests does not establish that all installed piles are sound. Combining PIT, coring, and probe holes proved effective for identifying pile length and potential defects. The authors recommend a comprehensive, well-planned quality-assurance program that evaluates every pile.

Keywords

forensic evaluation

bored cast-in-situ piles

pile integrity testing

coring

probe holes

static load tests

pile defects

concrete discontinuities

short piles

quality assurance