Factors Affecting Pile Integrity
Have you just been told that the piles underneath the foundation of the home you bought are failing? Read on and discover some of the key factors that can result in pile failure.
Structural Factors
Installation Methods
The method that is used to install piles can result in the structural failure of those piles if an incorrect installation method is used. For example, drilled piles can fail in case sufficient care isn't taken to determine the correct dimensions of the hole into which the pile is placed. This is because the pile may shift in case the space is excessive. Shifting can impose unbalanced loads upon different sections of the pile (eventually causing it to fail).
Inadequate Protection
Piles should have protective coatings that are strong enough to last for the entire service life of those piles. Some piles can fail in case the person designing them made a mistake when calculating the amount of coatings to use for the given risks in the installation location. Piling contractors can now choose to design piles with additional layers of protective coatings so that the added protection accommodates any change in the threat level.
Geotechnical Factors
Soil Strength
Piles can fail in case the strength of the soil changes from what was anticipated when the piles were designed and installed. For example, changes in the moisture content of the soil due to excessive amounts of water being channeled to the area can result in a reduction in the load-bearing capacity of that soil. The piles will, therefore, be unable to perform when the soil is over-saturated with water.
Grade Changes
Piles can also fail in case the grade of the soil is altered to a level that can no longer permit the piles to function well. For example, nearby excavations can reduce the base into which the piles were distributing the dead loads (the weight of the building, for example). Consequently, the piles may fail once they are unable to disperse the loads exerted upon them effectively. Contractors often have little that they can do to prevent such an occurrence. Building owners, therefore, have to be vigilant and identify grade change factors that can threaten the performance of the piles underneath their buildings. Periodic inspections by professionals are one way to go in this regard.
Work with experienced piling contractors to remedy the failing piles. The contractor will use the latest pile testing methods/equipment to ensure that the new piles will not fail prematurely.