Instruments Used for Pile Integrity Testing and strain measurement

A driven pile or a drilled shaftfoundation forms the basis of the building and any deformities or cracks in them can reduce their bearing capacity and ability to support the structure. There is testing equipment that can help in detecting these cracks or voids and prevent any damage to the whole structure.


Selection of the right testing technique, preferably prior to the construction of the foundation is vital to analyse foundations for the presence of defects. Piles or shafts in a construction act as support for the building and any major cracks or soil inclusionspresent in them is considered to be a defect. Location and extent of these defects can be evaluated with pile integrity testing equipment.

Pile integrity testing, also known as sonic echo testing measures the effect of a strike to the top surface of a cast or driven pile. An accelerometer and geophone record the effects of the strike. Both the depth of the pile, and the position of any defects can be evaluated from the collected data. Cross hole sonic logging requires preparation prior to foundation casting, but can also determine the extent of the defect.

Strain gauges are commonly used with an instrumented test pile. Such a pile will have vibrating wire strain gauges at varying depths, as well as other force and vibration monitoring instruments. Such a pile can record the bearing mode of the pile, be that end bearing or friction.

Since, the integrity of the foundation is necessary for the durability of a building, testing it for any types of imperfection gives many advantages at a later stage. Using instruments like pile integrity testing systems, strain gauges or other foundation tests can get the job done perfectly and to obtain the required results on the spot.
Location: Niddrie VIC 3042, Australia

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