The Problem
FPrimeC was engaged by LANTERRA Construction Management Ltd. to perform lows strain integrity testing on concrete piles in Toronto, ON. Concrete piles were approximately 1000 mm diameter, and had 29 to 31 m depth. The client was interested in quality control and inspection of integrity in these piles.
Quality Control of Concrete Piles – Pile Integrity Test
Low strain pile integritytest is a common non-destructive test (NDT) procedure for quality control and quality assurance (QC/QA) in deep foundation construction. The test can be used to identify physical defects (voids or discontinuity, referred to as pile integrity) in piles, or determine unknown length of existing deep foundations.
Low strain impact integrity testing provides acceleration or velocity and force (optional) data on slender structural elements (ASTM D5882). Sonic Echo (SE) method was employed for the integrity test on deep foundation and piles. The test results can be used for evaluation of the pile cross-sectional area and length, the pile integrity and continuity, as well as consistency of the pile material.
The test allowed the FPrimeC engineers to evaluate the integrity of the concrete piles. They were able to determine if there are major integrity issues along the pile length and if the planned pile depth of embedment agrees with the signal received from the pile toe.