Piles
are often tested at great expenses and effort.
The reasons are simple - the outcome of
the tests are critical in verifying foundation
design parameters and formulating remedial
actions if needed. As such, the data has
to recorded with high degrees of accuracy
and integrity. Some of the most common problems
encountered by contractors and engineers
are:
Accuracy
of load calculation – the performance
variability of hydraulic jacks and hydraulic
systems in general means that load determination
could be an issue.
Recording
errors – analogue instrumentation
requires manual scribing of the readings.
Errors of omission, transcription and sheer
carelessness may result in erroneous recording.
This is especially a problem when the recording
of interval is short and it is often not
possible to acquire all readings simultaneously.
Frequency
of recording – recording intervals
are limited as the amount of manual effort
required to record more complete data is
prohibitive. Valuable information on pile-soil
interaction behaviour is therefore not captured.
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