Piles Work

Piling is a type of deep foundation work used in construction to transfer the load of a building or structure deep into the ground when the surface soil is not strong or stable enough.

A pile is a long, slender column typically made of concrete, steel, or timber, driven or drilled deep into the ground to support structures like buildings, bridges, towers, etc.

Types of Piles

  1. Based on Installation:

    • Driven Piles: Precast piles driven into the ground using a hammer (e.g., steel H-piles, timber piles)

    • Bored (Cast-in-situ) Piles: Holes are drilled and then filled with concrete and reinforcement

  2. Based on Function:

    • End-bearing piles: Transfer load to a hard soil or rock layer at the bottom

    • Friction piles: Transfer load through skin friction with the surrounding soil

    • Combination (end-bearing + friction): Common in many projects

  3. Based on Material:

    • Concrete piles (precast or cast-in-situ)

    • Steel piles (pipe piles, H-piles)

    • Timber piles (for temporary or light structures)

Piling Process in Construction

  • Site investigation: Determine soil capacity and depth

  • Pile design: Based on load calculations and soil data

  • Installation:

    • Driven piles: Driven with a piling rig or hammer

    • Bored piles: Drilled using auger machines, reinforced, and concreted

  • Pile testing: Load tests ensure capacity and safety

  • Pile cap construction: Connects the pile group and transfers load to superstructure