Digging Deep: Piling Foundations Found In Construction Work
If you are looking to reinforce the foundations of a structure, learning more about piling foundations can help you find the right solution. Our guide to piling foundations and where they are used is sure to help you find the information you are looking for. To find out more, keep on reading!
What Is Piling Construction?
Piling is the process of drilling foundations through the ground in order to provide structural integrity to weak soil underneath. Piling is the process of preparing the ground to withstand heavy loads such as houses, complexes and other heavy structures.
The piles used to enforce this strength are usually long poles made from timber, steel or concrete. The size, shape and circumference may depend on how weak the soil is and how large the structure is going to be.
When Is Piling Used?
There are a range of factors to consider before using a piling foundation in construction. These are a few of the situations where piling foundations would be considered:
- Heavy structures need additional support
- Other foundation methods are too expensive
- Soil underneath is shallow and unstable
- If a structure is being built near a riverbed or seashore
- Deep drainage systems run near a structure
- Poor soil conditions
Common Pile Foundations
These are some of the most commonly found pile foundations in construction work.
Driven Pile Foundations
Concrete, steel and timber materials are most often used to make piles for the driven pile method. This method involves precast pile being driven directly into soil to help it become more solid. The piles displace some of the soil, helping it to become more compact and in turn increasing its density.
This method is not suitable for silty, saturated soils that have bad drainage capacity. Watery conditions make it difficult to compact the soil and the process can have an opposite effect, decreasing its ability to support heavy structures.
Cast-in-situ Pile Foundations
This method uses concrete piles but rather than using precast piles, holes are drilled into the ground and supported with steel reinforcements. These holes are then filled with concrete, allowing piling contractors to tailor the foundations depending on the project’s needs.
Combined Pile Foundations
Combined pile foundations use a mixture of the two methods previously mentioned. They retain advantages from both methods and create an extremely strong foundation for a range of different projects.
Below Ground
If you’re looking for reliable piling contractors, our team of piling contractors at Below Ground is here to help. For more information about our services or how we can help you, feel free to contact us today!
