An Overview on Bored Cast In-Situ Concrete Piling Work in Practice

Mr. Sandip Shivaji Bhutale1

1
Post Graduate Engineer Trainee, Keller Ground Engineering India Private Limited.

(M. Tech Geotechnical Engineering, College of Engineering, Pune-05.)

Email: sanshivraje@gmail.com

Abstract
Pile foundation is the stable foundation among various types of foundation which has very high
vertical compression, uplift and lateral load carrying capacity. Pile foundation can carry higher loads
as compared to spread footings. Based on types of pile i.e. displaced or replaced it has different
technique(method) of installation. For installation of replaced pile, the method is selected based on
soil strata, site condition, availability of machinery and tools. For loose to medium dense soil strata
commonly used method for construction of pile are DMC (direct mud circulation), RMD (reverse
mud circulation), dry boarding. Out of this DMC by means of tyre mounted rig machine (TMR) and
dry boring by means of hydraulic rig machine is used.
In present study the procedure for construction of bored in-situ pile (Replaced pile) is discussed and
various challenges associated with piling work and their solution are explained based on site knowgde
and field experience. The comparison between TMR and hydraulic rig machine in terms of efficiency,
fuel consumption, time, quality of work, and ease of work is also discussed. This study is a help to
new learners, planning of piling project which is associated with piling work. It also helps to estimate
the various stakeholders, difficulties and challenges in construction of bored in situ pile concrete pile.
Keyword: Displaced Pile, Replaced Pile, DMC, TMR, Hydraulic Rig Machine.
Introduction
Piles are columnar elements in a foundation which serves/fulfil the function of transferring load from
superstructure through weak compressible strata or through water, to stiffer or more compact and less
compressible soils or to rock. It may require to carry(withstand) uplift loads when used to support tall
structures subjected to overturning forces from winds or waves. Piles used in marine structures are
subjected to lateral loads from the impact of berthing ships and from waves. Combinations of vertical
and horizontal loads are carried where piles are used to support retaining walls, bridge piers and
abutments, and machinery foundations. A pile is basically a long cylinder of a strong material such as
concrete that is inserted into the ground to act as a steady support for structures built above it.
Pile foundations are used in the following situations:
1. When there is a layer of weak soil at the surface. This layer cannot support the weight of the
building, so the loads of the building have to bypass this layer and be transferred to the layer
of stronger soil or rock that is below the weak layer.
2. When a building has very heavy, concentrated loads, such as in a high-rise structure, bridge,
or water tank.
3. When load is horizontal, vertical compression and vertical uplift (tensile) acting on
foundation.
Types of Pile
In this paper the piles are classified based on the diameter of pile as per IS 2911. 1. Small pile and 2.
Large pile. Pile having diameter up to 600mm is known as small pile and greater than 600mm is
known as large pile. IS code also recommended that the minimum diameter of pile is 450mm.
Construction Stages
1. Drilling Stage
To create the cavity or hole in the soil strata of required dimeter which is equal to pile diameter
drilling is implemented with suitable method. To stabilize the borehole, three methods can be
used: I). Dry pile construction. II). Wet pile construction III). Cased pile construction (To drill the
borehole, casings are used to maintain open the borehole). The next step is the construction of the
pile: firstly, the reinforcing cage is lowered into the hole and then concrete is cast. Each of these
methods have their own areas and applicability based of the soil strata and availability of drilling
tools and machinery.
I) Dry Excavation The construction process consists of drilling the pile, removing loose
material from the borehole, placing the reinforcement cage, and concreting the shaft. This
method is used where the soil is stable, stabilisation operations can be avoided. In this
method no need to use any stabilizing material. The detail of this method as shown in
fig.1. (a)
II) Excavation with Drilling Fluids When the bore hole is not stable and there is chance of
collapse of borehole due to loosen cohesionless soil strata below the water table (When
drilling through loose soil or very soft clay below the water table), special bentonite or
polymer slurries are used to stabilise the borehole walls. The greater specific weight of
bentonite slurry compared to water and its capacity to create a waterproof layer over the
borehole walls, these slurries, when applied for more than at least 1m above the water
table, help make the shaft watertight, preventing the walls from collapsing. The drilling
slurry, whether it is bentonite or polymer based, is produced on site using specific high
turbulence mixing plants. The quantities of bentonite or polymer are used to prepare the
slurry is bentonite 30-70 kg per 1,000 litres water (an approximate water to bentonite
ratio is 1:15 to 1:30) and that of polymer 0.5-3 kg per 1,000 litres water It is important to
have a constant supply of slurry on site in case its level suddenly drops, should workers
encounter cohesionless, particularly loose soil or underground cavities. The slurry must
have certain rheological characteristics, such as density, viscosity and sand. The detail of
this method as shown in fig.1. (b)

III) Excavation Without Drilling Fluid If drilling fluids cannot be used, boreholes can be
supported by temporary casings. As the temporary casing can be driven into the ground
using the rotary head of the drilling rig (up to 15-20 m) or a hydraulic vibratory hammer
connected to a service crane. As a general rule, the techniques described above are not
effective at depths greater than 20 m and the temporary casing can only be driven using a
special piece of hydraulic equipment called “casing oscillator”.
IV) Excavation with Casing Support Segmental casing is used as a temporary or permanent
support for a bored piling system with deeper unstable soil conditions. It is utilised during
the drilling stage and can be installed and extracted by using a drilling rig or an oscillator
attached to a rig, service crane or power pack. A large casing driving plate is fitted under
the rotary to couple the first 1.5 m-casing section. The soil therein is removed by means
of boring tools such as an auger or drilling buckets. The sections are joined using
mechanical joints until the desired length is achieved. During the concreting stage casings
are withdrawn in segments, extracted by the piling rig and or oscillator. Segmental casing.
(a)

(b)

(c)
Fig.1. Various constriction stages for different method

V) method can be applied to foundation piles, secant pile and contiguous retaining walls.
Casing drilling is recommended in soils with rocks or boulders which tend to displace the
kelly bar from the drilling axis, and thus cause serious damage to them. There are two
type of casings: a). Temporary Casing: Temporary casing is used to retain the sides of the
borehole only long enough for the fluid concrete to be placed. The temporary casing
remains in place until the concrete has been poured to a level sufficient to withstand
ground and groundwater pressures. The casing is removed after the concrete is placed. b).
Permanent Casing: The use of permanent casing is implied by its name; the casing
remains and becomes a permanent part of the foundation. An example of the use of
permanent casing is when a drilled shaft is to be installed through water and the
protruding portion of the casing is used as a form. The detail of this method as shown in
fig.1. (c)

2. Cleaning of bottom borehole

If dry bored method is used for drilling of hole the bottom clean is mandatorily to be done. The
main purpose of bottom cleaning is to remove the loose material at the bottom of the bore hole. In
case of DMC (Direct Mud Circulation) the flushing should be done after lowering the cage by
means of tremie pipe lowering in the borehole for concreating purpose.
If a borehole is stabilized by drilling mud, the bottom of the hole shall be cleaned of all loose and
undesirable materials before commencement of concreting in the following manner a) Boring
done with normal bailor and chisel with temporary/permanent liner — First heavier material to be
removed with cleaning tools, such as, bailor and then reinforcement cage and tremie pipe to be
lowered. Flushing then to be continued with water/drilling fluid under pressure through tremie
pipe. b) Boring done with bentonite slurry — Procedure given in (a) above to be followed.
However, flushing shall be done with fresh bentonite slurry. c) Boring done by rotary drilling rigs
— Cleaning bucket attached to the kelly shall be used for cleaning the bore. Wherever bentonite
slurry is used, after using cleaning bucket, the bore shall be flushed with fresh bentonite slurry.
In case of flushing with water or bentonite slurry, the pump capacity shall be suitably decided
depending on depth and diameter of bore so that sufficient pressure is built to lift the material up
 along with the fluid. Flushing should be continued till coarse materials cease to come out with the
overflowing fluid. The finer materials will normally remain suspended in the fluid but they do not
pose any problem. Alternatively, air lift technique may be used for cleaning of bore hole, if
required.
3. Cage Lowering
The cage is lowered in the borehole by using suitable machine-like Crane/ Hydra/Rig Machine.
The cage should be properly held in position by means of resting hooks minimum 2 no. of resting
hook should be used diametrically opposite to each other. Before lowering the cage make sure
that the proper cover block is attached as per cover given for the pile.
4. Tremie Concreting
Concreting for bored piles shall be done by tremie method. The following requirements are
particularly to be followed for tremie concrete work:
a) The concrete should be coherent, rich in cement (not less than 400 kg/m3) and of slump between
150-180 mm; b) The tremie should be water-tight throughout its length and have a hopper attached to
its head by a water-tight connection; c) The tremie pipe should be large enough in relation to the size
of the aggregate. For 25 mm down aggregate, the tremie pipe should have a diameter not less than 200
mm. For 20 mm down aggregate, tremie pipe should be of diameter not less than 150 mm. All piling
above 600 mm diameter piles, should, however preferably be done with 200 mm diameter tremie
pipe; d) A steel plate or a ball is placed at the bottom of the hopper and the hopper is filled with
concrete. The first charge of concrete is sent down the tremie by removal of this plate or ball.
Additional concrete is then added into the hopper and by surging action is pushed down the tremie
and into the pile bore to the bottom of the pile. Theoretically, a small part of the first charge which
gets contaminated is supposed to be the top of the rising concrete within the bore; e) The tremie pipe
should always be kept full of concrete and should always remain at least one meter into the concrete
in the bore hole with adequate margin against accidental withdrawal of tremie pipes; f) The pile
should be concreted wholly by tremie and the method of deposition should not be changed midway to
prevent laitance from being entrapped within the pile; g) All tremie pipes should be cleaned before
and after use; and h) A sliding plug of polystyrene or similar material lighter than water and approved
by the Engineer-in-charge or his representative
shall be placed in the tremie pipe to prevent direct contact between the first charge of concrete in the
tremie and the bentonite slurry. Normally concreting of the piles should be uninterrupted. In
exceptional cases of interruption of concreting, it shall be resumed within 1 or 2 h, but the tremie shall
not be taken out of the concrete. Instead it shall be raised and lowered from time-to time to prevent
the concrete around the tremie from setting. In case of withdrawal of tremie out of the concrete, either
accidentally or to remove a choke in the tremie, the tremie may be introduced 60 cm to 100 cm in the
old concrete and concreting resumed as mentioned in above case. The fresh concrete will emerge out
of the tremie displacing the laitance and scum and prevent impregnation or laitance of scum in the
fresh concrete. The top of concrete in a pile shall be brought above the cut-off level to permit
removal of all laitance and weak concrete before capping and to ensure good concrete at the cut-off
level. The reinforcing cages shall be left with adequate protruding length above cut-off level for
proper embedment into the pile cap. Where cut-off level is less than 2.5 m below the ground level,
concrete shall be cast to a minimum of 600 mm above cut-off level. For each additional 0.3 m
increase in cut-off level below the working level, additional coverage of minimum 50 mm shall be
allowed. Higher allowance may be necessary depending on the length of the pile. When concrete is
placed by tremie method, concrete shall be cast up to the ground level to permit overflow of concrete
for visual inspection or to a minimum of one metre above cut-off level. In the circumstances where
cut-off level is below ground water level, the need to maintain a pressure on the unset concrete equal
to or greater than water pressure should be observed and accordingly length of extra concrete above
cut-off level shall be determined.
Tools and Machinery
In this present study case hydraulic rig machine, TMR (tyre mounted rig machine) and manual auger
boring methods are discussed. The selection of the above tools or machine is based on the availability
of machines, subsoil condition, pile geometry, availability of resource and type of project.
Hydraulic rig machine
The hydraulic rig machine which is the main concern of this study. Now a days as technology helping
in construction industry by providing ease in construction activity. There are several companies
manufacture, installed and maintain the rig machine eg. Soilmec, Sany, Zoomloin, Mait etc. For
drilling of borehole efficiently and quickly hydraulic rig machines are the best option in big project.
The hydraulic rig machine consists of various part as shown in fig.2. the size and dimension of each
part maybe same or vary as per model vary. The capacity of drilling the borehole of each machine
may be nearly same but efficiency may vary.The working efficiency of each machine depends upon
subsoil condition, working platform, skill of operator, diameter and length of pile, use of supporting
machinery, availability of resources etc. In the table.1 various rig machine their fuel consumption,
working hours, linear m depth etc. having one month is given the pile specification for this table is
500mm diameter and 15m length in soil consist of two different layers. Up to 7.5m from EGL there
were fine silty sand having SPT number 18 to 25. below 7.5m hard clay with gravel is observed, the
SPT number is found to above 100. The water table is appearing 2.5m below the ground level. The
detail of the pile construction layout as shown in fig.3.
Fig.2. Various part of rig machine
 Table1. working details of different rig machine

Sr.No. RIG Actual BD No Liner Fuel Liner meter/ lit

Working In month of meter consumption/h fuel
Hour per day Pile our
1 SR40 15.04 17 164 2460 20.56 7.72
2 SR50 11.04 139.5 119 1785 21.28 7.60
3 SR60(1) 12.56 20.5 215 3225 24.59 10.44
4 SR60 (2) 14.88 33 159 2385 28.13 5.70
5 HR180 15.76 0 201 3015 19.01 10.06
6 ZM180(1) 16.8 21 209 3135 19.55 9.54
7 ZM180(2) 17.4 4 227 3405 17.66 11.08
8 SR155 17.12 21.5 203 3045 13.21 13.46
 Fig.3. pile construction layout
TMR (Tyre Mounted Rig Machine)
This is the old and classical method of piling. TMR working on the DMC (direct mud circulation)
principle in which drilled mud is comes out in the form of slurry. For drilling of borehole water is
required apart from stabilisation material. For 1meter running around 100 Litres of water is required.
In the region where scarcity of water this method is not suitable. This method is economical as
compared to hydraulic rig machine but quality may become inferior if workmanship is poor. This
method requires less resources but speed of outcome is less as compared to hydraulic rig machine.
Hardly in one pile completed in 8 hours in ordinary condition regarding availability of resources.
Drilling Tools
The type and configuration of drilling tools are chosen according to the nature and geomechanical
characteristics of the soil in which piling is to be done. The table 2 gives some guidelines to select
perfect tools for drilling.
An auger or a bucket can be used to bore cohesionless soil or average compacted clay. An auger
consists of a central shaft with a spiral shaped flange welded around it. The cutting edges of the
helical flange have wedge-shaped teeth. Augers are suitable for digging clayey or cohesionless, dry
soil. In fact, if there is ground water, the excavated soil can often fall back into the hole as the tool is
being lifted out.
A bucket is made up of a hollow, cylindrical section fitted with a hatch on the bottom with a slit that
is attached by a hinge to one end of the cylinder. Cutting teeth are welded onto the edge of the slit to
help load the soil into the cylindrical bucket and also prevent it from falling out when the tool is
withdrawn. Once the drilling tool has been brought to the surface, the hatch is unhooked from the
bucket body and the soil is discharged. As it is a closed drilling tool, the bucket is ideal for digging
loose, cohesionless soil or soft clay below the water table.
A rock auger or a core barrel can be used when boring highly compacted clay or rocky soil. A rock
auger uses different cutting teeth compared to a traditional auger. The teeth on a rock auger are not
wedge-shaped but conical (they are also called “bullet” teeth, as they look like the streamlined tip of a
bullet) with a heavy-duty metal element inserted at the top. The teeth are also housed in supports to
allow them to rotate around the axle, hence wear of the cutting tip is uniform. Thanks to this
configuration, rock augers are ideal for drilling highly compacted clay and soft or very weathered
rocks.
When digging very hard rock formations, the most suitable drilling tool is the core barrel. A core
barrel is basically a bucket without the hatch on the bottom, fitted with cutting teeth along the whole
lower edge. Thanks to the special arrangement and configuration of the teeth (which can vary
according to the hardness of the soil), once the rock core has entered the inner cylindrical assembly, it
will not fall out as the barrel is being extracted.
Whatever the drilling tool used; it is connected to the kelly bar by a male-female coupling. The kelly
consists of a telescopic drill string (3- 5 sections depending on the depth to reach) with the most
external section connected to the rotary head of the hydraulic drilling rig. This system delivers the
necessary rotation and thrust to the tool.
 Table2. Subsoil condition and perfect tools

Soil Description Drilling Tools

Coarse Gravel C (KPa) Ø Auger Bucket
(degree)
Graine Clean Gravel GW - 33-45 NA Y
d Soil GP - 33-45 NA Y
Gravel with GM - 30-40 NA Y
Fines Material GC - 30-40 NA Y
Sand Clean sand SW - 30-40 NA Y
SP - 30-40 NA Y
Sand with Fine SM - 28-35 Y Y
Material SC - 28-35 Y Y
Fine Silt and Clay having ML 0-200 - Y Y
Liquid limit less than CL 0-300 - Y Y
Graine 50% OL 0-200 - Y Y
d Soil Silt and Clay having MH 0-20 - Y Y
Liquid limit equal or CH 0-200 - Y Y
above 50% OH 0-10 - Y Y

Fig.4 Different Drilling tools with respect to RQD

Quality Control
The quality control of bored in situ cast piling can be achieved by proper planning, using checklist,
skilled and experience manpower during the construction. For any construction work quality is the
soul and key parameter for the success of the work. The following checklist are taken in practice for
better quality control. It can be modified as per site condition, client requirement, technical details.
1. Checklist for geometrical detail of bore hole
2. Checklist for bore hole
3. Checklist for cage fabrication
4. Checklist for concreting
By considering above basic point the checklist was prepared and strictly followed as per design
standards and method of statement.
Quality Assurance
Quality Assurance is the process of identifying or deciding on all the quality requirements for a
project. It also includes identifying existing quality documents that are relevant to the quality
requirements of the project, and making them available for use. QA is critical to the overall success of
any construction project. Traditionally, the QA process is manual, involving a lot of paperwork,
which becomes a hindrance to completing QA, resulting in a lot of QA being done retrospectively.
There is always some risk involved in any construction project, and Quality Assurance is essential in
preventing problems with a build and reducing risk. If quality issues are only identified after an
activity has been completed, the result is re-work and programme delays. When quality issues aren’t
identified at all during the build, it can lead to painful defect-liability periods, or buildings that fail
years after practical completion. QA focuses on the procedures that the construction company has
implemented to ensure that the design meets quality standards, and ensure the highest industry
standards are applied every step of the way.
To assure the quality of bored in situ cast piling, the pile integrity test is performed after construction
of pile. The pile integrity test gives an idea about continuity, uniformity in terms of size and strength
and crack in the pile.
Load Test
Load test on piles are conducted on completion of 28 days after casting of piles. Two types of tests
namely initial and routine tests, for each type of loading viz, vertical, horizontal (lateral) and pull out
are performed on piles
i. Initial Load Test on Piles
This test is performed to confirm the design load calculation and to provide guidelines for setting up
the limits of acceptance for routine tests. It also gives an idea of the suitability of piling system. this
test is conducted on pile which is not used for structure and it is constructed only for testing purpose.
Initial test on piles are to be carried out at one or more locations depending on the number of piles are
required. load applied for the initial load test is 2.5 times the calculated design load. Loading for
initial testis conducted as per Appendix ‘A’ Clause 6.3 of IS 2011 Part IV. The number of initial load
tests may select depending upon the nature of sub-strata, number of piles and past experience at site
are as a). for small size project (for piles less than 1000 numbers), a minimum of two tests. b). For
large size project (for piles more than 1000 numbers), a minimum of two test for first 1000 piles and
additional one for every additional 1000 piles.
ii. Routine Load Test on Piles
This test is conducted on the pile which is constructed for structure purpose. Selection of piles for
routine test is done based on number of piles required subjected to maximum of 0.5% of total number
of piles required. The number of tests may be increased to 2% depending on the nature and type of
structure. The test load applied is 1.5 times the estimated safe load of pile. The detail of test procedure
is given in IS 2911 Part IV. This test will be performed a). To ensure the safe load capacity of piles. b)
detection of any unusual performance contrary to the findings of the initial test. The detail about load
test for each type of loading are given in table 2.

Table 3. Basic details of pile load test

Sr. Description Vertical Lateral Uplift

No.
1 Test Load 2.5-times safe estimated load 2.5-times safe estimated 2.5-times safe estimated
(Initial) load load
2. Test Load 1.5-time working load 1.5-time working load 1.5-time working load
(Routine)
3. Load 20% of design load 20% of design load 20% of design load
Increments

4. Acceptance 1. Half of the final load for

1. Two third of the final load at which the lateral deflection 1. Two third of the final
criteria for
which the total settlement is 12 mm. load at which the total
small piles
(Up to attains a value of 12mm. settlement attains a value
2. Load corresponding to 5
600mm 2. 50% of the final load at which mm total deflection.
of 12mm.
diameter the total settlement equals to 2. half of load at which
piles) 10% of the pile’s diameter. load settlement curve
shows clear break.
5. Acceptance 1. Two third of the final load at 1. Half of the final load for
which the total settlement which the lateral deflection 1. Two third of the final
criteria for
attains a value of 18mm or 2% is 12 mm. load at which the total
large piles
of pile diameter whichever is
(Greater less.
settlement attains a value
2. Load corresponding to 5
than 600mm 2. 50% of the final load at which mm total deflection.
of 18mm.
diameter the total settlement equals to 2. half of load at which
piles) 10% of the pile’s diameter in load settlement curve
case of uniform diameter piles shows clear break.
and 7.5% of bulb diameter in
case of Undreamed piles.

Conclusion
Based on the case study some points are concluded are as follow

 For better efficiency, quality control and speedy construction hydraulic rig machines are
better choice.
 For low budget project and a sufficient availability of water at site then, tyre mounted rig
machines are better choice.
 Best tools utilization as per subsoil condition gives better results of production.