Advantages and Disadvantages of Pile Foundation [Complete guide]

What is a Pile Foundation?

The pile foundation is a very deep foundation. These piles are made from steel, concrete, and timber. Pile length is 4 times its width. Piles are vertically inside the ground. Main advantages of pile foundation are high load capacities and corrosion resistance.  And there is a disadvantage of piles foundations also acids that can damage the concretes and may occur salt water reactions.

Use of Pile Foundation

source: civildigital.com

• Pile foundation transfer load from superstructures
• If there is soil on it we cannot keep the building vaccinated on it, so the pile foundation is used.
• Pile foundation is economic than other proposed.
• If a high groundwater table exists under the structure.
• If soil condition is very poor and it is not possible to dig the soil to the required depth.

Types of Pile Foundation

source: onlinecivilforum.com

1. Driven
2. Cast-in-situ
3. Driven and cast-in-situ

Driven pile foundation = made from concrete + steel + timber
Cast-in-situ = made from concrete only
Driven and cast-in-situ = advantages of both the pile foundation
How Piles are Used?

The pile foundation raises a lot of burdens, so it is carefully made by workers. An engineer will first study the soil that pile can be driven easily in it or not. Every pile has the effect of soil around it. Engineers make a group of the pile and cover them with the help of a pile cap. The pile cap is a very thick cap that is made from concrete which handles a small group of the pile and it works like a base. The whole load is distributed on this column of a cap.

How Piles are Constructed?

source: dbm.in

Cast-in-Place Piles

• Hammering on thin wall steel in the ground
• Tube center removes all the remaining soil.
• Reduce the strength of steel in the tube.
• Put a wet concrete pile into the tube.

Driven Piles

• Pile is made at a first ground level, after which it is hammer inside the ground.
• Pile is inserted in the ground with the help of pile driver.
• This machine keeps piles vertically straight and after that hammering into the ground.
• Pile is inserted into the ground with the help of continue blow.
• Pile is covered with a steel cap.
• This cap prevents it from scattering.

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Pile Foundation

source: civilsnapshot.com

There are some advantages and disadvantages of pile foundation:-
Advantages of Pile Foundation

1. According to the specification we pre-order the pile
2. The pile can be pre-made its length breadth its size according to site use
3. Precast is the process through which reducing the completion time
4. Can be installed in a very large area.
5. Can be installed in very long lengths.
6. We can use piles in a place where drilling and holes are not done.
7. Work of pile is very neat and clean.

Disadvantages of Pile Foundation

1. A pile can be damaged quickly by driving through stones and boulders.
2. Piles are can be attacked by marine borers in salt water
3. A pile cannot be above ground level.
4. It is very difficult to know the actual required length in advance.
5. Vibrations generate when piles are driving which affects the neighboring structures.
6. Heavy equipment is required by driving the piles.
7. Pile is not containable for low drainage.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Different Types of Piles
Now we read the advantages and disadvantages of different types of piles in detail. Now we will read about 5 types of piles. There are only 3 types of piles but it has two types of piles in it. These 5 piles are as follows:-

• Timber pile
• Concrete piles:-
• Driven and cast-in-place concrete piles
• Bored and cast-in-place (non-displacement piles)
• Steel piles (rolled steel section)

1. Timber Piles:-

source: eastcoastpiles.com

        Advantage

• Timber piles are very easy to handle.
• It is very inexpensive compared to others because timber is abundant.
• Sections can be combined together and the length of exercise is easily removed.

         Disadvantages

• Pile is not above the groundwater level.
• It will be broken when driving by stones and boulders.

2. Concrete Piles:-

source: contecompany.com

          Advantages

• This is not scraping.
• More affordable than others.
• Quality of concrete is checked before driving.
• Can be operated in long length.
• Can be moved above the ground level.

         Disadvantages

• It is very difficult to cut more than others.
• Can break while driving.
• Replacement pile may be required.
• Occasionally there is trouble with sound and vibrations.
• Cannot drive with a large diameter.

3. Driven and Cast-in-Place Concrete Piles

source: thebalancesmb.com

Advantages

• Inspection of casting can be done easily or can easily extend to the deprived length.
• More affordable than others.
• Its noise level is too low.
• You can adjust the length easily.
• Strengthening a driver does not determine the effect of stress handling.

Disadvantages

• It is expensive.
• Where headroom is limited it cannot be driven.
• Light steel section or pre-order concrete damage may be due to hard driving.
• Displacement of close retaining walls.
• The loss of green concrete form employed due to the first forces installed in the soil.

4. Bored and Cast-in-Place (Non-Displacement Piles):-

source: skanska.co.uk

Advantages

• We can also put it with a large diameter.
• We can also put it with long length.
• There is no risk to land.
• It can also be inserted in low headroom conditions.
• Piles material is not work in handling and driving.

Disadvantages

• Concrete is not inside the idyllic condition.
• Above ground level cannot be expanded.
• The boring method requires base grouting to achieve main shiny sandy or server soil economic base resistance.
• The enlarged end cannot be made in harmless materials without special techniques.

5. Steel Piles (Rolled Steel Section)

source: mlioncorp.com

Advantages

• The piles are comfortably handled and cut as much you want.
• Very hard driving can also be done with long length.
• This pile can also carry heavy load easily.
• Can be successful place anchor in sloping edges rocks.
• Small displacement pile is especially useful if land displacement and unrest are important.

Disadvantages

• It is expensive.
• The pile will scrape.
• Easy to move during driving.