Bearing piles

Piles are generally relatively long and slender structural members that can be used as an alternative to large pad foundations or large strip footings. They are typically used for the following purposes

Bearing piles can be classified as

There are numerous varieties of piling techniques, machinery and material combinations to suit the various ground conditions, loads to be resisted and site constraints that can be encountered. This chapter can only highlight some, and further advice should be sought from specialist piling contractors.

For temporary works, bearing piles can typically be used

In extreme cases bearing piles can be used for the provision of general site working conditions in very weak or soft ground conditions. Both driven (steel and reinforced concrete) and bored (reinforced concrete) piles are used. Driven piling provides the advantage of instant load-carrying capability, this factor outweighing the usually more acceptable environmental advantages of bored piles. The process of driving piles also effectively load tests the piles, and the bearing capacity of the pile can be determined from the energy required to drive the pile into the ground. While timber and plastic piles can be included here, it is more usual that steel or reinforced concrete piles are adopted (depending on material availability).