PILE MAINTAIN LOAD TEST (MLT)

A building or structure's soundness starts with a strong foundation, especially the piles. As a
part of foundation's quality assurance, Maintain Load Test, also known as Static Load Test is
necessary to ensure the pile that was driven could take the design load of the structure.
During this test, load would be applied on the selected pile and the pile settlement under the
acting load would be recorded. As a common practice, pile would be loaded up to twice of
the working load, which is regarded as the Test Load of the pile.

Prior testing, the pile head shall be cut off or built up to the necessary elevation and shall be
capped appropriately to produce a bearing surface perpendicular to the axis of the pile. The
arrangement shall be such that none of the test load is carried by the ground under the cap.
The test load shall be applied in one of the following ways

1. By means of a jack which obtains its reaction from kentledge heavier than the
required load;
2. By means of a jack which obtains its reaction from tension piles or other
suitable anchors.

The load shall be measured using a calibrated load gauge and also a calibrated pressure gauge
in the hydraulic system. The jack and load gauge shall be carefully aligned so that the load
applied is co-axial with the pile. When method (1) is used, care shall be taken to ensure that
the centre of gravity of the kentledge is on the axis of the pile. The nearest edge of the crib
supporting the kentledge stack shall not be closer than 1.3 m to the surface of the test pile.
Kentledge shall not be used for testing raked piles. When method (2) is used, all anchor piles
shall be at a distance of at least three (3) pile shaft diameters from the test pile, centre to
centre, and in no case shall they be less than 2 m from the test pile. If the anchor piles are to
be permanent working piles, their levels shall be observed during application of the test load
to ensure no residual uplift occurs.

Settlements shall be measured by use of a reference beam or wire supported independently of

the load test pile, reaction pile or piles supporting reaction loads. Settlements shall be
measured to the nearest 0.1 mm for reference beams or 0.5 mm for reference wires. The
reference beam supports shall be located at least 3 m from the load test pile, reaction pile or
piles supporting reaction loads. The reference beams or wires shall be protected from the
effects of temperature changes.

The Maintained Load Test shall be carried out as follows unless alternative method specified
by the Consultants;
a) The full test load on a pile shall be twice the design load noted on the
Drawings and it shall be applied in twelve equal decrements. At least two
hours shall elapse between the addition of each load increment, i.e. until the rate of settlement
is reduced to less than 0.25 mm/hour and slowing down;
b) The full test load shall be maintained on the pile for at least 48 hours and settlements shall
be recorded at intervals of not more than 12 hours. The test pile shall then be unloaded in four
equal decrements at one-hour intervals until the full load is removed. Settlement readings
shall be made immediately after and before every load increment is applied or removed.