Test pile and load test details

The pile ET4 is a bored pile with length equal to 24 m and diameter equal to 1 m. It was
drilled on December 15, 2014 using by a toothed bucket under polymer suspension. For the
stabilization of the upper
pper portion of the borehole, temporary steel casing (33 m in length, 1.1 m
in diameter)) was used. When the final depth was reached, the bottom of the borehole was
cleaned using the same bucket used for drilling.
dril After the de-sanding
sanding of the bentonite
b slurry,
the instrumented cage was placed in the borehole. The tremie method of concreting was then
used to pour the concrete in the borehole; the concrete had a slump of 24-25 25 cm (CIP IV, fck =
20 MPa).

The pile is fully instrumented along the shaft: 8 sections are instrumented by means of
Geokon vibrating wire strain gauges (Rebar Strainmeters Model 4911). The first instrumented
section lies at a depth z = 0.5 m below the ground level and the last at z = 23.5
2 m. Moreover, 4
still tubes were fixed to the cage to perform integrity testing (Cross-Hole,
(Cross Hole, CH, and Thermal
Integrity Profile, TIP) and to use one retrievable Geokon exensometer with 3 anchors (Model
(
A9) for additional strain measurements
measurement during loading.

In January, 2015, the integrity of the pile was checked by means of different non-destructive
non
techniques: PIT (Pile Integrity Testing),
Testing) CH and TIP. All the results are available on
o the web
site (see Download data).

In the next months, pile ET4 will be subjected to a static conventional axial load test. The load
will be applied by means of two hydraulic jacks reacting against a steel beam,
beam which is itself
anchored to 4 reaction piles (continuous
(c flight auger (CFA) piles 20 m in length and 0.8 m in
diameter,, reinforced by 3 Dywidag bars with diameter of 36 mm).

The pile head displacements will be measured by 4 Linear Vertical Displacement Transducers
(LVDTs), supported by reference beams.

The test procedure will follow International Standards (a compromise

compromise between Eurocode 7
Part 1;; ASTM D1143 and ABNT NBR 12131). After a pre-loading pre loading stage of maximum
5%Qmax to control and adjust loading and measurement equipment, the pile will be unloaded
to a small residual load. The static loading force will then be increased in steps, which will be
held constant over a fixed time.
time

The maximum load will be removed by means of 5 unloading steps.

Additional details on the pile instrumentation and on the pile position are reported in attached
drawings.