When you look at a building, it’s easy to admire its beauty and style. One thing you don’t see is the solid foundation that gives strength to the building. Piling is a critical aspect that affects this strength.
Piles in construction are long and sturdy columns that you drive deep into the ground to support buildings, bridges, and other structures. If the solid near the surface on your site is not strong enough to support the structure you have in mind, piles are used to help transfer loads into deeper layers that are more stable.
As we said, piling helps ensure the longevity and stability of a structure. If your building does not have a solid foundation piling, your building may settle unevenly, leading it to develop cracks, cause damage to the structure itself, or even collapse. Piles help build taller and heavier structures, even on challenging terrains.
Different types of pilings have their unique characteristics and uses. Here are some of the most common types of pilings you may come across.
One of the most common and versatile types of piling, they come in two main forms: precast and cast-in-situ concrete piles. Precast concrete piles are manufactured off-site and transported to the construction site. Once there, they are then driven into the ground using a pile driver. They are favoured for their strength and adaptability to various soil conditions. Cast-in-situ piles, on the other hand, are those that are made on-site and then poured and cured directly at the construction site. In this type, you drill a hole into the ground and then fill it with concrete.
You can add reinforcements like steel bars to enhance the pile’s strength. Concrete Pilings are highly favoured because of their high load-bearing capacity, durability, and versatility. But they also require heavy machinery for installation. Also, it is quite costly to transport precast piles. Also, Read Understanding the Piling Construction Process
Steel piles come in different shapes and sizes like H-piles, pipe piles, sheet piles, etc. Experts will suggest you use H piles if your site has dense soil or rocks, Shaped like an H, these piles are directly driven into the ground. Pipe piles can be driven open-ended or closed-ended. You fill them with concrete after installing them to increase strength. Sheet piles however are thin, interlocking sheets that you drive inside side by side to create a continuous wall. You can use them to retain walls, seawalls, and underground structures.
Steel piles are recommended because they have a high strength-to-weight ratio and you can drive them into hard grounds. You can also easily adjust their lengths and you can even reuse them in some cases. But the thing is that they are easily susceptible to corrosion and also are costlier than concrete. Sheet piling also requires you to get specialized installation equipment.
Timber piles are driven into the ground just like all other piles, it’s just that they are made from treated wood. Timber piles have been used for centuries, and are still relevant in areas that are not so demanding. They are cost-effective, sustainable, and renewable. Workers also like working with timber because they are easy to handle and install. However, they cannot be used in instances that require high-load bearing capacity. Timber pilings cannot be used in all solid types and are susceptible to decay and insect damage.
In composite piling, you can see that they use different types of materials. This is done to leverage the benefits of each. You can see pilings that may have a concrete core with steel casing or timber-concrete composite where the timber is driven into the ground and then the upper portion of the pile is encased in a concrete jacket. You can use them in special situations where one type of material is just not enough.
You can customize composite piles according to your specific needs to combine strength and flexibility. You can also reduce costs compared to using only one material. But you must pay careful attention while designing and installing them because they are quite complex. Also, take into account that both materials in the compost have different reactions and behaviors.
