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Not A Piling Professional? We Bust The Jargon So You Don't Bust A Blood Vessel

By: Dominic Donaldson

In the world of engineering, there is jargon-a-plenty being bandied about that can seem almost impossible to translate into layman's terms. This can be frustrating for those outside the industry who need to understand the processes involved in a major project that they are involved in. Having someone telling you that a job won't start until the piles have been sorted out might lead someone to believe that a personal medical problem is delaying progress at work. You would be sorely mistaken in this presumption as piling is a term for something important in engineering terms. Let me shed some light where the sun rarely shines, pardoning the euphemism, and introduce you to the world of piles; so you will know your tubular from your drilled and your micro pile from your elbow in the dark recesses of environmental engineering.

What is it?
Piling is a structure that acts as a support or foundation of a construction in the engineering industry. It can be fabricated from steel, wood, concrete; or a combination or composite of any of these. These structures are embedded into the earth to form a solid and stable foundation for a variety of construction applications.

What is it used for?
Piling can be used in many ways, depending on the type of piling it is. Piles are used in building bridges, buildings, walls, pipelines, cofferdams and docks. Heavy industry relies on the strength of piles to support platforms and barriers that will undergo intense usage. There are many applications for piling, with the style of pile being dependent on the application.

What types are there?
Driven: These are the answer to drilling shafts. By using a pile driver, the pile; made from wood, concrete or steel; displaces the surrounding earth causing resistance against the driven pile, thuis providing a greater level of stability.
Drilled: Known alternatively as drilled piers, this type of piling has an extremely wide diameter, and therefore needs the site of insertion drilled to accommodate the width. It is put to best use in areas of particularly dense, compact or tough layers of earth.

Underreamed: These are conical in shape and the wide base allows for a load bearing capacity far greater than some of its piling counterparts. It's use is restricted to areas where the strata is stable as loose soils will render it's superior construction qualities void.

Auger Cast: Known also as a CFA pile, this piling has no casing. The hollow drilling technique allows the hollow auger to be filled with concrete, leaving a foundation pillar once the auger is removed.
Micro: These are used in smaller engineering projects and are most commonly constructed from steel. Used in areas where room is restricted, these Micro, or mini piles as they are also known are a convenient and versatile product.

Sheet: This type of piling is often used to form an interlocking barrier made from steel. These barriers commonly hold back earth or water to allow for other construction processes to proceed.

Adfreeze: This piling is used in cold climates, where the freezing temperatures are used to form a bond between the pile and the strata. Once the piling has been inserted, a mixture that includes water is poured between the pile and the soil, and once frozen acts as a permanent adhesive to give a strong foundation.

Article Source: http://www.articlepantry.com

Dominic Donaldson is an expert in the engineering industry. Find out more about piling and its applications in engineering at Deepdale Engineering.

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