Types of pile foundation
Very broadly, foundations can be categorised as shallow foundations or deep foundations. Shallow foundations are typically used where the loads imposed by a structure are low relative to the bearing capacity of the surface soils. Deep foundations are necessary where the bearing capacity of the surface soils is insufficient to support loads imposed and so they are transferred to deeper layers with higher bearing capacity.
Pile foundations are deep foundations. They are formed by long, slender, columnar elements typically made from steel or reinforced concrete, or sometimes timber. A foundation is described as 'piled' when its depth is more than three times its breadth (ref. Atkinson, 2007).
There are a wide variety of pile types the use and design of which depends on the type and size of load to be supported, the ground conditions, the space available, the equipment available and so on.
A list of commonly-used types of pile foundations is listed below, with links to sources of additional information:
- Bored piles.
- Contiguous piles.
- Continuous flight auger piles.
- Driven piles.
- End-bearing piles.
- Friction piles.
- Geothermal piles.
- King pile.
- Knee pile.
- Micropiles.
- Monopile.
- Pile walls.
- Piled raft foundation.
- Plank pile.
- Pre-cast pile.
- Raking piles.
- Screw piles.
- Secant pile wall.
- Sheet pile.
- Socket piles.
- Tension pile.
- Z piles.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
Featured articles and news
A call for prevention and sensitive re-use.
The CIAT principal designer register
Providing assurance and verification of the capability and competence of registered ATs.
Building Safety recommendations and Northern Ireland
The NI roadmap to improving safety in high rise residential.
BSA residential sector competence standards guidance
BSAS 01:2024 Organisational Capability Management System Standard - Competence Assurance.
Specifying rendered external wall insulation for fire safety
How to interrogate the evidence provided to the specifier.
The benefits of writing articles for your organisation
How to create a profile for your organisation and publish for free.
No Falls Week. The importance of safe working at height
What to expect and what is on offer to avoid accidents.
Scottish Government action to reach net-zero targets
Retrofit expert group highlight critical actions needed.
A forward thinking, inclusive global community of members.
From engineered product life-spans, to their extension.
Circular economy in the built environment
A brief description from 2021. Where are we now?
CLC publishes domestic retrofit competency framework
Roadmap of Skills for net zero.
Understanding is key to conservation.
Open industry engagement survey seeks responses
Institutions and the importance of engagement.
Comments
[edit] To make a comment about this article, click 'Add a comment' above. Separate your comments from any existing comments by inserting a horizontal line.