Doc. Ref. No.

Issue No.
Date Issue
Rev. No:
Pages
IN-HOUSE WORK PROCEDURE FOR TEST
Authorized by
LOW STRAIN INTEGRITY TESTING OF CONCRETE PILES (ASTM D5882)
QATAR ENGINEERING LABORATORIES

A BKG HOLDING COMPANY

IWPT-222
01
10/04/2013
00
1 of 2
Babu Rajan K.G.

1. Purpose: This document is a simplified guide for technicians and laboratory workers. The following sections summarise the
key elements of the test method referred to in the title of this document. For complete details refer to the referenced
international specification.
P.I.T. Introduction
The Pile Integrity Tester (PIT) is a precision instrument and analysis system for pile shaft integrity testing by lowstrain methods. A small impact is administered to the piles surface, generally using a special hand-held
hammer, and an acoustic wave from the impact propagates down through the pile. Variations in the shape and
material quality of the pile produce reflections, which are observed as they returned to the surface. Surface
vibrations are recorded until all primary reflection has been observed. Reflections are then interpreted,
considering their nature and times of observation, to asses pile integrity. The reflections are observed by means
of an accelerometer temporarily mounted to the surface of the pile. The acceleration signal is digitized and
stored in the PIT Collectors memory. Usually it is numerically integrated to produce a velocity signal.
Preparation
The accelerometer and the hammer impact must be applied to a very clean and hard surface. Therefore, the
pile top surface must be properly prepared. Use a grinder or other tools as necessary to smooth uneven
surfaces and to remove contaminated or loose material where the accelerometer is to be attached and where
the pile is to be struck by the hammer. The accelerometer must be firmly affixed to the pile top in order to
measure the high-frequency motion of that surface during impact and reflection, the accelerometer should be
bonded to pile top. The pliable wax supplied with the equipment or petroleum jelly for cold weather. Other
adhesive materials such as plastic clay or bowl sealer wax can also be used. Attached the accelerometer to the
pile top using a thin layer of bonding material; a thick layer can distort the signal.
Hammer Technique
A stress wave generated by the hammer impact will only produce clear reflections if the impact has a sharp
onset and short duration. Therefore, the hammer tip should have a hard surface. However, if the signal is too
large or sharp, excessively high frequency component may distort the signal and make difficult to analyze. The
hammers supplied by instrument manufactures are chosen for their optimal performance. In general, a smaller
hammer imparts a higher-frequency impact pulse, so a smaller hammer is usually better. A larger hammer may
be more effective for longer piles with high friction. A proper hammer impact constitutes much of the art in pile
integrity testing.

The impact should not damage the pile top. If the pile is too hard, ringing may be observed in the response
signal; this should be avoided. A softer impact with a smoother signal is preferable if it produces sufficient
reflection from the bottom of the pile. If the signal is weak, try increasing the gain so as to amplify the signal and

Doc. Ref. No.

Issue No.
Date Issue
Rev. No:
Pages
IN-HOUSE WORK PROCEDURE FOR TEST
Authorized by
LOW STRAIN INTEGRITY TESTING OF CONCRETE PILES (ASTM D5882)
QATAR ENGINEERING LABORATORIES

A BKG HOLDING COMPANY

IWPT-222
01
10/04/2013
00
1 of 2
Babu Rajan K.G.

optimally utilize the instruments range and resolution. The best combination of all factors above results in the
best data, which in turn produce the most accurate interpretation.
Signal Collection
A velocity records from a perfect pile shaft exhibits the impact, followed by a flat response, until a reflection from
the toe is observed with a velocity profile similar to that of the impact event. In practice there is usually shaft
friction that shifts the velocity record negative after the initial impact, and reduces the magnitudes of later
reflections. To identify the location of a reflector the wave speed C must be accurately establish (C=4000 m/s,
typical value for concrete). If the pile toe is observed in a pile accurately known length, the wave speed may be
adjusted so that the toe reflection is displayed at the toe distance L. The toe reflection is often obscure in piles
with large or numerous impedance changes. Similarly, if the wave speed is known, the pile length may be
adjusted to align L with the toe reflection. The shaft length is often variable, particularly for drilled shafts. If the
pile has serious defect, a full crack, or a mechanical splice with an inherent gap between sections, the stress
wave might not pass this feature; then only the portion of the shaft above this location can be evaluated. Many
of the most serious defects are in the upper portion of the shaft. Deeper defects are often judged less serious if
the shaft resistance above the defect is adequate to bear the load. However, any major defect is always a cause
for concern. To help reveal local defects near the top of a large-diameter pile, several locations around the
perimeter and center should be tested.
Reprocessing, Reporting and Archiving
Once the data are collected, they should be analyzed thoughtfully using the PIT Collectors reprocessing and
signal enhancement facilities; plots should be made of all records and should be included in the report. The PIT
Collectors acquires and stores data on a temporary basis. For archiving and optional further processing, data
should be transferred to a computer running the PIT program, and stored on other medium suitable for
archiving. The PIT program may be used on the PC to examine files and reprocess PIT Collector data. It also
supports more elaborate features.
Interpretation
It should be clearly understood that the main purpose of this test is to locate piles with serious defects. Minor
defects could easily be missed (and may not be important anyway to overall load carrying performance of the
pile shaft as the soil resistance is usually the limiting factor in the pile capacity). Since this method is
inexpensive, it is feasible to test all piles on a given site. The test can be specified after installation is complete
as it does require access tubes or other advance planning. The major purpose of any integrity test is the
investigation for potential major defects in the shaft.

Although the acceleration curve could be interpreted directly, integration to velocity generally enhances the
record by bringing out details otherwise overlooked.