What pile depth means in screw piling design and why it cannot be assumed before the ground conditions are understood

Pile depth is the distance from the ground surface to the base of the lowest helical plate on the installed pile. It is one of the most important variables in the foundation design and one of the most commonly misunderstood. Depth is not selected arbitrarily and it is not based on a rule of thumb about what is typical for a given area or soil type. It is calculated by the structural engineer using the ground investigation data to identify the depth at which the soil conditions are capable of developing the required load capacity, and it is verified during installation by the torque recorded as the pile advances through the ground.

On some sites the required depth is relatively shallow because competent bearing strata are close to the surface. On others, particularly sites with deep made ground, soft alluvial deposits, or variable fill, the pile must go considerably deeper before it reaches ground capable of carrying the design load. Neither outcome is a problem as long as the ground investigation has been carried out properly and the design reflects what the ground actually contains rather than what it is assumed to contain.

Heading 1

Heading 2

Heading 3

Heading 4

Heading 5

Heading 6

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.

Block quote

Ordered list

1. Item 1
2. Item 2
3. Item 3

Unordered list

• Item A
• Item B
• Item C

Text link

Bold text

Emphasis

^Superscript

_Subscript