Non-destructive Impulse Response S’mash Method for Concrete Pile Testing

Nowadays, in the civil engineering practice, the pile-building is the most universal type of foundation. It is usually associated with bridges, fly-overs and other civil engineering objects, industrial buildings, tall buildings, chimneys, tanks etc [1]. It is essential to control the quality of concrete piles. The most accepted weight-bearing capacity measurement technique is the static probe load (fig. 1b), which is realized in conformity with PN-83/B-02482 [2]. In addition, it is popular to use the dynamic measurements connected with generated loads and strains in the head and stem of a pile (PDA, CASE, CAPWAP). The dynamic impulse is generated by a falling mass or pile driver (Fig. 1a). Contrary to the capacity measurement, it is the most important to control the continuity and length of a pile. The most popular of these methods in construction practice are stress waves methods like SIT (sonic integrity testing) or PIT (pile integrity testing). In the following paper the non-destructive Impulse Response s’Mash method has been applied. This method belongs to stress waves methods and can be used to determine the length, cross-section area and quality of concrete piles.