METHOD STATEMENT FOR LOAD TEST OF BORED PILE

METHOD STATEMENT FOR LOAD TEST OF BORED PILE

(Load Applied to Pile by Hydraulic Jack Acting Against a Load Platform)
This load test is for working piles. Load test for Test Piles used in the design stage is not the
same.
1. Piles to be tested were selected randomly by the Consultant.
2. The selected piles are then capped to provide a level surface for positioning the hydraulic jack
over the centerline of the pile. Consideration should be given to providing a nominal clear
clear space between the cap and the ground surface to eliminate any support offered by the
soil under short term loading (Note 5: ASTM D 1143). An alternative method is leveling the tip
pile and placing a leveling plate over it (see photos).

(Photos taken during actual load test of Saudi Foundations, Jizan University Project)

3. The area surrounding the pile is leveled and the location of blocks to support the loading
platform is laid out on the ground by the engineer or foreman.

4. Blocks are positioned on the ground and the loading platform fixed on top of the support
blocks.

(Photos taken during the actual load test preparation of Sardina Foundations in Jizan University
Project, Jizan, KSA)
5. Blocks are loaded on top of the loading platform and the weight of the blocks
are calculated to verify that it is greater than the load required for the test.

6. Reference beams are fixed on both sides of the pile without touching the pile cap. The
dial gauges are connected to the reference beam and the tip of the measuring needle
touching the top of the pile cap . The hydraulic jack, dial gauges, pressure gauge must be
calibrated prior to use on testing. Calibration reports shall be furnished for all testing
equipment for which calibration is required, and shall show the temperature at which
calibration was done (see section 3.2.5 ASTM D 1143)

Pressure pump is required to load the hydraulic jack. This is fitted with pressure gauge for
monitoring purposes

A portable generator is required if there is no available electric power source on site.

Dial gauge base are connected to the reference beam and the needle is in contact with the pile
cap. This method is used by Sardina Foundations

Dial gauge base is resting on the levelling plate and the needle of the gausge is in contact with
the reference beam. This method is adopted by Saudi Foundations (also known as Dutch
Foundation )
7. Start the motor to raise the hydraulic jack plate to touch the bottom of the loading frame. Stop
the
motor when the hydraulic jack and loading frame touches and release the pressure back to zero
by
means of the pressure release valve. When the pressure gauge reads zero, take the reading of the
four dial gauges and this readings will be the reference base readings.

(The equipment for loading the hydraulic jack is equipped with pressure release valve and
pressure gauge to control the pressure to the required level.)

8. Load the pile at increments of 5%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%, 125%, 150%, 175%, 200% and
then back
back to zero in the same load increments but in decreasing order. Deflection will be recorded for
each load increment at a rate of 1, 5, 10, 20, 30, 60, minutes cumulative. That is the 1st minute,
then
the 4 minutes, then 10 minutes, then ten minutes, then 30 minutes interval. The reading after total
release of load shall be 1, 5, 10, 20, 30, 60, 90, 120. See an tabulation of an actual load test on
the
following pages.

(Load test completed successfully. Note that the test area is covered with tarpaulin to prevent
wind disturbance on the dial gauge. Photo taken after completing load test for working file in
Jizan Univesity Project, Jizan, KSA.)

TABULATION OF ACTUAL LOAD TEST CONDUCTED BY SARDINA

FOUNDATION UNDER SUPERVISION OF ZUHAIR PARTNERSHIP
CONSULTANTS.
Page 1 of 4

PILE NO. 958

WORKING LOAD 200 TONS

Casting Date :
Load Test Date :
February 5 to 6,
2011

Max Test Load = 320

tons

December 10, 2010

REMARKS
LOAD
PERCENT

LOAD
TONS

LOAD
BAR

GAUGE
1

GAUGE
2

GAUGE
3

GAUGE
4

42

44.98

45.00

47

41.84

44.78

44.77

46.84

41.84

44.78

44.77

46.84

10

41.84

44.78

44.77

46.84

TIME
INCREMENT
(minutes)

0
25%
53.33

73

average
reading
44.745

average
settlement

50%
106.67

146

75%
160

219

20

41.84

44.78

44.77

46.84

30

41.84

44.78

44.77

46.84

60

41.84

44.78

44.77

46.84

41.71

44.65

44.59

46.68

41.70

44.64

44.58

46.68

10

41.69

44.63

44.57

46.67

20

41.66

44.60

44.57

46.67

30

41.64

44.58

44.56

46.66

60

41.64

44.57

44.56

46.66

41.33

44.24

44.31

46.35

41.32

44.22

44.31

46.35

10

41.32

44.21

44.26

46.34

20

41.31

44.20

44.18

46.32

30

41.31

44.20

44.17

46.31

60

41.31

44.20

44.12

46.27

44.558

0.187

44.358

0.387

43.975

0.770

Page 2 of 4

REMARKS
LOAD
PERCENT

LOAD
TONS

LOAD
BAR

100%
213.33

292

125%
266.67

365

TIME
INCREMENT
(minutes)

GAUGE
1

GAUGE
2

GAUGE
3

GAUGE
4

40.98

43.81

44.77

45.92

40.94

43.81

44.74

45.91

10

40.94

43.77

43.74

45.91

20

40.92

43.75

43.72

45.90

30

40.9

43.73

43.70

45.89

60

40.88

43.7

43.64

45.83

40.45

43.21

43.22

45.45

40.39

43.14

43.14

45.37

10

40.39

43.14

43.14

45.37

20

40.36

43.11

43.13

45.36

30

40.34

43.09

43.11

45.35

60

40.31

43.05

43.05

45.30

average
reading

average
settlement

43.513

1.232

42.928

1.818

150%
160

219

39.71

42.37

42.3

44.6

39.68

42.33

42.27

44.58

10

39.61

42.28

42.2

44.52

20

39.56

42.22

42.13

44.46

30

39.50

42.16

42.07

44.41

60

39.45

42.09

41.95

44.31

90

39.38

42.04

41.92

44.29

120

39.34

41.99

41.88

44.24

3hour

39.27

41.92

41.83

44.21

4 hour

39.27

41.90

41.80

44.19

Page 3 of 4
REMARKS
LOAD
PERCENT

LOAD
TONS

LOAD
BAR

150%
160

219

125%
266.67

365

100%
213.33

292

TIME
INCREMENT
(minutes)

GAUGE
1

GAUGE
2

GAUGE
3

GAUGE
4

5 hour

39.25

41.90

41.8

44.19

6 hour

39.24

41.89

41.78

44.18

7 hour

39.23

41.87

41.76

44.15

8 hour

39.22

41.86

41.74

44.14

9 hour

39.21

41.85

41.74

44.14

10 hour

39.19

41.83

41.72

44.13

11 hour

39.14

41.83

41.7

44.11

12 hour

39.09

41.71

41.57

43.99

39.18

41.82

41.69

44.10

39.18

41.82

41.69

44.10

10

39.20

41.84

41.72

44.13

20

39.20

41.84

41.72

44.13

30

39.20

41.84

41.72

44.13

39.39

42.06

42.00

44.33

39.40

42.07

42.02

44.34

average
reading

average
settlement

41.590

3.155

41.723

3.022

10

39.41

42.08

42.02

44.35

20

39.41

42.09

42.02

44.36

39.72

42.44

42.32

44.63

39.72

42.44

42.32

44.63

10

39.72

42.45

42.33

44.64

20

39.73

42.45

42.33

44.64

30

39.73

42.45

42.33

44.64

41.970

2.775

42.288

2.458

30
75%
160

219

Page 4 of 4

REMARKS
LOAD
PERCENT

LOAD
TONS

LOAD
BAR

50%
106.67

146

25%
53.33

73

0%
0

219

TIME
INCREMENT
(minutes)

GAUGE
1

GAUGE
2

GAUGE
3

GAUGE
4

40.07

42.79

42.65

44.90

40.09

42.80

42.66

44.91

10

40.10

42.81

42.67

44.92

20

40.10

42.81

42.67

44.92

30

40.11

42.82

42.68

44.92

40.50

43.23

43.06

45.38

40.52

43.25

43.08

45.39

10

40.53

43.26

43.08

45.39

20

40.53

43.27

43.09

45.40

30

40.53

43.27

43.09

45.40

40.84

43.72

43.53

45.74

40.85

43.72

43.53

45.74

10

40.87

43.74

43.55

45.76

20

40.88

43.77

43.57

45.78

30

40.89

43.78

43.58

45.78

60

40.91

43.80

43.6

45.8

90

40.92

43.82

43.62

45.81

120

40.94

43.84

43.65

45.84

average
reading

average
settlement

42.633

2.112

43.073

1.672

43.568

1.177

Prepared by : Engineer Raul C. Yalung

e-mail: raulyalung@yahoo.com