CHIESELING CRITERIA

Pile lengths at this site would vary depending upon the rock type, core recovery,
Rock quality designation and uniaxial compressive strength of rock and also due
to presence of non-uniform weathering of Khondalite / Granitic rock.

Weathering of rock strata at this site is completely to highly weathered form up to

the depth of approximately 20m below existing ground level. Hence Pile lengths at
this site would vary depending upon the core recovery, RQD, Crushing strength of
rock etc.

Chiseling criteria can be utilized during Pile construction for early termination of
Piles or to verify that founding strata or the level of hard bedrock. Hard bedrock
can be inferred when chisel penetration is less than 10cms for chisel energy of
2250 t-m /m2 of Pile cross section. A minimum of 2 trials should be carried out to
determined Pile termination in this energy zone. Wherever the chiseling energy of
2250 t-m /m2 per less than 10cms is confirmed, socketing of the pile may be
adopted with minimum 1 x D length in this stratum. Where, D is the dia of Pile. If
the chiseling criteria is not met with at the end of the 1D sockeitng zone, then the
socket length should be increased further 3 D.

Sample calculation to calculate chisel energy are given below

For example Consider a Pile of 500 mm diameter.

Area of Pile 0.19625 m2
Let, Weight of chisel 1.0 tons
If fall of chisel is limited to 2.0m, energy of each blow
= 1.0 x 2.0 = 2.0 ton m
The energy of 2250 t-m /m2 is converted into equivalent energy for 500 mm dia of
Pile.
Equivalent energy = 2250 x 0.19625 = 440 t - m

940- SHIRISH PATEL

 To achieve this, no of blows required of 1.0 ton chisel with 2.0m fall = 440/2 = 220
blows.

The no. blows are increased to account for submerged weight of chisel with weight
of 1.0 ton. So, chiseling criteria for 500mm dia will be as follows.

The penetration shall be less than 10cms for 260 blows of chisel with weight of 1.0
ton and falling through a height of 2.0 meters.

Note: In general 100 blows can be applied with in 15 minutes. While checking
the chiseling criteria, the chisel shall be with drawn after 100 blows, hole cleaned
and penetration measured.

T. V. SURESH KUMAR
Manager - Geotech

1686-HPCL