Bored Cast - In

Place Piles

THE SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE INSTALLATION OF BORED CAST-IN-PLACE PILES

1

GENERAL

1.1

The specification for bored cast-in-place piles shall include all the provisions given in

1.2

All bored piles shall be adequately designed, cast and cured to develop the strength
necessary to withstand the stresses encountered during load and testing without
damage.

STANDARD

2.1

Unless otherwise specified, materials and articles shall comply with the appropriate and
current standards of the BS Standards. If not, The Contractor shall propose equivalent
Standards to Engineer for approval.

2.2

Where required, the Contractor shall obtain the certificates of compliance with the
Standard in respect of materials supplied from the manufacturers and submit them to
the Engineer.

CEMENT
Cement shall be ordinary Portland, rapid-hardening Portland or sulphate-resisting
approval the type of cement, other than ordinary Portland cement, he proposes to use.

FINE AGGREGATE
Fine aggregate for concrete shall be clean, sharp, well-graded sand fee from clay, loam
or organic matter. Samples shall be submitted by the Contractor to the Engineer for
approval.

COARSE AGGREGATE
Coarse aggregate for concrete shall be clean, crushed granite, well-graded between the
limits of 20mm and 5mm and not flat in shape. Samples shall be submitted by the
Contractor to the Engineer for approval.

WATER
Water used for concrete shall be obtained from mains supplied by the Public Utilities
Board.

Bored Cast - In

Place Piles

THE SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE INSTALLATION OF BORED CAST-IN-PLACE PILES

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ADMIXTURES
Admixtures may be used only if approved by the Engineer.

CHLORIDE
The content of chloride salt in reinforced concrete work, expressed as the equivalent
anhydrous calcium chloride percentage by weight of the cement to be used in the
concrete, shall be less than 1% for normal reinforced concrete and 0.1% for
prestressed concrete.

CONCRETE

9.1 Concrete mixes for bored piles shall not be less inferior to Grade 35 of BS 5328 with works
cube strength as follows:
Grade 35
At 28 days

Cube Strength (N/mm )

35

9.2 The concrete shall have a suitable enriched cement content to permit a high slump mix.
The compressive stress under working load shall not exceed 20% of the works cube
2
strength at 28 days and more than 7.00 N/mm .
10

STEEL
The steel used for reinforced shall comply with relevant current BS standard or
equivalent for the type of steel specified by the Contractor for his piles.

11

TESTING OF MATERIALS

11.1

The Engineer may direct test on materials to be used in the works. The costs for all
tests are borne by the Contractor.

11.2

If a sample or samples of materials do not conform to the required standard in a test,

the whole consignment shall be rejected and must be removed from site at the

11.3
The sampling and testing of works concrete shall comply with the BS standard or
equivalent

Bored Cast - In

Place Piles

THE SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE INSTALLATION OF BORED CAST-IN-PLACE PILES

12

BORING

12.1

Boring equipment shall be capable of boring through sands, gravels, stiff clays, shales,
boulders and in water-bearing strata and shall be capable of sinking boreholes in
diameters as required in the piling works.

12.2

Where soils are likely to collapse or flow into the borehole, temporary casing of an
approval quality shall be used to maintain the stability of pile excavation. The bottom of
the casing shall penetrate a minimum of one metre below the unstable stratum to
prevent inflow of soil

12.3

A drilling fluid, such as bentonite suspension, may be used to prevent collapse or inflow
of soil. Where the use of drilling fluid is approved, the fluid pressure shall exceed the
pressures exerted by the soils and external ground water. In addition, a temporary
casing shall be used to ensure the stability of the strata near ground level until the
concrete has been placed.

12.4

The depth of boring required for each pile shall be determined by the Contractor with the
agreement of the Engineer based on the soil test data. The contractor shall show in his
calculations how the proposed depth of the pile penetration is derived. Notwithstanding

13

DRY HOLE CONSTRUCTION

13.1

Wherever possible, bore piles shall be constructed in the dry with the aid of pumps if
necessary.

13.2

All dry holes shall be approved by the Engineer prior to concreting of pile. The
Contractor shall provide all facilities, labour and materials required for the inspection of
the borehole. In the case of boreholes exceeding 750mm in diameter, equipment shall
be provided by the Contractor to descend safely into the borehole for the purpose of
inspection.

13.3

Concreting of a dry hole shall be carried out through a funnel with a length of tube so
that the flow is directed and does not hit the reinforcement bars or the side of the table.

13.4

To ensure the bottom of the pile bears firmly on the ground, the bottom 150mm layer of
the pile shall be cast with 1:1 cement/sand free flowing grout prior to concreting
operation.

13.5

All boreholes shall be concreted the same day. In the event of rain, the Contractor shall
provide shelter, etc to keep the hole dry and to concrete under cover. A pile constructed
in a cohesive soil shall be concreted as quickly as possible to avoid softening of soil at
the sides of the boreholes.

Bored Cast - In

Place Piles

THE SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE INSTALLATION OF BORED CAST-IN-PLACE PILES

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13.6 The concrete mix shall have cement content not less than 360kg/m and a slump between
125mm to 175 mm.
14

TREMIE CONSTRUCTION

14.1

Concrete shall be placed under water or drilling fluid shall be placed by tremie and shall
not be discharged freely into the water or drilling fluid.

14.2

All soft or loose materials shall be removed from the bottom of the hole before
commencing placement of concrete.

14.3

When concreting is being carried out under water, a temporary casing shall be installed
to a depth necessary to prevent fragments of ground from falling from the sides of the
hole into the concrete as it is placed.

14.4

Tremix pipes shall be of metal with a minimum diameter of 20cm. The receiving hopper
shall have a capacity at least equal to that of the pile if feeds.

14.5

The first charge of concrete shall be placed with a sliding plug pushed down the tube
ahead of it to prevent mixing of concrete and the borehole fluid.

14.6

The tremie pipe shall always penetrate into the concrete by at least 1.5m to prevent
against accidental withdrawal of the pipe out of the concrete.

14.7

The pile shall be concreted wholly by tremie and the method of deposition shall not be
change part way up the pile, to prevent laitance from being entrapped within the pile.

14.8

All boreholes shall be concreted the same day. In the event of rain, the Contractor shall
provide shelter, etc and to concrete under cover.

14.9

The concrete mix shall have cement content not less than 400kg/m and a slump not
less than 150mm.

15

REINFORCEMENT CAGES

15.1

Longitudinal reinforcement bars equally spaced in the form of a cage not less than 6
nos. or 0.5% of the cross-sectional area of the pile shall be provided in the top 12m
length of the pile. The lateral ties or spiral binding shall be between 100mm and 300mm
centres or as indicated in the drawing.

15.2

Reinforcement cages shall be supported centrally and firmly within the hole so that no
movement will occur during concreting operation.

15.3

For tensile piles, the rebar shall be galvanized and provided for the full length of the pile.

Bored Cast - In

Place Piles

THE SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE INSTALLATION OF BORED CAST-IN-PLACE PILES

16

COMPACTION
Internal vibrator shall not be used to compact concrete to avoid, segregation and
arching of the concrete, except within the top of 2m of the pile.

17

CASTING LEVEL
The concrete in the pile shall be finished not less than 50cm above the cut-off level to
ensure that all concrete below the cut-off level is homogenous and free of laitance and
deleterious matter. The overcast shall be chipped off to cut-off level later by the
Contractor at his own cost.

18

INSTALLATION AND EXTRACTION OF CASING

18.1

If casing (either temporary or permanent) is used, it shall be at the cost of the

Contractor unless otherwise specified for measurement and payment purposed.

18.2

If vibration caused by casing installation is unacceptable, the Contractor shall change

the method of pile installation to bentonite fluid method at his own cost and time.

18.3

When the casing if being extracted, a sufficient quantity of concrete shall be maintained
within it to ensure that pressure from external water, drilling fluid or soil is exceeded and
that the pile is neither reduced in section nor contaminated.

19

DEFECTIVE CONCRETE
Defective concrete in the pile heads shall be cut away and made good with new
concrete well bonded onto the old. The Contractor shall bear all costs incurred for
remedial works due to defective concrete.

20

PILE IN SAME GROUP

No two piles in the same group may be allowed to be constructed on the same day
without the prior approval of the Engineer.

21

UNDER-REAMING

21.1

No under-reaming of boreholes shall be undertaken without the approval of the

Engineer.

21.2.1 Under-reamed piles shall be permitted only in dry boreholes construction and in large
diameters piles where it shall be possible to descent into the boreholes to make a visual
inspection of the enlarged bases.

Bored Cast - In

Place Piles

THE SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE INSTALLATION OF BORED CAST-IN-PLACE PILES

21.3 If approved by the Engineer, under-reaming of boreholes shall be carried out with suitable
mechanical tools. The enlarged base shall be concentric with the pile shaft to within a
tolerance of 10% of the shaft diameter. The sloping face of the frustrum forming the
enlargement shall make an angle with the vertical of not more than 35 degress.