Types of pile foundation
Very broadly, foundations can be categorised as shallow foundations or deep foundations. Shallow foundations are typically used where the loads imposed by a structure are low relative to the bearing capacity of the surface soils. Deep foundations are necessary where the bearing capacity of the surface soils is insufficient to support loads imposed and so they are transferred to deeper layers with higher bearing capacity.
Pile foundations are deep foundations. They are formed by long, slender, columnar elements typically made from steel or reinforced concrete, or sometimes timber. A foundation is described as 'piled' when its depth is more than three times its breadth (ref. Atkinson, 2007).
There are a wide variety of pile types the use and design of which depends on the type and size of load to be supported, the ground conditions, the space available, the equipment available and so on.
A list of commonly-used types of pile foundations is listed below, with links to sources of additional information:
- Bored piles.
- Contiguous piles.
- Continuous flight auger piles.
- Driven piles.
- End-bearing piles.
- Friction piles.
- Geothermal piles.
- King pile.
- Knee pile.
- Micropiles.
- Monopile.
- Pile walls.
- Piled raft foundation.
- Plank pile.
- Pre-cast pile.
- Raking piles.
- Screw piles.
- Secant pile wall.
- Sheet pile.
- Socket piles.
- Tension pile.
- Z piles.
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