Abstract. Some remarks concerning the necessity of employing an independent and over all ethical geotechnical survey were presented in the paper. Starting from the design phase, through the whole construction process, the importance of geotechnical engineer is stated in legal acts. Numerous testing technologies serve for the calibration of geotechnical technologies and allow for confirming the quality and capacity of piles. Special emphasis was payed to the involvement of scientifical and research institutions which can not only serve services but also can postprocess and methodize collected data. Such databases enable for new codes, methods and recommendations. Selection of deep foundations for bridge-type structures is most often dependent on complex geotechnical conditions, concentrated loads and constraints for pier displacements. Besides the last ones, prior to more common introduction of the designconstruct system, could be a convenient justification for design engineer, who imposed deep foundation because he did not want or was not able to estimate the effect of pier settlement on civil engineering structure. The paper provides some notes about the need to engage a geotechnical supervising service of high competency and ethical quality during engineering and construction stages of foundations for bridge-type structures where legal requirements are of special consideration. Successive stages of projects are reviewed and research methods used for current calibration of geotechnical technologies and verification of geotechnical work quality are analysed. Special attention is given to potential involvement of independent R&D institutions which, apart from rendering specific services, also collect and systemize the research results thus enabling, in the long term, to revise engineering standards, instructions and guidelines.
Abstract. Both: piling technologies and pile testing methods are a subject of current development. New technologies, providing larger diameters or using in-situ materials, are very demanding in terms of providing proper quality of execution of works. That concerns the material quality and continuity which define the integral strength of pile. On the other side we have the capacity of the ground around the pile and its ability to carry the loads transferred by shaft and pile base. Inhomogeneous nature of soils and a relatively small amount of tested piles imposes very good understanding of small amount of results. In some special cases the capacity test itself form an important cost in the piling contract. This work presents a brief description of selected testing methods and authors remarks based on cooperation with Universities constantly developing new ideas. Paper presents some experience based remarks on integrity testing by means of low energy impact (low strain) and introduces selected (Polish) developments in the field of closed-end pipe piles testing based on bi-directional loading, similar to Osterberg idea, but without sacrificial hydraulic jack. Such test is suitable especially when steel piles are used for temporary support in the rivers, where constructing of conventional testing appliance with anchor piles or kentledge meets technical problems. According to the author's experience, such tests were not yet used on the building site but they bring a real potential especially, when the displacement control can be provided from the river bank using surveying techniques.
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