We are an independent company offering a pile integrity testing service throughout South Africa using the latest Profound Pro SIT System manufactured in the Netherlands.

The measurement is performed by hitting the pile head with a hand-held instrumented hammer, measuring the response on the head with the sensitive and lightweight SIT accelerometer. The SIT system presents the measurement signal directly on the screen, enabling an immediate check of the measurement quality on site.

The measurement signals are stored in the memory of the SIT system together with relevant information such as, wave velocity, pile number, depth , date, time, amplification factor and filter length. Due to the enhanced features of the SIT acceleration sensor, including very low noise level, even small defects can be detected in the piles.

Analysis can confirm the consistency of the grout/concrete , detect any cracks , voids, or discontinuity, and even laitance in the pile shaft and these will be reflected in the test results.

Pile Integrity Testing

Sonic Integrity Testing (SIT) is a measurement system used to check the integrity of concrete or grout within piles. This Low Strain Impact Test is a quick non-destructive method to reduce the risk of failure of a pile. With the Profound SIT system, you can check the pile shaft for defects or any sign of irregularities.

Cost-effective

Pile Integrity Testing is a proven technique to check the integrity of piles in an efficient and cost-effective way before they are built into the final foundation of the proposed structure. The Profound SIT-series has been designed for professional use in the field, as well as for advanced interpretation and efficient management of the pile measurement data in the office. All SIT models are robust and portable making them an efficient operation system which allows one person to test numerous piles in the field in a short space of time.

Low Strain Integrity Testing

The measurement is conducted by hitting the pile head with a hand-held hammer, and measuring the response on the head with the SIT-accelerometer. The SIT system then transfer’s a measurement signal directly onto the screen, enabling an immediate check of the quality of the measurement in the field. If the measurement is acceptable the signal is stored in the unit with additional information such as the pile number, length, area, date, and time stamp, amplification factor including the filter setting. For each pile multiple readings should be taken for a more accurate comparison of the signals. The measurements are then transferred to a computer for further analysis. By comparing the various signals, you can identify irregularities in the pile shaft. Depending on the soil condition, it is also possible to acquire an indication of the pile length. The measurement does however not provide information on the pile bearing capacity.

PILE PREPARATION FOR TESTING

Preparing the pile for testing is required to acquire decent quality signals, make sure the pile as prepared as described below:

•   Pile heads must be clean and free from debris, cracked or loose concrete/grout, dirt, grit or embedded foreign materials, free from standing water, accessible and flat and smooth.
•   For testing on driven piles, trim the pile head if it is cracked or damaged.
•   Remove the soft concrete/grout from the pile heads by trimming them back to sound material.
•   Concrete and grout cast piles should preferably be cured to at least 80% of the ultimate required strength. Usually, this stage is reached 5 to7 days after installation of the pile.
•   Prefabricated or precast piles can be tested directly after installation.

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