Thermal Integrity Profiling of ACIP Piles

摘要

Augered Cast-in-Place (ACIP) piles are often utilized as a deep foundation solution for certain soil conditions. Rapid production allows for shorter construction schedules while depths and diameters continually increase in scale. Quality assurance of ACIP piles generally relies upon installation monitoring as well as post construction integrity testing. A relatively new testing technique is Thermal Integrity Profiling (TIP). For relatively small diameter ACIP piles, a cable comprised of temperature sensors is attached along the center rebar, and placed in the grout of the ACIP column, such that temperature measurements can be recorded during the cement hydration process. These measurements are then post processed, along with installation records, to assess overall ACIP pile integrity. A project site in Rockport, Indiana utilized over 400 ACIP piles which had integrity analysis performed via TIP. In addition, pulse echo testing and dynamic load testing was performed on a small number of test piles. This paper presents a case study on techniques of TIP instrument installation and data analysis as well as a discussion of recommendations for future use.