Pipe piling is used to support and stabilize a building’s foundation when the ground is poorly compacted or unable to offer enough support. Heavy-duty steel tubing is often used and driven into the ground using a pile driver. Engineers and installers determine placement based on building loads and local building codes. Each pipe pile must be carefully selected based on construction forces and soil conditions.
Pipe piling is a structural building material used to support and stabilize a building’s foundation. When the ground under a building is poorly compacted, it may not offer enough strength to keep the building stable over time. A pipe piling can be used to distribute the weight of the building deeper into the ground, where the soil is often more compacted. Pipe piles are also used to support exceptionally large or heavy buildings, where even standard soil cannot offer adequate support. Finally, pipe piling may be required when the land area is too small to accommodate footers or foundations, forcing buildings to dig deeper to achieve sufficient ground stability.
Most forms of piling are made of heavy-duty steel tubing, which is often galvanized with zinc to increase moisture and corrosion resistance. When only a standard level of support is required, open ended tubing is often used. If additional support is required, these tubes can be capped with steel plates to form closed posts. Installers can then fill the pipe with concrete and rebar to add extra strength and stability.
The posts are driven into the ground using large machines known as a pile driver. These machines contain hydraulic systems that exert extremely high levels of force to drive the piles into the ground. By driving the posts directly into the ground without drilling holes first, the soil itself helps support and stabilize the posts. When the post is driven underground, the soil is displaced, which increases the friction and pressure around the post to hold it in place.
Engineers and installers determine the placement of each stack of pipes based on building loads at various locations. A very heavy load, such as a piece of industrial equipment, may need to be placed directly on a pile to ensure adequate support. When building loads are evenly distributed, installers can use a concrete post cap to support the building. This allows the pipe piles to be evenly spaced under the building, then connected together at the pile cap to serve as a large foundation system.
Each pipe pile must be carefully selected based on construction forces, soil conditions and local building codes. A geotechnical engineer can test the soil to determine if piles are needed. The structural engineer then determines the size and material needed for each pipe pile, as well as the required depth. When a single pipe is not long enough to reach this depth, piles can be joined using butt welds or joint sleeves.
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