Top Factors to Consider When You're Selecting Piling for Your Construction Project
Posted on: 24 April 2017
Not all piling is created the same — there's wood, concrete and steel piling. Then there's also specialty piling available for applications when none of the other materials can meet the specific requirements of a construction project. It is, therefore, important that you carefully think through what type of piling will be most appropriate when you are designing the pile foundation of your construction. There are lots of things that you should consider in order to choose the right piling, but here is a look at a few critical ones.
Strength of the piling
Different piling materials vary in terms of strength. Generally speaking, steel piles can support the heaviest structural loads. They are ideal for use in applications where maximum load bearing capacity is required.
Concrete piles are also strong, though not as strong as steel piles. Concrete is usually preferred over steel when constructing piling foundations in corrosive soils or salty water. This is because the elements will undermine the structural integrity of steel piling over time.
Wood piling offers the least strength and is often used for constructing foundations for structures that are light in weight. Concrete piling is often favoured over wood piling in wet soils and marine environments because wood material can easily rot when exposed to moisture and water.
So you should select a piling product that can hold out well against application-specific conditions.
Construction method
Generally speaking, there are two methods that can be used to construct piling foundations: driving the piles into the ground and boring holes into the ground and then placing prefabricated piling in the holes. The choice of a construction method can have a big say on what type of piling should be used.
If you want to drive the piles through hard, dense soil, for instance, you may have an easy time installing the piling if you use steel screw piles. But if you are considering drilling holes into the ground, you can also consider using precast concrete piles.
Cost of piling
Everyone wants to use the best products when they are constructing pile foundations, but the cost of piling installation is always an issue. As a general rule, you should never use piling that does not have sufficient load bearing capacity because that would compromise the structural integrity of the entire construction, but the product that you choose should be affordable. So weigh your options and choose something suitable but still falls within the available budget.
For more information and help selecting piling for your construction project, contact professional piling contractors.
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