On many projects involving piling, inadequate geotechnical site investigation is carried out at tender stage. In the majority of instances, this leads to inefficient pile design and/or qualified piling tenders. The savings to be made by opting for a cheap site investigation are generally insignificant in comparison to the detrimental impacts to the project. These impacts may include the following: Increased piling costs due to inefficient design and contingencies for risk. A weakened contractual position on the part of the client and piling costs that can be subject to escalation as the project proceeds. Program delays due to unexpected ground conditions that are encountered during the works. The aims and objectives of the site investigation must be properly considered by those awarding contracts for the investigation works. These should be developed in consultation with engineers who understand the pile design and construction process for the particular piling scheme/s under consideration. Geotechnical consultants must be given a sufficient budget to properly meet the project requirements and should be required to demonstrate that the scope of the investigation they propose is adequate. The wider engineering community and our clients must become better informed in relation to the value of good geotechnical information to their projects.
展开▼
