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Long Spiral Drilling Grouting Pile Construction: Process, Advantages, and Quality Control

1. Process Characteristics

Long spiral drilling grouting piles utilize super-fluidized concrete with excellent flowability (slump 20-25cm), ensuring uniform aggregate distribution without segregation. This construction method offers several advantages:

  • High-quality execution: Minimizes risks of pile breakage, necking, and hole collapse.
  • Strong penetration capability: Efficiently drills through hard soil layers with high single-pile bearing capacity.
  • Eco-friendly operation: Low noise, no slurry wall protection required, and non-disruptive to the surrounding soil.
  • Cost-effective: Lower overall project costs compared to other pile types.
  • Design compliance: Follows dry-hole drilling pile design standards (performance metrics between slurry-wall piles and precast piles).

2. Applications

Ideal for:

  • Foundation piles in buildings/structures
  • Retaining piles for excavations/deep pits
  • Various soil conditions (fill, silt, sand, pebble layers, and groundwater-rich strata)
  • Challenging geologies (soft soil, quicksand)
    Standard pile diameter: 500–800mm

3. Working Principle

  1. Drill to design depth using a long spiral drill rig.
  2. Pump super-fluidized concrete through the drill pipe while retracting it.
  3. Insert the reinforcement cage into the fresh concrete.
  4. Overpour concrete by 50cm above the pile top to ensure strength integrity.

4. Construction Workflow

4.1 Steel Reinforcement Procurement & Testing

  • Verify material certifications (origin, specifications, batch numbers).
  • Conduct sampling tests under监理 supervision.

4.2 Equipment Selection

  • Primary machinery: Track-mounted long spiral drilling rigs, vibratory hammers, and excavators.

4.3 Survey & Positioning

  • Establish control networks using total stations/theodolites.
  • Mark pile locations with bamboo/steel markers; verify every 10 piles with benchmark stakes.

4.4 Drilling Process

  • Verticality control: Dual plumb-bob alignment (deviation <20mm).
  • Drilling speed: 1–1.5m/min; halt for issues like bit jamming.
  • Depth verification: Confirm via drill pipe markings and监理 inspection.

4.5 Concrete Pouring

  • Pump placement: Minimize pipe bends for smooth flow.
  • Slump control: Maintain 180–220mm; reject non-compliant batches.
  • Synchronized operation: Match pump rate with lifting speed (2.5m/min max).
  • Quality samples: Prepare 150mm³ test cubes per shift (28-day curing).

4.6 Reinforcement Cage Fabrication

  • Weld main bars (5d lap length) and spirals on dedicated platforms.
  • Inspect before use (监理 approval required).

4.7 Cage Insertion

  • Timing: Insert within 3 minutes post-concreting.
  • Verticality: Monitor via dual plumb lines; vibratory hammer assists embedding (1.2–1.5m/min).

4.8 Post-Construction

  • Documentation: Real-time logs signed by监理.
  • Cleanup: Remove spoil without damaging piles.
  • Testing: Conduct pile integrity tests after 28 days (static load/NDT).

5. Quality Defects & Countermeasures

Issue Cause Solution
Hole wall collapse Weak soil/water seepage Stabilize with sheet piles/grouting
Excessive base debris Inadequate cleaning Post-drilling inspection/grout seal
Water accumulation Poor drainage Use submersible pumps/dry-mix concrete
Bent reinforcement cage Weak welding/transport damage Fabricate on rigid platforms

6. Critical Quality Controls

  1. Material compliance: Concrete/steel must meet design specs.
  2. Concrete volume: ≥Calculated quantity.
  3. Overpour: +50cm above design pile top.
  4. Drilling depth: Reach bearing layer (end-bearing piles: slag ≤100mm).
  5. Safety buffer: No drilling within 5m of fresh piles (<24h).

Allowable deviations:

  • Pile position: ≤50mm
  • Verticality: ≤1%