3 Reasons to Use Driven Piles
If your project involves piling, then you have to choose the right piles and methodology for the job. In many cases, driven piling is a good solution. Here, you use a machine to push the piles into the ground where you need them. You don't remove any earth to create a hole for the pile, you simply force it into the ground and down to the required depth.
What are the advantages of using driven piles?
1. Get a Stronger Foundation
If you push a pile straight into the ground, then it creates its own channel in the soil. The soil has nowhere to go — you aren't removing it — so it displaces and compacts around the pile you put in.
If the soil around a pile automatically compacts itself, then it creates a stronger seal around the pile. The earth becomes tighter and more compressed.
This can have a positive impact on the pile's stability and strength. The tightly-packed soil helps hold it firmly in position. This is especially useful if you're working in soft ground where a pile might struggle to stay in place if you remove some of the soil before you install it.
2. Maintain Ground Stability
If the ground you're working on has problems, then your piles won't necessarily give you the stability and support you need. For example, if the ground isn't so stable to start with, and you have to remove soil to install piles, then you could run into subsidence problems down the line.
Once you remove some of the soil, you lose some of the stability on site. The remaining earth around the piles might move out of position because there isn't enough of it there to stay in place. If the ground sinks or shifts, then your piles could lose essential support.
This isn't usually a problem with driven piles. You don't need to remove any soil, and the way the piles goes in strengthens the ground.
3. Lower Your Costs
Installing piles can be an expensive business. If you use bored piles, then you need to remove soil to create holes for the piles to go in. You then have to pour or insert the piles, depending on the materials you use.
This can be a labour-intensive process. Plus, you must factor in soil removal and disposal costs.
Driven piles could save you money. You simply push them into the ground. You don't need as many workers on the job, and you don't have any soil spoilage to get rid of.
To find out more about driven piles, contact local piling contractors.
