Dynamic load testing of piles is a fast and reliable method for determining the bearing capacity of drilled and driven, reinforced concrete and steel piles. Several piles can be tested in a day using this method. The preparation of test piles is simple, and no counterweight is needed in the form of ballast, reaction piles, etc. In addition to the bearing capacity, DLT can provide the load distribution in the pile, which makes it possible to determine the shaft and base bearing capacity separately. Also, the DLT test provides information about the integrity of the pile.
GeoTec Insitu has two modular hammers. The first hammer, the so-called Tokin, we use for testing piles with a diameter smaller than Ø800 mm. The second hammer, the so-called Simba, is mainly used for testing piles with a diameter greater than Ø800 mm (it can also be used for smaller diameters). Simba has no restrictions on the weight of the hammer, i.e., the amount of energy that is introduced into the pile, considering that it consists of modular impact elements. This allows us to prove the bearing capacity of practically all piles that are usually tested on construction sites here and in the region. In exceptional situations, if the request is to prove unusually high load capacity, the test must be announced earlier in order to adapt our system to the required load.
The hydraulic system for self-releasing the weight, which is specially designed for the needs of the dynamic test load, is particularly important. Field measurements, data processing, and interpretation of test results are performed using special software.