Can polymer fluids be used for bored piles in silty fine sand?

This paper is concerned with the use of polymer fluids for the construction of bored piles in silty fine sand, a situation which has been found to significantly increase the risk of ‘soft toes' and concrete contamination due to the settling of the suspended soil particles in the fluid.

Can polymer fluid be used to support pile bores?

In terms of excavation size, polymer fluids have been successfully used to support pile bores with a diameter of up to 2.2 m for the Vasco da Gama Bridge project in Portugal. However, collapses have also occurred twice there due to polymer contamination by salts in the ground.

Can polymer support fluid improve pile performance?

Currently, in the design of bored piles (drilled shafts) no differentiation is made between the different types of support fluid. This case study demonstrates that when polymer fluid is used better pile performance is possible.

Does polymer and bentonite affect the bearing capacity of bored piles?

Studies have b een conducted on the effect of using bentonite and polymer on the bearing capacity of piles. Table settlement. The researchers found above that the u se of the polymer led to obtaining a high bearing capacity of bored piles compared to bentonite. The bearing capacity of the bored pile may b e up to double when using the polym er as a

Did polymer fluid cause structural integrity defects in a bored pile?

It is interesting to compare the present authors' structural integrity findings with those of Amir (2007) who showed a significant defect in a bored pile constructed under polymer fluid. The authors believe that the defect shown in Amir (2007) was probably caused by factors other than the use of polymer fluids. Figure 8.

How many piles were excavated under polymer fluids?

To this end, three 1.2-m diameter and 27-m long bored piles were constructed, two of which were excavated under polymer fluids [i.e., (1) Pile P1, and (2) Pile P2] and one under bentonite (Pile B1).