How to Estimate the Cost of Cast In Place Concrete Filled Pipe Pile

Introduction

Foundation construction takes many different forms. A common method of foundation support is the concrete filled, steel shell, and pipe pile. This paper will guide the reader through the process of estimating the costs associated with the construction of this type of pile. The design of this pile is an example based on the author’s prior experience. The principles of estimating the costs of construction of this type of pile are the goal of this document.

Foundation design has been performed for thousands of years. Without it, the Megalithic Temples of Malta, dating back to 3600 BC and every still-standing structure built after would not have survived. In fact, poor foundation design almost ensures the failure, potentially cataclysmic in nature, of a structure. The earliest types of piles were fabricated from timber, placed in holes dug into the ground, and backfilled with soil. Since then, improvements in construction methods and materials have been driven by the desire to build safer, cheaper, higher, and more efficiently.

Over the years, new technologies have been developed and subsequently, a multitude of pile types currently exist and are used throughout the world.

The Cast-In-Place (or CIP) pile, as it is commonly referred to in the industry, is the topic of this paper. The typical CIP pile is constructed in order to support a structure or function as some type of structure in and of itself. They are used for building support, bridge support, utility support, and for many other purposes.

To begin, a work area will have to be prepared. An accessway may need to be constructed should the route of travel not be suitable to support the heavy equipment that will be used in this operation.

To begin, a work area will have to be prepared. An accessway may need to be constructed should the route of travel not be suitable to support the heavy equipment that will be used in this operation. This can take the form of temporary access roads made of geotextile fabric and an aggregate of some sort, or a temporary structure may be required. This is all dependent upon site conditions and design requirements.

The proposed installation area will be cleared and made reasonably flat and level. Further, any ground preparation will be performed as necessary to facilitate construction. A plethora of equipment including a crane of sufficient capacity will be brought on site along with a set of pile leads, a pile hammer, and a power source for the hammer.

Next, steel pipe pile shells would be brought on-site. These piles may require splicing, which is the joining of two or more sections to make a single pipe section, and the installation of points on the end of the pile of some sort if required.

The pile leads will be assembled and raised to a vertical orientation by use of the crane. In certain situations, the pile could be installed on a slant. In this case, the pile leads would be held in the slanted orientation for driving piles. This would be called a “battered pile” and is used to combat the sliding and/or overturning of a structure.

The hammer will be installed in the leads and the crane will raise it to an appropriate height. The pipe pile will then be raised by the crane until it is completely within the leads and the entire assembly will be positioned