ABSTRACT
A research project concerning “soil displacement screw piles” has been initiated in Belgium (BBRI, 1998–2000 and BBRI, 2000–2002). The main objective of this project is to perform static pile load tests on these pile types, in order to determine their static pile behaviour, and especially the empirical factors (installation coefficients), which should be applied on the semi-empirical calculation methods for the pile bearing capacity in Belgium. Furthermore, it is the objective to apply and analyse alternative (and cheaper) test methods to deduce the static pile behaviour, i.e. dynamic and statnamic load testing.
In a first stage of the project (BBRI, 1998-2000), which is presented in this volume, thirty pile load tests have been performed (twelve static, twelve dynamic, and six statnamic load tests), on five different types of screw piles and on driven prefabricated piles, all of them installed in stiff fissured overconsolidated Tertiary Boom clay at the Sint-Katelijne-Waver site.
This contribution aims to give a general overview of the activities which took place in order to organise the project, to ensure an overall quality control, and to perform load tests of high quality. Special attention will be paid at the discussion and illustration of the installation techniques and the monitoring parameters of the different types of screw piles.
