ABSTRACT
The soil deposits in Finland were mainly formed during the last glaciation or thereafter as a result of various geological processes. The material either derives from the bedrock (mineral soils such as till, gravel, sand and clay) and plant remains (organic deposits such as peat), or is made up of precipitates of compounds dissolved in water (lime gyttja). Soil investigation must be extended below the soil layer which is defined to be an objective level for the pile points. This facilitates the use of end-bearing piles, friction piles and cohesion piles that all have a different working principle. Soil investigation must be performed using such methods that a working principle and design values of the piles and pile groups can be reliably defined. When end bearing pile foundations are used, soundings reach the rock face or a solid bottom layer. General structures of the penetrable layers and the bottom layer are determined.
