Pilote is a concept that comes from pilot , an Old French word. The term refers to an elongated element that is nailed into a surface with the aim of consolidating the foundations of a work.
Piles can be made of concrete or reinforced concrete , iron , wood or other materials. They are similar to stakes and are used to move loads to a resistant area .
When this stratum is too deep, it is not possible to use a foundation using slabs or other more common resources. In this framework, a pile is used: this column descends vertically through the ground until it reaches the place of greatest resistance and then the element that is responsible for transmitting the loads rests on it.
The first piles were made of wood and were used in flooded regions or with very high water tables. For the foundation, logs were used as piles.
Nowadays, driven piles are usually used, which are based on the introduction of prefabricated pieces into the ground. The so-called in situ piles are also common: in this case, the ground is drilled, reinforcement is installed inside and then filled with concrete.
Piles, in short, help to find a firm stratum to lay foundations (that is, to lay the foundations of a construction). The loads , in this way, cross the most inconsistent strata and are transmitted to a deep area that, due to its characteristics, is suitable to support them.
On the other hand, there are the so-called eccentric piles , which are placed outside the axes of the contracts and columns in urban-type constructions whose structures are reticular. This type of pile offers a series of considerable advantages over traditional ones since they do not have to be installed before removing the building but rather this can be carried out even throughout the construction process.
If the building has a weight, it can be used as ballast for the driving reaction to the hydraulic device, which does not emit annoying noises or excessive vibrations, is compact, cleaner and has a greater capacity than a process based on hammer blows.
Both the building owner and the engineering team can perceive benefits when using eccentric piles: the first, with respect to the budget, which becomes smaller; the second because you can work with greater security and flexibility, offering better results to your clients and making better use of your working hours. Let's look at some of the advantages specifically:
* the total construction time decreases considerably because it is no longer necessary to install the piles before the entire process begins;
* given the way in which the ground is drilled, the piles have a more precise and coherent verticality with the line of gravity ;
* once the Soil Mechanics Study analyzes the project, it can decide between several types of piles, such as those with negative friction, floating ones and those that are supported by the tip;
* regardless of the load that is applied, it is guaranteed that the piles will not move and this serves to control stress and deformations between the ground, the building and the piles themselves, something especially useful in areas where seismic activity is frequent;
* The original operation of an eccentric pile can be changed at any time, if there is a problem caused by a certain anomaly of the subsoil with respect to the behavior anticipated by the engineering team. Some common examples are earthquakes , overloading, and moisture loss.