High Capacity Drilled Cast-in-Place Piles

Soil and Materials Engineers, Inc. (SME) has utilized micro-piles on a number of projects in the Midwest. These foundation systems consist of drilling small diameter boreholes with a rotary-type drill rig or driving a casing with a small hammer. Mini-pile, micro-pile, or drilled-in pier, are other names for this type of piling system. Installing a structural steel member in the center of the excavated space, and grouting the borehole or casing completes the installation of the pile. The capacity of these piles varies, depending upon subsurface conditions, as well as the structural capacity of the pile. The size and yield strength of the structural steel member will determine the structural capacity. Two projects are presented where high capacity micro-piles were used because conventional driven piles would have been difficult, if not impossible to install.