Validity of the Beta Method to determine pile damage

Titel	Validity of the Beta Method to determine pile damage	SW2022 Validity of the Beta Method to determine pile damage
Author(s)	Verbeek, Bielefeld
Year	2022
Language	English
Where	11th Int Stress Wave Conference, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Cite as	Verbeek, G.E.H., & Bielefeld, M.W. (2022, September 20). Validity of the Beta Method to determine pile damage. 11th International Conference on Stress Wave Theory and Design and Testing Methods for Deep Foundations (SW2022), Rotterdam, The Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7148261

ABSTRACT:

In 1979 the Beta Method of pile integrity was published. The basic idea behind this method is that stress waves propagating through a foundation pile will be reflected on cracks in concrete piles. As the crack becomes more extensive, so do the reflections. In the ultimate situation of a fully cracked pile, no waves will travel through the crack and the stress wave will be fully reflected. The Beta Method is then calculating the reflection rate (reflected as percentage of the original peak force) and the outcome is presented as a reliable integrity indicator. However, from both theory and practical experience it can be shown that applying the beta method to indicate pile damage will give false negative and false positive results. The former is unwanted because sound piles will be rejected, which will cause grief to the piling contractor. The latter will result in the fact that damaged piles are accepted as sound, where that shouldn't be the case, obviously increasing the risk
of failure. The paper will once again illustrate this, through theory as well as practical examples, and then conclude by making suggestions for a practical pile damage assessment on a job site using low strain dynamic testing.

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