Application of the new foundation code in piling construction: contractor's perspectives

Piled foundation design and construction for a private development project in Hong Kong should comply with the Buildings Ordinance and related regulations. In October 2004, the Buildings Department in Hong Kong published the Code of Practice for Foundations, though not a statutory document, which states that compliance with the requirements of this new Code in design and construction of piled foundation shall ‘deem-to-satisfy’ the Building (Construction) Regulations. This paper aims to describe how the new Code can be applied in various stages of piling construction including pre-design site investigations, pre-drilling, and pile installation, and execution of proof tests. It also highlights potential impacts to a piling contractor, and suggests practical solutions under typical private development project arrangements. Particular attention is given to the depth of pre-design ground investigation boreholes, interpretation of category of rock mass against total core recovery, pre-drilling for raking piles, driving a pile to final set and modification of acceptance requirements for compression and tension loading tests.

Fred Y. W. Koo
Director & Construction Manager, Vibro (H.K.) Ltd, Hong Kong

Terence C. W. Ng
Senior Engineer, Vibro (H.K.) Ltd, Hong Kong