Standardization News

ASTM International’s soil and rock committee (D18) has approved a new standard that will help engineers find the depth of inaccessible foundations supporting existing structures. 

Foundation elements covered by the new standard (D8381/D8381M) include micropiles, driven piles, bored piles, secant or tangent pile walls, caissons, barrettes, diaphragm walls, and sheet pile walls. The standard is applicable when the top of a foundation element cannot be exposed for testing and other testing methods cannot be used.  

ASTM International member Joram Amir says that civil and structural engineers involved in the restoration and repair of old buildings and bridges will be the primary users of the new standard. In addition, the standard will be useful to authorities who are planning underground facilities adjacent to existing, sensitive structures for which there no available records.  

“Reliable information about existing foundations is essential to the recycling/restoration of old buildings and bridges, as opposed to demolition,” says Amir.  

Amir invites anyone with an interest in deep foundations to join the subcommittee (D18.11) that developed D8381/D8381M.  

ASTM welcomes participation in the development of its standards. JOIN ASTM. 

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