Test a few piles before anyone pours concrete.
Every pile passed its twisting test. That test can't see the loose layer underneath, and there is no independent record of the readings. A short load test on a handful of well-chosen piles answers both. Doing it before the pour costs days. Finding a problem after the pour costs the foundation.
The path to pouring concrete
Dmitri has twice said to drop the load test and do torque checks only. Ask him why in person. A re-torque shows the screw still grips. Only a load test shows whether the soil under the screw holds.
This week, in order
Settle the test list and his load-test reversal
Ask Dmitri to mark B-1 and B-2 on the pile plan. Ask why he dropped the load test. Agree on 6–10 candidate piles to send Juan.
Get his position in writing
Ask about the loose layer, test piles, pile 87 as a pair, piles under 20 ft, the 46 over the shaft rating, and the cut-off height. Afterwards I'll pull the call recording and draft a confirming email.
Pin down two things
(1) A date for the field sheets. (2) The burned-hole piles by number. The logs don't show them, despite his answer. Juan, Scott and Dmitri already have his reply.
Get the lab report and a quote
A torque-check and load-test quote, plus the B-1/B-2 lab report and their view on whether the 20-ft minimum covered the 23–25 ft layer.
Hold the pour
Under §8, the pour waits for Juan's certification. Confirm in writing that no depth charges are billed without a signed change order (§7).
Identify the 9/24 10:47 pile
From his video and the "7′ × 2" note. If it's 27, 30 or 31, all three have ft-lb finals, and this closes.
Which piles to test
Take a few from each risk group, so a pass tells you about the whole group. Juan should make the final pick. Choosing independently is what makes the result count.
| Group | Candidates (net ft / final ft-lb) | Why | Suggest |
|---|---|---|---|
| A · On the crust loose layer just below | 46 (21 / 7,003), 41 (21 / 7,113), 42 (21 / 7,238), 37 (19 / 7,128), 71 (19 / 6,927), 101 (20 / 6,865), 104 (20 / 6,811), 105 (20 / 6,913) | Dmitri's list. The pile 12 situation: firm crust over loose wet sand. | 2–3 re-torque, 1 load test |
| B · In the loose layer | 87 (25 / 6,618), 43 (23 / 6,727), 9 (23 / 6,757), 5 (24 / 6,794), 14 (24 / 7,234), 13 (24 / 6,838), 45 (23 / 6,868), 150 (24 / 6,885); plus 1, 2, 7, 39, 44, 50, 52, 79, 88, 89, 96, 131, 152 | Blade sits in the weak soil itself. 43, 9 and 5 are among the lowest single-pile finals. | 2–3 re-torque, 1 load test |
| C · Shallowest (14 ft) | 18 (6,927), 19 (7,112), 21 (7,197), 22 (6,785), 23 (7,095), 28 (7,057), 122 (7,103), 125 (7,116), 126 (7,033), 136 (7,362), 137 (7,159), 139 (7,128) | Above the crust, in soil as loose as N 8 (B-2). | 1–2 re-torque, 1 load test |
Pile 87 is no longer the test case on its own merits. As half of a pair it only needs 5,556 and has 6,618. It's still a reasonable pick for group B, because its blade is in the loose layer at 25 ft.
Don't pour until every box is checked
- Final pile logs and sealed certification received (10/5)
- Pair list received; pile 87 explained (10/6)
- Calibration certificate matches the monitor on site
- Original field sheets received and compared with the final logs
- Burned-hole piles identified, with Juan's OK on corrosion and strength
- Quartet lab report and their view on the 23–26 ft layer
- Test piles chosen by Juan; re-torque done, filmed by a third party
- Load test on 2–3 piles, settlement acceptable to Juan
- Juan's written acceptance: piles under 20 ft, the 46 over 7,091, pile 82 shift
- Cut-off elevation issued; Cantsink cuts the tops
- Juan signs the §8 certification of the torque logs
What not to do
- Don't accept Andrew's "500,000 lb extra" argument. Total capacity doesn't matter. Each pile carries what's directly above it.
- Don't let the tops be cut before testing. A cut pile needs an extension welded on before it can be tested again.
- Don't pay any depth overage without a signed change order. That's $23k–$34k at $28/ft, and §7 requires the order.
- Don't argue the edited logs further. Andrew gave his explanation and promised the field sheets. Let the sheets settle it.