March 21, 2023

Some say it’s often easier to show something in a picture than to describe it with words. With the many service lines that NOVA has to offer, providing photos of our team in action is truly an eye-opening experience and contributes an added level of appreciation for what NOVA can provide to our clients.

Featured in this photo, a NOVA engineer/Master of Special Inspections (MSI) is providing inspection services during an auger cast pile installation. Auger cast piles are a type of drilled foundation in which the pile is drilled to the allowable design depth in one continuous process using a continuous flight auger. High-strength cement grout is pumped under pressure through a shaft as the auger is slowly withdrawn. Reinforcing steel is added per pile specifications. This particular project involves the construction of a larger building that is replacing several demolished buildings. The new building will contain two stories, be framed primarily with structural steel and precast concrete panels, and will also contain a standing seam metal roof.

NOVA services include inspecting drilling operations and maintaining complete and accurate records for each auger cast pile installed, which includes plumbness (state of being vertical), reinforcing steel placement and securement, and grout flow cone testing. Drive precast piles are being monitored for blow counts per foot to evaluate when compliance with the project requirements has been met.

This is just one example of the many integral services that NOVA can provide when it comes to deep foundation observation. Deep foundations are a type of foundation that is used to transfer building loads further down the earth to utilize stable soil. This process is utilized to improve the bearing capacity of the existing soil to carry the allowable design loads. Deep foundations are essential for safety and maintaining the integrity of a building.

Photo credit: Karl Chaney, Special Inspector, Raleigh, NC