Two of the most commonly used foundation systems in India are open foundations and pile foundations. In open foundations, it is relatively easier to control the quality of construction. However when it comes to pile foundations, there are certain challenges in checking its integrity. It is critical to check if the length of the pile is as per the design or not. Similarly it needs to be confirmed that there is no bulging or necking in the pile anywhere along its length. Here is when pile integrity testing comes into play. This test allows one to check if there is any necking or bulging along the length of the pile. And if it is present what is the percentage deviation in terms of the piles cross sectional area. Any significant deviation in the length of the pile can also be determined using the pile integrity tests.

Many pile integrity testing companies provide this service using equipment from different international manufacturers. However due to a large variation in soil properties across project sites, it is of utmost importance that the plots obtained from the pile integrity test is interpreted correctly. This requires a good understanding of the behaviour of stress wave in the concrete and soil strata. Hence emphasis should be laid on a meaningful interpretation of the pile integrity test results rather than merely conducting the tests to obtain plots