Glossary

Piston

The part of the falling weight in a power pile hammer which is fitted with piston rings. See Ram

French: piston

piston sampler

French: sonde à piston

German: Hohlkolbenprobeentnehmer

Spanish: tomamuestras de pistón

Italian: campionatore a pistone

Portuguese: extractor de embolo

Dutch: bemonsteringsbuis

pit

French: fosse, puits

German: Grube, Baugrube

Spanish: préstamo, foso

Italian: buca, cava, scavo, pozzetto

Portuguese: poço

Dutch: bouwput

PIT (Pile Integrity Tester)

An instrument for a pile integrity testing in the field. The test includes: an accelerometer and a strain gauge (optional). In general, an accelerometer is placed on the top of the pile prior to testing. The top of the pile is struck axially with a hamm

Pile Hammer, Automatic

A powered pile hammer in which the fluid valve is automatically thrown at both ends of the ram stroke to produce a regular cycle.

Pile Hammer, Semi-Automatic

A powered pile hammer in which the fluid valve is manually thrown at one end of the ram stroke and automatically thrown at the other end.

Pile Head

The uppermost end of a pile.

Pile Heave

See Heave

French: arrache-pieux

Pile Impedance

A material property of a pile. Determined as the product of the Young’s modulus (E) and area (A) of the cross section divided by the wave speed (c) as Z = EA / c.

Pile Installation Recorder

See Automated Monitoring Equipment.