General guidance only — all construction work must be overseen by a supervising engineer This handbook is compiled from standards and laws with every source cited, andis being reviewed for certification by engineers Use it to know what to look at, what to ask and what evidence to request on site It is not an engineering determination and can't replace an engineer · Terms of use · Limitations of the handbook

Piles and foundations

Checking pile verticality — why you need to look along 2 axes, and how

Page code P02-03 · 5 inspection criteria · 1 illustrations

A pile can lean in any direction, but a person standing in one place only sees lean perpendicular to their line of sight. If the pile leans towards or away from you, it looks perfectly straight — that's why you must look from 2 directions at right angles to each other, and once the footing is poured over it there's no w…

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How to inspect — step by step
Criteria that must be met
Common mistakes

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