Deep foundations provide the key support for most heavy structures. The final product often is highly dependent upon the skill of the installing contractor and the success of the installation can be greatly influenced by the surrounding soils. It is imperative that these foundations function properly or the supported structure will be put into distress. The foundation must have adequate geotechnical capacity and its structural integrity must not be compromised. Unfortunately, the final foundation product lies buried beneath the ground which makes inspection difficult.
The foundations may be installed by drilling or driving methods. Because each installation technique has its own difficulties, different inspection methods, each with its unique strengths, are needed. Modern tools are now available to assess most deep foundations, either as monitoring during installation or inspecting the foundation in place. Several methods of integrity evaluation are available, and their applicability to the differing deep foundation types are discussed, and recommendations made. Static or dynamic testing methods are reviewed for their ability to assess the geotechnical capacity of each deep foundation type.