A long structural post driven or cast into the ground to carry building loads down to strong soil or rock.
A slender, elongated deep foundation element driven or cast into the ground to transfer structural loads to deeper, more capable soil or rock strata. Piles may be made of steel, concrete, or timber and may be driven by impact, vibration, or drilling. They resist loads through end bearing on hard strata, skin friction along their length, or a combination of both.
Pile work is typically a specialty subcontractor scope, so GCs must scrutinize sub quotes for inclusions like mobilization, pile cutoff, dynamic testing, and disposal of spoils. Because pile counts and lengths come straight from the structural drawings and geotech report, any addendum revising the pile schedule directly changes quantities and demands a re-priced bid before award.
A GC compares two pile sub bids and notices one excludes pile cap excavation and load testing, so the estimator levels the quotes by adding those scope items before carrying the lower number.
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