Questions?

CAPWAP® Signal Matching

• What value "Match Quality" is recommended in CAPWAP®?
• My laptop was recently reformatted and I re-installed the PDA® and CAPWAP® software but the open PDA® file for the CAPWAP® was not able to run.
• In CAPWAP®, what factors should be used for radiation damping for shaft and toe?
• When is it appropriate to use "Radiation Damping", and when is it not?
• Is the "Match Quality" the only parameter to determine the accuracy of the results?
• What Case / Smith damping factor and quake (shaft and toe) values are recommended when using CAPWAP® for specific pile soil combinations?
• Can uplift be estimated from dynamic testing?
• Can I use iCAP® as a starting point for a traditional CAPWAP® analysis?
• Does iCAP® replace the traditional CAPWAP®?
• My CAPWAP® analysis shows a total capacity (Ru) greater than the applied force (FMX). Is that possible?
• When performing a CAPWAP® analysis the following messages were displayed: “Warning: Not fully activated resistance” and “Totally activated resistance: XXX.” What do these messages mean?

CAPWAP® Signal Matching | Dynamic Load Testing / Pile Monitoring (PDA)

• What is the shortest foundation length for Dynamic Load Testing?
• I am testing an H-pile that is not listed in the PDA Area Calculator. How do I calculate and enter the cross-section area, the bottom area and the perimeter in the PDA-W program?
• My CAPWAP® analysis is showing a "Shaft Quake" larger than the "Toe Quake". Is that possible?

Cloud Services

• Can the project files be sorted or prioritized on a user’s project list?
• Can the Manager of a client domain be changed?
• What if a project or only some of a project’s files do not appear on a user’s project list?
• How do you add or remove existing PDI-Cloud users from a client domain?
• How is the project data managed in the cloud?
• How can a user change their cloud password?
• How can the PDI-Cloud client ensure a successful registration?
• What is the PDI-Cloud Analyst user role? What level of Cloud access is this user granted?
• What is the PDI-Cloud Supervisor user role? What level of Cloud access is this user granted?
• What is the PDI-Cloud Manger user role? What level of Cloud access is this user granted?
• Will the legacy TIP™ Main Unit run on the wireless system?

Cross Hole Sonic Logging (CHAMP)

• The tube configuration is not showing up on the printed output of my Cross Hole Analyzer or even in the analysis screen. How can this be corrected?
• How can I recalibrate or check the calibration of the Cross-Hole Analyzer Depth Encoders?
• I entered the wrong tube length (or length above concrete) for one or more tubes in the CHAMP. Is there any way of correcting that?
• I entered wrong tube spacing for one or more profiles in the field. Is there any way of correcting that?
• When creating a PDF output file from the CHA-W or PDIPLOT program, the graphs look pixilated and with low resolution. This does not happen when the output is sent to a printer. Is there a solution to this problem?
• How can I get a backup of the CHAMP program currently saved on the PCMCIA card?
• For cross-hole sonic logging, what is the maximum spacing between the transmitter probe and the receiver probe?
• For cross-hole sonic logging, what is the recommended number of tubes relative to the shaft diameter?
• Is there a relationship between concrete strength and wave speed? How can the acceptable minimum wave speed be determined?
• Is TomoSonic still supported?
• When preparing a shaft for CSL, can access tubes with different diameters be used in the same shaft?

Dynamic Load Testing / Pile Monitoring (PDA)

• Can PAX sensors be used with a PDA-8G unit? What additional equipment is needed? What are the associated disadvantages?
• What is the maximum diameter of a pile on which we can perform a dynamic test with two sets of strain transducers?
• I’m observing that the forces are of different magnitudes in a PDA test. Should I use the "Replay Factors" to adjust the data?
• I need to order sensors from PDI, and am being asked if my connection is threaded or twistlock. How can I tell?
• Why does the “DFN” value sometimes not match the actual set measured on site?
• What is the hole pattern for PDA sensor attachment?
• How can I check the calibration of the Pile Driving Analyzer® (PDA)?
• Is a PDA test required during the test pile period to establish driving criteria, as well as during the production pile period?
• How many PDA-8G tests are typically required in the USA?
• Can uplift be estimated from dynamic testing?
• How is the pile weight accounted for in dynamic testing?

Dynamic Load Testing / Pile Monitoring (PDA) | SPT Energy Calibration (SPT)

• The calibration sheet for my PR accelerometer has two numbers: a “Calibration Factor” in mv/G and a “PAK (*5000)” number. Which one is the calibration I should input into my PDA (or SPT Analyzer)?

E-Saximeter

• Will the ESAX pick up vibrations from nearby drilling?
• What is the importance of the blow count on a ESAX driving log?

General Support

• When copying files to and from a USB Drive, does the user need to properly eject the USB?

Pile Installation Recorder (PIR)

• How is pile data reported and saved by the PIR?
• Can the PIR equipment be installed by a contractor?
• How long does it take to install the PIR equipment?
• How often does the PIR wireless transmitter's battery need replaced (used with the wireless rotation and wireless depth units)?
• How long will it take the crane operator to become proficient with the PIR?
• What are the advantages of using a Pile Installation Recorder (PIR) Magnetic Flow Meter to measure the amount of grout installed in an augered cast-in-place or continuous flight auger pile as opposed to counting pump strokes?

Pile Integrity Tester (PIT)

• What should be done when reinforcement extending above the pile top generates spurious vibrations which interfere with the PIT data?
• How often does the Pile Integrity Tester (PIT) accelerometer and instrumented hammer need recalibrated?
• How often does the Pile Integrity Tester (PIT) need to be recalibrated?
• With what certainty can pile lengths be determined by PIT?
• How is the real wave velocity found by a Pile Integrity Test (PIT)?
• When using PIT, will reflections from the reinforcing mask the signal significantly?
• When performing two accelerometer PIT tests, if the top of the pile cannot be struck, can the pile be struck on the side?
• Is there a relationship between concrete strength and wave speed? How can the acceptable minimum wave speed be determined?
• Is it possible to assess the integrity, depth, and loading capability of existing concrete piles?
• Is it possible to test timber piles with PIT?
• What is the maximum length/diameter (L/D) ratio for low strain integrity (PIT) tests?

Saximeter-Q

• Can the SAX-Q’s output be adjusted to a State’s/Authority’s standard form?
• Can users adjust microphone sensitivity?
• Can stroke be calculated for a non-diesel hammer?
• Has the SAX-Q accuracy been verified?
• How does the SAX-Q stroke calculation differ from the PDA calculation?
• How is hammer Stroke Calculated for an open-ended diesel hammer?
• How does the Sax-Q sense a hammer impact?

Shaft Area Profile Evaluator (SHAPE®)

• What is the SHAPE’s recommended deployment speed?
• Can users deploy the SHAPE on a winch?
• Can the SHAPE be used in dry conditions?
• Are videos available of a SHAPE in operation?
• What software is required to view the SHAPE® data and generate reports?
• Does the SHAPE® software offer a 3D data output?
• Does the SHAPE® work in a wet shaft?
• Can the SHAPE® determine a drilled shaft’s verticality?
• How long does a SHAPE® test take?
• What is the data resolution for SHAPE®?
• How far can the SHAPE® descend into a drilled excavation?

Shaft Quantitative Inspection Device (SQUID™)

• What software is required to operate the SQUID™?
• Can SQUID™ data be collected wirelessly?
• How does the SQUID™ determine debris thickness?
• What is the maximum debris thickness the SQUID™ can determine?
• What is the minimum shaft diameter the SQUID™ can be deployed?
• Does the SQUID™ work in both wet and dry shafts?
• Does the SQUID™ have a camera?

SPT Energy Calibration (SPT)

• How are the energy quantities for the PDA-8G (EMX, EFV, ETR and ETH) and for the SPT Analyzer (EMX, EFV, ETR, E2E, E2F, EF0, EF2, EV2) calculated?
• Can the Pile Driving Analyzer® (PDA) be used to measure the energy transferred to an SPT rod?

Thermal Integrity Profiler (TIP™)

• Are there quality control procedures in place during the manufacturing of Thermal Wire® cables?
• How would one perform quality control checks on the Thermal Wire® cables in the field or in the office?
• Is there a general rating criteria for concrete quality either based on "Effective Radius" or any other indicator which can guide engineers who use TIP data?
• What is the effect of an extended duration pour, such that the first truck is batched many hours ahead of the last?
• Is it possible to determine if a change in temperature is caused by a change in cross section or by a change in cement / fly ash content?
• How do external surroundings affect Thermal Integrity Profiling (TIP™) results?
• What are the minimum and maximum shaft diameter and length that can be tested with the TIP™? Can augercast piles be evaluated?
• What is the effect of retarders or other admixtures?
• Is there an ASTM standard for Thermal Integrity Profiling (TIP™)?
• How are TIP™ measurements used to compute the effective radius?
• Can TIP be performed if there is only a single center reinforcing bar installed in a Continuous Flight Auger (CFA) pile or Augered Cast-in-Place (ACIP) pile?

Underwater Sensors

• What is the anticipated lead time for underwater sensors?
• What is the proper care of the underwater sensors?
• What is the difference between Underwater and In-House Underwater sensors?
• How are the underwater sensors assembled?

Wave Equation Analysis (GRLWEAP)

• My GRLWEAP program is not working properly with touch-screen. Is there a fix for this problem?
• I am having problems printing from a PDI program using a PDF converter; the output looks pixelated and has low resolution, or I get an error message and the print-out is not being generated.
• The assembly weights shown on the specifications I have for an External Combustion Hammer are different than those shown in the GRLWEAP database (or the sum of the assembly weights is different than the total hammer weight minus ram weight). Should the assembly weights be corrected, and if so how should I do it?
• Previously the FHWA driven 1.2 software could be used to import soil layer properties into GRLWEAP. Now, FHWA driven 1.2 is no longer supported on newer operating systems. Does GRLWEAP 2010 allow entry of soil layer properties as an alternate method to the driven software?
• What specific weight, elastic modulus and wave speed should be entered into the PDA / GRLWEAP when testing / analyzing ductile cast iron piles (DYWIDAG brand)?
• What is a Refined Wave Equation (GRLWEAP) Analysis?