Run a Blow Count Report

Use the Blow Count Report command to report on the number of hammer blows (blow count) that were required to embed each as-built pile (in a pile plan) to its required embedment. Knowing the blow count for each embedded pile is crucial for assuring the quality of the as-built piles.

Note: The Blow Count Report only applies to friction piling, not end-bearing piling. Only piles that are tagged as friction piles in the Create Pile command are counted in this report.

In a DPS900 piling operation for friction piles, each pile is embedded until the blow count requirement for the pile type is met. The blow count is defined as a specific number of blows (of the pile hammer) over a specified distance, counted throughout the placement of the pile. The target may be, for example, 50 blows in 0.25 m as the point of refusal of the pile to go deeper, i.e., the resistance target for the pile has been met (it has reached its load bearing requirement).

Splicing

In some cases the pile may not reach its blow count requirement within the length of a single pile. In such a case, piling is stopped, a second pile is spliced to the top of the one in the ground, and piling is resumed until the blow count requirements are met. This is referred to as a pile "splice".

Prerequisites:

Licensed module; See the Subscription Plans page. For a license matrix by command, see the License page in the TBC Community. Also see View and manage licensed features.
Pile plan with as-built pile data returned from a DPS900 system in the field

To access the command:

Select Blow Count Report.

To run a Blow Count Report:

In the Pile plan list, select the plan on which you want to report.
To limit the report to a specific pile or set of piles, check the Restrict to selected piles box. Then, from the As-built piles box, pick the piles to report on in the Plan View.
To override the blow count requirement, check the Override planned requirements box. Then specify a new value for the Target blows and Interval distance.
Note: The blow count requirements are set per pile type in the Manage Pile Types command.
Note: Overriding the planned requirements does not affect the piles considered as "complete" in the report. Percent complete just compares the number of as-built piles to planned piles, regardless of whether they met refusal or were partially piled.
To limit the report to a final number of blows or final embedment distance, check the Limit reported blows box. Then, specify either the final Blows or final Distance on which to report. The final distance will appear in even increments, plus a remainder if applicable. With this box unchecked, the report will contain many details and may be long.
Click Apply if you intend to run the report more than once, or click OK.


Selected Report Components (Summary tab)
Summary
Number of planned piles	This is the number of planned piles in your pile plan. If you didn’t restrict your selection, all of the piles are included.
Number of planned piles placed	This is the number of the exported piles in the plan that were embedded (as-built piles); this is the number of as built piles that are associated with your planned piles.
Percent complete	This is the number of planned piles placed divided by the planned piles.
Number of piles failing minimum blow count	This is the number of as-built piles that failed to meet the blow count requirements (specified by pile type or overridden for the report). This is the total piles that each exceeded the maximum distance a pile can move (interval distance) within a series of hammer strikes (target blows).
Number of planned piles placed	This is the number of the exported piles in the plan that were embedded (as-built piles); this is the number of as built piles that are associated with your planned piles.
Number of unplanned piles placed	This indicates as-built piles with no associated planned piles. These piles are usually added in the field when one or more piles break during embedment or when they did not meet tolerances, so they were abandoned.
Total piles placed	The number of as-built piles (combined total of both planned piles and unplanned piles).
Selected Report Components (tabs for individual piles)
Pile ID	This shows the unique identifier for the pile.
Pile type	This lists the type of each individual pile in the report. NA indicates that the as-built pile has no associated planned pile.
Cutoff elevation	This lists absolute elevation of the top of each pile after it has been cut off to its design elevation.
Splice	This shows the total number of splices (welds between pile sections) required for the pile to be embedded to its blow count requirements or point of refusal.
Pile length	This shows the original end-to-end length (between cross-section centroids) of the pile.
Embedded length	This shows the length of the embedded portion of the pile.
Target blows Interval distance	This shows the blow count requirements (either specified for the pile types in the plan or overridden in this Blow Count Report command).
Actual blows in last interval	The number of hammer strikes within the distance specified as the final interval.
Driven to refusal	Each pile is tagged with a status for its blow count quality: Pass - The pile met its point of refusal within the specified blow count criteria. Fail - The pile did not meet its point of refusal within the specified blow count criteria. Action - The pile (as-built) has no associated pile in the plan (planned pile), so further action may be required in the office or in the field.
Total blow count	This shows the actual number of blows that were required to embed the pile to its blow count requirement/convergence or point of refusal (within the minimum embedment length specified for its pile type).
Depth of pile	This shows cumulative embedment length of the pile per interval distance (defined in the Blow count requirement)
Number of blows	For each interval distance increment, this shows the number of blows that were struck.