Applications of mobile computing for piling operations

The construction of rotary bored piles is a labour intensive process utilising heavy plant and machinery. As-built information for piles is not graphically represented nor can it be easily audited. Presently, it is the responsibility of the workforce to ensure that the pile is constructed to specification and provide as-­built information through manual recording of data on site. Such methods result in non-conformances causing delays and additional costs from remedial works. Stent Foundations Ltd are a major U.K ground improvements contractor, specialising in such work and this paper describes the development of the Stent Handheld ElectRonic Piling Assistant (SHERPA). The system has the potential to improve the quality of piling infor­mation and the knowledge of the workforce. However, this can only be achieved by fully understanding the current working practices and information processes. These are mapped against the available technologies and implementation methods and the proposed solution developed.