Prestressed High Strength Concrete (PHC) pile, a widely used piling solution, was first introduced by Japanese engineers in the 1970s to provide a solid base for building structures in a rapidly growing and earthquake-prone country. Soon, it gained a reputation for its 3-dimensional (quality, cost, and time) benefits, and construction industries worldwide, including the USA, Germany, Italy, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam etc., started to use this type of pile extensively.
The PHC Pile was key in the iconic infrastructural development in China and Southeast Asia. Despite being one of the rapidly growing countries in development, it remains an overwhelming question: what took Bangladeshi Industrialists so long to establish the country’s first PHC pile manufacturing unit? The first state-of-the-art PHC pile manufacturing unit was established just two years ago at Bangabandhu Economic Zone, Mishahrai.
Flexibility of multipurpose use
PHC piles are used for many functions, such as bridge piers as deep foundation or pier piles, high-rise buildings, petroleum and gas tanks, water and sewage, wastewater treatment plants, marine structures and harbors, equipment foundation solutions for petroleum, gas, and steel plants, water desalination plants, and geothermal solutions. There are some defining features of this technology:
Load bearing capacity: PHC pile delivers high load capacity and better lateral strength.
Performance in different soil conditions: The PHC pile is equally effective in coastal environments across various salinities due to its better performance in the initial chloride penetration and propagation stage.
Economical design: With the higher design bearing capacity and high resistance, high-strength pile production is possible in a short time in an economical way due to steam curing
Few drying shrinkage: The centrifugal force test piece result shows that concrete cured by steam curing has smaller drying shrinkage and creep.
Excellent chemical resistance: PHC piles achieved better chemical resistance results than precast piles, as the cement hardener is bonded by steam curing, and the adhesion between the cement paste and the aggregate is strong.
Higher bending moment: As axial force is higher in the PHC pile than in the bored or precast pile, the bending moment of the PHC pile is also higher than the precast/bore pile.
Size of the pile: In Bangladesh, PHC piles can be manufactured up to 600 in diameter, whereas it is difficult to manufacture precast square piles of this cross-sectional area.
What experts say
Piling is an integral part of the structural design and a key component to ensure the sustainability and endurance of the structure when exposed to different types of load. Dr. Sayed Fakhrul Amin, one of the leading scholars in the field of civil engineering, shared his opinion with the Industry Insider,
“This groundbreaking technology was instrumental to the massive development works conducted in South East Asia. The PHC pile is not only about cost and project time optimization; it has technical features like high-strength concrete, structural load-bearing capacity, lesser drying shrinkage, etc., which make it stand out and ensure sustainable development. Its technical advantage is that it is the right fit for the soil conditions in Bangladesh and helps the designers ensure structural safety in case of extreme situations like earthquakes with a comparatively moderate cost.”
Besides its concrete strength and structural load-bearing capacity, the PHC pile also helps resolve critical project management challenges. We talked to another renowned scholar, Dr. Md. Shafiul Bari, a retired Professor of the Department of Civil Engineering, BUET. He remarked,
“In areas where conventional precast pile can’t be driven due to hard soil conditions, PHC pile can be easily inserted. Also, as it can be premanufactured, from the designer’s perspective, the pile requirement can be optimized by blending different sizes even in a closely knitted construction project, which is difficult in the case of conventional solutions due to complex site conditions. The PHC pile technologies can further assure structural design compliance and sustainability.”
“Both for casting or precast pile, it is difficult to ensure the homogeneous qualitative parameters across all the piles that will be used in a single project. In the case of PHC piles, the qualitative uniformity of each pile as per design can be assured as it is manufactured with precise specifications, engineering processes, and treatments,” noted Dr. Md. Jahangir Alam, a former Civil Engineering Professor at BUET.
“It is very hard to achieve such a result with conventional piles. At the same time, the quality of the manufacturing facility, including machines, processes, and raw materials, also needs to be of standard quality to extract these benefits. In the case of PHC piles, the manufacturing process and materials are the key components as structural designers trust the pile data provided by the manufacturers,” he added.
PHC pile in Bangladeshi projects
Bangladesh started using PHC piles in the late nineties when there were no manufacturing facilities. All the PHC piles had to be imported mostly from Malaysia and China. However, confirming design specifications, ordering that to a different country, and not having the scope to address any changes after the order limited the usage of PHC piles. The usage saw a sharp incremental growth once the manufacturing facilities were established in Bangladesh, especially after the facility in the Bangabandhu economic zone. This facility, owned by Samuda Construction Ltd, can manufacture piles with 80-grade concrete up to 600 mm diameter (for Class A, B, C, and AB). Today, many renowned companies like Unitex, KIAM, JMI, SPCL, Fervent, etc., use the PHC pile for their critical industrial projects. It is also used for commercial and residential projects across the country.
What industrial users, engineers, and top executives are saying
Thanks to its high strength capacity, quality, time optimization in piling works, ease of onsite project management, and cost optimization, PHC pile has earned an excellent reputation across the industry. Pranoy Barua, the Head of Project at the Unitex Group–one of the country’s most renowned conglomerates, shared his perspectives with the Industry Insider,
“We were a bit conservative initially using PHC pile instead of conventional pile driving solutions. Yet we took the initiative to engage our design team along with our experienced consultant to explore the benefits of using the PHC pile. Eventually, our team was convinced that we should go ahead with it. Now that we had completed our project piling works in a much shorter time than the estimated period while maintaining high standard quality, it is evident that the team preferred the PHC pile, which was an excellent decision.”
We talked to Bikash Kanti Das, Chief Business Officer of Samuda Chemical Complex Limited, who had this to say about PHC pile technology, “PHC pile technology should be used for its high strength capacity, quality, time efficiency, ease of onsite management, and cost-effectiveness. Initially skeptical, our team found that PHC piles allowed us to complete projects faster while maintaining high quality. The establishment of a local manufacturing facility resolved import concerns, further boosting our confidence. PHC piles significantly reduce construction timelines, improving project viability and overall performance.”
When asked about the impact of using the PHC pile, Engr. Md. Mamunur Rashid, the Head of Civil Construction of Kiam Glassware Industries Ltd., opined, “We had an understanding of the PHC pile as we knew it has already been used in a few heavy industrial projects. However, we were skeptical because they all had to import the PHC piles from abroad. With the ongoing import-related concerns, our team was reluctant to use it. But, once we heard that a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility for the PHC pile had been established at Bangabandhu Economic Zone, we immediately visited the plant. We onboarded the PHC pile as our piling works solution. Using the PHC pile, our project benefitted in terms of cost, project timeline, and quality assurance.”
Another remarkable name that uses the PHC pile in all its new structural enhancements is the Bashundhara Group. Industry Insider received the Director Mr. Aman Ullah’s feedback regarding why they opted for the PHC pile, “When we assess any project viability, one of the major concerns is the timeline for construction works. Project financing, cost recovery, and other important indicators are linked with this timeline. We often struggle to meet this timeline because of the piling works, which impacts the overall performance index. PHC pile can be the answer to this, and the remarkable speed achieved with the right set of pile driving machines engaged will help the project team significantly reduce the construction time.”
Oil and gas have always been considered one of the most sophisticated industries worldwide. The country’s largest private oil refinery, Super Petro Chemical Limited, just completed its expansion project, where it used PHC pile for the first time. Pranab Kumar Saha, Chief Executive Officer of the company, shared his experience with us, “As we were under time constraints to complete the project, we opted for PHC pile to construct sophisticated refinery structures. The piling works were completed way ahead of our estimated time. Also, the pile driving operation was done with a push-type hydraulic rig, which ensured the critical compliance and safety measures required for any brownfield project within oil and gas proximity.”
Things become critical in chemical industries as the exposure to any incident may be catastrophic. The recent project of Samuda Chemical Complex, comprising more than 2000 tons of steel, was constructed using PHC piles. The COO of the company, Mr. Abdul Ahad, described his experience of using the PHC pile for the first time, “Our structures are heavier than conventional plants. PHC pile provided us with project time management advances and reduced our costs compared to conventional piling solutions. Besides the larger dimensions, which are difficult to make with conventional precast pile.”
Edison Group, a reputed conglomerate in Bangladesh, has also used PHC piles in its projects. The company COO, Mr. S M. Sahedul Karim Munna, shared, “We had not used PHC piles in our projects before 2023. This product was introduced to us by Samuda Construction Ltd., and after understanding its advantages, our project team immediately agreed to use it. The result reflected our trust in the manufacturer regarding quality, execution, and other benefits.”
Mr. Anowar Hossain, the Director of Anwar Landmark, a leading real estate company in the country, shared his insights on PHC piles, “The conventional piling solutions require a lot of onsite construction activities. As a compliant company, we have strong HES (health, environment, and safety) policies to be practiced and validated. PHC pile reduces the onsite construction activities significantly, thus lowering the risk matrix regarding HES indicators (like no dusty activities). It also helps us be compliant with local and international standards of construction safety guidelines and environmental protocols.”
Pile driving operations
One of the key components of the PHC pile is the onsite driving of the pile. Some reputed companies are working with various machines, like hydraulic Pile driving machines, diesel hammer type pile driving machines, hammer type excavator mounted hydraulic pile driving machines, etc., providing the customers options to choose the suitable machine based on their onsite requirements and structural needs. Companies like Advance, Nandonik, Safe Structure Solutions, KCE, and YGEN have different fleets of pile-driving equipment and have detailed know-how on how to drive the pile in different soil conditions.
Engr. M. A. Hashem, cofounder of Nandonik, told Industry Insider, “We have both push and hammer-type PHC pile-driving rigs deployed in several industrial projects. The client prefers this PHC pile solution because of its competitive advantages in terms of time, quality, and project management.”
“The driving operation is critical for the pile manufacturer and the end user. A disciplined operational team with experience can ensure safe pile driving without any damage and also increase productivity,” noted Md Arif Hossain, cofounder of Knit Consultant and Engineering.
Cofounder of Safe Structure Solutions, Md Mottaleb Hossain, remarked, “We have a lot of experience in pile driving operation. Thanks to Samuda Construction Ltd’s state-of-the-art production facility, the usage of PHC piles has increased significantly. The manufacturer also helped us prepare SOP and adopt better methodologies, which has already positively impacted this field.”
Mr. Sayem Sharif, the Chairman of YGEN Engineering Ltd, remarked, “As the use of PHC pile increased both in industrial and residential projects, specific requirements regarding pile driving rigs also popped up. We brought the first ever hydraulic hammer type, excavator mounted, semi-automatic pile driving machine to Bangladesh. As the machine is excavator mounted, it can move easily to closely knitted areas. Its semi-automatic features allow it to grab, position, and drive the pile using the machine.”
An accelerator for Bangladesh’s construction industry
PHC pile offers a compact solution addressing the needs of Bangladesh’s growing construction sector. Mr. Abdul Ahad, COO of Samuda Construction Ltd, one of the pioneers of PHC pile technology in Bangladesh, said, “In our manufacturing process, each step is automated, which assures the uniformity of quality of all piles we manufacture. The raw materials are also sourced, maintaining a rigorous quality control system, and experienced and trained engineers monitor each step of the manufacturing process.”
“PHC pile helps our clients invest their critical structures in a proven, sustainable way with more strength in a significantly shorter period. The process of PHC pile is environment friendly and reduces the wastage that the client had to bear in the case of conventional pile solutions. We are now catering to several large-scale industrial and commercial projects and have received excellent feedback from investors, structural designers, project managers, and all the relevant stakeholders,” he elaborated.
Our construction industries often do not see their full potential, and inefficiency, mismanagement, and corruption are considered to be the reasons. However, a crucial aspect remains unaddressed: adapting the right technology at the right time. PHC pile is the right technology for our highly growing piling works in the industrial, infrastructure, and residential sectors. It has been proven impactful in countries like Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and China when they were going through the same phase, and if adopted rightly, it will have a similar impact in our case, too.
