How to choose a pile integrity tester

By Grant, Inspection Tool Specialists. Reviewed November 2026.

Three things decide which pile integrity tester you need: how many piles you test and how often, whether you need one channel or two, and the standard or specification your project follows. Answer those first. A pile integrity test indicates the pile's continuity and approximate length; it does not measure its load capacity.

How the low-strain method works

A light hammer strikes the top of the pile, and a sensor on the pile head records the stress wave. Changes in the pile's cross-section, such as necking, cracks or soil inclusions, reflect part of the wave, and the reflections show where the change is. The method suits piles that are accessible at the top and that have been cured for the time the procedure requires.

Which tester?

Limits to understand

The test depends on the pile head being accessible, clean and sound, and on the pile's length and the surrounding soil. Results must be interpreted by a qualified engineer who knows the pile type and the site. A clean signal does not prove the pile's capacity, and a defect signal needs checking before any decision is made.

Price guide

As a guide to our current range, including VAT: wireless single-channel testers from about R79,000 to R91,300; the dual-channel tester from about R166,100. Prices change, so check the product pages and confirm the sensors, hammer and software each quote includes.

Questions we will ask you

Tell us the pile type and diameter, the expected length, how many piles you test, whether you need one or two sensors, the standard or specification your project follows, and whether results must be recorded and reported. With that we can recommend a tester and provide pricing.

Request pile integrity advice