The Federation of Piling Specialists (FPS) has introduced an E-Pile Schedule that not only increases information efficiencies, through the provision of data in a standardised format, but is also designed to eliminate potential errors with loading details, assisting structural engineers throughout the specification and design process.

The Microsoft Excel-based E-Pile Schedule, which can be downloaded from the FPS website [www.fps.org.uk], is available for British Standard and Eurocode design approaches and eliminates the need to input data manually – an advantage to all those potentially involved in a construction project and in-line with BIM.

Speaking about the E-Pile Schedule’s introduction, Andrew Bell, Chief Engineer at Cementation Skanska and member of the FPS Technical Committee Said: “With the advent of Eurocodes loading details relevant to pile design have become ever more complex. As such there is a much greater margin for error when deriving the appropriate design loadings, when compared to the traditional standard approach. What the E-Pile Schedule will do is remove any ambiguity in the derivation of pile loadings with piling details delivered to the Structural Engineer in an easy-to-use standardised format, so the piling contractor no longer has to ‘make a judgment’ of the loading conditions removing any potential for error.”

Over the life cycle of any project, data is often derived manually from PDF’s or other file-types, a process which not only takes time and adds a potential error source, but can also introduce delays in the design and pricing of works.

Andrew added: “With data available in a standardised electronic format its transmission is far easier and more robust and will allow fully automated inclusion of pile details into project BIM models, as well as allowing updates to be added throughout the project and these adjustments updated also in the BIM model.”