Sentinel Times: What is piling?
Pile driving is one of a number of deep foundation digging methods. It is unique among them in that it is done in situ—that is, by using nothing more than the raw materials that are available on the construction site, as opposed to using excavators and other earthmoving machinery. A foundation may be monopile, consisting of nothing more than a single piece upon which the entire structure rests. Or it may be more complex, with a whole group of piles whose tops are embedded in a concrete block known as a pile cap and tied to one another with grade beams; either may bear the weight of the building, depending on how great it is carbon steel pipe.