Plate load test/ Pile load test

The Plate Bearing Test is normally carried out at foundation level, either on the surface or in a shallow pit. Plates of varying sizes up to 720mm diameter are available. The loading plate is placed on the ground and connected via a load cell to a reaction load. Due to the larger size of the plate used (compared with a CBR test) this test is more suitable for testing larger aggregate backfills, however, it requires a larger reaction load.