Drill, Baby, Drill: Using Resistance Drill Measurements to Economize Level III Timber Pile Inspections and Estimate Reduction in Pile Load Capacity

Timber elements can be destroyed from the inside out by a marine borer called Teredo navalis without any external evidence that the element is damaged. Current methods of internal investigation for timber elements do not address structural capacity concerns due to section loss in the interior of the pile. This paper will investigate a new methodology for investigating the interior of timber piles and other elements and how that data can be utilized to inform port owners about the remaining structural capacity of their facilities.