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A bearing pile is a foundational element used in construction to support a structure. It is driven into the ground to transfer the building's vertical load to a stronger soil layer located deeper underground. This is crucial when the upper soil layers are too weak to bear the weight.12

Bearing piles can be made from timber, precast concrete, or steel H-piles. They are installed using pile drivers, which are machines that use hammers to drive the piles into the earth. In some cases, hollow steel pipes are driven, excavated, and then filled with concrete to form the bearing pile.23

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