Piling damage is divided into two categories: (1) damage that occurs prior to driving (during fabrication, handling, storing, or hauling), and (2) damage that occurs during driving operations (lifting or driving). When assessing damage to exposed portions of prestressed piling in an existing structure, treat it as a typical concrete substructure element. No special limits apply.

The acceptance and rejection criteria for prestressed piling are more severe than with most other structural elements because the consequences of a failure are also very severe. Foundation distress is typically very difficult to remedy and can lead to shortened service life of an entire bridge. Therefore, damage that could potentially hinder performance or reduce durability will typically lead to rejection of the piling.