TODAY’S AGENDA

WEEK 4 – PILE DRIVERS

1. Pile Driving Equipment

PILE DRIVING EQUIPMENT

PILES ARE USED IN FOUNDATION CONSTRUCTION when the soil bearing

capacity is not sufficient for the planned structure.

This is due to:

1. THE SOIL CONDITION OF THE ORDER OF BOTTOM LAYERS,
2. THE TYPE OF LOADS REQUIRED ON THE FOUNDATION,
3. AND SITE CONDITIONS AND OPERATIONAL CONDITIONS.

Piles are used in foundation construction when the soil

bearing capacity is not sufficient for the planned structure.
PILE DRIVING EQUIPMENT
TWO WAYS PILES TRANSFER THEIR LOADS:
BEARING PILES:
• End Bearing or Friction Bearing
• End Bearing – transmit their load by resting on the strata
• Friction Bearing – transmit their load through skin friction between
the pile surface and the surrounding soil

SHEET PILES:
• Used as retaining structure and are usually interlocking flat or z
sections.

PILES TRANSFER THEIR LOADS IN ONE OF TWO WAYS:

PILE BEARING ON BEDROCK OR PILES PROVIDING SUPPORT

THROUGH SKIN FRICTION
PILE DRIVING EQUIPMENT
DIFFERENT TYPES OF PILES:

• Typically wood, steel or concrete

• Wood piles can be treated or untreated
• Steel piles can be H shaped or round – H-piles are most common

• Concrete piles can be cast-in-place or pre-cast

PILE DRIVING EQUIPMENT

CONCRETE & WOOD PILES
PILE DRIVING EQUIPMENT
STEEL PILES

PILE DRIVING EQUIPMENT

SHEET PILES
PILE DRIVING EQUIPMENT

PILE DRIVING EQUIPMENT

PILE HAMMERS:
• Drop Hammer

• Single-acting Steam or Compressed Air

• Double-acting Steam or Compressed Air
• Differential-acting Steam or Compressed Air

• Diesel
• Hydraulic – impact and Drivers
• Vibratory Drivers
PILE DRIVING EQUIPMENT

DROP HAMMER: CONSIDERATIONS:

• Small investment • Slow rate of driving ability
• Simple operation • Danger of pile head damage
• Small projects • Risk to adjacent structures
• Hammer size & weight options
• Unable to drive under water

. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UZRHMKBQQw

PILE DRIVING EQUIPMENT

SINGLE-ACTING STEAM HAMMER: CONSIDERATIONS:
• 5,000 – 200,000 lb hammers • Higher capital investment
• 1 to 4 foot drop • Higher maintenance costs
• Faster driving rate (40-60 • Longer set up time
blows/min)
• Less damage to pile head • Larger crew costs
• Can be used underwater • Larger crane required
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqu1QmiZ8xU
PILE DRIVING EQUIPMENT
DOUBLE-ACTING STEAM HAMMER:
• “Rapid blow hammers”
• 500 – 5,000 lb hammers
• Short drop
• Faster driving rate (95-300
blows/min)
• Faster rate reduces friction
PILE DRIVING EQUIPMENT
DIESEL HAMMER:
• Single & Double action hammers
• No external energy source
needed
• Hammer is economical (self-
contained)
• Convenient in remote areas
• Lighter than steam hammers
CONSIDERATIONS:
• Hammer is more complicated
• Less suitable in soils with high
friction resistance
• Better for light to medium
weight piles – not steel
.
CONSIDERATIONS:
• May not function well in soft
ground
• Resistance is necessary for
hammer to operate
• Difficult to determine energy/blow
..
. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym3OT1oipNc
PILE DRIVING EQUIPMENT
VIBRATORY HAMMER: CONSIDERATIONS:
• Best suited for water saturated • Not suitable for dry sand and
non-cohesive soils non-saturated, non-cohesive
soils
• Will produce good speed if soil
conditions are right • Requires external power
source
• Smaller crane can be used
..

.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfOnfV3ClfU

PILE DRIVING EQUIPMENT

SHEET PILES:
• Primarily used to support/retain
earth during construction
• Supports lateral loads of soil
• Can be made of timber, concrete or
steel
CONSIDERATIONS:
• Timber is used for smaller loads
• Concrete is good around water
• Steel is best for large loads
• Bracing/tiebacks are required
for larger loads

..

. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A47OAosNnG4
PILE DRIVING EQUIPMENT
VIDEO:
Pile Butts –

“Under the Hammer”

VIDEO LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVOlfikFgrs