Piling Machines for Displacement Piles
Percussion Drivers – Pile Driving Hammer
Percussion drivers work like a huge hammer coming down on a giant nail! Pile drivers force the piles into the earth with brute force rather than excavating the bore hole in advance. The head of the pile is usually protected from damage with a steel cap. There are multiple different types of percussion drivers, such as:
Drop Hammer
A drop hammer driver is percussion driving in its simplest form. A huge block of iron is used, weighing up to several tonnes. It is hoisted up on the rig by a rope or chain and, once the correct calculated height is reached, it is dropped on the pile. This is the slowest method as the weight needs to be manually yanked back up each time but can be performed 10-20 times per minute.
Air Hammer
An air hammer uses compressed air or steam to force the pile hammer back up between strikes. This comes in two forms: single action air hammers force the hammer up and allow gravity to bring it back down, which can be completed up to 75 times per minute. Double action air hammers use compressed air to force the weight both up and down, resulting in a much quicker strike (up to 300 times per minute) but with less force per strike.
Diesel Hammer
A diesel hammers works in a similar way to an internal combustion engine – it employs the use of tiny explosions to drive the hammer upwards, allowing gravity to bring it back down to drive the pile into the ground. Controlled fuel injection provides the explosion each time, and this can be done up to 60 times a minute!
Hydraulic Drivers – Sheet Piling Ram
Hydraulic drivers are most often used for installing sheet piles or pile walls. A hydraulic ram is used to drive the sheets into the ground, and the driver can be used to weld individual piles together to create the pile walls.
Vibratory Drivers – Pile Vibrating Driver
A vibratory driver does exactly what it sounds like – it vibrates the piles to reduce friction and allow them to push down into the earth under their own weight. This produces the lowest noise levels so it perfect for residential areas! Depending on the type of soil, the vibrations may be low or high frequency.
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