Ever considered how towering structures can be built and stay intact for many years? Well, pile driver makes this possible. Pile driving is a procedure that entails implementing thick columns into the earth thus providing stable foundations for any type of structure.
In this article, we will be discussing pile driver and its applications in the construction of a building. If you want to learn more, then make sure to read this guide all the way through.
1) What Is a Pile Driver?
A pile driver is a heavy equipment used in the construction industry that helps drive piles ( vertical sticks ) into the ground. It is mostly used in laying the basements of buildings and other constructions, particularly in areas where the soil isn’t firm.
The main components of a pile driver are the pile head, which secures the pile’s position, and the hammer, which drives the piles in. Remember! Some machines use vibratory hammers which shake the piles into the ground by producing vertical vibrations. These machines use power from hydraulic motors, diesel, or compressed air.
Thus, these tools promise that the piles are anchored deep enough to support heavy weight and lay a deep foundation.
2) Pile Driver Components and Hydraulic Hammer Anatomy
A pile driver has four basic parts, namely, the lead, hammer cushion, helmet, and pile cushion. These parts function together in enabling the professional to push the piles deep in the ground and quickly enough.
- Pile Lead: It’s a frame that aids in the adjustment of the pile and the hammer, preventing any movement of the machine base. It can be either hanging, fixed, or swung depending on the arrangement.
- Helmet: It holds the pile head in position while the pile is being driven into the ground.
- Pile Cushion: This element helps to minimize the amount of impact and vibration to the pile during the driving stage and so, saves it from damage.
- Hammer Cushion: This component is placed in between a striker plate and a helmet and serves the purpose of increasing the efficiency of the hammer by reducing shocks.
Hydraulic Hammer Anatomy
A hydraulic hammer is a machine that uses a piston that is allowed to fall under its own weight to drive piles. Hydraulic motors, compressed air, or diesel serve as the source of energy. It generates a force and vertical vibrations required to insert the pile deep into the earth, even in extreme conditions. You can easily drive timber piles, steel, or concrete piles with this system.
3) Pile Foundation Design Considerations
It is of utmost importance to conduct proper design for pile foundations as its very important for building safety in long-term. So, care about these factors:
Soil characteristics: You have to consider the characteristics of soils like density, moisture and make-up. For example:
Sandy soils which constitute only 7% of the Earth’s continental area utilize completely different methods while driving piles. While Clay soils account for approximately 16% of the world’s. These differences influence how effectively the soil is able to support loads.
Pile material: Another very important factor to consider is the pile’s material.
- Steel piles offer over 100 tons of workload which makes them reasonable for deep foundations such as bridges or skyscrapers.
- Concrete piles offer great tsunami-resistant measures as they have a workload of 60 tons but can only be found in coastal regions or wet regions.
- Timber piles are only suited for smaller structures, as they are usually limited to 25 tons of load capacity.
Expected load calculation: After that, the projected amount of load for the foundation is computed. A single-family house is constantly estimated to be around 50 tons, while a tall structure such as a Highrise can exceed 1 ton.
For stability purposes, engineers determine the number and the size of the piles. In other words, a tall structure such as a high-rise building can have vertical piles with more than 100 columns.
The proper design of pile foundations is such that they can last for 50–100 years without posing a risk to the construction industry.
4) Pile Driving Techniques and Best Practices
You must pay attention to the best piling techniques available to execute sturdy and durable piling work. For instance:
- Soil conditions: The first element is knowing the type of soil as well as the amount of load bearing for the piles. For instance, sandy soil can support loading of about 5 tons whereas clay soils can accommodate approximately 3 tons.
- Hammer performance: The operated hammer is one of the vital points. There are machines, for instance, hydraulic runs with about 1200 blows per minute. Vibratory hammers are used on lighter loads where counter-rotating eccentric weights are in place to lessen vertical vibrations and noise.
- Pile alignment: In order to be able to drive piles correctly, it is important that the pile head is always well aligned and each shove (hits) is accurately monitored for safety. Whether it is timber pile or concrete or steel there is a high demand for accuracy and stability.
Deep foundations can be constructed with the aid of hydraulic motors that help to push heavy piles into the proper position in the ground for effective anchoring.
5) Benefits of Using Pile Drivers
To build a stable and efficient foundation for any project, grab this useful tool called a pile driver. The following are the distinct features of pile drivers!
+ Efficiency: Time spent on a project can be drastically reduced through the use of a pile driver for driving piles into the ground.
+ Stability: Large structures are kept erect by piles made of steel or concrete. For example, concrete piles placed underneath a skyscraper are there to prevent the massive structure from sinking into soft soil as the building itself is heavy.
+ Adaptability: Different projects can use pile drivers that support various materials. With regard to bridge projects, steel piles are utilized because of their increased strength. While park projects can rely on wooden piles that are more cost-effective as they can withstand lighter loads.
+ Less Noise: If vibratory hammers are employed for instance during a city centre project, they are comparatively quieter and cause less disruption than traditional hammering. Consequently, this leads to fewer disturbances caused to people who live and work in the surrounding areas.
+ Safety: A pile driver has the ability to create a safer foundation in buildings. For example, in places with poor soil, vibratory hammers and piles help to stop buildings from sinking. That greatly increases safety.
6) How Does a Pile Driver Work?
The pile driver is like a giant hammer, as an example, that puch the piles deep into the ground. For easier understanding, here are break of how the whole process works:
Step 1: Placing the Pile:
First, the pile is placed at the spot where you want to start driving it into the ground. The pile head is the top part of the pile, where the hammer will strike.
Step 2: Applying Forces:
In applying driving the pile, two kinds of forces come into play:
- Static force: This is similar to the force used to slowly apply downward pressure on a heavyweight.
- Dynamic force: This can be best described as a heavy quick force that hits the pile driving it further deep into the ground.
Step 3: Driving the pile:
A machine hammer is attached to a pile. The driving continues until the piles reach the required depth.
Step 4: Adjusting for Different Conditions:
In rare cases, a vibratory hammer or counter-rotating eccentric weights can also be employed, this is done in order to aid in driving in the soil when the conditions seem to be too tough.
Types of Pile Drivers
| Type | Description | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Hydraulic Hammer | It uses hydraulic motors in order to exert a force over the pile in question. | Tall buildings, bridges etc. |
| Diesel Hammer | A diesel engine burns fuel in order to drive the hammer | Massive steel piles which have a deep foundation |
| Vibratory Hammer | Employing vibrations makes this hammer to be able to drive piles with less noise. | Dense residential areas or busy streets |
| Electric Hammer | Electric currents replace the fuels making it quieter than a diesel hammer | Massive steel piles which have a deep foundation |
7) Common Challenges and Capacity Solutions
Besides advantages, pile driving has its fair share of problems. Some of these include.
Non-uniform blow count: There can be a difference in the number of blows needed to push the pile into the ground. For instance, the range can be from 50 to 200. In horizontal foundations, the blow count significantly increases needing greater force to achieve depth.
Pile head stress: Deformation of pile heads can be caused by excessive pressure, which is often the case. For instance, 500kN of stress applied to the pile head can lead to the timber or steel pile heads deforming. A pile can be permanently deformed up to 10% which later causes pile breaks.
Measures to Take:
Inadequate site research is often the culprit behind these issues.
- Understand the soil thoroughly. If soft clay is present, consider that drilling into it will take 30% more effort than hard soil.
- Make sure that the hydraulic or vibratory hammers are functioning correctly. A diesel hammer can deliver impacts of 1000 kJ, which, if maintained, will eliminate excessive blows.
- Additional piles or weights of hammers may be required. This will help ensure that the pile’s resistance is not exceeded, thus preventing excessive blows.
By addressing these issues in advance, you will guarantee that the pile-driving process is efficient and secure!
8) Specialised Pile Driving Topics
In order to do pile driving, a person should have a high knowledge Level. To highlight these, we discuss the following.
Operating Engineers: Pile Drivers are required to engage engineers with skills in handling machines. An example of such a machine is the hydraulic hammer that is capable of delivering energy of up to 1000 kJ to drive a pile, which would also entail careful management.
Large Structures And Deep Foundations: Large constructions or deep foundations sometimes require the hammering of piles over a more extensive depth.
Use Of Compressed Air With Vertical Vibrations: Certain pile drivers apply compressed air to make the hammering of piles easier. The machine has the ability to create vertical oscillations, which assist in shifting the pile, that may be as high as 2000 oscillations every minute.
Bedrock And Bearing Piles: The bedrock on which the pile rests determines the compressive strength of the pile. This is because if there are any weathered layers above the bedrock, they can obscure the toe of the pile structure. Stronger steel piles are required if the soil consists of rocks due to additional stress.
Optimizing Performance: Hammers of different weights and types should be used depending on the specific soil type. For instance, a vibratory hammer could be used in softer soil while a diesel hammer is more suitable for dense ground.
9) Conclusion
In a nutshell, there is much to be worked upon while putting the pile driver into operation. Its operation requires that you understand the vital techniques, challenges, as well as the tools that are applicable. To drive the piles in, attention should also be directed toward hammer optimization, soil condition management, and most importantly, safety. You can easily tackle larger builds as well as construct deeper foundations by proper training alongside good knowledge of the construction procedures.
So, if you wish to enhance your construction products, you can contact us at Everstar and get from us the Best Pile driver, you ever thought of.
