Pile Driving Equipment: An Essential Part of Many Construction Sites

Many larger structures in Australia, including high-rises, bridges, harbours, and industrial plants, are built using pile foundations. Piles are the long columnar elements, typically made of steel, concrete or timber, used in deep foundations to ensure structural stability. They’re commonly installed in soils with insufficient load-bearing capacity, in coastal areas with sandy and waterlogged ground, and to effectively distribute loads in large-scale developments.

Piling systems are classified by how they’re installed into the soil. For foundations in non-cohesive and contaminated soils and areas with high water tables, pile driving equipment effectively pushes pre-cast concrete, steel, composite or timber piles to larger depths with hammering or vibrations. Piles can be assembled on-site with temporary or permanent casings or off-site as pre-cast piles.

Driving piles to larger depths requires the use of pile drivers. These can be categorised into percussion, vibratory and hydraulic.

Percussion  

Percussion pile drivers or hammers are designed to deliver a heavy blow to the top of the pile. The types of hammers include:

Drop hammers

Also known as a gravity hammer, this is one of the simplest and oldest types of pile-driving equipment. It consists of a heavy ram, typically a block of iron, which is dropped from a rig attached and suspended by a rope or winch. The impact of the falling weight drives the pile into the ground. Drop hammers are commonly seen in smaller operations, with increased versatility across different projects by varying the drop height and the weight of the ram.  

Air hammers

Air pile hammers use compressed air to repeatedly strike piles. They’re favoured for their versatility and compatibility with varied equipment, including cranes and excavators, and that they work equally well with piles in different materials. The hammers come as single-acting, which use steam pressure to lift the hammer (which then drops under its own weight), and double-acting air hammer, with air pressure lifting and driving the hammer against the pile. This adds more force and achieves a shorter stroke. Air hammers are used for their high impact force, especially in harder ground, and as a viable alternative to vibratory pile drivers, with the ability to drive piles to larger depths.

Diesel hammers

These are self-contained pile driving equipment, using the force generated by a diesel engine to repeatedly drive a hammering ram and cylinder mechanism. Diesel pile hammers require less auxiliary equipment (such as external power sources), meaning lower purchase and operating costs, as well as smaller footprints than comparable air hammers. High-powered, reliable and durable, they’re used in demanding construction settings.

Vibratory

Vibration hammers use high-frequency vibrations to drive piles into the ground or extract them from the soil. They work by creating vertical vibrations via rotating eccentric weights, which then transfer onto the piles. This loosens up compacted soil, reducing its friction and resistance, allowing piles to sink into the ground under their own weight. To ensure vibrations are kept within the system and not transferred to supporting cranes or excavators, vibratory hammers use vibration suppressors. Moreover, hydraulic clamps ensure piles are secured and straight during driving or extraction.

Vibratory pile hammers use power from hydraulic motors for speedy operation. They’re also highly adaptable to drive various types of piles and in demanding conditions, specifically in underwater use, for instance, when driving bridge supports or turbine foundations into the seabed. And the fact that they’re significantly quieter than percussion hammers makes them ideal for residential and commercial use.

Hydraulic

These are more powerful, more versatile and quieter alternatives to diesel pile hammers. Hydraulic pile drivers work using pressurised hydraulic fluid to lift and lower a ram. Improved control systems allow operators to set the precise stroke height, impact force, and driving speed, meaning these pile hammers are suited to driving steel and concrete piles such as beams and pipes, as well as timber and pre-cast pile sheets with higher precision and at exceptional speeds of up to 80 blows a minute. Besides lower noise levels, they’re also preferred for their lower environmental impact, with fewer pollutants.

Applications and Industries

Pile drivers are seen in applications where there’s a need for stable deep foundations. The tools ensure rapid installation, high impact force and consistent productivity in operations of varied scope. This includes:

Building construction: Pile drivers are necessary for stable foundations supporting commercial buildings. including skyscrapers, office buildings, shopping malls, hospitals, factories, warehouses and more. Piles are additionally driven into poor or waterlogged soils when building foundations for residential homes.Infrastructure projects: Piles are driven deep into the ground to reach stable, rocky substrate, ensuring high load capacity in major infrastructure projects ranging from bridges, tunnels and overpasses, to roads and railway lines. In areas with challenging soil conditions, pile drivers also install piles during the construction of retaining walls and sound barriers.Marine/offshore applications: Loose waterbeds require piles to ensure that wharves, docks, and piers remain stable and supported by harder ground at larger depths. Piles also provide structural integrity to offshore oil rigs and gas platforms, as well as controlling water levels and providing boat access in marinas.Renewable energy: On and offshore wind farms, large-scale solar operations and other renewable energy installations benefit from the support and reduced vibrations of pile foundations.  Benefits of Pile-Driven Foundations

Compared to in-situ bored or auger-drilled piles, driven piles ensure faster installation times with immediate load-bearing capacity. They’re the only foundation type suitable for challenging soils, including expansive clay, loose sand and areas with high water tables.

Installing driven piles compacts the soils, ensuring high foundation stability and strength, with high resistance to water infiltration, corrosion and deteriorating soil conditions. The prevents soil settlement and vibrations and results in a higher resistance to lateral forces. Driven piles also generally involve lower site impact.

The scope and specifics of your project are the main considerations when choosing the right pile driving hammers. Soil conditions will influence buying choices, with vibratory hammers more suited to non-cohesive and loose soils, while diesel and air hammers for more compacted soils. While all pile drivers work with a variety of materials and pile types, they also consider how hammers handle steel, concrete or timber piles, and the ancillary equipment (cushions, helmets, driving caps, etc.) required to minimise component damage or ensure proper driving force. This can add to overall costs, but will ensure correct operation with minimal downtime.

Other considerations are how suitable the equipment is to hammer piles to the desired depths and whether they have the required load capacity to ensure safe, stable and timely-installed pile foundations. When choosing equipment, also consider site regulations to minimise disturbance and excessive noise; worksite access to assess equipment size and transportation, and project scale and whether heavy-duty equipment provides a better balance between performance and overall costs.  

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