Pile Driving Equipment

Pile Driving Equipment uses to drive piles in the weak soil for providing strong grip to foundations. The process of forcing a pile into the ground is pile driving. The piles drive vertically into the earth.

The equipment required for pile driving is as follows

• Pile frames
• Pile hammers
• Leads
• Winches and
• Miscellaneous.

1. Pile frames

The pile frames are generally of steel having a height varying from ten to twenty-five meters and more. Pile frames are light and easy to transport. It consists of platforms for supporting drivers, engines, winches, etc.

2. Pile hammers

The function of hammers is to impart energy to drive the pile into the soil. These hammers guides between two steel members known as leads. Heavy conventional hammers drive pile by an impact. Vibratory hammers evolve as to avoid noise pollutions by driving piles by vibration.

3. Leads

Leads employ to guide hammers and piles. For drop hammers, fixed leads are uses. Leads are movable and adjustable as per use. Leads are more convenient.

4. Winches

Winches require for lifting the hammer and pile. These are of a light type with a single drum or heavy type with a double or triple drum. And it fits with reversing gears. Drop hammers, pneumatic hammers, winches operate by diesel, petrol, and electric engines. For steam hammers, use steam-power winches to lift the hammer and pile.

5. Miscellaneous

The other equipment requires for the process of pile driving are pile extractors, followers, jetting equipment, steam engines, air compressors.

1. pile extractors are for pulling piles from the ground after its impaction to a connection of reinforcement to foundations.
2. followers are connecting pieces of wood or steel between hammer and top of a pile. It is to transmit energy from the hammer to pile in underwater pilling.
3. jetting equipment is necessary to discharge water jets at high pressure to assist driving piles into sand or fine gravel.