1. PURPOSE
1.1 This specification defines for the contractor the minimum requirements for furnishing and installing steel H piling.
2. SCOPE
2.1 The contractor shall furnish all labor, material, equipment and tools, and shall perform all operations and services necessary to complete the installation of piling as shown on the contract drawings and according to this specification.
3. RELATED DOCUMENTS
3.1 Air Products Engineering Documents
4WCE-600702 Piling Safety
3.2 American Institute of Steel Construction, Inc. (AISC)
Technical Bulletin 3 Shape Material
(ASTM A 572 Gr 50 with special requirements) March 1997
3.3 American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM)
A 992 Standard Specification for Structural Steel Shapes
3.4 American Welding Society (AWS)
D1.1 Structural Welding Code – Steel
3.5 The James F. Lincoln Arc Welding Foundation
Procedure Handbook of Arc Welding Design and Practice
4. MATERIALS
4.1 All piles shall be according to ASTM A 992, which is also known as ASTM A 572 Grade 50 with special requirements according to AISC Technical Bulletin #3, dated March 1997. Material shall be furnished by the contractor. Pile section shall be as indicated on the drawings.
4.2 Piles shall be coated with a coal tar epoxy such as Bitumastic 300M as manufactured by Carboline, G-10 as manufactured by Specco Industries, or other approved equal.
5. WORKMANSHIP
5.1 The contractor shall employ only labor that has been qualified by training and experience to capably perform the specific activities required to accomplish the work in a satisfactory manner.
6. EQUIPMENT
6.1 General
6.1.1 The contractor shall provide and maintain all tools and equipment in first-class condition and in sufficient quantities to ensure successful performance and completion of the required work.
6.2 Pile Driving Equipment
6.2.1 The pile-driving machine shall be equipped with fixed leads that are an integral part of the machine in which the hammer shall be held. The machine shall be substantial enough to hold the leads in plan alignment and position while the piles are being driven.
6.2.2 The pile-driving machine shall be equipped with a single-acting steam hammer operating at not less than 60 strokes per minute, or a double-acting steam hammer operating at not less than 120 strokes per minute.
6.2.3 The hammer shall deliver the energy per blow that is listed on the drawings.
6.2.4 The base of the hammer shall be fitted with a follower or anvil base built especially to center the pile under the hammer. The top end of the anvil shall be recessed to receive an aluminum cushion block to prevent direct contact between hammer and anvil.
6.3 Welding Equipment
6.3.1 All welding machines shall be of the engine-driven type, equal to the Lincoln “Shield-Arc” 400-amp Engine Driven Arc Welder, and shall be portable, and mounted on a two- or four-wheel undercarriage.
6.3.2 The size of the welding cables used, being dependent on the capacity of the machine and the distance of the work from the machine, shall be selected carefully because of their definite bearing on weld production and efficiency. These cable sizes shall conform to the recommendations of the Lincoln Electric Company’s table of “Welding Cable Sizes for Lengths” found in their “Procedure Handbook of Arc Welding Design and Practice” (latest edition).
7. PROCEDURES
7.1 Safety
7.1.1 For construction safety procedures associated with pile-driving equipment, handling piles, and pile installation in general, refer to 4WCE-600702.
7.2 Coating of Piles
7.2.1 A protective coating, 4.5 m (15 ft) in length, shall be applied to the upper portion of each steel pile or as indicated on the contract drawings. The preparation, priming, and coating shall be performed before driving. These operations shall be conducted at the site, and convenient to the area of pile driving activity to avoid any possible damage to the finished coating, which could occur during excessive handling.
7.2.2 The entire surface of the steel pile within the 4.5 m (15 ft) length to be coated shall be sand-blasted to remove all mill scale and to expose gray metal.
7.2.3 The exposed gray metal surface of the steel pile shall be coated with a coal tar epoxy such as Bitumastic 300M as manufactured by Carboline or approved equal. Dry film thickness shall be 25 to 30 mils. This coating shall be prepared and applied according to the coating manufacturer’s specification.
7.2.4 After the coating has dried sufficiently, the surface of the coat tar epoxy shall be inspected by the Air Products representative. This inspection shall be done according to the coating manufacturer’s specifications. Any loose or unbonded coating shall be removed and recoated. All recoating and touching up shall be done according to the coating manufacturer’s specifications.
7.3 Pile Driving
7.3.1 The piles shall be positioned centrally in the positions indicated on the drawing. They shall be driven to obtain their bearing capacity in the soil shown to be present on the boring logs and to a final resistance of 27 blows for the last 75 mm (3 in) of penetration or as indicated on the contract drawings. Any pile that develops the specified resistance before the point of the pile has been driven to the elevations shown on the drawings shall be brought to the immediate attention of the Air Products field representative for evaluation by the Air Products Civil Design Department.
7.3.1.1 If adequate penetration cannot be secured, or a pile is damaged to the extent that its load-bearing capacity is impaired, or the plumb tolerances have been exceeded, driving shall be stopped, and the Air Products representative notified immediately.
7.3.2 Observations and measurements shall be made in the field, during the process of driving the piles, by any suitable method satisfactory to both the contractor and the engineer, to determine whether a driven pile has been lifted from its original set, or otherwise affected, during the operation of driving adjacent piles. If heave occurs in a pile, it shall be redriven to its original penetration and resistance, or both, as directed by the Air Products representative all without additional cost to Air Products. If it becomes necessary to move the location of piles, or piles become driven out of position, a sketch of the condition shall be prepared and submitted to the Air Products representative immediately.
7.3.3 If a section of the steel H pile must be extended, the upper pile section, with splice plates attached, shall be set in place in top of the driven section and tapped several times with the hammer to improve bearing contact, after which the welding of the splice plates to the driven section shall be completed. All splice welds shall develop the full strength of the pile section. All welding shall conform to the AWS Structural Welding Code D 1.1. A maximum of two splices per pile will be allowed. If additional splices are required, this shall be approved by the Air Products Civil Design Department.
7.3.4 After the pile has been driven to its specified bearing capacity and has been cut off to the elevation indicated on the drawing, the contractor shall affix a steel plate bearing cap to the piles.
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INSPECTION AND TESTING
8.1 General
8.1.1 All materials and workmanship shall be subject to inspection and examination by the Air Products representative at any place where fabrication, installation, or other work is being performed, and shall meet with his approval. Any defective material and/or workmanship shall be corrected to the satisfaction of the Air Products representative.
8.2 Pile Placing and Tolerance
8.2.1 Piles shall be driven as accurately as practicable in the correct locations true to line both laterally and longitudinally and to the vertical or batter lines, all as shown on the contract drawings. A lateral deviation from the correct location of not more than 75 mm (3 in) will be permitted. A variation in slope as measured on the pile in the driving leads of not more than 20 mm per m (1/4 in per ft) of longitudinal axis will be permitted.
8.3 Unsatisfactory Piles
8.3.1 Piles damaged, mislocated, or driven out of alignment beyond the maximum tolerance shall be withdrawn and replaced by new piles or shall be cut off and abandoned, and additional piles shall be driven, as directed, all without additional cost to Air Products. Any corrective measures the Air Products representative may order shall be accomplished without additional cost to Air Products.
8.4 Records
8.4.1 A testing laboratory, selected and paid for by Air Products, will log the driving of all piles recording the following data:
Site Location.
Project Number.
Date.
Pile type, length, and weight.
Mandrel (if used), length, and weight.
Follower (if used), length, and weight.
Penetration, elevation of ground at pile location, elevation of pile tip after driving.
Hammer-Make and model, rated stroke, stroke measured (note any falling off in the rated speed and stroke during driving), weight of ram.
Items such as driving cap, anvil, helmet, weight, and description.
Time: Start driving, finish driving, driving time.
Record number of blows required for each six inches of penetration. Note points at which stoppages occur, with times of stopping and starting.
Steam pressure and strokes per minute.
Remarks: Record any data relative to jetting, cause and duration of delays in driving, boulders, condition of cushions, and plumbness.
8.5 The contractor shall cooperate fully with Air Products’ testing laboratory by providing the above information in a timely and accurate manner. The contractor shall provide adequate schedule and other information throughout the course of work to facilitate full monitoring of the work by Air Products or its testing laboratory.
8.6 The contractor shall promptly review each pile-driving field log sheet upon request and shall sign same, if correct, indicating his verification of the accuracy of recorded date and information.
9. PILE CUT-OFF DISPOSAL
9.1 The contractor shall be responsible for the disposal of the cut-off portions of the driven steel pile as directed by the Air Products representative.