1. PURPOSE
1.1 This specification defines for the contractor the minimum requirements for furnishing and installing treated timber piles.
2. SCOPE
2.1 This specification covers the physical characteristics of treated round timber piles, the installation of treated timber piles, and the use of treated timber piles.
3. RELATED DOCUMENTS
3.1 Air Products Engineering Document
4WCE-600702 Piling Safety
3.2 American Wood-Preservers’ Association (AWPA)
U1 User Specification for Treated Wood
T1 Processing and Treatment Standard
3.3 American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)
D 25 Standard Specification for Round Timber Piles
4. MATERIALS
4.1 Timber for Piling
4.1.1 Timber shall be freshly cut, clean-peeled Southern Pine or Douglas Fir conforming to ASTM D 25. Timber piles shall have a minimum butt circumference and a minimum tip circumference as indicated on the drawings.
4.2 Preservative Treatment
4.2.1 Southern Pine or Douglas Fir timber piles shall be treated by open-cell process with grade 1 coal‑tar creosote to a net final retention of not less than 12 pounds of creosote per cubic foot of wood. Alternately, Southern Pine may also be treated with Copper Chromated Arsenate (CCA) and Douglas Fir may be treated with Ammoniacal Copper Zinc Arsenate (ACZA). Treatment shall be according to American Wood Preservers’ Association specifications U1 and T1.
4.2.2 Piles shall be branded legibly at 3 m (10 ft) from the butt to identify the supplier, species, preservative, and retention. One approved burned brand or approved aluminum tag, minimum diameter 50 mm (2 in), minimum gauge 24-bored, recessed minimum of 6 mm (1/4 in) shall be provided.
5. WORKMANSHIP
5.1 The contractor shall employ only labor which 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 Pile driving equipment shall be the type generally used in standard pile driving practice and shall be subject to the approval of the Air Products field representative. The hammer shall be the single-acting type capable of delivering 2100 kg-m (15,000 foot-pounds) of energy per blow and shall be operated at full speed, pressure, and stroke as recommended in the manufacturer’s printed instructions for the type pile being driven. When the Air Products representative determines that satisfactory results cannot be obtained with a driving hammer meeting these requirements, he may approve or require a hammer of the size deemed suitable by him under the conditions encountered.
6.2 Driving shall be done with fixed leads that are an integral part of the machine and will hold the pile firmly in position, alignment, and in axial alignment with the hammer.
6.3 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 a cushion block to prevent a metal-to-metal blow.
7. PROCEDURES
7.1 Safety
7.1.1 Refer to 4WCE-600702 for construction safety procedures associated with pile driving equipment, handling piles, and pile installation in general.
7.2 Tip Elevation
7.2.1 The piling design is based on the tip elevations indicated on the piling logs. Piles shall be driven to full penetration to develop the designed capacities.
7.3 Collars
7.3.1 When the piles are being driven, collars or bands of a design approved by the Air Products representative shall be used where required for the protection of butts against splitting, brooming, and other damage.
7.4 Pile Driving
7.4.1 No piles shall be driven within 6 m (20 ft) of concrete less than seven days old unless directed by the Air Products representative. The driving sequence for any pile cluster containing more than ten piles shall begin at the center and work outward to the perimeter.
7.4.2 Driving of each pile shall be continuous and shall proceed without voluntary interruption to the desired penetration or until penetration, as directed by the Air Products representative, has been obtained. When driving is interrupted before final penetration is reached, the record of the penetration shall not be taken until at least a 300 mm (12 in) penetration has been obtained on the resumption of driving. All piles shall be driven plumb, unless otherwise indicated on the drawings. All piles shall be driven to grade. Final cutoff will be by others.
7.4.3 Maximum number of blows shall not exceed 30 to 35 blows per 300 mm (1 ft). Should these values occur, the Air Products representative shall be contacted for resolution. 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.
7.4.4 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 Air Products representative, 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.
8. 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 and/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 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 foot 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 additional corrective measure the Air Products representative may require 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 measure (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 300 mm (12 in) 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 duration of delays in driving such as 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 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 timber pile as directed by the Air Products representative.