Construction sites utilize various machines and equipment for pile driving. In the upcoming sections, we will elaborate on the different tools and machines used for this purpose.
Fig.1: Pile Driving Equipment
Fig.2: Pile Driving Equipment
Types of Pile Driving Equipments
- Piling rigs
- Piling winches
- Hanging leader
- Hammer guides
- Piling hammer
- Helmet, driving cap, dolly, and packing
Piling Rigs
The structure being described in the given context is composed of a series of leaders. These leaders are in the form of tabular elements or hard boxes that are fixed onto a crane base. Figure-3 provides a visual representation of the structure.
The purpose of the leaders is to provide support for both the hammer and the pile. In addition to this, the leaders also guide the hammer and pile when the pile is being forced into the ground. This guidance is important to ensure that the pile is driven in a straight and controlled manner.
Overall, the leaders play a crucial role in the structure’s ability to effectively drive the pile into the ground. They provide support and guidance to the hammer and pile, which helps to ensure that the pile is properly installed.
Fig.3: Pile Driving Rig
The process of installing a series of piles can be made easier through the use of equipment with adjustable leaders. These leaders can be tilted forward or backward by means of a screw or hydraulic adjustment, and attached at the base of the equipment, as depicted in Figure 4 and Figure 5. With this feature, there is no longer a need to relocate the equipment for each pile installation, as the base machine can be rotated and the leaders can be positioned accordingly. This makes the installation process more efficient and saves time and resources.
Fig.4: Backward Raked Pile Driving Rig
Fig.5: Forward Raked Pil
Pile installation in water can be accomplished using a pile driving rig, which can be placed on a pontoon or mounted on braced frames fixed to a pontoon. The rig can be equipped with a leader, which is a vertical frame used to guide the pile into the desired position. The pontoon provides stability to the rig while it is operating in the water. The use of a pile driving rig enables efficient installation of piles in water, which is often necessary for construction projects such as bridges, piers, and docks. By using a rig mounted on a pontoon, piles can be installed with precision and accuracy, even in challenging water conditions.
Fig.6: Pile Driver Mounted on Pontoon
Proper attention must be given to the positioning and alignment of the leader when driving piles, as any misalignment could result in the hammer striking the pile eccentrically, causing damage or displacement. To improve the efficiency of pile driving machines, efforts have been made to develop machines such as the Delmag MDT 0802, which has a wide range of adjustments and a high degree of movement capacity.
The Delmag MDY 0801 is mounted on a wheeled hydraulic excavator, which allows for side-to-side, forward, and backward sloping movements of the leader. The rig’s location can also be adjusted relative to the equipment. The height of the leader can be adjusted by telescoping it, and it can be folded onto the base when the machine is moved to and from the construction site. Overall, these features make the Delmag MDT 0802 an excellent example of a machine that can improve the efficiency of pile driving.
Fig.7: Delmag Pile Driving Rig
Fig.8: Pile Driver Rig
Piling Winches
Piling winches have a primary objective of lifting the hammer and piles, as well as supporting tools for leader raking and rotation. These winches operate in conjunction with pile frames and utilize various power sources such as hydraulic power, steam, diesel, or petrol engines. In some cases, electric motors may be used to power the winches.
There are several types of piling winches available, each with varying capacities. For example, winches with double or triple drums offer better control and faster pile driving speeds than winches with a single drum. Therefore, if quick handling and driving of piles are required, the former type of winch would be preferred.
Hanging Leader
A type of construction equipment known as hanging leaders are intended to be suspended from the jib of a crane, as depicted in Figure-9. These leaders are equipped with a steel strut that can be adjusted in length to suit the needs of the construction site. The purpose of the strut is to create a rigid link between the leader’s base and the machine’s bed frame. This design allows the hanging leader to maintain stability and control during use.
Fig.9: Hanging Leader
Crane or excavator winch units are commonly employed to lift hammers and piles using separate drums. Piles may be driven into the ground using a drop hammer with a friction winch, or by using hydraulic power, compressed air, or steam from different units. When driving long sloped piles, it is important to exercise extreme caution to prevent excessive deformation of the hanging leader, which could result in an off-center hammer blow and potentially lead to pile fracture.
Hammer Guides
Hanging leaders or piling frames may need to be removed entirely, and rope suspended leaders that are guided by timber or steel formwork can be used for this purpose. However, this technique requires an independent crane to control the pile and establish the guide and hammer. To avoid movements, especially during raking pile installation, it is essential to set and secure the guide correctly. Improper centering can result in serious fatigue stress and deterioration of the guide. It is also necessary to prevent disproportionate bending stress from developing in the guide and piles since it can lead to undesired results. For instance, attaching a heavy hammer to the upper end of a long pile driven at a flat angle of rake may generate excessive bending stress at the support point in the guide. To solve this issue, suitable support for the pile at the appropriate position must be provided.
Fig.10: Hammer Guided and Rope Suspended Leader for Delmag Diesel Pile Hammer
Piling Hammer
The selection of an appropriate piling hammer is influenced by several factors such as the size and weight of the pile, ground resistance, space availability at the construction site, noise limitations, and crane availability. In the past, a combination of dynamic equation results and extensive experience was used to select the piling hammer. However, nowadays, the drivability analysis results, obtained using computer programs based on Smith wave equation, are considered for piling hammer determination. The piling hammer producer provides the necessary data about the efficiency and energy features of the piling hammer for input into the drivability analysis. It should be noted that the piling hammer’s efficiency is not constant and is influenced by various factors such as the mechanical condition and operation temperature. Mechanical condition does not influence the efficiency of a drop hammer, so dynamic pile analysis is carried out to assess the influence of different factors on piling hammer efficiency. There are various types of piling hammer, each with different energy characteristics suitable for specific construction conditions. Table 1 provides a description, application, advantages, and disadvantages of different types of hammer piling, including the drop hammer.
| Pile hammer description | Application | Advantages | Disadvantages |
| it is a forged steel with solid mass ranges from 1000 to 5000Kg, and it is fitted with lifting eye and lugs for sliding in the leaders | Applied to install test piles | Its application removes the need to employ steam boiler or air compressor to power the hammer, so it is economical choice | The height of hammer dropping cannot be controlled properly at project site, and it is possible to use substantial dropping when driving becomes tough and hence the pile damage is possible |
Single acting steam or compressed air hammer, Figure 12
| Description | Application | Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Consist of massive weight ranges from 2500 to 20000Kg with a cylinder shape, and the power source would lift the hammer to specified height then the power is cut to drop the hammer and hit pile helmet. Maximum hammer height is 1.37m and no higher 1.2m in case of heavy pile | Used for placing piles with different weights in different types of soils and suitable for pile installation in marine environment | Drop height and frequency of each drop can be controlled by operator, | Pile fracture is possible is the specified hammer height is exceeded |
Double acting pile hammer, Figure 13
| Description | Application | Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Double acting pile hammer is powered by steam or compressed and its mass rages from 90 to 2300Kg. Vulcan hammer is an example of double acting hammer. The pile is guided by timber frame. | Applied to install sheet piles and suitable for providing rapid succession of blows. It can be used to demolish rocks for extracting piles | It is specifically designed to impart numerous blows at short time. 300 blows per minute for lightweight hammer and 100 blow/ minute for heavyweight hammer | It is needs maintenance and lubrication |
Diesel pile hammer, Figure 14
| Description | Application | Advantages | Disadvantages |
| It is powered through self-ignition of compressed fuel and air mixture. There are various types of such hammer with different weights ranges from 4500 to 15000Kg. Lastly, it is considerably reliable type of hammer and different pile types such as sheet pile, batter pile, and H-beams. | It properly drives pile in soft soil condition | It is economical and self-contained. It provides sustained blow which more efficient that ordinary blows | It might damage precast concrete pile when strong layer come up while driving through soft ground It is not suitable for all ground condition. |
Hydraulic operated hammer, Figure 15
| Description | Application | Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Hydraulic hammer is manufactured in different and large sizes ranges from moderate loading to heavy loading. Hydraulic fluid raises the pile and then release it to fall freely on the pile in addition to have power activated downstroke. Not only can hammer be operated manually but also automatically. | It suitable for piling in land and in water to a depth of 1000m | It creates less noise and vibration compared with diesel hammer and it does not release fumes |
Fig.11: Drop Hammer Operation
Fig.12: Single Acting Hammer Operation
Fig.13: Double Acting Hammer
Fig.14: Diesel Pile Hammer
Fig.15: Hydraulic Operated Hammer
Helmet, Driving Cap, Dolly and Packing
A helmet is a type of cast steel that is used to protect the pile head during the pile driving process. It is placed over the pile to hold the dolly, which is a square-shaped tool with a round top. The dolly is positioned between the pile and the hammer to prevent deterioration of the pile head caused by the hammer. The type of dolly used depends on the driving force required.
Packing is placed between the pile top and the helmet to safeguard the former from damage during the hammer blow. Various materials can be used for packing, such as paper sacking, thin timber sheet, coconut mapping, and sawdust in bags.
A driving cap is necessary for steel bearing piles to protect them during the pile driving process. If the driving cap is not tightly fitted, the pile cap may suffer from deterioration. The driving cap has a recess for a hardwood or plastic dolly and steel wedges to fix the cap firmly in place.
It is essential to choose the appropriate material and suitable thickness for the dollies and packing to prevent serious pile head damage and hammer breakage during the pile driving process.
Fig.16: Placed Helmet, Driving Cap, Dolly and Packing
Fig.17: Installed Helmet, Dolly and Packing