Friday, November 9, 2018

What To Know About Marine Pile Drivers

By Peter Adams


In construction, the term pile refers to a prefabricated element that is installed by hammering it into the ground. Piles are usually made from various materials including timber, steel, and concrete. The hammering is done using a pile driving hammer, which is also referred to as a pile driver. Driving hammers are used to drive piles into the soil so that they can offer foundation support for structures such as buildings. This is what one should know about marine pile drivers.

Pile drivers on the other hand may also be used to refer to the crew that works with a pile driving hammer. Ordinary lateral and compressive loads can be supported by the use of piling. On the other hand, drilled shafts support more loads than piles. It is for this reason that piles are categorized as footings when it comes to supporting heavy loads. This activity is mostly carried out in East Texas in the United States.

Suitability of piling activity lies in the soil being able to allow easy penetration of piles without causing damage to them. As a result, areas that have hard soils and rocks are unsuitable for piling processes. In addition, the end bearing of a pile could be increased significantly by placing its tip inside packed soil or a layer of rocks. That implies that piles like that are best suited to support heavier weight.

The driving system is composed of several components that serve different functions. These components are leads, power hammer, helmet connects, and the cushioning. The function of the leads is to hold the hammer and piling in place to ensure that the two components are aligned with each other. It would be catastrophic if the hammer missed the tip of the piling when it is coming down. In fact, the force of the hammer would damage the piling badly.

Heavy rams used for driving the piling into the soil are lifted and dropped using a power hammer. The hammer is powered by air pressure or diesel. The helmet connects the top of the piles with the hammer. This ensures that during downward motion the hammer does not miss the pile.

Finally, the process involves the use of huge amounts of forces which can destroy the piles or hammers. To avoid this from happening, cushioning is placed between the two. The cushioning prevents excessive stress from being conducted on by absorbing some of the force generated. This makes sure that the entire system lasts longer.

When working, it is very important to pay attention to the condition of the cushion. Sometimes, the cushion may get damaged and in turn cause damage to both piles and hammers. To be safe, not more than three piles should be driven using the same cushion block. If necessary, the cushion should be changed as frequently as possible. Regular inspection should be done before, during, and after a driving operation.

Matching the size of the piles and the size of the hammers is very important. Penetration cannot be effective in case the hammer is too tiny for the piling. On the other hand, when very large hammers are used inappropriately they can lead to high comprehensive and tensile forces.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment