Drilling And Pile Driving Equipment

Drilling And Pile Driving Equipment

The world of construction is highly dependent on having the right tools. One of the more impressive tools in use is the pile driver -- a tool that has been around for centuries, but is no less useful today than it was in the past. Understanding pile drivers means understanding not only the pile driving equipment, but its many variations in use across the world.

What is a Pile driver?

Strictly speaking, a piledriver is any device that drives poles (also called piles) into the ground to add foundation support. The most basic version of a pile driver is simply a guided weight placed on a pole, which is then raised into the air and driven down onto a pole. These devices have been used in the construction field for many years, and many different models exist.

The History of the Pile driver

The pile driver is actually an older tool than many might realize. In fact, there are drawings of the device that are over five hundred years old, and there is evidence that mechanical versions date back over five thousand years. While the origins of the device are lost to history, there is more concrete information about the more modern versions of the device. The closet analog to the modern pile driver stems from Otis Tufts steam pile driver, a device that was invented in the mid-1800s.

Types of Pile drivers

As long as the principle of the pile driver has existed, so too have variations on the device. Most of these variations have to do with the power source of the device, as well as the method in which the device is used. Some of the types of pile driver have come in and out of fashion over the last two centuries, while new technologies have been developed to make the device more useful for large-scale industrial processes.

Diesel hammer
The diesel hammer is a form of pile driver composed of a large piston weight and a cylinder, functioning as an incredibly large two-stroke diesel engine. This pile driver works by dropping the initial weight, which triggers the release of diesel fuel. The piston drops, the heated fuel combusts and the piston is driven back up in the air to start the cycle again. This efficient set-up can be used until fuel runs out or until the job is done, allowing crews a better chance to work with the device than those in the pre-diesel era. While still a useful tool, the diesel hammer has fallen out of favor due to the excessive noise that it generates as well as its environmental impact.

Vertical Travel Lead Systems
The Vertical Travel Lead Systems (VTL) is a type of pile driver that allows for variable positioning on the boom, allowing the system to be used in a wider variety of jobs on-site. Developed in the 1970s, this type of pile driver is standard throughout much of North America and has played an important role in the U.S. railroad industry.

Hydraulic hammer
The hydraulic hammer is the modern replacement for the diesel hammer, working in a manner that is more environmentally friendly and causes less noise in construction areas. Particularly useful for driving steel pipes and for other massive construction projects, the hydraulic hammer helps to eliminate much of the pollution that is associated with the diesel hammer. Unfortunately, this model is still quite noisy thanks to the constant movement of parts and collisions that are part of the functioning of a pile driver.

Hydraulic press-in
The hydraulic press-in has become a particularly useful device for those areas where the vibrations caused by hydraulic and diesel hammers can be problematic. The device can be fitted to traditional pile drivers, using a greater level of force while operating with less sound and vibration. The press-in may be best known for its use in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, where the devices were used to deal with the city's drainage system.

Vibratory pile driver/extractor
The vibratory pile is a device fitted on to a site by a crane, using vibrations to drive or extract materials. Yet another device used in situations where excessive vibration and noise can be problematic, this type of driver is often used in bridge construction. Powered by hydraulic motors, these devices are also an eco-friendly alternative to some other types of pile drivers, though they are also able to be attached to a dragline excavator and run off of that machine's diesel power.

Piling rig
The piling rig is a pile driver that is usually used in making foundations. Able to be attached to a crawler chassis, this is the type of piledriver that is most often seen in construction sites and civil engineering projects. Able to deal with the piling needs of almost any kind of foundation engineering, this driver can be adapted to almost any kind of environment and is thus a more common sight than many of its larger cousins.

The pile driver is a complex tool with many variations, but it is at the heart of many building projects. Without the piledriver, many foundations simply could not exist. As the right tool for the right job, the pile driver remains an important part of the construction world. Learn more about pile driving history