Grundomat Pile Driving Hammer
Before beginning on any piling task, the location and ground condition must have been thoroughly researched to make sure that it is safe to proceed. Prefabricated ERW steel tubes are used to install piles and additional tubes can be added if needed. Dry concrete mix, or driving plug, is inserted into the starter tube, which is the initial tube with a pointed end.
Resistance is created at the driving end by electrically welding additional tubes to the original tubes. The resistance needed is calculated and measured in millimetres movements per second (the piling set.) The piles are then put into place from the pile head with a self-compacting concrete mix.
Grundomat piles can be used for a range of applications including underpinning, foundation piles for lightweight structures i.e. extensions, conservatories, fence post foundations and instrumentation holes
What is Piling?
Piling is the initial support that is implemented to form the foundations for a construction project, such as a building or another type of structure. It is vital that you have the correct piling equipment before beginning construction work. The most common materials which are used for piling are wood, steel or concrete. All of these materials are solid and substantial which is crucial to ensuring that a structure has safe foundations that will support it and not move or collapse.
The process of piling consists of driving large pieces of your chosen material – wood, steel or concrete – into the ground to a suitable depth. This creates a sturdy platform on which the structure will rest. The piling needs to be carried out correctly, to ensure that the foundations of the structure are secure.
There is also a lot of initial planning and measuring to be done before construction can even begin. For instance, the condition of the ground needs to be taken into consideration. There is no point in driving piles into wet, loose soil as they will not stay in place. Piling is an extremely skilled job and should only be undertaken by a qualified piling contractor.
Piling Methods
The purpose of pile foundations is to transfer the weight of a structure to the bearing ground which is located beneath the surface. The key components of pile foundations are the piles themselves and the pile caps which are connected when the piles are driven into the ground.
There are several factors which need to be considered when choosing the method of pile installation in order to avoid causing any damage to the piles. The size and weight of the pile, the resistance that occurs when driving the pile, the amount of space and headroom on the site, access to cranes and any possible noise restrictions all need to be taken into account.
Pile driving methods can be split into two categories; displacement piles and non-displacement piles. Displacement piles can be driven using dropping weight, explosion, vibration, jacking (micro piling only) or jetting. Non displacement pile methods are continuous flight auger (CFA), underreaming and C.H.D.P.