Section 8

Driven Piles


8.1 ODOT Video, Part 7/12: Pile Foundations 1

Pile Driving Equipment 4

Pile Types 16

Hammer Approval Letter 21

Construction Documents 23

Pile Record Book 24

Pile Acceptance Decision Chart 25














Driven Piles Section 8.1
J anuary, 2014 1
View ODOT Video, Part 7/12
Pile Foundations
A Driven Pile is a deep
foundation that is
constructed by driving a
concrete, steel or timber
pile to support the
anticipated loads in
competent subsurface
material.
What is a Driven Pile?
Driven Piles Section 8.1
J anuary, 2014 2
End Bearing and Friction Piles
END BEARING
LOAD
D
SANDS
SOFT
CLAYS
ROCK
FRICTION
L
O
A
D
SANDS
CLAYS
LOAD
L
O
A
D
SANDS
CLAYS
L
O
A
SAND
Layer 4
Layer 3
Layer 2
Layer 1
z
1
R
S1
+ R
T
R
T
z
2
R
S2
z
3
R
S3
z
4
R
S4
R
SN
Q
u
=
Q
u
Driven Piles Section 8.1
J anuary, 2014 3
Displacement piles are piles that
actually displace the material they are
driven into.
Displacement
or Low-Displacement?
Low (Non) Displacement piles are
piles that displace very little of the
material they are driven into.
Rebound Rebound
The upward movement of a pile during
driving
High displacement piles increase potential
for rebound
Highly plastic and expansive clayey soils
present increased potential for rebound
Driven Piles Section 8.1
J anuary, 2014 4
Pile Strength Vs. Time
Strength Gain (pile setup or freeze)
Piles can gain strength over time after they are driven in
certain cohesive soils like stiff clays and clayey silts. This is
due to the slow dissipation of excess pore water pressure
that is created during pile driving.
Strength Lose
Piles can lose strength after driving in certain soils like very dense
sands and gravels due to relaxationof the soil. Relaxation has
to do with a change in soil structure after driving. The
Geotechnical Engineer will determine if this effect applies at a
given site.
Crane
Hammer
Cushions
Leads
Template
Special Tools
Pile Driving Equipment
Driven Piles Section 8.1
J anuary, 2014 5
Crane
JIB LINES
JIB
JIB GANTRY
MAIN LINE
WHIP LINE BOOM
TURN TABLE
OUTRIGGER
PADS
CAB
BOOMGANTRY
TOPPING LIFT
BOOM STOPPERS
YOKE
BOOM LINE
HEADACHE
BALL
MAIN LOAD
BLOCK
SPLICE
(PENNENTS)
COUNTER
WEIGHT
RADIUS
Single
Acting
Drop
(Gravity Hammers)
Vibratory
Air/Steam
Single
Acting
Differential
Acting
Double
Acting
Diesel
Single
Acting
Double
Acting
Hydraulic
Double
Acting
Hammers
Driven Piles Section 8.1
J anuary, 2014 6
Advantages
Very simple
No additional support equipment
required
Lightest net weight per ft.-lb. of energy
Readily available (common)
Disadvantages
Delivered energy variable
Less efficient energy transfer
Produces higher pile stresses
Dirty exhaust spray and smoke
Difficult to spot operation problems
Open End Diesel Hammers
Single-Acting
Generally used for driving
and extracting sheet piles,
low-displacement H-piles,
and pipe piles.
Not impact hammers.
Vibratory Hammer
Driven Piles Section 8.1
J anuary, 2014 7
Hammer Cushion
(Cap Block)
Helmet
Pile Cushion
Concrete Pile
Striker Plate
Ram & Anvil
Hammer
Hammer Cushions
Used on all impact
hammers except
gravity (drop) hammers
Must be made of
durable manufactured
(man-made) materials
Wood, wire rope and
asbestos not allowed
Striker plate must be
used
Helmet
Pile Cushion
Concrete Pile
Striker Plate
Ram & Anvil
Hammer
Hammer Cushions (Contd)
Inspected when
beginning driving
Inspected every 100
hours of driving
Replaced when there
is a reduction of
thickness exceeding
25% of original
thickness
Hammer Cushion
(Cap Block)
Driven Piles Section 8.1
J anuary, 2014 8
Hammer Cushions (Contd)
Hammer Cushion
(Cap Block)
Helmet
Pile Cushion
Concrete Pile
Striker Plate
Ram & Anvil
Hammer
Helmet (Cap Block)
Guided by leads,
not free-swinging
Must maintain
proper alignment
of hammer and pile
Minimum 1 inch
larger than pile
Driven Piles Section 8.1
J anuary, 2014 9
Helmet (Contd)
Hammer Cushion
(Cap Block)
Helmet
Pile Cushion
Concrete Pile
Striker Plate
Ram & Anvil
Hammer
Pile Cushion
Used with concrete
piles
Minimum original
thickness not less
than 4 inches
Replaced if
compressed to more
than one-half
original thickness
Replaced if starts to
burn
Driven Piles Section 8.1
J anuary, 2014 10
Pile Cushion (Contd)
Hammer Hammer
Leads Leads
Crane Crane
Template Template
Cushions Cushions
Special Tools Special Tools
Pile Driving System Components
Leads
Driven Piles Section 8.1
J anuary, 2014 11
BRACE
PILE
HAMMER
LEAD
BOOM
CRANE Fixed at top
and bottom
Higher cost
Maximum control
of pile alignment
Fixed Lead System
Low Cost
Simple, mobile
Some control of
pile alignment
PILE
LEAD
HAMMER
CRANE
BOOM
Fixed either
at top or
bottom but
allowing vertical
movement
Semi-fixed Lead System
Driven Piles Section 8.1
J anuary, 2014 12
Low Cost
Simple, mobile
Less control of
pile alignment
Must be
approved by
The Engineer
PILE
HAMMER
LEAD
BOOM
CRANE
CABLE
Not fixed at top
or bottom
Swinging Lead System
Required for offshore
leads.
Maintains the pile and
hammer in the correct
location and position.
Templates
Driven Piles Section 8.1
J anuary, 2014 13
Templates (Contd)
C Plan
L
C
L
As-built
Template Elev. is 5 ft.
above Pile Cut-off Elev.
Pile Cut-off Elev.
Pile in
correct
position
C Plan
L
15
Pile in
incorrect
position
Special Tools
J ets
Drills (Preboring)
Punches
Followers
Driven Piles Section 8.1
J anuary, 2014 14
Jets
Permitted when in the
plans or approved by the
Engineer in writing.
J etting plant must
provide pressure equal
to 100 psi at two inch
jet nozzles.
J ets must be removed
for the final 5 feet of pile
penetration.
Preboring
Used only when specified or
with approval of the Engineer
Driven Piles Section 8.1
J anuary, 2014 15
Combination J et/Punch
Punch
Punches
Aids for advancing pre-drilled
holes through hard materials
Followers
Generally used for water
projects.
Only when authorized in
writing by Engineer or in
contract documents.
The first pile in each bent
and every tenth pile
thereafter must be driven
without a follower.
Driven Piles Section 8.1
J anuary, 2014 16
Pile Types
Steel Pipe Piles
Steel H-Piles
Concrete Piles
Timber Piles
Cylinder Concrete Piles
Composite Piles
Steel Sheet Piles
Steel Pipe Piles
Most commonly
used in ODOT
Driven either open
or closed end
Can be filled with
concrete
Driven Piles Section 8.1
J anuary, 2014 17
Steel H-Piles
End Bearing Piles
Low- Displacement
High Bearing
Timber Piles
Low Bearing Piles
High-Displacement
Used typically for
temporary structures
Driven Piles Section 8.1
J anuary, 2014 18
Sheet Piles
Utilized mostly for
temporary retaining
systems, such as
shoring, cofferdams
and bulkheads
Driven using either
impact or vibratory
hammers
Pile Tip Attachments
Steel H-Pile
See Section 02520.10 (e)
Reinforced Pile Tips
Driven Piles Section 8.1
J anuary, 2014 19
Pile Tip Attachments
Steel Pipe Pile
See Section 02520.10 (e) Reinforced Pile Tips
Typical Pipe Pile End Plate
Flat End Plate
Fillet
Weld
Driven Piles Section 8.1
J anuary, 2014 20
Subsurface Information
Subsurface Information Available to the Contractor:
Foundation Reports
Foundation Data Sheets
Drill Logs
Groundwater Conditions
Soil & Rock Unit Descriptions
Material Engineering Properties
Course GrainedMaterials
Granular Soils
(sand, gravel, cobbles and boulders)
Fine GrainedMaterials
Clay (plastic or nonplastic)
Silt; may be plastic (clayey silt)
or non-plastic (sandy silt)
Intermediate Geomaterials:
- weathered rock
- glacial till
- cemented soils
Rock
General Materials Classification
F
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a
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D
a
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a

S
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e
t

MILEPOST
CONTRACT NO STRUCTURE NAME AND NO.
PROJECT NAME (SECTION)
PROJECT MANAGER CONTRACTOR
COUNTY PILE DRIVING SUBCONTRACTOR (Piles Driven By):
TYPE OF LEADS:
OTHER (Provide Description):
LEAD DIMENSIONS Depth Width
MANUFACTURER MODEL TYPE
SERIAL NO. OWNER:
@ LENGTH OF STROKE RAM WT.
(KN-m)
MODIFICATIONS
MATERIAL THICKNESS AREA
MATERIALS
TOTAL THICKNESS AREA
MODULUS OF ELASTICITY (E):
(MPa)
COEFFICIENT OF RESTITUTION (e)
WEIGHT MODIFICATIONS
CUSHION MATERIALS AREA
NO OF LAYERS THICKNESS (EACH) TOTAL THICKNESS
MODULUS OF ELASTICITY (E): COEFFICIENT OF RESTITUTION (e)
(MPa)
PILE TYPE & SIZE Weight
LENGTH IN LEADS
WALL THICKNESS TAPER
NOMINAL PILE RESISTANCE ACCEPTANCE BY WAVE EQUATION
DESCRIPTION OF SPLICE
TIP TREATMENT DESCRIPTION (TYPE, MANUFACTURER, MODEL NO., ETC.)
SUBMITTED BY: DATE
(KN)
(mm)
(mm.) (mm
2
)
NOTE: If mandrel is used to drive the pile, attach separate manufacturer's detail sheet(s)
including weight and dimensions.
ALL
COMPONENTS
`
(mm
2
)
PILE AND DRIVING EQUIPMENT DATA
HIGHWAY
(m)
(KN/m)
(mm.) (mm.)
(KN)
RATED ENERGY
(m)
(KN)
(mm.)
(mm
2
)
Yes No
Fixed Semi-Fixed Swinging
734-2608 (8-2009)
Driven Piles Section 8.1
J anuary, 2014 21
Pile Hammer Acceptance Process
Engineer accepts Pile
Driving & Equip. Data Sheet
and issues Hammer
Approval Letter with final
pile driving criteria.
Contractor prepares Pile
Driving and Equipment Data Form and
submits to Engineer for Approval, no
later than 2 weeks prior to driving
first pile. (00520.20 (d))
Changes to Contractor
Contractor resubmits to
Engineer
No changes may be made
without the Engineers approval
Review
Review
Changes
Acceptance Changes
Hammer Approval Letter
Hammer Approval (or reasons why the hammer is not
approved)
Driving Criteria (stroke vs. required blow count and
Inspectors Graph)
Any pile driving issues such as:
Pile Freeze (set-up criteria)
Hard driving conditions (high pile stress conditions)
Details on Preboring requirements
After reviewing the Contractors hammer submittal, the
Geotechnical Engineer will provide a letter to the Project
Manager summarizing the following:
Driven Piles Section 8.1
J anuary, 2014 22
Method to determine
hammer stroke in the
field
Saximeter
Calculating Stroke Heights
(Air-Steam Hammer)
Blows per minute
Example: bpm= 36
14,400/1296 = 11.11
11.11 0.3 = 10.81 ft
height = [14,400/[bpm
2
]] 0.3
h= 0.0402 (T
2
) 0.3
h = Stroke Height in Feet
T = Time in Seconds for 10 blows
EXAMPLE
Took 16 seconds for 10 blows,
therefore:
h = 0.0402 x 256 0.3
h = 9.99 or 10 ft.
(Open-End Diesel Hammers)
Seconds per blow
Driven Piles Section 8.1
J anuary, 2014 23
Construction Documents
General Notes
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Driven Piles Section 8.1
J anuary, 2014 24
Bent 2 Elevation
Record Keeping
Pile Record
Book
General Daily
Progress
Report
Personal
Field Diary
P
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R
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B
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k
Driven Piles Section 8.1
J anuary, 2014 25
Piling Set Check
Within 2 ft of estimated pile length.
Wait for 24 hours to see if freeze will occur
and bearing can be reached.
Conserves piling and maximizes the
friction ability of the soil.
Driven Piles Section 8.1
J anuary, 2014 26
Pre-Production Program
(test piles)
Determine Pile Lengths Required for Production
concrete and timber pile order lengths
Check Drivability of Proposed Hammer System
Check Performance of Contractors proposed
Driving System
Determine Required Driving Resistance
Driven Piles Section 8.1
J anuary, 2014 27
Check the Driving System
Manufacturer
Model
Type
Serial Number
Energy Rating
Ram Weight
Ram Stroke
Check the Driving System
Are the leads
the proper type and
configuration
for the job?
Driven Piles Section 8.1
J anuary, 2014 28
Does the helmet and hammer cushion meet the
requirements of the Driving Criteria Letter?
Hammer Cushion:
Required for all impact hammers except gravity (drop)
Made of manufactured materials
Wood, wire rope and asbestos not allowed
Pile Drive Head (Helmet):
Axially aligned with the hammer and pile
Guided by the leads
Not free-swinging
Cut squarely for steel and timber
Plane and perpendicular to longitudinal axis for concrete piles
Check the Pile Certifications. Do the heat numbers on the
piles match the Certificate of Analysis for the piles?
Steel Piles
Bearing Pile
Depth & Width
Weight per foot of pile,
in pounds
Driven Piles Section 8.1
J anuary, 2014 29
Steel Pipe
Piles
Compare diameter,
length and wall
thickness to plan
details.
Wall Thickness
ID (inside dia.)
OD (outside dia.)
Steel Pipe Piles
Verify Open End or
Closed End.
Closed End
Verify the bottom
plate is the correct
diameter and
thickness and welded
per the plans.
Driven Piles Section 8.1
J anuary, 2014 30
Pile Depth
Flange Width
Steel H Piles
Measure the Pile Depth
and Flange Width for
comparison to plan
details.
10 in.
10 in.
Steel H Piles
Driven Piles Section 8.1
J anuary, 2014 31
The Project Plans and Specifications detail the splicing
requirements for piles. For Steel Pipe Pile a full penetration
butt weld is required with a backing ring.
Pile Splices
Backing Bar
(rings)
Marking Piles
Driven Piles Section 8.1
J anuary, 2014 32
Ground Surface
Elevation=+0.00
Reference
Elevation=+2.00
Cutoff
Elevation =+5.00
Length Driven is the length of pile
below the cutoff elevation !
Tip Elev. =- 27.00
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Monitoring Driven Pile Lengths
Pile Marker @ 29 penetration
Within 6 inches of
Plan position
Maximum
6 inches
Plan Location
Horizontal Tolerance for Driving
Driven Piles Section 8.1
J anuary, 2014 33
Common Problems
Water in fuel
Fuel lines clogged
Fuel pump malfunctioning
Fuel injectors malfunctioning
Oil low
Oil pump malfunctioning
Water in combustion chamber
Piston rings worn
Tripping device broken
Over heating
Indicators
Hollowsound, white smoke
No smoke or little gray smoke
Inconsistent ramstrokes, little gray smoke or black smoke
Inconsistent ramstrokes, little gray smoke or black smoke
Blows per minute rate is lower than specified
Blows per minute rate is lower than specified
Hollowsound, white smoke
Lowstrokes
Pawl does not engage piston
Pawl engages but doesn't lift piston
Paint and oil on cooling fins start to burn/sound changes
Common Problems
Open End Diesel
Steel Piles
Driven Piles Section 8.1
J anuary, 2014 34
Typical causes
of damage
Types of
damage
Possible indicators
during driving
Transporting
and Lifting
Low Steel
Strength
Hard Driving
(Compression)
Welding
Splices
Bending
Buckling
Accordion
Splitting
Pile moving out of position
during driving
Abrupt blow count change
Observed pile damage
near the pile head
Steel Piles
Banded to
prevent brooming
Timber Piles
Driven Piles Section 8.1
J anuary, 2014 35
Timber Piles
Typical causes
of damage
Types of
damage
Possible indicators
during driving
Transporting
Knots and
natural defects
Handling
Driving
Splintering
Cracking
Shearing
Brooming
(head & tip)
Pile moving out of
position during driving
Abrupt blow count
change
Appearance
Where is
that Pile
Data Table?
Safety
Driven Piles Section 8.1
J anuary, 2014 36