Giken America Corporation – Innovative Construction Solutions Using Press-in Method
Presented by: Takefumi Takuma
This presentation will discuss the Gulf South Industrial project usage of a non-vibratory method of pile driving to install sheet piles with minimal noise impacts. Typical pile driving generates high levels of noise and vibration due to the way commonly used vibratory and percussive hammers work, which often limit the locations and the time when and where piles can be installed. Press-in piling, on the other hand, enables pile installation close to operational industrial units, residential neighborhoods, schools, hospitals, businesses, and underground utilities during day and night as necessary; including when and where wildlife in water and on land need to be considered.
The type of press-in piling equipment known commonly as the Silent PilerTM was used for this project. This equipment is designed to press piles into the ground by holding onto previously installed piles which act like anchors; providing a counteracting force against resistance that the new piles encounter as it gets pressed in. A sound-attenuated power pack provides pressurized hydraulic fluid to power a press-in piling machine. High-pressure water jetting or a continuous flight auger attachment can be utilized to facilitate press-in pile installation where soil conditions are dense.
This presentation will first discuss the fundamentals of the press-in piling method followed by a discussion on the details of the Gulf South Industrial project including its soil conditions, logistical constraints, and operational constraints that piling crews had to overcome, and how the project was rendered successful with the press-in piling method.
Authors:
Brent Guthrie, Cajun Industries, LLC
Takefumi Takuma, Giken America Corporation