Pile Driving History
March 5, 2010
Pile driving equipment has been assisting construction firms in the development of massive projects in the modern area for over 150 years. Though the concept of driving piles into the ground for the purpose of creating a stable and reinforced foundation has not changed, the evolution of the machinery utilizing different power sources and techniques is a credit to the intelligence of engineers and designers who constantly look to improve processes.
In the rudimentary stages of early pile driving, piles were driven into the ground with the use of blunt force. This can be traced back nearly 5,000 years ago to the development of man-made island in the moors of Scotland. The challenge to the early process was ensuring that the structural integrity of the pile was not compromised when it encountered resistance. Any compromise of the pile would result in the weakening of the pile; therefore making the pile useless in the stabilization of the structure to be built upon it.
Through the development of steam pile drivers in the 19th century, piles were driven into the ground with the use of energy transfer. The hammer portion of the pile driver was evolved into a piston. The use of suddenly pressurized steam inside of the chamber/cylinder above the pile resulted in the creation of energy; which was transferred to the pile, thereby driving it into the ground. Diesel pile drivers improved on the process.
Diesel hammers seized on the concept of pressure to drive the piles, and added the element of burning fuel to create additional force. The piston concept was evolved with the piston creating hot compressed air which was brought to the temperature point where diesel fuel is flammable. By introducing diesel fuel into the chamber at a certain moment, the mixture of air and fuel creates a significant amount of energy. The energy is then transferred down to the pile to drive it into the ground.
Interestingly, with the need to rebuild older structures, the need for a machine that could remove piles that had been previously embedded into the earth came to the market. Attempting to pull previous driven piles out of the earth proved extremely difficult with direct upward force due to the friction that existed. The result is a machine known as a vibratory pile driver/extractor.
A vibratory pile driver/extractor utilizes high amounts of vibration to loosen the pile and reduce the skin friction between the pile and the surrounding soil. The machine's appearance is much different that of a conventional pile driving equipment. The machine is hoisted above the pile and held in place by a crane. The vibration is created by rotating weights that are powered by hydraulic motors. Interestingly, the motors create vibrations in all directions; however, because the rotating weights are eccentric and are connected in a specific manner with gears to maintain a predetermined synchronization, the horizontal vibration is cancelled. This results in only vertical vibration.
The vertical vibration is then transferred to the pile. The pile absorbs the vibration and then transfers that vibration to the soil around it. Some machines produce as much as 1600 vibrations per minute (over 25 vibrations per second). The process works equally well for both driving of piles and the extraction of piles
Commercial Real Estate Projects
March 26, 2010
Commercial real estate can be quite lucrative. In order to enhance profitability, it pays to enlist the help of a reputable commercial construction firm. The right contractor will be highly skilled in all areas of commercial construction. From drawing up creative, high-quality plans - to turning them into reality - a first-rate commercial construction firm will produce buildings that people will want to move into; moreover, investors will eagerly put money into such projects, too. How does a commercial real estate project go from the boardroom to the drafting table to real life? Machines play important roles in the process.
The Machines that Make it Possible
When designed properly, an apartment skyscraper can be home to hundreds of tenants. It's easy to take such buildings for granted - especially when they seem to spring up overnight. In reality, though, a lot of planning, man hours and equipment go into creating such buildings. Once the location's been selected and the plans have been drawn up, the initial groundbreaking has to occur. In modern times, a drill rig - or drilling rig - generally does the bulk of that kind of work. Towering buildings require deep foundations; a drill rig makes short work of the process.
The skyscrapers that are often used in commercial real estate projects have immense foundations that are composed of many heavy components. Without pile drivers, this construction phase would be exorbitantly expensive and excessively dangerous. Pile driving equipment has been around for centuries; today, though, it is extremely sophisticated and streamlined to use. Pile driving helps increase the profitability of commercial real estate projects, since it dramatically lowers the cost of getting them off the ground - or into the ground, as it were. A strong, solid foundation is critical; drill rigs and pile drivers help construction firms get there more easily.
Up, Up and Away
Once the below-ground phase of a commercial real estate project is completed, the tower cranes come out to help make skyscrapers that stretch impossibly high. In urban areas, such buildings provide housing for thousands upon thousands of people. Those people pay the rents that make these projects lucrative. The massive expense that's involved in getting these projects off the ground is repaid several times over; it's little wonder, then, that commercial real estate projects are so popular among investors. At the end of the day, though, it's the equipment that keeps such projects humming along.
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