In the field of construction engineering, pile drivers are a vital piece of equipment, mainly used to drive piles into the foundation to increase the bearing capacity of the foundation and ensure the stability of the building. So, what types of pile drivers are there? The following is a comprehensive analysis of the eight types and application scenarios of pile drivers.

  I. Five basic machine types classified by power principle

   1. Drop hammer pile driver

   The steel heavy hammer is lifted by the winch and then falls freely to impact the pile body. The structure is simple but the efficiency is low. It is suitable for small prefabricated pile construction and is common in early foundation projects.

   2. Steam hammer pile driver

   Driven by steam or compressed air, it is divided into single-acting (only rising drive) and double-acting (two-way drive). Double-acting steam hammers can achieve 800-1000 times/minute high-frequency impacts, which are particularly suitable for hard ground construction, such as dock pile foundation projects.

   3. Diesel hammer pile driver

   The working principle is similar to the two-stroke cycle of a diesel engine, and power is generated by fuel explosion. There are two designs: guide rod type (the hammer moves along the guide rod) and cylinder type (closed cylinder structure). It is easy to move and low cost, and is the mainstream equipment for building pile foundations.

   4. Hydraulic hammer pile driver

   The hydraulic system is used to accurately control the impact force, and the parameters can be adjusted for different strata. Equipped with an intelligent pressure compensation device, it is widely used in the construction of small and medium-sized piles such as highway guardrail piles and photovoltaic support piles.

   5. Vibration hammer pile driver

   The eccentric wheel generates high-frequency vibration to reduce soil friction, which is suitable for the sinking and pulling of steel sheet piles and pipe piles. It is particularly suitable for sandy formations and can achieve an adjustable vibration frequency of 50-150Hz.

   II. Three special models classified by hole-making method

   6. Spiral pile driver

   The power head drives the hollow drill rod to rotate and dig, which can achieve dry hole-making. There are two types: long spiral (30m depth) and short spiral (hard rock crushing), which are widely used in small-diameter pile foundations such as 5G base station piles and charging piles.

   7. Rotary drilling rig (rotary drilling pile driver)

   Multifunctional equipment with integrated rotation, pressurization and lifting systems, with a hole diameter of up to 4m. Equipped with Kaishi telescopic drill rod and a variety of drill bits, it has both mud wall protection and dry hole construction capabilities, and is the preferred equipment for bridge pile foundations.

   8. Static pile driver

   The hydraulic system is used to generate continuous static pressure, and the counterweight block (up to 800 tons) is used to achieve impact-free pile sinking. It is suitable for sensitive urban areas and silt formations, and is environmentally friendly.

   III. New composite technology models

   1. Fully hydraulic driven pile driver

   Integrating hydraulic hammer and rotary drilling functions, it can achieve 180° rotation operation, suitable for complex working conditions such as water surface and slope.

   2. Photovoltaic pile driver

   Specially designed for solar racks, equipped with automatic positioning system and multi-station clamp, the daily construction capacity of a single machine can reach 500 racks.