UNIT 5- CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT

 Selection of equipment for earth work - earth

moving operations - types of earthwork
equipment - tractors, motor graders, scrapers,
front end waders, earth movers - Equipment
for foundation and pile driving. Equipment
for compaction, batching and mixing and
concreting - Equipment for material
handling and erection of structures -
Equipment for dredging, trenching,
tunnelling
Selection of equipment for earth work
EARTHWORK EQUIPMENTS

 Depends On Type of work

 Availability of equipment
 Cost of project
 Type, size and other particulars of the equipment
 Source of construction equipment (purchase, rent or
lease)
 Utility of equipment
 Availability of skilled labour
 Duration of project
EARTHWORK EQUIPMENTS
The operation cost of equipment includes both the cost of owing
an equipment and its working expenses.

 Cost of owing  Operational Cost of

equipment: equipment includes:
- Initial cost price - Initial investment cost
- Interest charges - Major repair cost
- Excise taxes and control - Depreciation cost
sales tax - Labour charges
- Insurance fee - Lubricant and fuel charges
- Storage rent - Servicing repair charges
- Overhead expenditure
CLASSIFICATION OF CONSTRUCTION
EQUIPMENTS
1. EARTH MOVING EQUIPMENT.
2. HAULING EQUIPMENT.
3. CONVEYING EQUIPMENT.
4. PILE DRIVING EQUIPMENT.
5. TUNNELING AND ROCK DRILLING
EQUIPMENT.
6. HANDLING EQUIPMENT
7. PUMPING AND DEWATERING EQUIPMENT.
EXCAVATION EQUIPMENTS
EXCAVATION EQUIPMENTS
 Tractors
 Bull dozers
 Angle dozers
 Scrapers
 Power shovels
 Draglines
 Clam shells
 Hoes
 Dredgers
 Ripper
 Motor grader
EXCAVATING AND EARTH MOVING
EQUIPMENT

i. TRACTORS
ii. BULL DOZERS
iii. SCRAPERS
TRACTORS
 It is an important equipment for Earth movement
 They are also used to pull or push other equipments
like dozer, scraper, etc
 It converts engine energy into tractive energy
 Work by diesel engines with 20HP to 200HP

Two types of Tractors are:

i. Crawler or track type
ii. Wheel or pneumatic type
CRAWLER TRACTOR
WHEEL TRACTOR
TRACTORS

CRAWLER TYPE WHEELED TYPE

 Slow Speed  Greater Speed
 12kmph  50kmph
 Can Handle Heavy Jobs  Only Lighter Jobs
 Costly  Cheaper
 Requires Skill To Operate  Lesser Skill For Operation
 Stick Control For Steering  Wheel Control For Steering
 Only On Rough Roads i.e on On Rough As Well As Good
uneven and rough ground Roads
 Best operates on gravel or  Best operates on smooth
earth roads
BULL DOZER
BULL DOZERS

 Versatile Equipment- Essentially A Heavy Steel

Blade Mounted On The Front Of Tractor.

 They are high powered tractors with

caterpillar or crawler tracks fitted with a
mould board or blade at front for stripping
excavations to a depth of 400mm by pushing
the loosened material ahead of the machine
Classification Based On:
 Position Of Blades - Perpendicular Blades.

- Blades At An Angle.

 Mounting -Wheel Mounted.

-Crawler Mounted.

 Control -Cable Control.

-Hydraulic Control.
Application:
 Spreading Earth Fill.

 Clearing, Opening Up Pilot Roads.

 Back Filling Trenches.

BULL DOZER- COMPONENTS
 Mold boards width- 1.2m to 4m
 Mold boards height- 0.6m to 1.2m

Other types are

b. Angle dozer
c. Tree dozer
Angle dozer:
 Angle of Blades – other than 90 ̊ to the
longitudinal axis of the tractor. (usually 30 ̊ )
 Used for pushing the material to the side either
left or right
Tree dozer:
 Blades – slightly curved having concavity in the
forward direction of motion
 Used for uprooting trees, shrubs, etc

 They may be crawler or wheel mounted

SCRAPERS
 It is a self-sufficient machine which can
dig, load, haul and discharge the material
in uniformly thick layers
 They are capable of producing a very
smooth and accurate formation level
 Generally drawn by a tractor

 Unique For Long Distance Hauling

 It has a cutting edge which is lowered

into the ground to make a cut.
SCRAPERS
 Mounted on two or four pneumatic tyred wheels
 An Apron is provided in front of the container
which opens and closes in order to regulate the
flow of earth in and out of the container
 Used for cutting to a depth of 300mm

BASIC PARTS:
 Bowl, Apron, Ejector (Tail Gate).
SCRAPERS
SCRAPERS
Available in three types:
i. Crawler-drawn scraper
ii. Two-axle scraper

iii. Three- axle scraper

SCRAPERS
Available in three types:
i. Crawler-drawn scraper:
- Consist of 4 wheeled scraper bowl

- Bowl capacity- 5 to 50m3

- Speed in hauling- 8 km/hr

- Speed in scraping 3 km/hr

SCRAPERS
Available in three types:
ii. Two-axle scraper:
- Consist of 2 wheeled scraper bowl pulled by a 2
wheeled power unit.
- Offers better rolling resistance
GRADER OR MOTOR GRADER
 A grader, also commonly referred to as a
road grader or a motor grader, is a
construction machine with a long blade used to
create a flat surface during the grading process.
 a wheeled machine for levelling the ground,
especially in making roads. (Levelling and
finishing earth-work)
 Curved blade is supported and be turned through
360 degree.
 Blade has replaceble edges.

 Cutting depth - 2-4cms

MOTOR GRADERS
Speed
Light duty - 6-10 km/hr.
Heavy duty - 2-3 km/hr.
Normal duty - 4-6 km/hr.
Uses:
*Gravel road repairing
*road reshaping
*bank cutting
*ditch filling
*base course spreading
*material mixing
*snow, land clearance
EARTH EXCAVATION EQUIPMENTS

1. POWER SHOVEL.
2. BACK HOE.
POWER SHOVEL
POWER SHOVEL

 It is used to excavate earth of all classes except

rock.
 They are crawler mount

 It consist of dipper stick, dipper, cab, hoist line

TYPES:
Wheel Mounted (High Speed).
Crawler Mounted (Low Speed).
POWER SHOVEL
 Size of power shovel:
 Size of power shovel is indicated by the size
of dipper which is expressed in cubic
metres.
 The power shovels are available in size
3 1 3 1 1 1
, , , 1,1 , 1 , 2,2 𝑐𝑢𝑏𝑖𝑐 𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑠
8 2 4 4 2 2
 Output of shovel:
𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑒𝑥𝑐𝑎𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑙
Output=
𝑇𝑥𝑁
T- time taken in one cycle of excavation
N= No of cycles in one hour
POWER SHOVEL

Applications:
 Very Hard Materials, Big Sized Boulders.

Factors Controlling Output:

*Class Of Material
*Depth Of Cutting
*Angle Of Swing
*Skill Of Operator
BACK HOE
BACK HOE
BACK HOE
Basic Parts:
*Boom *Jack Boom
*Boom Foot Drum *Boom Sheave
*Stick, Bucket *Bucket Sheave
Application:
Trenches,
Footings, Basements.
To Trim The Surface.
HOE
 It is used to excavate below the natural surface.
 It is named as hoe, back hoe, back shovel,
backactor and pull shovel
 It can excavate stiff material which normally
cannot be excavated by dragline
HOE

 It can excavate stiff material which normally

cannot be excavated by dragline
 Hoe is superior to draglines

 It is used to dig moderate depths

 Output of hoe decreases with increase in depth

DRAG LINE
 It is a large excavator with a bucket pulled in
by a wire cable.
 They are used to excavate soft earth from
below the ground.
 Drag lines are specially suited for excavating
a ditch, canal or pit containing water.
BASIC PARTS:
*Boom *Hoist Cable
*Drag Cable *Drag Chain
*Bucket
DRAG LINE
OPERATION:
Cable Operated
FACTORS AFFECTING OUTPUT:
*Length Of Boom *Angle Of Swing
*Depth Of Cut *Size Of Unit
DRAGLINE

 Output of the dragline is measured in cubic

meters per hour.
 Output is 75% to 80%

 Output depends on the

i) size and type of bucket

ii) Length of crane
Video attached
DRAGLINE

 Buckets of dragline are classified as

i) light duty- used for digging lighter materials
like sandy clay or sand.
ii) Medium duty- normal excavations like clay,
shale, loose gravel, etc.
iii) Heavy duty- used for handling blasted rocks,
big boulders, etc.
CLAMSHELL

 Resembles like a shell fish

 Clamshell consist of a bucket of two halves
which are hinged together at top.
 It is attached to the shovel crane or the boom
of the dragline
Basic parts
*Closing line *Hoist line
*Sheaves *Brackets
*Shell *Hinge

Uses
1. For crushed stones, gravel, coal
2. For vertical lifting of materials
3. For removing materials from coferdams, sewer
manholes, well foundations.
It is used to excavate soft to medium
materials and loose material at or below
existing ground surface.
FRONT END WADERS

 It is a type of loader
 It is a heavy equipment machine used in
construction to move aside or load materials
like gravel, logs, rock, sand, etc into or onto
another type of machinery (such as a dump
truck, conveyor belt, feed-hopper, etc).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loader_(equip
ment)
COMPACTION EQUIPMENT
TYPES OF COMPACTION EQUIPMENT

1. Smooth wheeled roller

2. Sheep foot roller
3. Pneumatic tyred roller
SMOOTH WHEEL ROLLER
SMOOTH – WHEEL ROLLERS
 Plain Steel Rollers
 Self – Propelled (5 To 25 Tonnes)
 No Deep Compaction
 Rear Wheels Are Larger In Diameter And The Front
Ones Are Wider
 Diesel Engine Type
 Compaction Is By Static Weight Of Roller
 thickness- 15cm for subgrade
Suitability:
1. Granular Soils
2. Sand
3. Gravel
4. Crushed Stones
SHEEP FOOT ROLLER
SHEEP – FOOT ROLLERS
*Hollow Steel Drum With steel Projected Feet
Mounted At 100 To 200 mmc/C
*Weight- 15tonnes
*Speed- 25km/Hr
*Compaction Is By Kneading Action
*Suitability:
 Clay,

 predominantly Cohesive And

 Impervious Soil
PNEUMATIC TYRED ROLLER
PNEUMATIC TYRED ROLLERS
*Consists Of A Base Platform Mounted
Between Two Axles
*the front axle has one wheel less than rear
wheel
*Compaction Is By Controlling The Ground
Contact Pressure
*Weight Or Width Of The Wheel Can Be
Suitably Increased
Suitability:
Fine Grained And Well Graded Sands
BATCHING, MIXING AND
PLACING OF CONCRETE
BATCHERS

*Proportionating the ingredients of concrete for

a particular mix
*Weigh batching is commonly used
Types:
1. manual batching

2. semi - automatic batching

3. automatic batching
CONCRETE BATCHER
CONCRETE MIXERS
*mixing all the ingredients of concrete to make a mix of
specified consistency
Factors governing Mixing:
1. Correct setting of machine
2. Proper cleaning of blades
3. Sequence of material charged
4. Timely supply of water
5. Direction of in - flow
6. Speed and time of mixing
Types:
 drum type mixers - *tilting *non - tilting *reversible
 pan type mixers
CONCRETE PLACERS
CONCRETE PUMPS
 These are heavy direct pumps used in
inaccesible sites such as tunnels,
underwater, subways
 Pumps can be mounted on trucks or trailers

Pneumatic concrete placers

 It consists of a pressure vessel open at the
top and conical at the bottom
 Compressed air is used to push the concrete
through pipelines
EQUIPMENT FOR
MATERIAL
HANDLING
INTRODUCTION

 Transporting
materials when kms exceed
32000km per year then diesel engines
are used.

 Haulingby roads is carried out by trucks,

rubber tyred tractors with wagons or
crawler tractors with wagons.
HAULING EQUIPMENTS

 TRUCKS
 DUMP TRUCKS

 DUMPERS
TRUCKS

 TRUCKS:
 They have high mobility, good speed, good
maneuverability and adaptability.
 But on rough road and during bad weather
their performance is unsatisfactory.
 Truck capacity 0.4 to 20 cu m.

 Speed 10km/h to 100km/h

TRUCKS
 CLASSIFICATION OF TRUCKS :
1
1. Light truck ( to 1 tonne)
2
2. Medium truck (1.5 to 3 tonne)
3. Heavy truck (3.5 to 10 tonnes)
TRUCKS
CLASSIFICATION OF TRUCKS DEPEND ON NO
OF WHEELS AND NO OF DRIVINF WHEELS:
 Ex: if a truck having total 4 wheels out of
which 2 are driving wheels is designated as
 (4 x 2)
 For heavy loads on poorly maintained roads
with steep gradient (6 x 6) or ( 4 x 4) is used.
DUMP TRUCKS
DUMP TRUCKS
 These are the trucks which are fitted with
automatic unloading devices.
 Capacity of truck 53 tones

TYPES
1. SIDE DUMP TRUCK

2. BOTTOM DUMP TRUCKS

3. REAR DUMP TRUCKS

DUMP TRUCKS
Side Dump Truck:
*Dumping Is Through The Sides Of The Truck
*Suitable For Hauling Wet Clay, Sand, Gravel,
Quarry Rocks.
Bottom Dump Trucks:
*Dumping Is By Opening The Bottom Of The
Truck
*Suitable For Free Flowing Materials Such As
Sand, Gravel, Dry Earth, Hard Clay.
DUMPERS

 Most versatile, labour saving hauling

equipment for the horizontal movement of
materials such as bricks, aggregates,
sanitary fittings, scaffolding and fluids such
as wet concrete.
 Diesel powered vehicle and they are two
wheeled or 4 wheeled
CONVEYING EQUIPMENTS

 Elevators & Conveyors

*Advantages of Conveying equipment:
1. Increases Output
2. Continuity In Operation
3. Time Saving
Types:
1. Belt Conveyor
2. Screw Conveyor
3. Bucket Conveyor
CONVEYORS

 They are used to transfer the materials from

one place to the other over a short distance.

 Belt conveyors are commonly used because of

large capacity.

 In belt conveyors the materials are transported

with a continuous flow and comparatively at
high speed.

79
 CONVEYORS
A belt conveyor system consists of two or
more pulleys (sometimes referred to as
drums), with an endless loop of carrying
medium—the conveyor belt—that rotates
about them.
 One or both of the pulleys are powered,
moving the belt and the material on the belt
forward.
 The powered pulley is called the drive pulley
while the unpowered pulley is called the idler
pulley. 80
BELT CONVEYOR
CONVEYORS

Parts of a Belt Conveyor:

1. Continuous belt:
 Good belt should be of required size, grade, type and
strong enough to resist the maximum tension
2. Idlers:
 Idlers are the supports of the continuous belt.
 Type and size of the idler depends on the nature of the
work and power required to drive the belt which in turn
depends on the friction between the belt and idler
3. Driving unit:
 It is an electrical device which drives the belt.

 It should be of proper capacity to drive the full loaded belt.

4. Pulleys:
 The belt conveyor is driven through the system of pulleys which are
installed either at the head or tail or at any intermediate positions.
 Pulleys are operated by electric power or diesel engine.

 Number of pulleys required is decided by the maximum quantity of

load transported.
5. Take-up equipments:
 They are used to adjust the slack induced in the belt due to its
elongation when it is put to use initially.
 Pulley, which can be moved to keep belt tight, is called take-up
Pulley. Take-Up Pulley may be a drive pulley or an idler pulley.

83
6. Supporting structure:
 All the parts of the belt conveyors are suitably supported by a
supporting structure.
7. Special accessories:
(i) Holdback:
 It is a mechanical device which allows the pulley to rotate in only one
direction.
 This is used when the belt is moved in an incline position and during
this type of movement whenever the power fails the load in the belt
tends to move it in the reverse direction if the holdback is not provided.
(ii) Feeder:
 A feeder is a device used to supply the material to the belt as a uniform
rate.
(iii) Tripper:
 The function of tripper is opposite to that of
feeder.
 Tripper is used to take the material from the
belt before it reaches the end of the belt.
84
BELT CONVEYOR
Advantages:
 Can handle light, heavy, dry, wet, soft, coarse
materials
 high speed

 carries horizontally and inclined

 lighter in weight

 controlled discharge
SCREW CONVEYOR

*Used for handling granular or pulvarised

materials
*Low cost
*Consists of a helix mounted on a bearing at the
ends and at intermediate points
*Length is 65m with an inclination upto 35
degrees
SCREW CONVEYOR
BUCKET CONVEYORS

*A bucket elevator is a mechanism for hauling

bulk materials vertically.
Material is transferred through a series of
buckets
*Length is limited to 25m
*Weight depends upon the strength of chains
*Mainly used for handling coal
TRAILERS
 A trailer is generally an unpowered vehicle
towed by a powered vehicle.
 They are carriages hauled by power units like
trucks or tractors.
EQUIPMENT FOR
ERECTION OF
STRUCTURES
 CRANE
 A crane is a type of machine, generally equipped with
 a hoist rope,

 wire ropes or chains and

 sheaves (pulley).

 It can be used both to lift and lower materials and to move

them horizontally.
 It is mainly used for lifting heavy things and transporting
them to other places.
 Thus it move loads beyond the normal capability of a human.

 Lifting capacity vary from ½ tonne to 500 tones or even more

 Cranes may be

i.) stationary (known as derrick)

ii) mobile
iii) whirler cranes
A modern mobile crane with outriggers (An outrigger is a part of a crane which
is rigid and extends beyond the side)
1.STATIONARY CRANES

1.A. Guyed derrick

 They are used on framed buildings for erection of floor
panel , columns and slab strips.
 Derricks are Lighter in weight.

 A derrick is a lifting device composed at minimum of

one guyed mast.
 Most derricks have at least two components, either a

 guyed mast or self-supporting tower, and

 a boom hinged at its base.

 It can be shifted from floor to floor operating from an

erected floor.
Two guy derricks at a granite quarry
1.B Climbing crane
 Tall building over 20storeys are constructed this
type crane is used.
 Horizontal jib (or working arm) and balancing
counter weight is placed on top of shaft.
 This shaft itself is stationary and the crane
operates around 360º around the pivot on the
shaft.
 The crane can be lifted up to new position as the
building goes up on completion and the crane is
dismantled.
 This is used when the construction is carried out
in longest areas
Climbing Tower crane
1.C Tower cranes with fixed base

 Tower cranes with fixed base are used where

the use of rail mounted or climbing cranes
are not possible.
 This type of tower cranes are used for very tall
buildings.
 These cranes are fixed at base and braced
horizontally to the building portion can be
hoisted up by special hydraulic jack.
Tower cranes with fixed base
Parts of a Tower Crane
All tower cranes consist of the same basic parts:
 The base is bolted to a large concrete pad that
supports the crane.
 The base connects to the mast (or tower), which
gives the tower crane its height.
 Attached to the top of the mast is the slewing
unit -- the gear and motor -- that allows the crane
to rotate:
On top of the slewing unit are three parts:
i. The long horizontal jib (or working arm), which
is the portion of the crane that carries the load. A
trolley runs along the jib to move the load in and
out from the crane's center.
ii. The shorter horizontal machinery arm, which
contains the crane's motors and electronics as well
as the large concrete counter weights:
iii. The operator's cab.

How Much Weight Can They Lift?

A typical tower crane has the following specifications:
 Maximum unsupported height - 265 feet (80
meters)
 Maximum reach - 230 feet (70 meters)

 Maximum lifting power - 19.8 tons (18 metric

tons)
Typical Tower crane
 For example, if the operator positions the load
30 meters (100 feet) from the mast, the crane
can lift a maximum of 10.1 tonnes.
 Counterweights - 20 tons (16.3 metric tons)

 The maximum load that the crane can lift is 18

metric tons (39,690 pounds), but the crane
cannot lift that much weight if the load is
positioned at the end of the jib.
The closer the load is positioned to the mast, the
more weight the crane can lift safely.
 2. CRANES ON RAILS
2. A. Portal cranes
These cranes are used mainly to serve the operation of
manufacturing and storing areas in prefabrication plants.
 Also used in storage yards and in buildings where the travel
distance is short portal crane is used
 Consist of two vertical legs and a horizontal beam

 A Travelling trolley is attached to bottom flange of beam the

carries the load horizontally across the longitudinal axis.
 The advantage of this crane that it is very stable and it can
handle very large loads.
 The disadvantage of this crane is that its field of activity is
restricted to the area in which it can make the
longitudinal or horizontal movements.
 No circular motion is possible.
FEATURES:
 Capacity 5T, Total weight 4.5T

 Horizontal distance between 2 tracks is 7.8m

 Maximum height is up to 11m

 Mast height 10.9m and it can hoist up to 20

tonnes in operation.
Portal Cranes
3. MOBILE CRANES MOVING ON GROUND
3. Truck mounted crane
 For very quick movements from place to place cranes
are mounted on tracks with its own operating cabin and
separate chassis
• Chassis will have generator and motor
 A crane mounted on a truck carrier provides the
mobility for this type of crane.
 This crane has two parts: the carrier, often referred to
as the Lower, and the lifting component referred to as
the Upper.
Disadvantage:
 Needs firm and compact soil.
Truck mounted crane
3.B Crawler mounted cranes

 It is used in excavation, dredging and material

handling.
 Should be used on a hard and compacted soil
 On loose soil it is difficult to move the crane with
load
 It can operate 360 degree
 A crawler is a crane mounted on an undercarriage
with a set of Caterpillar tracks (also called
crawlers) that provide stability and mobility.
 Crawler cranes range in lifting capacity from
about 40 to 3,500 short tons.
EQUIPMENT FOR
FOUNDATION AND
PILE DRIVING
INTRODUCTION

 A pile driver is a mechanical device

 Pile driving is the process by way of which a
pile is forced or driven into the ground without
excavation or boring.
 Piles are commonly driven by means of
hammer supported by a crane or by a special
device known as pile driver
o One traditional type of pile driver includes a
heavy weight placed between guides so that it
is able to freely slide up and down in a single
line.
o The weight is raised, which may involve
the use of hydraulics, steam, diesel, or manual
labour.
o When the weight reaches its highest point
it is then released and smashes into the
ground.
 Ancient pile driving equipment used manual or
animal labor to lift heavy weights, usually by means
of pulleys, to drop the weight onto the end of the
pile.

 Modern pile driving equipment uses various

methods to raise the weight and guide the pile
 The hammer is guided between two parallel
steel members known as leads.

Leads are carried on a frame in such a way

that they can be supported in a vertical or
inclined position
EQUIPMENT REQUIRED FOR PILE DRIVING
1. Pile frames:
 Pile Rig — A movable steel structure for
driving piles in the correct position and
alignment by means of a hammer operating in
the guides of the frame.
 Made of steel having height varies from 10-
25m or more.
 Pile frame should be light and easily
transportable
EQUIPMENT REQUIRED FOR PILE DRIVING
2. Pile hammers:
 The function of hammer is to impart energy to
drive the pile into the soil
 Heavy conventional hammers drive piles by
impact.
 Nowadays vibratory and sonic hammers have
been developed
 These new hammers are well suited for driving
and extracting piles in Granular soils
3. Dolly — A cushion of hardwood or some
suitable material placed on the top of the casing
to receive the blows of the hammer.
 Sometimes, packing saw dust or coir mat or
coiled hemp rope, asbestos fibre is placed in
between them
 The hammer blow is taken on a dolly

Insert image
PILE DRIVING

 Pile are driven by 4 methods:

 By drop hammer

 By Steam hammer

 By water jets

 By boring
EXPLANATION

1. By drop hammers
 It is pile driver in which hammer is raised by a
rope or steel cable and then allowed to drop on
a pile cap
EXPLANATION

2. By Steam hammers:
 The hammer is automatically raised and then
dropped a short distance by means of steam
cylinder and piston
 The cylinder moves inside the piston by
varying the steam pressure
EXPLANATION

3. By water jets:
 This method of driving pile involves displacing
the soil below the shoe of the pile by means of
one or more water jets.
 Jet- consists of 5 to 6 cm dia pipe with its lower
end decreasing in diameter
 It forms a nozzle about half the diameter of the
pile at top
 Pressure of water 17 to 17.5 kg/sq.cm
EXPLANATION

3. By water jets:
 The jet of water coming out of the nozzle
washes the soil below and the pile sinks down
into the hollow space.
 The water jet is stopped a few meters before
the pile reaches its required depth and it is
driven by hammering for that distance.
1. DROP HAMMERS
 It is solid mas of cast iron which is lifted and
allowed to fall on the head of a pile.
 Weight of drop hammers vary from 1 to 4
tonnes (1000 to 4000 kg)
 Standard drop hammer weight- 250 to 1500kg

 Height of fall- 1.5 to 3 or 1.5 to 6mts

 The rate of applying blows per minute varies

from 4 to 8 in number
DROP HAMMERS
 Because of the slow speed they have now
become obsolete except for piling short
lengths
S.No Type of Pile Recommended hammer weight

1. Timber & steel 1 to 1.5 times the weight of pile

bearing piles
2. Concrete piles At least the ½ weight of pile
3. Steel sheet pile • Equal to the weight of pile for
average condition of driving
• 2.5 times the weight of pile for
hard driving condition
1. DROP HAMMERS
 Advantages:
- simplicity in operation
- No skilled labor required
- Low initial cost
 Disadvantages:

- Slow rate of driving

- Chances of damaging pile when dropped from

greater height
- Not suitable for driving piles under water
2.
 The hammer is operated by steam pressure
conveyed from the boiler
 A single-acting steam hammer is raised by the
pressure of steam injected into the lower part
of a cylinder and drops under gravity when the
pressure is released.
 The pressure ranges from 5.6 to 10.5 kg/sq.cm
and used depending on the size of the hammer
and its weight.
 The energy of such hammer is equal to the
weight of the ram times the height of fall.
2.

 Weight- 2 tones (20kN)

 Fall is from 1m

 No of blows- 50 to 60 per minute depends on

the steam pressure
 Operation of this hammer costs less compared
to a double acting hammer
 Its speed is lower.
 Advantages:
 Speed of driving is more than drop hammers
 Imparts greater energy due to heavier weight and
low velocity
 Used to drive under water
 Disadvantages:
 More initial investment
 Skilled operation
 High maintenance cost
 More time to install and dismantle
 Requires skilled personnel
3.
 It employs steam or air for lifting the ram and
for accelerating the downward stroke.

 The steam pressure plays its part both in the

upward and downward movement of the
hammer

 It is completely enclosed in a steel case.

 No of blows- 100 to 200 blows per minute.

 Weight of the hammer is about 2000 to 4000 kg
and have a stroke length upto 1.5m

 In case of single acting and drop hammers, the

stroke length should not exceed 1.35m

 The weight of the hammer is at least half the

weight of the pile.

 For light (small size) hammers, weight is less than

a tonne and no of blows may be high as 300 per
minute.

 Also used in driving piles under water.

 Light weight hammers are not suitable for
driving heavy piles through hard strata. In
such cases, single acting hammers are used.
 ADVANTAGES:

 Due to high speed of driving, pile driving time

is reduced.
 Used for under water construction of piles

 Easy driving
 DISADVANTAGES:
 More skilled labor is needed

 High initial and maintenance cost

 Driving of heavy piles through hard strata is

difficult.
4.

 They have fairly good results in silty and clayey

deposits.

 They are used in heavy clays or soils with

appreciable numbers of boulders.

 Great speed of penetration.

5.
 The diesel hammer is a small, light weight and
highly mobile. They use gasoline for fuel.
 Diesel hammers are more powerful than other
options. They offer considerably more power
than other options and are about twice as
powerful as hydraulic hammers.
 They work on a variety of soil types. They are
ideal for soft and hard soil.
 They are lightweight and compact. Diel
hammers are easy to transport between job sites,
providing your crews with extra flexibility.
5.
 They cost about half as much as hydraulic
hammers. The base price tag of a diesel
hammer is significantly lower. Plus, fueling up
a diesel hammer is cheaper.
 They are more reliable

 Disadvantage:

 Diesel hammers sometimes get a bad rap for

the amount of exhaust they produce and the
amount of noise they make.
o Modern type of piling hammer which utilizes hydraulic
fluid

o Used in place of diesel and air hammers for driving steel

pipe, precast concrete, and timber piles.

o More environmentally acceptable than the older, less

efficient hammers as they generate less noise and
pollutants.
7.
 Vibratory hammers can either drive in or extract
a pile
 Driving hammer blows on the pile head with
certain frequency and de to this the pile
moves down
 Friction developed on the surface of the pile
before the next blow. Due to this the ile moves
 Driving power is by internal combustion
engines or with electric motors
8.
 Resonant frequency is applied