Pile driving control apparatus and pile driving system

• US 20070074881A1
• Filed: 11/20/2006
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bermingham Foundation Solutions Limited (VINCI SA)
• Original Assignee: Bermingham Construction Ltd. (VINCI SA)
• Inventors: Hoover, David, Gabaldo, Stefano, Middendorp, Peter, Triska, Mark, Justason, Michael, Codd, William, Bermingham, Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 7,404,449 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 173/2
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 13/06 for observation while placing
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 7/02 Placing by driving E02D7/18 - E02D7/24 take precedence

Abstract

A pile driving control apparatus for a pile driving system includes a hydraulic control system that controls a throttle of a pile driving hammer, and thereby controls an impact velocity of the hammer with a pile. A controller provides a control signal to the hydraulic control system. Based on the control signal, the hydraulic control system controls an impact velocity of the hammer during a subsequent hammer stroke. The controller may determine one or more control parameters such as sound pressure at a sound control location during a hammer stroke, vibration at a vibration control location during a hammer stroke, an impact force imparted to the pile during a hammer stroke, and/or actual pile capacity of the pile, and provide to the hydraulic control system a control signal based on the determined control parameter(s).

Claims

1. A pile driving control apparatus comprising:

a hydraulic control system operable to control a throttle of a pile driving hammer to thereby control an impact velocity of the hammer with a pile; and

a controller operatively coupled to the hydraulic control system and operable to determine sound pressure at a control location during a hammer stroke, and to provide to the hydraulic control system a control signal based on the determined sound pressure, the hydraulic control system controlling an impact velocity of the hammer during a subsequent hammer stroke based on the control signal.

2. The pile driving control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further operable to determine an impact velocity of the hammer during the hammer stroke by receiving a reading from a velocity sensor for measuring the impact velocity of the hammer.

3. The pile driving control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to determine the sound pressure by receiving a reading from a sound pressure sensor for measuring the sound pressure at the control location.

4. The pile driving control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control location comprises one of:

a location on the hammer, a location on the pile, a location on ground into which the pile is to be driven, and a location on a structure near the pile.

5. The pile driving control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further operable to determine vibration at a vibration control location during the hammer stroke, and to generate the control signal based on the determined sound pressure and the determined vibration.

6. The pile driving control apparatus of claim 5, wherein the control location and the vibration control location comprise the same physical location.

7. The pile driving control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further operable to provide the control signal by comparing the determined sound pressure to a maximum allowable sound pressure, and generating, as the control signal, a control signal to cause the hydraulic control system to adjust the throttle so as to adjust the impact velocity of the hammer for the subsequent hammer stroke based on the comparison.

8. A pile driving system comprising:

the pile driving control apparatus of claim 1;

the hammer comprising the throttle, the throttle being operatively coupled to the hydraulic control system; and

a sound pressure sensor, operatively coupled to the controller, and operable to measure the sound pressure at the control location and to provide to the controller an indication of the measured sound pressure.

9. The pile driving system of claim 8, wherein the sound pressure sensor comprises a system for analyzing the sound pressure at the control location, the indication of the measured sound pressure comprising a sound pressure analysis output.

10. A pile driving control apparatus comprising:

a hydraulic control system operable to control a throttle of a pile driving hammer to thereby control an impact velocity of the hammer with a pile; and

a controller operatively coupled to the hydraulic control system and operable to determine vibration at a control location during a hammer stroke, and to provide to the hydraulic control system a control signal based on the determined vibration, the hydraulic control system controlling an impact velocity of the hammer during a subsequent hammer stroke based on the control signal.

11. The pile driving control apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller is further operable to determine an impact velocity of the hammer during the hammer stroke by receiving a reading from a velocity sensor for measuring the impact velocity of the hammer.

12. The pile driving control apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller is operable to determine the vibration by receiving a reading from a vibration sensor for measuring the vibration at the control location.

13. The pile driving control apparatus of claim 10, wherein the control location comprises one of:

a location on the hammer, a location on ground into which the pile is to be driven, and a location on a structure near the pile.

14. The pile driving control apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller is further operable to provide the control signal by comparing the determined vibration to a maximum allowable vibration, and generating, as the control signal, a control signal to cause the hydraulic control system to adjust the throttle so as to adjust the impact velocity of the hammer for the subsequent hammer stroke based on the comparison.

15. A pile driving system comprising:

the pile driving control apparatus of claim 10;

the hammer comprising the throttle, the throttle being operatively coupled to the hydraulic control system; and

a vibration sensor, operatively coupled to the controller, and operable to measure the vibration at the control location and to provide to the controller an indication of the measured vibration.

16. The pile driving system of claim 15, wherein the vibration sensor comprises a system for analyzing the vibration at the control location, the indication of the measured vibration comprising a vibration analysis output.

17. A pile driving control apparatus comprising:

a hydraulic control system operable to control a throttle of a pile driving hammer to thereby control an impact velocity of the hammer with a pile; and

a controller operatively coupled to the hydraulic control system and operable to determine an actual impact force imparted to the pile during the hammer stroke, to compare the determined actual impact force with a target impact energy, and to provide to the hydraulic control system a control signal based on the comparison, the hydraulic control system controlling an impact velocity of the hammer during a subsequent hammer stroke based on the control signal.

18. The pile driving control apparatus of claim 17, wherein the target impact energy is configurable by a user.

19. A pile driving control apparatus comprising:

a hydraulic control system operable to control a throttle of a pile driving hammer to thereby control an impact velocity of the hammer with a pile; and

a controller operatively coupled to the hydraulic control system and operable to determine actual pile capacity of the pile, to compare the determined actual pile capacity with a target pile capacity, and to provide to the hydraulic control system a control signal based on the comparison, the hydraulic control system controlling an impact velocity of the hammer during a subsequent hammer stroke based on the control signal.

20. The pile driving control apparatus of claim 19, wherein the target pile capacity is configurable by a user.