PILE DRIVING STANDARD EXAMS ANSWERS AND
QUESTIONS SET A+
✔✔Closed-End Diesel (Double Acting) Advantages
2-38 - ✔✔• No additional support equipment required
• Drives piles faster
• Lightweight
✔✔Closed-End Diesel (Double Acting) Disadvantages
2-38 - ✔✔• Lowest efficiency
• Most difficult to spot operation problems
✔✔Closed-End Diesel (Double Acting)
455-5.2.2 Diesel: (Continued)
2-39 - ✔✔..... Equip closed-end (double acting) diesel hammers with a bounce chamber
pressure gauge, in good working order, mounted near ground level so the Engineer can
easily read. Also, provide the Engineer with a chart, calibrated to actual hammer
performance within 30 days prior to initial use, equating bounce chamber pressure to
either equivalent energy or stroke for the closed-end diesel hammer to be used.
✔✔Hydraulic Hammer Advantages
2-41 - ✔✔• Controllable variable stroke
• High efficiency blow
• Low impact velocity
• Light weight
• Clean running, quiet
✔✔Hydraulic Hammer Disadvantages
2-41 - ✔✔• Need hydraulic power pack and hoses
, • Need dedicated person for hydraulic controls
• Repairability / high tech
• Expertise in hammer operation needed
✔✔455-5.2.3 Hydraulic
2-42 - ✔✔Variable energy hydraulic hammers shall have at least three hydraulic control
settings that provide for predictable energy or equivalent ram stroke. The shortest
stroke shall be a maximum of 2 feet for the driving of concrete piles. The remaining
strokes shall include full stroke and approximately halfway between minimum and
maximum stroke. Supply hammer instrumentation with electronic read out, and control
unit that allows the operator to read and adjust the hammer energy or equivalent ram
stroke. When pressure measuring equipment is required to determine hammer energy,
calibrate the pressure measuring equipment before use.
✔✔Vibratory Hammer
2-43 - ✔✔• Generally used for driving and extracting sheet piles and non-displacement
H-piles and pipe piles.
• Not impact hammers.
✔✔455-5.2.4 Vibratory
2-44 - ✔✔Vibratory hammers of sufficient capacity (force and amplitude) may be used
to drive steel sheet piles and, with approval of the Engineer, to drive steel bearing piles
a sufficient distance to get the impact hammer on the pile (to stick the pile).....However,
in all cases, use a power impact hammer for the last 15 feet or more of the final driving
of steel bearing piles for bearing determinations after all piles in the bent/pier have been
driven with a vibratory hammer. Do not use vibrating hammers to install concrete piles,
or to install support or reaction piles for a load test.
✔✔Which of the following hammers is NOT to be used to drive concrete piles?
A. Vibratory
B. Diesel
C. Hydraulic
D. Air/Steam
2-45 - ✔✔A. Vibratory
2-44
455-5.2.4
✔✔A bounce chamber pressure gauge is to be provided for which of the following
hammers?
A. Air/Steam
QUESTIONS SET A+
✔✔Closed-End Diesel (Double Acting) Advantages
2-38 - ✔✔• No additional support equipment required
• Drives piles faster
• Lightweight
✔✔Closed-End Diesel (Double Acting) Disadvantages
2-38 - ✔✔• Lowest efficiency
• Most difficult to spot operation problems
✔✔Closed-End Diesel (Double Acting)
455-5.2.2 Diesel: (Continued)
2-39 - ✔✔..... Equip closed-end (double acting) diesel hammers with a bounce chamber
pressure gauge, in good working order, mounted near ground level so the Engineer can
easily read. Also, provide the Engineer with a chart, calibrated to actual hammer
performance within 30 days prior to initial use, equating bounce chamber pressure to
either equivalent energy or stroke for the closed-end diesel hammer to be used.
✔✔Hydraulic Hammer Advantages
2-41 - ✔✔• Controllable variable stroke
• High efficiency blow
• Low impact velocity
• Light weight
• Clean running, quiet
✔✔Hydraulic Hammer Disadvantages
2-41 - ✔✔• Need hydraulic power pack and hoses
, • Need dedicated person for hydraulic controls
• Repairability / high tech
• Expertise in hammer operation needed
✔✔455-5.2.3 Hydraulic
2-42 - ✔✔Variable energy hydraulic hammers shall have at least three hydraulic control
settings that provide for predictable energy or equivalent ram stroke. The shortest
stroke shall be a maximum of 2 feet for the driving of concrete piles. The remaining
strokes shall include full stroke and approximately halfway between minimum and
maximum stroke. Supply hammer instrumentation with electronic read out, and control
unit that allows the operator to read and adjust the hammer energy or equivalent ram
stroke. When pressure measuring equipment is required to determine hammer energy,
calibrate the pressure measuring equipment before use.
✔✔Vibratory Hammer
2-43 - ✔✔• Generally used for driving and extracting sheet piles and non-displacement
H-piles and pipe piles.
• Not impact hammers.
✔✔455-5.2.4 Vibratory
2-44 - ✔✔Vibratory hammers of sufficient capacity (force and amplitude) may be used
to drive steel sheet piles and, with approval of the Engineer, to drive steel bearing piles
a sufficient distance to get the impact hammer on the pile (to stick the pile).....However,
in all cases, use a power impact hammer for the last 15 feet or more of the final driving
of steel bearing piles for bearing determinations after all piles in the bent/pier have been
driven with a vibratory hammer. Do not use vibrating hammers to install concrete piles,
or to install support or reaction piles for a load test.
✔✔Which of the following hammers is NOT to be used to drive concrete piles?
A. Vibratory
B. Diesel
C. Hydraulic
D. Air/Steam
2-45 - ✔✔A. Vibratory
2-44
455-5.2.4
✔✔A bounce chamber pressure gauge is to be provided for which of the following
hammers?
A. Air/Steam
