PILE DRIVING TEST PAPER ANSWERS AND
QUESTIONS SET A+
✔✔455-5.3.2 Pile Cushion: (Continued)
2-56 - ✔✔Do not use materials previously soaked, saturated or treated with oil. Maintain
pile cushions in good condition and change when charred, splintered, excessively
compressed, or otherwise deteriorated to the point it will not protect the pile against
overstressing in tension
and/or compression. Protect cushions from the weather, and keep them dry. Do not
soak the cushions in any liquid. Replace the pile cushion if, during the driving of any
pile, the cushion is either compressed more than one half the original thickness or
begins to burn....
✔✔455-5.3.2 Pile Cushion: (Continued)
2-57 - ✔✔.... Provide a new cushion for each pile unless approved otherwise by the
Engineer after satisfactory field trial. Reuse pile cushions in good condition to perform
all set-checks and re-drives.
✔✔455-5.3.3 Pile Helmet:
2-58 - ✔✔Use a pile helmet that fits loosely over the pile head and is at least 1 inch
larger than the pile dimensions.
✔✔455-5.4 Leads - ✔✔Provide pile leads constructed in a manner which offers freedom
of movement to the hammer and that have the strength and rigidity to hold the hammer
and pile in the correct position and alignment during driving.
✔✔455-5.6 Templates:
2-71,72 - ✔✔Provide a fixed template, adequate to maintain the pile in proper position
and alignment during driving with swinging leads or with semi-fixed leads....Supply a
, stable reference close to the pile, which is satisfactory in the opinion of the Engineer, for
determination of the pile
penetration.
✔✔Standard Penetration Test (SPT)
Automatic Hammer
2-75 - ✔✔Increased safety
Most Efficient SPT Hammer
Most Consistent blow
✔✔455-5.7 Water Jets:
2-79,80,81 - ✔✔Do not perform jetting without prior approval by the Engineer or unless
allowed by the plans. Do not perform jetting in the embankment or for end bents..... Use
two jets when using external jets. When jetting and driving, position the jets slightly
behind the advancing pile tip
(approximately 3 feet or as approved by the Engineer)..... Where practical, perform
jetting on all piles in a pile group before driving begins.
✔✔Predrilling is used to perform the following:
2-83 - ✔✔-Install piles by preforming holes or predrilling through soils with obstructions,
such as old timbers, boulders, and riprap.
-Install piles through soil embankments.
-Drill a starter hole.
-To assist in the advancement of the piles through very dense materials that prevent the
piles to reach a minimum penetration.
-To reduce pile heave when displacement piles are driven at close spacings.
-To predrill holes in order to minimize vibrations
--Where jetting or punching are not allowed by the Contract documents.
✔✔Followers
2-85 - ✔✔• Generally used for water projects.
• Only when authorized in writing by Engineer or in contract documents.
✔✔455-5.5 Followers:
2-86 - ✔✔Use followers only for underwater driving. Obtain the Engineer's approval for
the type of follower, when used, and the method of connection to the leads and pile.
Use followers constructed of steel with an adequate cross-section to withstand driving
stresses. When driving concrete piles, ensure that the cross-sectional area of the
follower is at least 18% of the cross-sectional area of the pile. When driving steel piles,
ensure that the cross-sectional area of the follower is greater than or equal to the cross-
sectional area of the pile.
QUESTIONS SET A+
✔✔455-5.3.2 Pile Cushion: (Continued)
2-56 - ✔✔Do not use materials previously soaked, saturated or treated with oil. Maintain
pile cushions in good condition and change when charred, splintered, excessively
compressed, or otherwise deteriorated to the point it will not protect the pile against
overstressing in tension
and/or compression. Protect cushions from the weather, and keep them dry. Do not
soak the cushions in any liquid. Replace the pile cushion if, during the driving of any
pile, the cushion is either compressed more than one half the original thickness or
begins to burn....
✔✔455-5.3.2 Pile Cushion: (Continued)
2-57 - ✔✔.... Provide a new cushion for each pile unless approved otherwise by the
Engineer after satisfactory field trial. Reuse pile cushions in good condition to perform
all set-checks and re-drives.
✔✔455-5.3.3 Pile Helmet:
2-58 - ✔✔Use a pile helmet that fits loosely over the pile head and is at least 1 inch
larger than the pile dimensions.
✔✔455-5.4 Leads - ✔✔Provide pile leads constructed in a manner which offers freedom
of movement to the hammer and that have the strength and rigidity to hold the hammer
and pile in the correct position and alignment during driving.
✔✔455-5.6 Templates:
2-71,72 - ✔✔Provide a fixed template, adequate to maintain the pile in proper position
and alignment during driving with swinging leads or with semi-fixed leads....Supply a
, stable reference close to the pile, which is satisfactory in the opinion of the Engineer, for
determination of the pile
penetration.
✔✔Standard Penetration Test (SPT)
Automatic Hammer
2-75 - ✔✔Increased safety
Most Efficient SPT Hammer
Most Consistent blow
✔✔455-5.7 Water Jets:
2-79,80,81 - ✔✔Do not perform jetting without prior approval by the Engineer or unless
allowed by the plans. Do not perform jetting in the embankment or for end bents..... Use
two jets when using external jets. When jetting and driving, position the jets slightly
behind the advancing pile tip
(approximately 3 feet or as approved by the Engineer)..... Where practical, perform
jetting on all piles in a pile group before driving begins.
✔✔Predrilling is used to perform the following:
2-83 - ✔✔-Install piles by preforming holes or predrilling through soils with obstructions,
such as old timbers, boulders, and riprap.
-Install piles through soil embankments.
-Drill a starter hole.
-To assist in the advancement of the piles through very dense materials that prevent the
piles to reach a minimum penetration.
-To reduce pile heave when displacement piles are driven at close spacings.
-To predrill holes in order to minimize vibrations
--Where jetting or punching are not allowed by the Contract documents.
✔✔Followers
2-85 - ✔✔• Generally used for water projects.
• Only when authorized in writing by Engineer or in contract documents.
✔✔455-5.5 Followers:
2-86 - ✔✔Use followers only for underwater driving. Obtain the Engineer's approval for
the type of follower, when used, and the method of connection to the leads and pile.
Use followers constructed of steel with an adequate cross-section to withstand driving
stresses. When driving concrete piles, ensure that the cross-sectional area of the
follower is at least 18% of the cross-sectional area of the pile. When driving steel piles,
ensure that the cross-sectional area of the follower is greater than or equal to the cross-
sectional area of the pile.
