How to Prevent Pipe Pile Top Damage

Use a pile driver that has a hammer cushion attached to the ram. The cushion not only absorbs the shock of the blow, reducing stress on the pipe, it also protects the equipment itself. Cushions can be made from coiled wire rope, an inexpensive option, paper-bonded aluminum foil disks or phenolic/aluminum plates. Cushions can be outfitted for diesel or hydraulic pile drivers and greatly reduce pipe damage.

Use your driver correctly. Pipe piles can suffer damage like penetration resistance or crushing at the tip if you are using a pile driver too large for the pile material. Pile driver diameters range from .05 to 4 meters with a maximum driving depth of 90 meters, so find out the correct dimensions for your pile before you start. Also check the alignment of the driver to the pile. If it is not centered correctly, uneven driving will cause the pile to go in at an angle.

Embed piles more deeply into caps. Pile caps are used to prevent direct contact between the pile and the driver. They can also be used to drive a group of piles at the same time. If the pile is not embedded deeply enough into the cap, it will cause seismic failure, meaning too much vibration on impact, causing tensile cracks. If this is not possible because of a shallow cap, a steel reinforcement cage at the connection of the pile and pile cap will help.