UK: A specially commissioned hydraulic hammer attachment for road-rail excavators is allowing Terrawise Construction to install an average of 11 electrification mast piles in an 8 h shift as part of the expansion of Manchester's Metrolink light rail network.
The DX-RT from BSP International Foundations can be quickly erected from its transport position, and can be positioned 5 from vertical to cope with cant. During piling the hammer is guided using the excavator's boom and dipper arm attachment configuration. The 800 mm drive cap can be adapted for piles of various sizes, including 610 mm steel piles commonly used for structure foundations. The hammer can also drive sheet piles, small bearing piles or tubular steel.
'We have been carrying out extensive research over the last two years in the development of piling equipment to drive steel tubular piles focusing on piling hammers that can easily attach and interchange with commonly-used road-rail excavators', said James Crossen, Project Director at Terrawise. 'As the company was unable source suitable impact hammers on the world market we decided to commission the design of a purpose-built hammer ourselves.'
