Equipment technology innovation for extreme-batter pile driving operations

The improvement of pile driving productivity has been, for the most part, consistently neglected in the literature. In particular, the investigation of equipment technology improvements for pile driving activities has yet to be addressed. This study reports the process, benefits, limitations, and lessons learned associated with the definition, development, and implementation of an innovative extreme-batter (23.3° from the vertical) pile driving technology for the construction of a levee. The project team, in a collaborative effort, investigated alternatives to traditional extreme-batter techniques in order to minimize equipment and craft labor needs to complete the levee, and also to minimize the risk of safety occurrences. After holding brainstorming and technical feasibility analysis sessions, the project team decided to adopt an innovative fixed lead approach, the design and production of which was subcontracted out to a pile equipment specialist. Also, instead of subcontracting the piling activity, the team decided to self-perform it in order to have a tighter control on the levee construction process. The fixed lead technique resulted in a 40% cost reduction per unit length of driven pile when compared to traditional extreme-batter piling techniques. This paper also discusses the shortcomings associated the fixed lead pile driving technique.