Feeding the beast
The RM 20 gave PKF the ability to double production, but the
onus was on its crew to maintain a steady supply of piles. Keough
and the crew, recognizing the rig’s hyperefficiency, dubbed this
process “feeding the beast.”
It required both physical and mental effort for PKF’s crew.
While the piles arrive on site marked with driving depths, they
do not always match the supplied borings. It requires the team to
choose and manage piles based on how the others are going in to
avoid waste.
PKF was accustomed to being able to revisit driven piles
before splicing because the hammer with leader dangles overhead
and can be repositioned. Using a track-mounted machine required
careful selection of pile sizes and immediate splicing in areas where
driven piles were clustered several rows deep. PKF rose to the challenge
as evidenced by the crew’s production rate of up to 20 piles
“The RM 20 is perfect for this
project because you have high
mobility in a confined area.”
– Dirk Himborg, Rammtechnik, GmbH
Productive—Easy transport and
minimal setup required
Versatile—Multiple options for most
carrier sizes
Powerful—High push/pull force to
handle any job
Performance you can count on
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PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
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Excavator Mounted
Vibratory Drivers
Pile on
the power
installed per day.
The RM 20 was productive regardless of whether the piles
were plumb or battered. The RM 20 can effectively drive battered
piles because of its adjustable leader, which can tilt backwards 45
degrees, and forward and sideways 18.5 degrees. The high turning
point of the mast provides stability in even the most extreme
inclinations.
A new level of accessibility
Upon evaluating the positioning of the piers and abutments, in
addition to the topography, PKF recognized that positioning the
crane at street level to service the pile driving operation presented
challenges. The RM 20’s ability to maneuver on the jobsite proved
essential.
“The RM 20 is perfect for this project because you have high
mobility in a confined area,” explains sales director for North
America, Dirk Himborg of Rammtechnik, GmbH. “The rig has
the option to be fitted with a hydraulically driven mast foot and
back jack-ups to facilitate the lifting and rotation of the undercarriage,
which is especially helpful on uneven surfaces and confined
work spaces.”
It was not just the RM 20’s confined space functionality, but
also its ability to navigate challenging terrain, especially mud.
While a crane could have been positioned to avoid the mud altogether,
the problem on PA Turnpike/I-95 Interchange Project was
that there was often nowhere to position it.
Villanti recalled an instance where PKF needed to relocate the
pile driving operation to the other side of a bridge with a 13.5-foot
clearance. The operator hydraulically tucked the RM 20’s mast
down and crawled underneath. Breaking down and relocating a
crane would have been cost-prohibitive.
HRS 5 hydraulic hammer delivers power surge
PKF had been using the RG 19 T piling rig with a vibratory ham-
PILEDRIVER | 93
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