Pre- bori ng or ch oosi ng a h ammer t hat g et s t he job d on e

Many foundation contractors struggle with silty clay layer conditions. Most conventional methods struggle
to perform in this soil profile. If the client insists on using excavator mounted or low frequency electric
hammers that are on hand additional pre-boring is required. Pre-boring is an additional step in the
construction process and increases the cost. Pre-boring depth is typically limited to 15m depth due to the
length of the spiral drill so 18m long Larssen piles will require even more adjustments. When using
biaxial deep mixing methods the construction site will be wet and muddy and the equipment needed for
this method is bulky and needs a lot of maneuvering space. After all this preparation work has been done
the client then uses low efficiency piling hammers to drive the piles --- spending money to use something
cheap.

For difficult soil applications a powerful hydraulic vibratory hammer or a hydraulic impact hammer are the
obvious choice. These specialized machines are cost effective due to their high efficiency. To prevail in
these soil conditions the vibratory hammer must have high amplitude and driving force to overcome the
extreme soil friction of the clay. A hydraulic hammer must have sufficient driving capacity and carefully
controlled impact blows.

Lets discuss a real life application: for a bridge section of the Shangqiu-Hangzhou expressway at
Fuyang 18m long Larssen No.6 piles are to be driven into stiff clay soil with a value of 180-270 KPa. On
the first attempt conventional equipment did not drive the piles to depth and a boring rig was hauled over.
Even with the bore rig loosening the soil the driving progress was slow and the high voltage electricity
supply needed for the electric hammer cumbersome.

Anhui Antang decided it was time to call in a hydraulic hammer they had seen so much chatter about on
WeChat. Expectations ran high as the truck with the ICE 1412C rolled onto the construction site.
Everyone on site crowded around the hammer to get a good look. Under the watchful eye of the sub-
contractor and the main contractor the 1412C drove the pile to depth within 10 minutes without pre-
boring. A very satisfying result.

The availability of a hammer that performs reliably even in these difficult soil conditions gives our clients
the faith to design and execute projects with ever longer sheet piles and high efficiency AZ or King Pile
and casing combination walls. Domestic foundations designs are now set to rapidly catch up with
established practices popular overseas. If you are a designer not yet familiar with sheet pile solutions
we recommend you to check out the informative websites of sheet pile manufacturers.

If you have an application that you would like ICE to give a recommendation for please get in touch.
Together with your local knowledge some basic soil and pile parameters and our 40 years of pilling
experience we will get your job done competently!
L ast h urdl e f or usin g she et pil es in urb an ar eas rem oved

Gaining the markets trust for ICE resonance free vibratory hammer has not been an easy job.
Resonance free hammers have been popular in Europe for work close to existing fragile structures for
over 20 years but are still quite a novelty in China. Many contractors have stories to tell of vibration
damage to residential properties and the huge compensation sums that have to be awarded to appease
residents. Past experience has made them apprehensive to try the vibrating method again.

Through demonstrations Shanghai ICE has built up over 20 reference projects across china to support
our clients in their claim that this ICE hammer really won't damage your property. We have had
independent analysis done and have even received approval to work close to Shanghais subway line 13.

When we received a distress call from Hubei we were confident we could help out. The client had 150
sheet piles that needed to be extracted. The 6-9m long piles were driven at a distance of 0.5-1.5 meter of
a row of shop houses that had already been shaken up and damaged during installation. The fear was
that the excavator mounted hammer that had driven the piles and caused cracks in the buildings during
driving would cause more damage during extraction. The project was halted half completed under
protest of the residents.

The client however was not immediately convinced a resonance free vibratory hammer could do the job.
After all it is a hammer that generates vibrations and it just seems illogical that it could solve the
problem. Other options such as cutting off the pile or using a jack to pull out the piles were expensive and
inefficient so ICE received an invitation to explain the working principle. The RF hammer succeeds
where others fail for two reasons: the first is that the hammer avoids resonance during start-up and shut
down the second is that the hammer runs at a high RPM of 2300 which means the frequent is high and
the amplitude small. After we made the analogy with AM/ FM radio the client understood why the
technology was worth a try (AM frequency is low and travels far FM frequency is high and transmits
only within a short distance). Another analogy we use is that of a centrifuge a high speed centrifuge
behaves very different from a low speed one. After deliberating and postponing making a decision finally
the client decided to call in the 20RF hammer.

As becomes obvious from the pictures accompanying this story ICE RF technology is really safe. It
allows you to drive and extract sheet piles efficiently while keeping residents happy. The client extracted
all remaining 150 sheet piles without further complaints and compensation claims. With RF technology
now widely available in China this clears the last obstacle for the use of sheet piles in an urbanized
environment.

We see many opportunities for our technology talk to us today to see how you can be part of the market
switch to sheet piles and RF vibrating technology.
H ydr au lic vibr o wi n s bel ievers i n comp licat e d soi l
co ndit i ons i n Sha nxi
The Yunbao Yellow River bridge is a key project approved by Shanxi Provincial government in 2014. The
bridge is part of the new highway connection and will span 1690 meters. The project is managed by
China Second Harbor Company who awarded the foundation contract for the bridge to Changjiang Geo
Engineering. Changjiang chose a steel casing and sheet pile retaining wall method for the cofferdams that
will serve as dry-dock for the building of the bridges pylons.

The casings chosen for the project had a diameter of 820mm and a length of 24 meters. The sheet piles
were No. 6 U piles also 24m long. In order to prove this method would work well in the specific soil
conditions presented at this point in the Yellow River the client was requested by the main contractor to
drive a number of test piles. A 150kW electric hammer was rented and transported to the demonstration
site. Unable to pass a two meter thick gravel layer the electric hammer met refusal at 19 meters down.
This was a major set-back as a different construction method would need to be used now instead. From
previous contact with ICE and supported by recent job reports posted on WeChat the client thought a
call to ICE could perhaps save the day. The ICE team recommended a medium sized 815C hammer
but since this was the final chance to prove the suitability of a sheet pile solution to the main contractor
the client also requested the larger 1412C vibrator to be sent to the jobsite.

The 815C with its 600 Power Pack and the 1412C with its 900 power pack were transported in convoy
from the Shanghai warehouse to Shanxi province. Upon arrival the client decided to start off driving with
the 815C and save the 1412C as a back-up. The 815C has 125t driving force only a slightly more than
the 150kWs 110t driving force. The people gathered for the demonstration were skeptical that the
additional 15t driving force would get the pile down. ICE gladly accepted the challenge and drove the
casing that the electric hammer failed to handle to depth within 5 minutes; this duly impressed the
gathered crowd. After the first pile another 7 piles were driven at different location around the jobsite
taking a sampling of all possible ground conditions with an average driving time of 6 minutes each. The
ICE 600 power pack worked at a maximum pressure of 200 out of the available 350bar proving the
815C hammer well suited to the application. Seeing the 815C so convincingly achieving results the
main contractor decided it was unnecessary to test the 1412C as well.

After the demonstration was finished the client explained that the demonstration was finished in half the
time they had expected. Asked for an explanation for the difference between the electric and hydraulic
hammer Mr. Zhang explained that the hydraulic power provided by the power pack is double that of the
150kW electric hammer. While another factor that sets the two machines apart is the rotation speed of the
eccentric weights in the electric hammer this drops down to 600RPM while the 815C operates at a
constant 1570 RPM. Another notable difference was that the 815C is easier to operate as it comes with a
wireless remote and an interactive iQan computer system as well as safer to use as there are no
electric cables on a site and the unit is equipped with safety features such as clamp activation indicator
lights on the power pack.
ICEs service manager Mr. Jiang added that the driving force of a vibro is a factor of the hammers
frequency and eccentric weight. To sustain the correct frequency it is of great importance to provide
sufficient hydraulic flow from the power pack. ICE power packs have been designed to provide more than
enough flow this means the power pack doesnt run on maximum capacity and the lifetime of the
engine is extended.

After the successful conclusion of the piling demonstration the client was awarded the construction job
and signed a lease agreement with ICE for the rental of an 815C with a 600 power pack.
C onst ruct io n cha lle ng es in co nf ine d qu art ers solve d wit h
L arssen pil es

To resolve pressing issues caused by poor water drainage the city of Huangdao in Shandong
province launched the Jianing Road Restructuring Project. The affected area was located in a densely
populated area where new residential apartment blocks and older brick houses are packed closely
together. A seven-meter-wide 670 long dirt road over a buried sewage pipe line caused problems in
heavy rains often leading to flooding and other inconveniences to the areas residents. The main goal of
the restructuring was to improve the road surface and to improve rain water drainage and upgrade the
underground sewage pipes. Because many of the structures immediately adjacent to the project had
foundations that were in poor condition the design and the execution of the foundation works for this
project were very demanding.

ICE 328B show off

The foundation work for this project was awarded to Qingdao Huangdao Municipal Engineering Company.
Huangdao decided an excavator with mounted vibratory hammer would be the best equipment for this
job. They settled on the ICE 328B for this narrow working space to drive and extract 6m long Larssen
sheet piles sourced from Oriental Sheet Piling.

With so many vibros available why did the client chose the ICE 328B?
1. Quality assured! The 328B is manufactured in The Netherlands according to European standards and
then imported to China. All components starting from the steel quality to the bearings from the
hydraulic hoses to the final paint finish are of the highest quality standard. The assembly process is
standardized to eliminate product variance and to ensure optimal performance. This makes the 328B
stand out from other locally available options.
2. Compact lightweight design. The ICE hammers are designed to harness a lot of driving force in a
small lightweight machine. This reduces the weight and allows the hammer to be operated by a smaller
class excavator and maneuver easily into confined spaces.
3. Lower noise and better vibration control. The ICE excavator mounted hammer range conforms to EC
standards and each hammer is rigorously tested before it is shipped to a customer. The choice of quality
components reduces operation noise. The optional variable moment function eliminates resonance and
subsequent vibration damage to adjacent structures.
4. Small machine with big punch. For its size and weight the 328B offers eccentric force beyond other
hammers in its category: 27.5 tons at 2800 RPM. The 328B shortens driving time and reduces overall
piing cost.
5. Clamp safety. The 328Bs 40TU clamp is casted and not welded making it robust. The jaw plates are
made from specially heat treated steel. The clamping force is 40 tons a wide safety margin greater that
the hammers 28t eccentric force.
6. Hydraulic control. The hammer is fitted with its own manifold which means the excavator needs no
modification. Installation of the hammer through quick connect hoses is fast. Disconnect the vibro from
the beam and hook up your bucket or breaker hammer without a hitch for your next job.

ICE has been in the business of manufacturing vibratory hammers since the 1970s. Our equipment is
used all over the world. Besides a range of excavator mounted hammers we also offer vibratory
hammers for longer piles that are lifted by crane or piling rig. Our resonance free vibratory hammers were
designed for urban areas where resonance during start-up and shut down is unacceptable. We welcome
your inquiries please get in touch with our specialists today to resolve your issues.