Top Three Trends in Piling Machines Market

Abhrasnata Das

With increasing population density and urbanization, land with poor geotechnical characteristics are inevitably used for constructing buildings, soils near sea, river and at such other places possess poor strength and are not fit for resting foundations. In such cases, deep foundations come for rescue, as one cannot lag foundations on upper strata.

Piling machines on the flip end, helps the constructors to overcome this situation. When a civil structure is provided with a pile foundation, it helps to transfer the load from the superstructure through weak compressible strata or water onto stiffer and more compact soils or rock. Presently, piles are made up of several materials or combinations of materials and are installed by various techniques like impact driving, jacketing, vibrating, jetting, drilling, grouting or combinations of them.

Moreover, with increasing demand from the construction industry, driven in part by health and safety, alongside rising need for multipurpose equipment and traceability, the piling machines now have innovative functionality more commonly associated with latest passenger car innovations than traditional construction equipment.

In this article, we have noted the top developing trends in the piling machines market.

Growth in Eco-friendly Equipment

Manufacturers of piling machines are concentrating on improving their goods in order to increase productivity and provide environmentally friendly goods. For instance, owing to environmental concerns, hydraulic hammers are gradually replacing diesel hammers. The hydrostatic pile driver, which normally uses vibration to force the pile into the earth, finds use in very contaminated locations to drive the pile into the ground.As a result, concerns about noise and dust pollution are reduced.

Moreover, today many constructors are replacing cement piling with sheet piling, wherein the steel sheets are inserted into the ground to create an interlocking protective barrier that prevents flooding, landslides, and preserves and retains soil. It’s essentially a barrier wall installed by construction companies to protect homes and businesses from damage in the event of an untimely disaster from Mother Nature.

Press-In piling is a special innovation in sheet piling technology. The press-in method installs piles that are pre-formed using the latest press-in piling equipment, like the technologically advanced Giken Silent Piler. This piling method is equally environmentally friendly and superior in terms of safety.

The press-in piling machines are more space-efficient, taking up less room, and disrupting the ecology less while being built. A machine like the Silent Piler is probably going to do the work faster, leaving less of a footprint in the area and causing less general disruption because they are lighter and simpler to manage.

Vacuum Evacuation Techniques

A new vacuum excavation technique for piling has been unveiled which could have massive benefits for the wider construction industry in the UK and abroad. Developed by specialist contractors working on HS2, the pioneering new approach is better for the environment, safer for workers and reduces construction noise, to the benefit of neighboring communities and businesses.

The “zero trim pile technique” involves sucking out excess concrete whilst still wet using a new vacuum excavator technique. Traditionally in piling, concrete is overpoured and then workers have to break out the excess concrete. This can cause a lot of health problems, including hand-arm vibration syndrome, hearing loss and silicosis. By removing the need to break out excess concrete, this new approach is safer for workers, and also reduces the man hours involved in complex piling work.

Whilst vacuum excavation technology is not new, using it in this way in the construction sector marks a step change, and initial trials have proved overwhelmingly successful. HS2 contractors developing innovative new methods to deliver the project saw a promising opportunity and found a willing supplier to invest in machinery to test the approach. Hercules Site Services, a company from Cirencester, were keen to develop the technology, and provided a machine for use on site in the Euston Approaches, for use on real life piles. Materials excavated were then sent off for lab testing and reports.

Introduction of intelligent pile driving equipment

Precast concrete pipe piles are currently constructed mostly using the hammering method and the static pressure method. The construction of bridges, roadways, industrial buildings, civil structures, and pile foundations in water all make extensive use of hydraulic piling hammers. This in turn often diminishes the quality of the work, while exponentially affecting the time taken to perform the job.

Today, companies such as Bermingham Foundation Solutions are developing an intelligent pile driving system to bring efficiency in their equipment. For this, the hammer energy is regulated in real-time with various measured variables including different dynamic testing equipment, vibrations, and measured sound levels. Such solutions can present efficiency by decreasing the energy consumption of the equipment.

The Way Ahead

Digital technologies are essential in the emergence of rapid industrialization and modernisation of operational procedures. To obtain a competitive edge in the market, businesses are more likely to provide clients with technologically sophisticated piling equipment that is suitable for the terrain in India. The foundation presently uses hydraulic rotary piling techniques for the majority of its operations, and a sizable number of piling rigs are being deployed for several projects all throughout India.

Manufacturers are putting more effort into creating newer models by including new features that give consumers more safety and dependability. The need for foundation equipment is increasing as a result of the government's focus on building highways, expressways, metro railroads in cities for high-speed railway projects, ports, and jetties.