Splicing timber piles

[IFRs]

Is there a good way to splice timber piles? Mine are 60'long with 12" to 14" butts and 7" to 8" tips. I would like to drive them an additional 10 feet into the ground. Any ideas out there?

 

[civilperson]

Corrugated metal cans attached to the butt end and filled with conctrete when placing grade beams.

 

[IFRs]

Yes, that works if the pile is already below grade, but I need to drive them below grade. Corrugated metal cans will not support the driving loads.

 

[SlideRuleEra]

Well, sort of...

http://pilepoints.pilebuckinternational.com/timbersplices.php

However there may be a way to around that issue. Drive the piles that you have using a spud (sort of a like using a giant punch to drive a nail). Then splice the piling, in place, with metal pipe / concrete.

Overall, may be more economical to "write-off" the 60' piling and purchase 70' lengths.

http://www.SlideRuleEra.net

 

[civilperson]

Drive the pile/can with a tapered steel mandrel that bears on timber plate and slides out of the can after achieving specified depth.

 

[IFRs]

CivilPerson - What keeps the corrugated can from tearing off as it is being forced into the ground? I'm visualizing the can needing to be larger than the pile and mandrel.

SlideRuleEra - When the spud or giant punch or re-usable pile extension is withdrawn, what keeps the hole from collapsing?

 

[civilperson]

The can has a plate across the section maybe 15"-18" from the end. This is the length of insertion of the timber, (can not go futher because timber butt hits the plate. This plate/timber is what the mandrel pushes. The can follows from the welds at the wall/plate.

 

[SlideRuleEra]

In poor soils, nothing. You could drive an oversized temporary steel pipe casing into the soil, drive the timber piling inside it, excavate inside the temporary casing, construct the splice, and extract the temporary casing... a lot of work and a lot of time, but doable.

That's why when schedule, costs, quality, etc. are all considered the best "business" decision may be to just buy new 70' piling. Not something that is easy to accept, but may be the best way to go. As a Contractor, once-upon-a-time, I had to do this - never regretted doing so.

http://www.SlideRuleEra.net