ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the types of piles commonly used, the types of equipment used to drill shafts and drive piles, and finally cost and time analysis for pile driving operations. Installation tolerance is the main factor driving unit construction cost as it determines the diameter of the secondary piles. Cast-in-place piles are constructed by driving a metal shield into the ground and either filling it with concrete or filling the hole with concrete as the shield is extracted. The crane selected for driving a pile must have adequate lifting capability to support the weight of the pile, the hammer and the leads. The productivity of a pile driving operation is dependent on the type of equipment used, the type of piling being driven, and the subsurface soil conditions. Understanding the soil conditions and their impact on pile driving is essential in the selection of the appropriate equipment to use.
