General Notes

The DYWIDAG Driven Ductile Iron Pile is a driven pile system utilizing high strength ductile cast iron. Pile sections are connected by a unique spigot and socket joint, which offers speed of connection together with a high degree of stiffness. The piles are installed in quick succession using an excavator with a hydraulic hammer, to both pitch and drive each pile section.

Manufactured as Ductile Cast Iron, also known as Speroidal Graphite Cast Iron, the system is immensely strong and offers superior durability over conventional tubular steel piles. Additional compressive strength is provided by the concreting or grouting of the bore, to form a composite pile.

Installed as an End-Bearing Pile (dry driven to a set, followed by concreting of the bore) or a Skin Friction Pile (simultaneous drive and grout, with an oversize shoe), the Ductile Iron Pile can accomondate a range of different ground conditions.

Advantages

• Spigot and socket joint for quick and easy connection of pile sections
• Very fast and almost vibration free pile production
• High production rates of up to 1,300 ft per day
• Control of load capacity through correlation with driving rate
• Can be used as a permanent pile
• Easy adaption of the pile length to different soil conditions
• No off-cuts or wastage
• Quick assembly of pile heads
• Light and versatile installation equipment allows pile productions under limited space conditions and in difficult terrain

Spigot and Socket Joint

Driving a ductile pile

The low mass of the individual pile sections means that piles can be driven with a light and versatile hydraulic excavator using a rapid-stroke hydraulic hammer. This permits pile foundations to be constructed where site conditions are difficult or space is limited.

With DYWIDAG Driven Ductile Iron Piles, high bearing capacities can be obtained with a rapid-stroke hammer operated at very low impact energies. This results in smoother operations and almost vibration-free pile-driving in the immediate vicinity of existing structures. Pile placement is possible to within 13 in. of existing structures, and the use of excavators means that inclined piles can be placed at almost any rake.

Pile installation

The lead pile section is fitted with a pile shoe, and then pitched and driven. Additional pile sections are then added as required, to enable the pile to be driven to its full depth. The spigot and socket joint allows a very quick connection of the individual pile sections.

The pile is driven to the required depth as calculated from penetration resistance, and any excess length is simply cut off with an abrasive saw. The off-cut is then fitted with a new pile shoe and used as the first section of the next pile, resulting in no wastage. When pile driving is finished, the piles are filled with concrete to increase their bearing capacity and, depending on the loads required, the pile head is fitted with a pile cap or reinforcing cage.