Pile driving control apparatus and pile driving system
A pile driving control apparatus for a pile driving system includes a hydraulic control system that controls a throttle of a pile driving hammer, and thereby controls an impact velocity of the hammer with a pile. A controller provides a control signal to the hydraulic control system. Based on the control signal, the hydraulic control system controls an impact velocity of the hammer during a subsequent hammer stroke. The controller may determine one or more control parameters such as sound pressure at a sound control location during a hammer stroke, vibration at a vibration control location during a hammer stroke, an impact force imparted to the pile during a hammer stroke, and/or actual pile capacity of the pile, and provide to the hydraulic control system a control signal based on the determined control parameter(s).
1. A pile driving control apparatus comprising:
a hydraulic control system operable to control a throttle of a pile driving hammer to thereby control an impact velocity of the hammer with a pile; and
a controller operatively coupled to the hydraulic control system and operable to determine sound pressure at a control location during a hammer stroke, and to provide to the hydraulic control system a control signal based on the determined sound pressure, the hydraulic control system controlling an impact velocity of the hammer during a subsequent hammer stroke based on the control signal.
2. The pile driving control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further operable to determine an impact velocity of the hammer during the hammer stroke by receiving a reading from a velocity sensor for measuring the impact velocity of the hammer.
3. The pile driving control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is operable to determine the sound pressure by receiving a reading from a sound pressure sensor for measuring the sound pressure at the control location.
4. The pile driving control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control location comprises one of: a location on the hammer, a location on the pile, a location on ground into which the pile is to be driven, and a location on a structure near the pile.
5. The pile driving control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further operable to determine vibration at a vibration control location during the hammer stroke, and to generate the control signal based on the determined sound pressure and the determined vibration.
6. The pile driving control apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the control location and the vibration control location comprise the same physical location.
7. The pile driving control apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the controller is further operable to determine an impact velocity of the hammer during the hammer stroke by receiving a reading from a velocity sensor for measuring the impact velocity of the hammer.
8. The pile driving control apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the controller is operable to determine the vibration by receiving a reading from a vibration sensor for measuring the vibration at the vibration control location.
9. The pile driving control apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the vibration control location comprises one of: a location on the hammer, a location on ground into which the pile is to be driven, and a location on a structure near the pile.
10. The pile driving control apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the controller is further operable to provide the control signal by comparing the determined vibration to a maximum allowable vibration, and generating, as the control signal, a control signal to cause the hydraulic control system to adjust the throttle so as to adjust the impact velocity of the hammer for the subsequent hammer stroke based on the comparison.
11. The pile driving control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further operable to provide the control signal by comparing the determined sound pressure to a maximum allowable sound pressure, and generating, as the control signal, a control signal to cause the hydraulic control system to adjust the throttle so as to adjust the impact velocity of the hammer for the subsequent hammer stroke based on the comparison.
12. A pile driving system comprising:
a pile driving hammer comprising a throttle;
a pile driving control apparatus, operatively coupled to the throttle, comprising a hydraulic control system operable to control the throttle to thereby control an impact velocity of the hammer with a pile and a controller operatively coupled to the hydraulic control system and operable to determine sound pressure at a control location during a hammer stroke, and to provide to the hydraulic control system a control signal based on the detennined sound pressure, the hydraulic control system controlling an impact velocity of the hammer during a subsequent hammer stroke based on the control signal; and
a sound pressure sensor, operatively coupled to the controller, and operable to measure the sound pressure at the control location and to provide to the controller an indication of the measured sound pressure.
13. The pile driving system of claim 12 , wherein the sound pressure sensor comprises a system for analyzing the sound pressure at the control location, the indication of the measured sound pressure comprising a sound pressure analysis output.
14. The pile driving system of claim 12 , wherein the controller is further operable to determine vibration at a vibration control location during the hammer stroke and to generate the control signal based on the determined sound pressure and the determined vibration, and wherein the pile driving system further comprises:
a vibration sensor, operatively coupled to the controller, and operable to measure the vibration at the vibration control location and to provide to the controller an indication of the measured vibration.
15. The pile driving system of claim 14 , wherein the vibration sensor compnses a system for analyzing the vibration at the vibration control location, the indication of the measured vibration comprising a vibration analysis output.