Force Monitors and Emission Controls Put Diesel Pile Hammers Back in the Game
A contractor driving about 1,000 foundation piles for Washington, D.C.s new Woodrow Wilson Bridge project has convinced the Virginia Dept. of Transportation to change its equipment requirements, based on a new diesel-hammer design.
Equipment manufacturers have struggled to maintain a positive image for diesels. For hammers in particular, it has been hard because they typically are noisy and have dirty emissions. However, a Canadian producer says its new line of $250,000 hammers, rated at kinetic impacts of 141,680 ft-lb, are clean-burning and fully programmable.