New lifting methodology for sheet piles

On a motorway project, DAWSON WAM needed to pitch large HL1100 steel piles within a narrow motorway working corridor. Traditionally, piles of this weight would require a separate pitching crane and a substantial two-level support gate installed on temporary piles. That means more plant, more lifting interfaces, sustained work at height and more people working around a suspended pile.

It also means designing, fabricating, delivering, installing, inspecting and eventually dismantling a significant temporary-works arrangement. There had to be a better way.

Working with ABI Gruppe and ABI EQUIPMENT LIMITED, DAWSON-WAM developed a new lifting methodology based on ABI’s one off casing-mounted attachment concept. Higher-capacity chains are connected to engineered attachment points on the vibro hammer casing, allowing a piling rig with sufficient capacity to raise the pile from horizontal to vertical and present it directly into the hammer jaws.

Before going to site, the team trialled the method at DAWSON-WAM’s Bedfordshire yard using a shorter, lighter pile section at low level. These trials helped refine the chain lengths, connection geometry and safe attachment and detachment sequence. Importantly, the same personnel who participated in the trials went on to deliver the work.

Following its first use for Morgan Sindall BAM JV, the system was successfully used for Balfour Beatty VINCI JV, and is now planned for Skanska Costain STRABAG’s works in London.