During research and development, Junttan’s main objective
was to find optimal material that would offer durability during
piling work and wouldn’t ignite easily.
Reinforced concrete piles require some cushioning between
the hammer drive cap and the pile. The cushioning protects the
pile from being damaged during direct contact with hammer
drive cap.
“Traditional wooden pile cushions start to deteriorate
soon after the piling work has been initiated due to the kinetic
energy transferred to the pile being converted partially to heat
energy,” said Rytkönen. “This leads to thermal degradation of
wood. Heat soon starts to increase the internal pressure of
the wooden pile cushion through release of water vapour and
pyrolysis-induced gas build up in the wood material.”
J-Pad is durable and can withstand the stress of pile driv-ing
hammer blows. Unlike wooden cushions, J-Pad retains
its cushioning effect and bulk modulus of elasticity through-out
the entire service temperature. By employing J-Pads
as a pile cushion, a stable output and solid results can be
consistently achieved.
Wooden pile cushions heat during piling work and can
exceed temperatures of 200°C, which is considered to be the
hot work threshold in many countries.
“Ignoring these temperature limits creates risks in work-ing
safely and increases the likelihood of insurance risks due
to fire damage,” said Rytkönen. “This is especially important
when piling in job sites that are sensitive to fire such as refin-eries
and chemical plants. J-Pad does not emit combustible
gases and does not heat during the piling work so that it could
be set afire.”
In addition to being non-combustible, the material is anti-static
and contains a significant portion of recycled materials.
J-Pad is fully recyclable in the plastic recycling process or it can
be used as energy waste if plastic recycling is not available.
A major benefit for projects using precast concrete piles is
that J-Pad can withstand extreme temperatures and all kinds
of weather conditions such as rain, snow, sleet and heat. The
non-water-soluble material is easily stored and doesn’t absorb
moisture like wood.
In Canada, sales and distribution is handled by Junttan’s
local dealer, Canadian Pile Driving Equipment. Junttan can be
contacted directly to help determine the sizing for jobs and to
provide technical support.
Editor’s note: The views and information in this article are not to
be construed as an opinion of Piling Canada magazine or Lester
Communications Inc.
TECHNOLOGY UPDATE
Reinforced concrete piles require some
cushioning between the hammer drive
cap and the pile. The cushioning protects
the pile from being damaged during
direct contact with hammer drive cap.
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14 Q1 2019 www.pilingcanada.ca
/www.pilingcanada.ca
