TECHNICAL
DRIVEN DUCTILE IRON PILES
A simple, fast and highly effective low-vibration driven
pile system using high-strength ductile iron
Pile foundations have existed as load carrying and
load transferring methods for many years, to put it
mildly. From the early days of civilization for both
defense and strategic advantage, most settlements
were located close to water sources, such as rivers and
lakes. However, as most know, a high water table equals
soft soils that are difficult to build on. These soft, lowweight
bearing soils had to be strengthened somehow,
and so the most primitive form of piling was born. In
those days, timber piles were the only form of pile available
and were typically driven into the ground by hand,
making it an effective, but very slow and sometimes dangerous
and time-consuming task.1
What is a pile foundation?
In plain terms, a pile is a long column composed of a
robust material, like iron or concrete. Piles are forcefully
pushed into the ground to act as a stable support
for structures built on top of them. The piles support the
structure by remaining firmly placed in the rock and very
hard soil and effectively transfer the load of the structure
they support to hard ground layers – rocks or very hard
soil – with high bearing capacity. A pile foundation is a
distinct succession of columns constructed or inserted
into the ground to transmit a structure’s heavy loads to a
lower level of subsoil or rock.2
Shallow foundations vs. deep foundations
Shallow and deep foundations indicate the relative depth
of the soil on which structures are built. When the absolute
depth of a foundation is less than the actual width of
the footing and is fewer than 10 feet deep, it’s considered
a shallow foundation. Shallow foundations are usually
employed when the surface soils are robust enough to
support the forced loads easily. However, when the depth
of a foundation is more than the width of the structural
foundation, it’s considered a deep foundation.3
The age of the pile driver
Luckily, the pile driver came along to help ease some
of the human burden. However, the source is greatly
debated, and several persons are credited with coming
up with one form or another of the device. A mechanically
sound drawing of a pile driver appeared as early as
1475 in Francesco di Giorgio Martini’s treatise Trattato
di Architectura drawing. Also, several other prominent
inventors have been credited with inventing the piling
device, including James Nasmyth (son of Alexander
Nasmyth) who devised a steam-powered pile driver in
1845, watchmaker James Valoué, Count Giovan Battista
Gazzola and even Leonardo da Vinci. In 1801, John
Rennie came up with a steam pile driver in Britain. Otis
Tufts is credited with inventing the steam pile driver in
By Mark Tigchelaar, GeoSolv Design/Build Inc.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF GEOSOLV DESIGN/BUILD
PILING CANADA 55