13-Dec-2011

GNB Site
Water jetting and air trial report Introduction:
During the last month many trial been conducted on site using Water jetting method. The conclusion from these trials was the need of more lances and more pump capacity to enable the final driving of sheet piles especially in the pre drilled area without air and none pre drilled area known as zone B and zone A respectively Furthermore one trial was done with air and give very encouraging result when the driven HEB reached almost the same level of the hard strata where most of sheet piles are stopped. Further optimization of the method was required to better suit the existing condition and to give more efficiency in sheet pile driving. Accordingly it was agreed to use HEB 360 with 4 lances welded at the body and for the full 20 M long of the beam. The aim was to drive this beam with vibro hammer adjacent to the existing piles in to disturb/weaken the hard soil preventing sheet piles driving up to toe level. Two water lances each connected to 7 Bar air compressor. The two lances where fixed on each side of the beam and in opposite direction. For better results additional holes are provided on the sides of the lances for 2.5 M down from the driving head the aim of these holes is to remove and blow out all the sticky soil from the beam body. A total of 10 holes were provided in pairs with 500 mm distance each other. The used beam is H 360 section, 20 M long with special sharpened head.

Elements and particulars of the System:

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Two water lances connected to 2 High pressure jetting pump of 450 Bar capacity. The Two lances where fixed on each side of the beam and in opposite direction. Two special made nozzles are fixed on the bottom for maximum pressure. The aim of these water lances was to break the hard soil around the pile. The HEB was laid on the ground for the connection of lances with water and air pumps. Although of some leakage from the welding joints of lances, the outcome of the nozzles was more than enough with the two pumps for both lances.

Trial description:

The HEB is lifted up and driven easily with the vibro hammer up to -15 M level.

One air compressor 7 bar capacity. Two high pressure jetting pumps 450 Bar each. Two dewatering pumps. ICE 815 Vibro hammers. S 90 impact hammer. Following successful and very fast driving of the beam the S 90 was fitted on top of sheet pile 284.

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The sheet pile was successfully driven up to -14.4 M with 51 KJ energy and 19 blows for last step.

After this successful driving another trial to drive the adjacent pile 285 was done. However the bound of the hammer was very high and driving stopped accordingly.

Another beam driving is done in none pre drilled area Zone A. Driving of sheet pile succeeded until the hammer legs touched the ground The HEB 360 was driven by vibro hammer up to level -12 i.e 2 M bellow the hard strata.

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Again the beam was going very easy and fast with the help of vibro hammer. Doing this trial in the non pre drilled area enable us to check the effect of the water jetting and air after the HEB removal.

Conclusion and recommendations:

Water jetting with Air ( 4 lances ) in predrilled area welded to HEB and driven with vibro hammer enabled the sheet pile driving up to the required design level in the pre drilled area. Similarly in the none pre drilled area however more treatment / beam driving around the pile is required. More efficiency could be obtained by increasing the air pressure.

Following this the S 90 was fitted on the pile for further driving . Although we could lower the sheet pile for 500 mm however the used energy was very high. And we stopped the trial accordingly.

The modification for Pier 2 and Pier 1 can start immediately provided that Two separate cranes with additional S 90 are available. In case the diesel hammer is available we can avoid 1.5 M of extra excavation and dewatering.