FP-96 English Version - Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division

Section 551(3) Minimum hammer energy. The energy of the driving equipmentsubmitted for approval, as rated by the manufacturer, shall be at least theenergy specified in Table 551-1 that corresponds to the required ultimatepile capacity.Table 551-1Minimum Pile Hammer EnergyUltimate PileCapacitytonsMinimum RatedHammer Energyft-lbs@90 10,300150 15,600180 20,700210 26,500240 33,100270 40,100>270 Wave equationrequired(c) Driving appurtenances.(1) Hammer cushion. Equip all impact pile driving equipment, exceptgravity hammers, with a suitable thickness of hammer cushion materialto prevent damage to the hammer or pile and to ensure uniform drivingbehavior. Fabricate hammer cushions from durable, manufactured materialaccording to the hammer manufacturer's recommendations. Do notuse wood, wire rope, or asbestos hammer cushions. Place a striker plate,as recommended by the hammer manufacturer, on the hammer cushionto ensure uniform compression of the cushion material. Inspect the hammercushion in the presence of the CO when beginning pile driving ateach structure or after each 100 hours of pile driving, whichever is less.Replace the cushion when its thickness is reduced by more than 25 percentof its original thickness.358