How a vibro works
Basic Operation
Vibratory driver/extractors are used to drive or extract pipes, sheet piles and various pile profiles unto or out of the ground. As the pile is vibrated, the surrounding soil vibrates, reducing the resistance between the pile and surrounding soil. This method of driving pilings is simpler; it can be done quickly and economically. APE vibratory driver/extractors vibrate at a high frequency and very low noise level. This creates a safer working environment and reduces risk of damage to adjacent houses and buildings.
The Suppressor Housing
Mounted on top of the gear box are sets of rubber suppressors that prevent the vibration from reaching the crane line.
The Gearbox
The vibratory pile driver/extractor generates a vertical oscillating movement created by timed, rotating eccentrics in a gearbox to create only up and down motion at high speed. (Read more>>>)
The Clamp Attachment
Mounted on the bottom of the gearbox is the clamp attachment which grips the pile and allows the vibro to drive or extract the pile.
APE has developed the most advanced vibros in the world through innovation and commitment to quality and simplicity.
Amplitude
Amplitude is the total distance the vibrator moves up and down while it is vibrating. Amplitude specifications are taken when the vibrator is free hanging from a crane line with no pile attached. Amplitude always decreases with pile weight and soil resistance.
Since amplitude is what moves the pile up and down, it is very important to know how much amplitude a vibrator has. It is very important to know the weight of the pile because as pile weight increases, amplitude decreases. A pile can weigh so much that a small vibrator may not be able to move it.
Therefore one must know how to calculate the potential amplitude that will be generated by a given vibrator when attached to a given pile. It is generally accepted that if one does not have at least 3mm of amplitude, then one should resort to a larger vibrator with greater eccentric moment.
