All fluid flow in Vulcan hammers is regulated and directed by a valve. For most Vulcan hammers (the California series being a notable exception, the #5 is another) the valve is a Corliss type valve modified from those used in steam engines. Simple and reliable, it, like any other valve, is subject to losses as … Continue reading The Valve Loss Study
One of the things that was attempted in the TAMWAVE project is the use of cavity expansion theory to estimate soil set-up in cohesive soils. Doing this, however, brought some complications that need some explanation. Cavity expansion theory is basically the study of what happens when one body expands inside of another. When this takes […] … Continue reading TAMWAVE: Cavity Expansion Theory and Soil Set-Up
Vulcan had introduced its extractor line in the late 1920's, after several design iterations. They had proven successful; for example, they were used in the construction of the original Tennessee Valley Authority systems of locks and dams. But, as is often the case with pile driving equipment, what contractors wanted could be summed up in … Continue reading Vulcan at the Circus: the 1200A Extractor
In the last post we looked at the SPW 2006 program analyze cantilever walls. In this post we will look at anchored walls, which are commonly seen with permanent works. The program, along with the example problem at hand, is here. Some instructions on the basic working of the program is here. The problem we'll … Continue reading Analyzing Sheet Pile Walls with SPW 2006: Part III, Anchored Walls and Some General Comments
In our last post, we introduced the SPW 2006 sheet piling software, intended for educational purposes. The software can be downloaded here. In this installment we'll look at its application to cantilever walls, i.e., those walls with no additional support other than the soil itself. These are used in temporary works. The file for this … Continue reading Analyzing Sheet Pile Walls with SPW 2006: Part II, Cantilever Walls
The design of sheet pile walls--and specifically analyzing them from the standpoint of sliding, overturning, and excessive bending stresses--is one of the more challenging aspects of geotechnical design. That's because sheet piling are totally dependent upon balancing the lateral earth pressures on both sides of the wall while at the same time insuring their structural … Continue reading Analyzing Sheet Pile Walls with SPW 2006: Part I, Introduction
Vulcan Iron Works was involved in its industry in a number of ways other than simply selling and renting its product. One of these was its years in the Deep Foundations Institute. Although Vulcan was not a charter member of the organisation, it joined very shortly after its beginning and was active during the 1980's … Continue reading Back in the Saddle at the Deep Foundations Institute
Pipe pile caps have been around as long as pipe piles, but mating them to a pile hammer via a pipe cap may be new to some users. The diagram above (which, as you can see, dates from 1931) shows how this is done. The cross-section shows three diameters of pipe piles mating with a … Continue reading Mating Pipe Piles to Pipe Pile Caps
Vulcan pile extractors were largely designed to extract sheet piling. The standard connection had two (2) or three (3) holes that needed to be burned into the sheeting. While this provided a very durable connection, it was time consuming and is not really applicable to piling such as wood piling. Above is a diagram, taken … Continue reading Pulling Adapters for Vulcan Extractors
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