The Kinematics and Kinetics of Vibratory Driver Eccentric Rotation

The basic mechanics of vibratory pile drivers, i.e., those which drive with vibration and without impact, are well documented. This is a more detailed look at their kinematics (and some of their kinetics) which will show, at the least, that these aren't just pulled out of the air but have some basis in the dynamics … Continue reading The Kinematics and Kinetics of Vibratory Driver Eccentric Rotation

The Basics of Setting the Cut-Off Point for a Vulcan Single-Acting Hammer

The issue of slide bars, full and short stroking and blow rate have always been central to the proper "certification" and operation of Vulcan hammers. In this post we will take a "bare bones," basic approach to the dynamics of the problem with the most basic automatic hammer of all: a single-acting air/steam hammer, in … Continue reading The Basics of Setting the Cut-Off Point for a Vulcan Single-Acting Hammer

Leon G. Wilczynski RIP

Memory eternal: Leon G. Wilczynski, 83, of Covington, Louisiana, passed away peacefully at home on Sunday, October 13, 2024... Throughout his sales career, Lee was known for his unwavering work ethic and passion for life. He was an active participant in Toastmasters and the Kiwanis Club, where he connected with his community and honed his … Continue reading Leon G. Wilczynski RIP

WEAP86: Wave Equation Analysis of Pile Foundations Back in Print

The manual for this program (which can be found here) is back in print. The book is also a valuable reference for the basic theory behind the wave equation for piles. You can order the book by clicking here or on the cover image at the right. A detailed description of the book follows: WEAP86/WEAP87 … Continue reading WEAP86: Wave Equation Analysis of Pile Foundations Back in Print

“Hand” Solution for the Centre Shaft for the S-834 Impact-Vibration Hammer

In my earlier post Checking the Soviets: Determining the Bending of the Shaft, I went into the analysis of the centre shaft of the machine. For my Statics course at Lee University, I want to go through a "hand" analysis of this. The machine is shown above. A simpler drawing of the shaft itself is shown … Continue reading “Hand” Solution for the Centre Shaft for the S-834 Impact-Vibration Hammer

Stiff Leg Derrick Part II: Truss Analysis

In the post Vector Statics and “Old Coot” Statics: An Example, we showed that the reactions for the stiff leg derrick shown below could be computed using either formal vector analysis or what was called the "old coot" method. In this post the member forces will be computed using the "method of joints" (and by that … Continue reading Stiff Leg Derrick Part II: Truss Analysis

Determining the Eccentric Moment, Rotational Inertia and Pendulum Frequency for a Vibratory Eccentric

In the post Checking the Soviets: Determining the Eccentric Moment, we discussed the process of determining this parameter and more for a vibratory eccentric. The importance of the pendulum frequency--and the way that rotational moment of inertia and mass moment of inertia can easily be related with this kind of configuration--was discussed in Two Papers on … Continue reading Determining the Eccentric Moment, Rotational Inertia and Pendulum Frequency for a Vibratory Eccentric

Watching a Soviet Style Electric Vibratory Driver in Action

I spent a lot of time posting Vibro-Engineering and the Technology of Piling and Boring Work and The Vibration Method of Driving Piles and Its Use in Construction. It's worth wondering if machines like these (like the one shown above) are still made and used. Wonder no more: the following YouTube video answers that question as an … Continue reading Watching a Soviet Style Electric Vibratory Driver in Action

An Example of a Self-Locking Wedge: the Vulcan 560 Slide Bar Key

In the earlier post Tapered Keys and Their Use In Vulcan Hammers we had a general discussion of tapered keys, the theory behind them and their application in Vulcan hammers. In this post we'll look at one specific application--the Vulcan 560 Slide Bar Key--and see how Coulombic friction applies in this case of a self-locking (hopefully) … Continue reading An Example of a Self-Locking Wedge: the Vulcan 560 Slide Bar Key

An Example of Balancing a Sling Picked-Up Load: the IPH-16

A common problem in elementary statics is picking up a load with a sling. It's an important one in heavy lifting, and Vulcan certainly experienced a great deal of that. We're going to look at an example: the Internal Pile Hammer IPH-16. It's shown with its skid on the truck above; we're going to look … Continue reading An Example of Balancing a Sling Picked-Up Load: the IPH-16