Tag: pile driver

Wikipedia says: A pile driver is a heavy-duty tool used to drive piles into soil to build piers, bridges, cofferdams, and other “pole” supported structures, and patterns of pilings as part of permanent deep foundations for buildings or other structures. Pilings may be driven entirely underwater/underground, or remain partially aboveground as elements of a finished structure.

The term “pile driver” is also used to describe members of the construction crew associated with the task, also colloquially known as “pile bucks”, often corrupted to “pile butts”.

The most common form of pile driver uses a heavy weight situated between vertical guides placed above a pile. The weight is raised by some motive power (which may include hydraulics, steam or manual labor). At its apex the weight is released, impacting the pile and driving it into the ground.