Special purpose rigs add stability during piling

Junttan specializes in the design and manufacture of hydraulic piling equip-ment. Founded in 1976, and initially focused on hammers for ground foundation work in the Nordic countries, the company's products are now used extensively in a wide range of applications, including buildings, bridges, harbor work and pipelines. The company operates through distributors and its products are sold in 40 countries around the world.

A feature of hydraulic hammers in general is that they have the ability to transfer up to 80-95% of their energy on impact with the pile. This compares with 40-50% for diesel hammers. The company has concentrated on developing simple, robust, highly efficient hammers with strong environmental credentials. The latest versions of its accelerated HHK-A piling hammers, which come in weights of 2.5-18 tons, are 20% more efficient than traditional free fall hammers of the same weight. Suitable for driving steel tube pipes, sheet piles, pre-cast concrete and timber piles, their primary advantages include reduced noise, no exhaust gas, low levels of vibration and the use of biodegradable hydraulic oils. The hammers are easy to connect to different hydraulic systems and can be mounted on all types of leaders or freely suspended. The design ensures that all the impact energy is concentrated at the center of the pile.

Junttan's Export Manager, Timo Tervonen, describes the market for piling hammers as "extremely competitive." One of the actions Junttan has taken to stay ahead of other companies is to develop purpose-built piling rigs. "We are one of the few companies to offer piling rigs designed with this specific purpose in mind," Tervonen says. "They have a low center of gravity and are equipped with extendable crawlers, moveable counter-weights and self-erecting leaders in order to give good stability during operation - this last point means we can have greater leader inclination for raked piling. A key practical feature of the units is that they are easy to transport, rig-up and dismantle." The company supplies five different models ranging in weight from 35-100 tons. The base rigs can be adapted for use in various modes, including screw pile work.

Junttan hammers are currently being used in a major LPG project in Shantou, China and for an oil and gas terminal project in Pecem, Brazil.