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The new JX-8 rig is at the smaller end of the equipment scale and has been specifically designed to offer one of the highest capacity/lowest ground pressure combinations in the UK, which results in a minimum requirement for heavily engineered piling mats on site when in operation.
Mounted on a JCB JS200 carrier, the piling equipment is a collaboration between Colets Piling and BSP and comprises a 12.5m single mast and BSP DX25 hydraulically accelerated drop hammer.
The choice of carrier has been a straight forward one for Colets who have constructed a number of piling rigs around the tried and tested JCB chassis. The latest Tritech version incorporates the latest Tier4 emission compliant diesel engine. The carrier is a standard offering from JCB with the addition of an upgraded, heavy-duty slew ring added to take the extra weight from the larger counterweight and piling equipment.
The piling equipment comprises a fixed 12.5m boom capable of handling piles of up to 8m in length.
A primary braked winch carries the 4.5t piling hammer while a secondary winch is used to handle the piles. This version of the rig incorporates a mast foot and pile guide. The Colets/BSP DX25 hammer is an ideal tool for this sort of work combining a robust build with productivity unsurpassed for its size.
Requiring just 150L per minute of oil flow at 160bar, the hammer can deliver up to 25kNm at 60bpm. This performance exceeds the requirement on most projects for concrete driven piles resulting in the machine working at just 25 per cent power for fear of damaging the pile tops. This also keeps the diesel fuel consumption of the base rig to a minimum.
The combined weight of the rig is just over 27t and this lightweight, combined with a wide and long undercarriage reduces the ground pressure imposed by the machine to just 82kN/m2 without a pile. The design of the rig means that the weight of the outfit is only increased when a pile is lifted into position and reduces again as the weight of the hammer is carried through the pile once it is located in the driving position.
One of the major benefits of the new rig is its controllability. Whereas the older version is operated solely from the carrier's cab, the new version is also operated from a remote control box. Mirroring the in-cab control system, the remote allows the operator to see everything around the machine at all times.
