Research on a Hydraulic Impact Hammer System for Pipe-Ramming

Compared with a pneumatic impact hammer system for pipe ramming, a hydraulic system has many advantages such as higher energy utilization efficiency, longer service lifetime, smaller dimensions and weight, and less pollution. So we developed a hydraulic impact hammer system for pipe ramming. This work will present the mechanism of the hydraulic hammer and its mathematical model. In order to analyze and optimize the performance of a hydraulic impact hammer for pipe ramming, numerical simulation was carried out. The results of the theoretical analysis aided by computer are presented. In addition, the result of a preliminary field test on the hydraulic impact hammer for pipe ramming is presented.