Delmag's New Diesel Hammers Cleaner, More Powerful

Delmag keeps pushing the envelope on diesel hammers, creating machines that are both more powerful and more environmentally friendly. "Delmag has been making diesel hammers longer than anyone else," noted Joe Dittmeier, president of Hammer & Steel, "and with their superior German quality construction and experienced engineering, they make the highest-quality hammer on the market." Two recent pile-driving projects demonstrate that Delmag continues to lead the industry.

Most Powerful Model: D200-42

Delmag's most powerful unit, the D200-42, was put to the test off the coast of Ecuador. The project involved installing an offshore development platform that uses conductor pipes to extract gas from under the sea. The gas is then sent by pipeline to a power station in southern Ecuador. Water in this area is about 40 meters (132 feet) deep, so a jacket had to be installed and fastened to the ocean bed. The jacket, platform and other equipment were made in the United States, then towed by barge to the installation site. Once the jacket was sunk, Delmag diesel pile hammers were used to drive pilings through the corner pillars.

The pipes were all driven 80 meters (264 feet) into the ocean floor. Two of the pipes were 48 inches in diameter, 420 feet long, 182 metric tons, with a 2- to 2 1/2-inch wall thickness. The other two were 60 inches in diameter, 420 feet long, 224 metric tons, with a 1 3/4- to 2 1/2-inch wall thickness.

A Delmag D100 diesel pile hammer was used to drive the piles to the mudline. At 20 meters (66 feet), unexpectedly dense sands were encountered, and pile resistance increased rapidly. Horizon Offshore Contractors switched to the D200 at this point-much earlier than planned. With an energy rating of 492,000 ft.lbs., and a ram weight of 44,100 pounds, the D200 drove the piles with no further problems and the project was completed ahead of schedule. A Delmag D62 drove the conductor pipes into the seabed.

New "Clean" D21-42 Eliminates Pollutants, Reduces Noise and Vibrations

Halfway around the world, in the German city of Lubeck, Delmag demonstrated its other new technology, a "clean" diesel hammer. Delmag's new D21-42 "Clean" hammer was used to drive piles to prepare a shaft for a storm water sewer. Double sheet piles, 18 meters (59 feet) long and weighing nearly 2 tons, had to be driven in the town center, near vibration-sensitive buildings. The D21-42 "Clean" performed the job in a net driving time of about 10 minutes with no damage to surrounding structures.

Delmag's "clean" hammers incorporate a new high-efficiency combustion chamber and filtration system and a return system for fuels and oils. The new filter system dampens explosion and exhaust noises by up to 50 percent. "I believe the industry will move to the new clean hammer," Dittmeier said. "The clean hammer will filter out grease and smoke and capture it, which is important when you are working in an environmentally sensitive area, such as near water. And there's an added environmental benefit to the filtration system: The 'clean' hammers are considerably quieter."

Wide Range of Quality Products

With 65 years of diesel hammer experience behind it, Delmag has built more than 12,000 hammers, which are used worldwide. The company is known for its wide
range of products, from machines suited for driving fence posts to the nearly half-million ft.lbs. delivered by the D200. "Delmag offers a range that will suit whatever a contractor needs," Dittmeier said, noting that the most popular sellers at Hammer & Steel are the D12 to the D62-the models ranging from 31,000 ft.lbs. to 164,000 ft.lbs per blow.

Quality is a major selling factor. "A Delmag diesel hammer is productive, reliable, and it holds its value," said Dittmeier. "That stems from the quality construction Delmag is known for. You can look at it and see its quality. Even the castings are outstanding. They are produced at a foundry that exclusively produces for Delmag."

Hammer & Steel has been selling Delmag hammers for more than a decade, but the relationship goes even deeper, "My partner and I feel so strongly about the product that we have invested in the company," commented Dittmeier, noting that they own 25 percent of the German corporation.