The new German railway tracks require additional signal poles. The foundations for these signal poles can be built by steel pipes, which are driven into the ground vertically. Later on they are filled with concrete, which carries the pole. The German contractor ELG GmbH from the Bavarian city Schesslitz uses its new TERRA-Ram TR 565 for this method.
This job site report shows the procedure of this method. A steel pipe OD 1’220 mm (48”) was rammed vertically into the ground for a depth of 10 m (33 ft). The first 2 – 3 m (6 – 10 ft) had been excavated. After ramming, these 2 - 3 m (6 – 10 ft) were filled with concrete as a foundation for the new pole.
The 2 - 3 m (6 - 10 ft) deep pit for the steel pipe is excavated.
The steel pipe Ø 1‘220 mm (48 ft) is prepared and then lifted with a large truck crane into the correct position.
The ground profile shows heavily compacted ground at 2.5 m (8 ft) and from 8 m (26 ft) on.
The TERRA-Ram TR 565 is positioned and connected tide on the top of the steel pipe.
During the ramming operation the position of the pipe is continuously controlled and corrected.
The truck crane holds the TERRA-Ram TR 565, the ram plate and the steel pipe in the correct vertical position.
After the steel pipe has reached the final depth, its position is measured again. This measurement must be accepted by the client. The ramming took 50 minute, although the enormous ramming power of the TR 565 of 2’400 tonnes was only used by 40%.
