Vibratory pile driving assembly

Abstract

A vibratory pile driving assembly for driving a pile into the ground and / or extracting a pile out of the ground, the assembly comprising: - a base element having a first and a second surface; - a clamping device connected to a first surface of the base element, said clamping device arranged to clamp an end of a pile; - a vibrator device connected to the second surface of the base element, said vibrator device arranged to oscillate a pile clamped by the clamping device; - a lifting arm connected to the first and / or second surface of the base element via a vibration suppressor device.

Description

[0001] Title: Vibratory pile driving assembly

[0002] The invention relates to a vibratory pile driving assembly for driving a pile into the ground and / or extracting a pile out of the ground. Moreover, the invention also relates to a method for driving a pile into the ground by using the vibratory pile driving assembly. Additionally, the invention relates to a method for extracting a pile out of the ground by means of using the vibratory pile driving assembly.

[0003] Vibratory pile driving apparatus are widely used in the construction industry to drive or extract piles, sheet piles, or other structural elements into or out of the ground through the application of vibrational forces. The vibratory mechanism generates high-frequency oscillations that significantly reduce soil resistance around the pile, facilitating easier and more efficient insertion or extraction of the pile compared to traditional methods like impact hammers, while the amount of noise is heavily reduced.

[0004] In various vibratory pile driving apparatus designs, an upending arm is utilized to aid in the positioning of piles. Typically, piles are transported and initially laid out in a horizontal position, and the upending arm functions to rotate or pivot the pile from this horizontal orientation to a vertical one, which is necessary for driving it into the ground. The lifting or upending arm is generally mounted to a base frame or support structure that houses the vibratory motor and associated components. An example of such an apparatus is disclosed in the PCT application WO2023131623A1.

[0005] This prior art document discloses a vibratory pile driving apparatus wherein the lifting arm is connected to the base frame. In such configuration, the lifting arm operates through hydraulic or mechanical actuation, allowing it to pivot or rotate piles into the correct orientation. While this system is effective, in some cases, the rigid connection of the lifting arm to the base frame often results in the transmission of vibratory forces from the vibratory pile driving apparatus to the lifting arm and, consequently, to the crane. While the lifting arm of this prior art document comprises dampening means within the lifting arm, it has a drawback that the lifting arm is of large dimensions, while the dimensions of the whole vibratory pile driving apparatus make the entire structure of an extremely heavy weight, which adds extra burden to the lifting weight that the crane has to take, when lifting the vibratory pile driving apparatus, and more especially when upending the pile. Additionally, the lifting arm described in this prior art document needs to be of a certain length and / or dimensions to be able to accommodate a number of dampening elements to enable the dampening of the vibrations to become efficient. When this vibratory pile driving apparatus is connected to the crane, the wear on the crane's mechanical components increases significantly. The vibratory pile driving apparatus of this prior art document may result in inadequate dampening of the vibratory forces, which could lead to additional stress on both the upending arm and the overall structure of the base frame. Over time, these stresses can cause components to loosen or degrade, increasing the need for maintenance. The frequent maintenance requirements reduce operational uptime and increase the total cost of ownership for operators.

[0006] It is also known to have a vibratory pile driving apparatus wherein the suppressor, comprising a number of dampening elements, is mechanically connected to the vibrator block by being mounted on to it, while the lifting arm is then connected to the suppressor housing. This configuration, especially the mechanical connection between the vibrator block and the suppressor, makes the need of having a large suppressor element to enable an efficient dampening effect of the vibrations towards the crane from which the vibratory pile driving apparatus is suspended. In other words, the size and therefore weight of the vibratory pile driving apparatus is, once again, quite extraordinary. The invention aims to counteract the above disadvantages, preferably while retaining the advantages. More specifically, the invention aims to provide e a vibratory pile driving assembly that is able to overcome or reduce the above-mentioned problems and to provide a vibratory pile driving assembly for effectively driving a pile into the ground and / or extracting a pile out of the ground.

[0007] Therefore, the invention provides for a vibratory pile driving assembly, in particular a vibratory pile driving assembly according to claim 1, for driving a pile into the ground and / or extracting a pile out of the ground. The assembly comprises a base element having a first and a second surface, and a clamping device connected to a first surface of the base element, e.g. a top side, a bottom side or any other side of the base element. The clamping device is arranged to clamp an end of a pile. The assembly further comprises a vibrator device connected to the second surface of the base element. The vibrator device is arranged to oscillate a pile clamped by the clamping device, which may reduce soil resistance. The vibratory pile driving assembly further comprises a lifting arm connected to the first and I or second surface of the base element via a vibration suppressor device. By providing the lifting arm such that it is only in connection with the base element through the vibration suppressor device may facilitate that the vibrations caused by the vibrator device are at least partially suppressed in the lifting arm. By physically separating, or isolating, the lifting arm from the vibration device, the construction is free from mechanical connections that may pass on vibrations onto the lifting arm. Therefore, the vibration suppressor device may work more efficiently than commonly used vibration suppressor devices. As a result, it may be possible to reduce the size of the vibration suppressor device of the disclosed invention, compared to known vibration suppressor device, in order to achieve the same effect. Thus an assembly has been provided which advantageously not only has the ability to reduce soil resistance and minimize noise and environmental impact, but also that is of a compact configuration, while it allows to have a lifting arm that is also of reduced dimensions, when compared to the prior art lifting arms. Moreover, the transfer of vibrations to the crane are substantially reduced because in the claimed configuration there is not a direct connection between the vibrator device and the lifting arm. Hence, a high efficiency on the driving operation can be achieved, since the frequency and amplitude of the vibrations on the lifting arm can be easily dampened by the claimed configuration.

[0008] In the context of the invention, it will be understood that clamping should be understood as any method of releasably and controllably connecting the pile to the clamping device. For example, clamping may comprise grabbing the pile by at least partially circumventing the outer contour of a pile on opposite ends of the circumference of the pile and providing an radially inward force such that the pile remains attached to the clamping device when the clamping device lifts the pile. Alternatively, in case the pile is a hollow pile having a circumferential wall, the clamping device may locally grab the circumferential wall on the outside and inside of the circumferential wall. Preferably, the clamping device may grab the circumferential wall at multiple locations of the circumferential wall such as to better spread the force applied by the pile when being lifted on both the clamping locations and on the clamping device As an even further example of clamping, the clamping device may be inserted in a hollow pile and afterwards extending radially outward such that the clamping device exerts a radially outward force on the inside of the hollow pile, thereby releasably fixing the clamping device to the pile. Clamping the pile at an end may allow for upending the pile and I or moving the pile around, for example by lifting the base element using a crane or lifting device.

[0009] In an embodiment, the vibrator device and the vibration suppressor device can be provided substantially parallel, e.g. physically adjacent, to each other, when the vibrator device and the vibration suppressor device are connected to the second surface of the base element. Such a configuration is particularly compact while still sufficiently dampening the frequency and amplitude of vibrations transmitted to the lifting arm by the vibrator device.

[0010] In order to facilitate controllable upending of the pile, the lifting arm of the assembly can be a rotatable lifting arm configured to move the assembly from a stabbing position, wherein the pile is in a horizontal position, into a vertical lifting position, wherein the pile is being upended by lifting of the assembly. When a pile is being upended, this may be done by at least lifting the base element. Since the pile is releasably attached to the base element by a clamping device at an end of the pile, lifting the base element at the lifting arm causes the pile to upend. When upending by lifting the base element, the angle between the pile and the horizon, and thus also base element and the lifting device and / or a crane changes. By providing a rotatable lifting arm, to which the lifting device is connected, the forces caused by rotation acting upon the lifting device, e.g. friction, can be diverted from the rigid components of the lifting arm to the rotatable components of the lifting, that are specifically designed to experience the forces caused by rotation. In an embodiment, the lifting arm can be rotatable around a lifting arm rotation point, said lifting arm rotation point can be a pivot axis, such that the lifting arm can be configured to rotate relative to the base element and I or the vibration suppressor device. By rotating the lifting arm about a pivot axis, e.g. when upending a pile, the base element can only move about one degree of freedom, as the other rotational and translational axis of the base element relative to the lifting arm are fixed. This allows for a more controllable process when raising or lowering the vibration pile driving assembly to which a pile is attached, as there now may exist a direct mathematical relationship between raising and lowering the base element. Specifically, when a pile is being upended, the rotating arm will perform a rotation of 90 degree relative to the pile, preferably around the pivot axis. When the vibratory pile driving assembly is raised, the pile starts to tilt from a horizontal position towards a vertical position such that the rotating arm will rotate over 90 degrees. Thus it can be easily determined from the height to which the vibratory pile driving assembly is raised by a crane or lifting device, what the expected angle is between the lifting arm and the longitudinal axis of the pile.

[0011] The assembly can further comprise a lifting arm driving device for angular displacement of the lifting arm with respect to the base element and I or the vibration suppressor device. The lifting arm driving device can be a hydraulic piston, which may be remotely controlled to expand and contract. In an expanded position, the lifting arm may be in line with a pile during use. In other words, a longitudinal axis of the lifting arm may be parallel to a longitudinal axis of a pile. In a retracted position, the lifting arm forms an angle with the pile during use, for example an angle of 90 degrees. In other words, the longitudinal axis of the lifting arm is not parallel to the longitudinal axis of the pile. By having the lifting arm driving device control the angle between the lifting arm and the base element, it may be prevented that external forces acting upon the lifting arm and I or the base element determine the angle. Additionally, this may allow for determination of an expected angle between the lifting arm and the base element and / or as a way of determining faulty operation. For example, if a pile to be raised is stuck in a horizontal position and a lifting device is attempting to lift said pile using the assembly, the resulting forces of simultaneously raising the assembly while the pile is stuck prevents the lifting arm driving device from manipulating the angular displacement. Thus, such an embodiment may improve controllability and accuracy when upending and I or extracting a pile.

[0012] The vibration suppressor device can comprise a housing element arranged to connect the vibration suppressor device to the lifting arm and I or to the base element. Preferably, the vibration suppressor device comprises a housing element arranged to connect the vibration suppressor device to the lifting arm, Such a housing may prevent damage to the vibration suppressor device and may allow for the lifting arm and I or the base element to be conveniently attached to the vibration suppressor device. Preferably, when the suppressor device comprises a housing element arranged to connect the vibration suppressor device to both the lifting arm and the base element, the housing element comprises two separate components, e .g. a first housing part connected to the lifting arm and a second housing part connected to the base element, that are not in physical connection with each other. This may prevent vibrations caused by the vibrator device to be transferred to the lifting arm and bypassing the vibration suppressor device. The lifting arm can be connected to the housing element of the vibration suppressor device when the housing element is at least arranged to connect the vibration suppressor device to the lifting arm, such that the lifting arm can be firmly and durably connected to the vibration suppressor device.

[0013] The vibration suppressor device can comprise a dampening element which can be configured to deform to at least reduce transmission of vibrations to a lifting arm. Additionally or alternatively, the dampening element can comprise a shock absorbing material, preferably an elastomeric shock absorbing material, configured to deform when the assembly is in use. Since the vibration suppressor device is directly connected to the base element, and the lifting arm rotates relative to the base element and the vibration suppressor device when a pile is upended, the dampening element does not rotate relative to the base element. As a result, the dampening element is only loaded in the axial direction of the pile and does not experience significant, or any, transversal or shear loading. This may be in particular advantageous in case the shock absorbing material is an elastomeric shock absorbing material, as such a material may prove to cope with axial loading well. The vibration suppressor device can comprise a suppressor actuator arranged to be controllably activated. The suppressor actuator can be arranged to expand and retract to dampen vibrations such as to actively and controllably at least partially reduce the transmission of vibrations caused by the vibrator device to the lifting arm. This may be done by setting the suppressor actuator to a predetermined dampening position, such that a known amount of vibrations is dampened. Alternatively, the suppressor actuator may automatically adjust the amount of dampening provided, based on vibration data fed to the suppressor actuator. This data may be fed directly from the vibrator device or may be fed to by a sensor provided on the assembly. Using a sensor, a feedback loop may be used such that when the amounts of vibrations caused by the vibrator device increases, this is measured using the sensor and the suppressor actuator in response increases its dampening capacity and vice versa. Such a vibration suppressor device may be used to control the amount of suppression provided by selectively engaging each of a plurality of vibration suppressing components, e.g. an elastomeric shock absorbing material. In an expanded state, a minimal amount of vibration suppression is provided. However, when the suppressor actuator is adjusts to a retracted state, the shock absorbing capacity increases incrementally as more vibration suppressing components are used to dampen the vibration. In the retracted state, the maximum amount of vibration suppressing components is engaged, resulting in a maximum amount of vibration suppression provided by the suppressor actuator.

[0014] The assembly can further comprise a lifting actuator connected to the base element and the vibration suppressor device. The lifting actuator can be arranged to provide an adjustable connection between the base element and the vibration suppressor device. The lifting actuator can further be arranged to adjust between an upending position, in which the lifting actuator is in a retracted state for protecting the vibration suppressor device, and a suppressor position, in which the lifting actuator is in an expanded state for allowing the vibration suppressor device to at least partially reduce the transmission of vibrations caused by the vibrator device to the lifting arm. For example, in a retracted state the lifting actuator may cover or shield the vibration suppressor device such that it is protected from outside elements, specifically impact from external elements. Alternatively, the lifting actuator may compress the vibration suppressor device, in case the vibration suppressor device comprises an elastomeric component, such that the vibration suppressor device is contained within a cover or shielding element, e.g. a housing.

[0015] The clamping device can be movably connected to the first surface of the base element. The clamping device may be moveable connected in a lateral direction, e.g. the clamping device may move in a direction substantially parallel to the first and I or second surface of the base element. This may facilitate clamping piles of various sizes, e.g. having different radiuses, and I or may facilitate the act of clamping itself. For example, when the clamping device moves away from a clamped pile, the pile may be released. Additionally or alternatively, the clamping device may move in a direction away from the base element, such that a pile may be gripped at different locations along its longitudinal axis.

[0016] The clamping device can comprise a pair of clamping elements moveable between an open configuration and a closed configuration, such that in the closed configuration the pile is securely connected, e.g. clamped, to the assembly. The clamping elements of the pair of clamping elements may be provided opposite of each other, e.g. radially opposed, on both sides of a pile. In an embodiment, a plurality of pair of clamping elements are provided, allowing the clamping device more securely connect the pile to the assembly. The pair of clamping elements may be arranged to clamp flanged and unflanged piles, i.e. piles without a flange. As an alternative, the clamping device can comprise housing to accommodate a wedge assembly. The wedge assembly can be configured to move from a retracted position to an extended position. In the extended position the wedge assembly is substantially outside a contour of the housing. Such a clamping device may be inserted into a pile, e.g. a tubular pile or a pile being hollow at at least one end thereof. Once the housing of the clamping device has been inserted into the pile, facilitated by the contour of the housing being dimensioned such that it fits in the pile, the wedge assembly may extend such that the clamping device expands such that wedges of the wedge assembly are forced against the inner wall of the pile, thereby clamping the pile from the inside. Such a clamping device may be advantageous when the direct surrounding of pile has limited space, e.g. when there are physical obstructions around the pile.

[0017] The assembly can comprise a sensor arranged to measure the angular position of the base element relative to the lifting arm. Such a sensor may be used to, but not limited to, monitor the upending process, the driving process or the removal process. Any abnormalities, e.g. an unexpected angular position of the base element relative to the lifting arm, may be detected using said sensor such that appropriate action, e.g. corrective action, may be taken. In case the assembly comprises a lifting arm driving device, such a device may be used as a sensor or the sensor may be integrated into the lifting arm driving device.

[0018] Additionally or alternatively, the assembly can further comprise an inclination sensor arranged to measure the assembly and I or the pile inclination when the assembly is in use. Comparable to the sensor arranged to measure the angular position of the base element relative to the lifting arm, said inchnation sensor may be used to detect abnormalities during use of the assembly, e.g. the inclination of the pile.

[0019] The lifting arm can comprise a hoisting element to connect the assembly to a crane or a lifting device. For example, a ring may be provided on the lifting arm to which a hook can be attached. The hoisting element may advantageously facilitate a relatively convenient releasable connection between the assembly and a crane or lifting device.

[0020] In a second aspect of the invention, there is provided for a method of driving a pile into the ground comprising the steps of:

[0021] - providing a vibratory pile driving assembly, preferably the pile driving assembly according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a clamping device connected to a lifting arm via a vibration suppressor device;

[0022] - centering the vibratory pile driving assembly with respect to the pile;

[0023] - connecting the clamping device to an open end of the pile, when the pile is in horizontal position, while controlling the angular position of the clamping device with respect to the lifting arm;

[0024] - upending the pile at a lift point on the lifting arm;

[0025] - lifting the pile; and

[0026] - vibratory driving the pile into the soil.

[0027] Between lifting the pile and vibratory driving the pile into the soil, the method can further comprise positioning the pile at a target location.

[0028] In a third aspect of the invention, there is provided for a method of extracting a pile out of the ground comprising the steps of:

[0029] - providing a vibratory pile driving assembly, preferably the pile driving assembly according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a clamping device connected to a lifting arm via a vibration suppressor device;

[0030] - centering the pile upending device with respect to the pile to be extracted out of the ground,

[0031] - connecting the at least one clamping device to an open end of the pile,

[0032] - vibrating the pile, such that the pile becomes loose and can be extracted. After the pile becomes loose and is extracted, the method can further comprise down-ending the pile, such that the pile is changed from a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation.

[0033] Using a vibratory pile driving assembly as disclosed in the second and third aspect of the invention is advantageous, as for both driving and extracting the pile can be done with a vibratory pile driving assembly that has a relatively small size, compared to the vibratory pile driving assemblies according to the prior art, while still remaining sufficiently effective in driving I extracting and sufficiently quiet by dampening the vibrations transferred to the crane or lifting device. Using a smaller vibratory pile driving assembly may be advantageous as a wider range of cranes and I or lifting devices may be used, since the height and weight of the vibratory pile driving assembly is less restrictive.

[0034] Further advantageous aspects of the invention are set out in the description and appended claims.

[0035] The technical features described in the paragraphs and sentences above can be isolated from the context, and the isolated technical features from the different paragraphs and sentences can be combined. Such combinations are herewith specifically disclosed in this description.

[0036] The invention will further be elucidated on the basis of exemplary embodiments which are represented in the drawings. The exemplary embodiments are given by way of non-limitative illustration of the invention.

[0037] In the drawings:

[0038] Figs. 1A and IB show schematic examples of two variations of a pile driving assembly according to the invention;

[0039] Figs. 2A and 2B show a schematic side view of a further example of a pile driving assembly, in a stabbing position and in an vertical lifting position respectively; Fig. 3 shows a schematic side view of another example of a pile driving assembly;

[0040] Fig. 4 shows a schematic side view of a further example of a pile driving assembly; and

[0041] Figs. 5A and 5B show a schematic side view of an even further example of a pile driving assembly in which a clamping device is in a retracted position and an extended position respectively.

[0042] In this description embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings by way of example only. These embodiments should by no means be understood as limiting the scope of the disclosure. At least all combinations of aspects, elements and features of the embodiments shown and discussed are also considered to have been disclosed herein. In this description the same or similar elements and features will be referred to by the same or similar reference signs. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, and can show exaggerations in order to more clearly show features of the claimed invention.

[0043] Figs. 1A and IB show two schematic examples of the pile driving assembly 1 for driving a pile 2 into the ground and I or extracting a pile 2 out of the ground. In the examples, the ground has not been depicted. The pile driving assembly 1 comprises a base element 3 having a first 4 and second surface 5. In the shown example, the first surface 4 faces the pile 2 and the second surface 5 the surface faces away from the pile 2. In addition, the assembly 1 comprises a clamping device 6 connected to the first surface 4 of the base element 3. The clamping device 6 is arranged to clamp an end 7 of a pile 2. In the shown example, the pile 2 is a hollow pile 2 and more specifically a tubular shaped pile 2 of which the circumferential wall is relatively thin compared to the hollow inside of the pile 2. The clamping device 6 comprises a pair of clamping elements 16 movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration, such that in the closed configuration the pile 2 is securely connected to the assembly 1. In the open position, the clamping device 6 can be positioned such that the circumferential wall of the pile 2 is provided between a pair of clamping elements 16. When the clamping elements move to a closed configuration, e.g. using an actuator, the clamping elements 16 move towards each other such that the wall of the pile 2 at the end of the pile 7 gets clamped between corresponding clamping elements 16. In the example only two pair of clamping elements 16 have been depicted, but it will be clear to the skilled person that a plurality of pairs of clamping elements 16 may be used. The assembly 1 further comprises a plurality vibrator devices 8, in the shown example four vibrator devices 8, connected to the second surface 5 of the base element 3. The vibrator device 8 is arranged to oscillate the pile 2 clamped by the clamping device 6. Advantageously, in the example the vibrator devices 8 are provided on the base element 3 such that, when clamping the pile 2, the vibrator devices 8 are in proximity of the circumferential wall of the pile 2. This configuration may reduce the moment in the base element, reducing the stress the base element 3 is exposed to. Additionally, this may transfer the vibrations caused by the vibrator devices 8 in alignment with the wall of the pile 2, which may result in a more direct, and thus efficient, transfer of vibrations. The assembly 1 further comprises a lifting arm 9 connected to a surface 4, 5 of the base element 2 via a vibration suppressor device 10. Two examples have been shown in Figs. 1A and IB, wherein the lifting arm 9 is connected to the first surface 4 and second surface 5 respectively. While both examples may be used for driving a pile 2 into the ground and for extracting a pile 2 out of the ground, it may be advantageous to use the configuration depicted in Fig. 1A when extracting a pile 2 out of the ground. When extracting a pile, an upward force may be applied such that the vibration suppressor device 10 experiences a force that presses the device 10 against the base element 3. Conversely, the configuration depicted in Fig. IB may be in particular suitable for driving a pile 2 into the ground. When driving a pile 2 into the ground, a downward force is applied resulting in a force acting upon the vibration suppressor device 10 such that it is pressed to the base element 3. In the example, the lifting arm 9 comprises a hoisting element 18 to connect the assembly 1 to a crane or a lifting device. The hoisting element 18 is arranged to form a releasable connection with a crane or a lifting device (not depicted) such that the assembly 1 can be safely and efficiently be lifted and lowered when clamping a pile 2. In the shown example, the hoisting element 18 is depicted as half of a mechanical couple, of which the other half is part of a lifting device. The hoisting element 18 can be mechanically locked, or coupled, to the other half of the mechanical couple that is part of the lifting device.

[0044] Turning to Fig. 2A and 2B a schematic example of a vibratory pile driving assembly 1 is depicted in a stabbing position and in a vertical lifting position respectively. The lifting arm 9 is a rotatable lifting arm 9 configured to move the assembly 1 from a stabbing position, depicted in Fig.

[0045] 2A and wherein, during use, the pile (not depicted) is in a horizontal position, in a vertical lifting position, depicted in Fig. 2B and wherein the pile (not depicted), during use, is being upended by the assembly 1. During use of the vibratory pile driving assembly 1, e.g. when upended a pile, a pile may be transported, e.g. by cargo ship, in a horizontal position to a location where it will be driven into the ground. Next, when the pile is upended, the vibratory pile driving assembly 1 is clamped at an end to the pile and the vibratory pile driving assembly 1 is in the stabbing position as depicted in Fig. 2A. During upending, and when the pile is moved from a horizontal position to a vertical position, the vibratory pile driving assembly 1 is moved, or rotated, to the vertical lifting position as depicted in Fig. 2B over a 90 degree angle. As can be seen, the lifting arm 9 remains in a vertical direction while the base element 3, and components attached to said base element 3, rotate. As shown in the example, the lifting arm 9 is rotatable around a lifting arm rotation point 15, the lifting arm rotation point 15 being a pivot axis, such that the lifting arm 9 is configured to rotate relative to the base element 3 and, in the shown example, the vibration suppressor device 10. Since the lifting arm 9 itself is a rigid component, all degrees of freedom except rotation about the pivot axis are limited or prevented. In the shown example, the vibratory pile driving assembly 1 comprises a lifting arm driving device 17 for angular displacement of the lifting arm 9 with respect to the base element 2 and the vibration suppressor device 10. Such a lifting arm driving device 17 is depicted as an hydraulic piston arranged to controllably extend and retract, thus facilitating movement of the lifting arm 9 such that the assembly 1 can assume a vertical fliting position from the stabbing position and vice versa. A single driving device 17 may be provided, as shown in the figure, however it will be clear multiple driving devices 17 may be provided. This may allow the lifting arm 9 to be supported from various locations, improving stability and strength. As an example, the assembly 1 comprises a sensor arranged to measure the angular position of the base element 2 relative to the lifting arm 9. In the shown example, this sensor is an encoder provided on the driving device 17, however it may be clear that other sensors may be used as well.

[0046] Furthermore, the assembly 1 comprises an inclination sensor (not depicted) arranged to measure the assembly 1 and I or the pile inchnation when the assembly 1 is in use. Data from the sensors may be provided to an operator driving or extracting a pile, such that the operator may verify correct and safe operation. Alternatively, the data provided by the sensors may be used for controlling the operation itself, e.g. as input for the lifting arm driving device 17 or the lifting actuators 20.

[0047] In the shown example, the vibratory pile driving assembly 1 comprises a lifting actuator 20 connected to the base element 3 and the vibration suppressor device 10. The lifting actuator 20 is arranged to provide an adjustable connected between the base element 3 and the vibration suppressor device 10 and is arranged to adjust between an upending position, in which the lifting actuator 20 is in a retracted state to protect the vibration suppressor device 10 as shown in Fig. 2 A, and a suppressor position, in which the lifting actuator 20 is in an expanded state, as shown in Fig. 2B, for allowing the vibration suppressor device 10 to at least partially reduce the transmission of vibrations caused by the vibrator device 8 to the lifting arm 9. In the upending position shown in Fig. 2A the lifting actuator 20, depicted as an example as a plurality of hydraulic pistons 20, are in a retracted state such that the vibration suppressor device 10 is compressed, and thus protected against external forces, e.g. shear stress. In the suppressor position, depicted in Fig. 2B the lifting actuators 20 are in an expanded position such that the vibration suppressor device 10 is no longer compressed and able to reduce vibrations transmitted by the vibrator device to the lifting arm 9. The previously discussed sensors may for example be used to determine if the pile is in the upending position, i.e. in a vertical position, and if this is confirmed by the sensors, the lifting actuators 20 may go from the upending position of Fig. 2A to the suppressor position of Fig. 2B.

[0048] Referring to Fig. 3, a schematic view of a further example of a vibratory pile driving assembly 1 is shown. In the example, vibration suppressor device 10 comprises a dampening element 12 which is configured to deform to at least reduce transmission of vibrations to the lifting arm 9. In the shown example, the dampening element 12 comprises a shock absorbing material, specifically an elastomeric shock absorbing material, which is configured to deform when the assembly 1 is in use. In the shown example, the vibrator device 8 and the vibration suppressor device 10 are provided substantially parallel to each other, i.e. next to each other on the base element 3 on the same side of said base element 3, resulting in a compact and relatively small design. The vibrator device 8 and the vibration suppressor device 10 are connected to the second surface 5 of the base element 3. As an example, the clamping device 6 is movably connected to the first surface 4 of the base element 3 to allow movement of the clamping device 6 such as to accommodate piles 2 of various diameters. The clamping device 6 may also move perpendicular to the base element 3 such as to extend or retract in a direction perpendicular to the first surface 4. This may facilitate grabbing piles at different locations along its longitudinal axis. For example, if a pile is a flanged pile a different clamping position may be preferred compared to an unflanged pile.

[0049] In the example, the vibration suppressor device 1 comprises a housing element 14 arranged to connect the vibration suppressor device 10 to the lifting arm 9 and to the base element 3, specifically the lifting arm 9 is connected to the housing element 14 of the vibration suppressor device 10. From the figure, it can be seen that the housing element 14 comprises of two parts, an top part connecting the vibration suppressor device 10 to the lifting arm 9 and a bottom part connecting the vibration suppressor device to the base element 3. Separating the housing element 14 in two parts, e.g. a first housing element 14’ connected to the lifting arm 9 and a second housing element 14” connected to the base element 3, may prevent vibrations caused by the vibrator device 8 to be transmitted to the lifting arm 9 via the housing element 14. The housing element 14 may be made of a single material such as to enclose the complete vibration suppressor device 10, as long as a physical gap in the housing element 14 exists such that the vibrations transmitted by the vibrator devices 8 can only pass through the vibration suppressor device 10 when reaching the lifting arm 9.

[0050] Turning to Fig. 4, a schematic view of an even further example of a vibratory pile driving assembly 1 is shown. In this configuration, the vibrator devices 8 are provided towards the center of the base element 3, while the vibration suppressor devices 10, comprising a damping element 12, e.g. a shock absorbing material, are provided towards the outer edges of the base element 3 such that the vibration suppressor devices 10 and the vibrator devices 8 are provided substantially parallel to each other. The vibrations caused by the vibrator devices 8 in this example are at or near the center of the base element 3, which may facilitate a homogenous distribution of the vibrations towards the pile 2. Additionally, the lifting arm 9 is connected to the base element 3, through the vibration suppressor devices 10, at lateral ends of the base element 3 which may facilitate better control of the clamped pile 2 when driving and I or extracting the pile 2 from the ground, e.g. when upending. The better control may be facilitated by having the lifting arm 9 connected to the base element 3 at more than one location, in the shown example two locations, and in particular near the outer edge of the base element 3. In the shown example, the vibration suppressor devices 10 each comprise a housing element 14, said housing element 14 comprising a first housing part 14’ connecting the vibration suppressor device 10 to the lifting arm 9 and a second housing part 14” connecting the vibration suppressor device 10 to the base element 3. The first housing part 14’ and the second housing part 14” are physically separated, such that they do not come in to direct physical contact with each other during driving and extracting of the pile 2.

[0051] Turning to Figs. 5A and 5B a further example of a vibratory pile driving assembly 1 has been schematically depicted. In the shown example, an alternative example of a vibration suppressor device 10 is depicted. The vibration suppressor device 10 comprises a suppressor actuator 13 arranged to be actively and controllably activated and wherein the suppressor actuator 13 is arranged to expand and retract such as to at least partially reduce transmission of vibrations caused by the vibrator device 8 to the lifting arm 9. The suppressor actuator 13 is arranged to automatically adjust the amount of dampening provided, based on vibration data fed to the suppressor actuator 13. In the example, this data is fed directly from the vibrator device 8. Additionally, the suppressor actuator 13 comprises a sensor such that a feedback loop may be used to control the amount of dampening provided. The vibration suppressor device 13 is arranged to selectively engage each of a plurality of vibration suppressing components 19, e.g. an elastomeric shock absorbing material. In an expanded state, a minimal amount of vibration suppression is provided. However, when the suppressor actuator 13 is adjusts to a retracted state, the shock absorbing capacity increases incrementally as more vibration suppressing components are used to dampen the vibration. In the retracted state, the maximum amount of vibration suppressing components 19, in the shown example three, are engaged which results in a maximum amount of vibration suppression provided by the suppressor actuator 13.

[0052] In the shown example, the clamping device 6 comprises a housing 20 to accommodate a wedge assembly 17. The wedge assembly 17 is configured to move from a retracted position to an extended position, wherein in the extended position the wedge assembly 17 is substantially outside a contour of the housing 20. During use, the clamping device 6 is inserted into a pile that is at least partially hollow at at least one end of said pile. The housing 20 has a contour that is dimensioned such that it can be inserted into a pile. In the shown example, this would mean that the radius or length and width of the base housing 20 is less than a corresponding dimension of the inside of the pile. For example, in case of a round housing 20 and a tubular shaped pile, the radius of the round housing 20 is less than that of the inner radius of the pile. Once at least the housing 20 of the clamping device has been inserted into the pile, the wedges 18 of the wedge assembly 17 may extend such that the clamping device 6 expands such that wedges 18 are forced against the inner wall of the pile, thereby clamping the pile from the inside. In the shown Fig. 5A the wedges 18 are in the retracted position such that the housing 20 can be inserted into a pile. Turning to Fig.

[0053] 5B, the wedges 18 have rotated outwardly such as to move to an extended position. In the extended position of Fig. 5B, the wedge assembly 17 and specifically the wedges 18 of the wedge assembly extend outside the contour of the housing 20, in the shown example being the radius of the housing 20. In the shown example, the wedges 18 are rotated outwardly however it will be clear that a linear non -rotation al movement may also be used, e.g. a lateral movement.

[0054] These and other such alternatives are considered to fall within the scope of the appending claims.

Claims

Claims1. A vibratory pile driving assembly for driving a pile into the ground and I or extracting a pile out of the ground, the assembly comprising:- a base element having a first and a second surface;- a clamping device connected to the first surface of the base element, said clamping device arranged to clamp an end of a pile;- a vibrator device connected to the second surface of the base element, said vibrator device arranged to oscillate a pile clamped by the clamping device;- a lifting arm connected to the first and I or second surface of the base element via a vibration suppressor device.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the lifting arm is a rotatable lifting arm configured to move the assembly from a stabbing position, wherein the pile is in a horizontal position, into a vertical lifting position, wherein the pile is being upended by the assembly.

3. The assembly of claim 1 or 2, wherein the vibration suppressor device comprises a housing element arranged to connect the vibration suppressor device to the base element.

4. The assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the vibration suppressor device comprises a housing element arranged to connect the vibration suppressor device to the lifting arm, preferably wherein the lifting arm is connected to the housing element of the vibration suppressor device.

5. The assembly according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the housing element comprises a first housing part connecting the vibration suppressor device to the lifting arm and a second housing part connecting the vibrationsuppressor device to the base element and wherein the first housing part and the second housing part are physically separated.

6. The assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the vibration suppressor device comprises a dampening element which is configured to deform to at least reduce transmission of vibrations to the lifting arm.

7. The assembly according to claim 6, wherein the dampening element comprises a shock absorbing material, preferably an elastomeric shock absorbing material, configured to deform when the assembly is in use.

8. The assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the vibration suppressor device comprises a suppressor actuator arranged to be actively and controllably activated and wherein the suppressor actuator is arranged to expand and retract to dampen vibrations such as to at least partially reduce the transmission of vibrations caused by the vibrator device to the lifting arm.

9. The assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the assembly further comprises a lifting actuator connected to the baseelement and the vibration suppressor device, wherein the lifting actuator is arranged to provide an adjustable connection between the base element and the vibration suppressor device and arranged to adjust between an upending position, in which the lifting actuator is in a retracted state to protect the vibration suppressor device, and a suppressor position, in which the lifting actuator is in an expanded state for allowing the vibration suppressor device to at least partially reduce the transmission of vibrations caused by the vibrator device to the lifting arm.

10. The assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the lifting arm is rotatable around a lifting arm rotation point, said lifting arm rotation point being a pivot axis, such that the lifting arm is configured to rotate relative to the base element and I or the vibration suppressor device.

11. The assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the clamping device is movably connected to the first surface of the base element.

12. The assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the clamping device comprises a pair of clamping elements movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration, such that in the closed configuration the pile is securely connected to the assembly.

13. The assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the clamping device comprises a housing to accommodate a wedge assembly, wherein the wedge assembly is configured to move from a retracted position to an extended position, wherein in the extended position the wedge assembly is substantially outside a contour of the housing.

14. The assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the assembly further comprises a lifting arm driving device for angular displacement of the lifting arm with respect to the base element and I or the vibration suppressor device.

15. The assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the assembly comprises a sensor arranged to measure the angular position of the base element relative to the lifting arm.

16. The assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the assembly further comprises an inclination sensor arranged to measure the assembly and / or the pile inclination when the assembly is in use.

17. The assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the lifting arm comprises a hoisting element to connect the assembly to a crane or to a lifting device.

18. The assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the vibrator device and the vibration suppressor device are provided substantially parallel to each other, when the vibrator device and the vibration suppressor device are connected to the second surface of the base element.

19. Method of driving a pile into the ground, comprising the steps;- providing a vibratory pile driving assembly, preferably the pile driving assembly according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a clamping device connected to a lifting arm via a vibration suppressor device;- centering the vibratory pile driving assembly with respect to the pile;- connecting the clamping device to an open end of the pile, when the pile is in horizontal position, while controlling the angular position of the clamping device with respect to the lifting arm;- upending the pile at a lift point on the lifting arm;- lifting the pile; and- vibratory driving the pile into the soil.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein between lifting the pile and vibratory driving the pile into the soil, the method comprises positioning the pile at a target location.

21. Method of extracting a pile out of the ground, comprising the steps;- providing a vibratory pile driving assembly, preferably the pile driving assembly according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a clamping device connected to a lifting arm via a vibration suppressor device;- centering the pile upending device with respect to the pile to be extracted out of the ground,- connecting the at least one clamping device to an open end of the pile,- vibrating the pile, such that the pile becomes loose and can be extracted.

22. Method of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises the step of:- down-ending the pile, such that the pile is changed from a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation.

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