Site and Job-Specific Preparation
What this domain covers
The Site and Job-Specific Preparation domain tests how you translate a pile-driving plan into a safe site before the rig is assembled. Expect questions on access, ground bearing, utility clearance, laydown, lift planning, and coordination.
Core rules
- Review the pile layout, pile type and length, batter, embedment, hammer and lead configuration, maximum working radius, and the weight of each pile and attachment.
- Walk the access route for gate width, slope, soft spots, overhead lines, buried utilities, spoil piles, and pedestrian traffic. Confirm utility locates and treat markings as approximate.
- Barricade the swing, lead, and pile-fall zone. Keep laydown and spoil areas outside the operating radius and leave an emergency access route.
- Verify ground bearing for outrigger or track loads. Use engineered mats or cribbing, set outriggers fully, and level the rig within the manufacturer's tolerance.
Worked example
A 60-ft concrete pile weighs 8,000 lb and will be handled at a 25-ft radius. The chart gives 22,000 lb at that radius; attachment deductions total 4,500 lb and rigging is 500 lb. Available capacity is 17,000 lb, so the static lift is acceptable. The outrigger load is 38,000 lb on a 3-ft-square pad, or about 4,222 psf. An 8-ft-square mat spreads it to about 594 psf. Because the area is soft fill, you still require the geotechnical check before setup.
Traps
Using a crane chart without pile-driver attachment deductions; assuming locate paint is exact; setting up on uncompacted fill because the mat looks large; and ignoring overhead lines beyond the swing radius.