• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.1-12
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• 2015

During installing sheet piles for an impermeable wall or a retaining wall, vibratory hammers are widely used. Among vibratory hammers, a hydraulic hammer is used most commonly. However, a hydraulic hammer causes excessive vibration and noise due to resonance by change of natural frequency according to movements of eccentric shaft when the hammer starts and stops. In this study, new variable amplitude type hammer is developed in order to reduce the vibration and noise due to resonance produced in starting and stopping the hammer. By controlling horizontal angle in two pairs of eccentric body inside of the hammer, the amplitude and vibration of the new hammer can be controlled. The performance tests with the new hammer and existing hammers such as the hydraulic hammer and electric hammer are carried out, and the new hammer shows reduced vibration and noise results in comparison with existing hammers from performance tests. Also, this study shows that penetration rates of sheet pile using the new hammer increase due to impellent force of a backhoe in comparison with the electric hammer and penetration rate increase in comparison with a general hydraulic hammer, since the new hammer can control the amplitude during penetration of sheet pile according to soil condition.