Field measurements using a model electrical vibrodriver for data-driven automation of the vibrodriving process
Field measurements using a model electrical vibrodriver for data-driven automation of the vibrodriving process
Vibrodriving is a widely applied technique for pile installation. It offers advantages over impact-driven methods, including reduced noise emissions, higher penetration rates, and reduced structural damage to piles. During vibrodriving, the driving parameters: primarily frequency and, in some cases, eccentric moment, are selected during installation by the operator according to prior soil investigations and empirical experience. Inappropriate selection may result in inefficient penetration, premature termination, or even mechanical failure of the vibrator. Therefore, increasing attention has been directed towards the development of automated strategies for the optimal selection of driving parameters. The complex interaction mechanisms governing the coupled vibrator-pile-soil system require comprehensive experimental investigations and data acquisition. However, full-scale field measurements and centrifuge experiments require considerable financial and logistical effort. To address these limitations, a model variable-moment vibrodriver was constructed and deployed for field measurements. This work presents the results of installing four open-ended tubular piles with a 30 mm diameter. The driving frequency (up to 30 Hz) and eccentric moment were manually adjusted to achieve penetration depths of approximately 80 cm. The results demonstrate the suitability of the developed device for further experimental investigations of the installation process and for generating high-quality datasets. Such datasets are intended to support data-driven automation and optimisation approaches, including the prediction of transmitted vibrations and the identification of cavitation and non-cavitation penetration modes. As an illustrative example, Dynamic Mode Decomposition is applied for equation-free modelling of vibrodriving-induced vibrations using geophone measurements.
Francisco Williams-Riquer; Mechthild Cramer; Marc-Andre Pick; Jurgen Grabe
11th International Conference on Physical Modelling in Geotechnics (ICPMG2026)
Session 6: Onshore and offshore foundation systems
https://doi.org/10.53243/ICPMG2026-170