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Piles and pile accessories

Recommendations for safe handling on site


Contents:
1. General
2. Reception of goods and inspection
3. Unloading and moving
4. Storage
5. Handling of coated piles
6. Installation

Principles of safe handling:


A lways observe valid safety instructions and check special
requirements of the site before starting work
A lways wear a helmet, safety gloves and protective clothing
when handling steel pile products
Always use approved lifting gear when moving products
M
 ake sure that the slings and hooks are properly and securely
fastened
Do not go under products during lifting and moving
Do not use lift products by strapping
Note that the strapping around pile bundles is under tension and
may cause accidents when cut
Be careful with the handling of sharp edges and corners

Ruukki provides its customers with energy-efficient steel solutions for better living, working and moving.

www.ruukki.com/infra

CFI 03.025EN/06.2012/PR/HK

1. General
Special attention must be paid to the condition of the
ends (bevels) and threads of piles. For example, the
protective covers of threaded splices should not be
removed before installation.

The purpose of these instructions is to provide recommendations for handling piles and pile accessories on
site, which Ruukki requires its staff and subcontractors to observe. The recommendations are based on
Ruukkis views at the time of their preparation and may
change from time to time if Ruukki deems it necessary.
One purpose of the recommendations is to prevent damages, accidents and injuries on site, but Ruukki cannot
guarantee that they will not occur even if the recommendations are observed, and assumes no responsibility for
them. The recommendations are not comprehensive and
do not provide an exhaustive description of all points to
be taken into consideration in the handling of piles and
pile accessories generally or in individual cases. Safety
practices prescribed by law and generally applied in
the sector always take precedence over these recommendations. Valid work safety guidelines must also be
observed and required personal protection equipment
used on site.

Before unloading, snow and ice must be removed to


prevent hazardous situations. Piles or pile accessories
must not be thrown or rolled onto the ground. During
unloading, piles and pile accessories are lifted by a
crane side by side onto even ground or on supports
beside the vehicle. Piles must be lowered carefully onto

2. Reception of goods and inspection


Inspection of delivered piles and their accessories takes
place immediately after the delivery arrives on site. The
inspection is made to ensure that the shipment corresponds to the order and consignment note. Pile sections
and accessories must correspond to the products specified in the project designs. Accepted delivery is acknowledged by signing the consignment note. The seller must
be informed immediately of delivery of wrong quality or
products or misdelivery and the fact must be recorded
on the consignment note list. A faulty or wrong product
must not be installed.
The receiver of the delivery designates an unloading
point corresponding to the recommendations in advance
or upon arrival of the delivery. To prevent damages, the
shipment may only be opened at the designated unloading point. Proper access to the unloading point must provided. The unloading point must allow safe and effective
unloading. The unloading point must be firm and level
and spacious enough. Bottom and intermediate dunnage
must be used according to recommendations.

CFI 03.025EN/06.2012/PR/HK

3. Unloading and moving


It must be ensured that no permanent deformations
or other handling damage is caused to the piles in
handling. Every bundle must be checked for damages
when moved. The general principle is that unnecessary
cutting open of pile bundles must be avoided before
pile installation.

CFI 03.025EN/06.2012/PR/HK

General lifting principles:


No-one is allowed under the load during lifting, and sufficient distance from the load must be maintained
Warn others in the area before lifting
The lifting area must be cordoned off and entrance to it
blocked
Lift evenly without jerking
Make sure that the load stays clear of obstacles during
lifting and transfer
The weight of the load to be lifted must not exceed the
allowed load of the machine, the auxiliary lifting device
and lifting accessories (e.g. slings and chains)
The crane driver must have the necessary qualification
and a license to operate a crane
Use undamaged binding accessories suitable for the
purpose
Take weather conditions and related risks into consideration in the lifting situation
Ice- and snow-covered piles and pile bundles are extremely slippery and require special caution in handling.

the bottom or intermediate dunnage. Pile accessories


are delivered on pallets. The products are lowered in a
horizontal position.

CFI 03.025EN/06.2012/PR/HK

The weight of the products must be taken into account in


the selection of lifting equipment. The weight is marked
either on a pile or the bundle tag. In the case of large
diameter piles, weight also includes the weight of the
pile tip if part of the section. A whole pile bundle must
not be lifted by applying the lifting force to a single pile.
Piles longer than 20 metres must not be lifted from the
ends. In two-point lifting of a homogenous pipe, the right
position of the lifting gear is a quarter pile length from the
pile end. The equilibrium point has been marked in large
diameter piles. In the case of piles with rock shoes, the
correct position of the lifting points is symmetrically on
both sides of the equilibrium point. The distance between
the lifting points must be at least half the pipe length.

Figure 1. Example of a bundle tag

In addition to above-mentioned issues, the following


should be considered when lifting and moving piles and
pile accessories with different equipment:
3.1. Use of lifting chains
When lifting with chains or a steel wire, it must be ensured that the inclination of the chains or wire does not
exceed 30 (see Figure 2).
An intermediate boom (see Figure 3) can be used as a
lifting accessory. The length of the intermediate boom
(the distance between the attachment points of the steel
chains) can be derived from the table below (Table 1)
based on the length of the pile to be lifted and the length
of the steel chain.

max 30

3.2. Use of a forklift


The forks of the forklift are inserted under the pile bundle, pile or pallet of pile accessories so that the products
are balanced. When moving loose piles with a forklift,
the risk of piles rolling must be prevented. If necessary,
the load must be tied. On an uneven route driving speed
must be adjusted so that the piles or the pallet of accessories cannot move about on the fork. Pushing pile
products with the forklift is forbidden.

L (m)

Figure 2. Lifting with hooks

Z (m)
2

10

12

CFI 03.025EN/06.2012/PR/HK

10

12

10

14

12

10

16

14

12

10

18

16

14

12

10

20

18

16

14

12

10

max 30

Table 1. Distance A (m) between attachment points of


steel chains in the intermediate boom

Figure 3. Use of an intermediate boom in lifting


with chains

3.3. Use of lifting slings


Only approved lifting slings suitable for the purpose may
be used in lifting. The weight of the bundle to be lifted
must be taken into consideration in the selection of lifting
slings. Figures 4 and 5 illustrate the use of lifting slings.
The piles must not be allowed to bend to permanent
deformation in lifting. Where necessary, three or more
lifting slings must be used.

CFI 03.025EN/06.2012/PR/HK

1/4 L

A intermediate boom (see Figure 6) can be used as a


lifting accessory. The slings must be vertically aligned,
which must be taken into account in the length of the
used intermediate boom.
When lifting ice- or snow-covered piles and pile bundles,
the position of the lifting slings must be considered case

Figure 4. Lifting with slings

Figure 5. Lifting with slings

by case on site to avoid sling slippage. Where necessary, and especially in the case of long piles, an intermediate boom must be used.
Things to be considered when unloading large diameter
piles: The rising of intermediate dunnage and rolling of
piles must be prevented by fastening at least the outermost dunnage boards with a load strap to the hooks of
the pallet (see Figure 7).
4. Storage
Storage and transporting on site should be planned
in advance to minimise lifting and transportation. It is
recommended to locate the storage area away from
commonly used routes. Walking on pile bundles is not
permitted in any situation. Piles and pile accessories are
stored and handled on site so that they are not damaged.

Figure 7. Unloading of large diameter piles

It is recommended to store the products on firm and


even ground on bottom dunnage (see Figure 9). The bottom dunnage must be placed at even intervals and the
outermost boards must be located about 500 mm from
pipe ends. The bottom dunnage boards must be at least
100 mm wide and of equal thickness. With pile lengths of
less than 12 m at least 2 bottom dunnage boards must
be used while pile lengths exceeding 12 m require at
least 4 boards. The height/width ratio of bottom dunnage
must be sufficient to prevent pile bundles from tipping
over.

CFI 03.025EN/06.2012/PR/HK

Figure 8. Do not walk on pile bundles

Figure 9. Use of bottom and intermediate dunnage

Figure 6. Use of an intermediate boom when lifting with


slings
7

5. Handling of coated piles

Stacking piles or pile bundles in several tiers is not


recommended. If they are stacked in tiers, they have to
be supported by intermediate dunnage. Intermediate
dunnage boards must be at least 100 mm wide and of
equal thickness, and as long as the stacked tier is wide.
The vertical thickness of the intermediate dunnage must
allow inserting lifting slings or the forks of the forklift between the bundles without damaging the product. Upper
intermediate dunnage boards must be aligned with the
lower intermediate dunnage boards and the bottom dunnage boards. The broader side of an intermediate dunnage board must come against the bundle. Depending
on pile length and weight, 2 to 6 intermediate dunnage
boards are needed. Pile lengths 12 metres or longer
always require 4 to 6 intermediate dunnage boards. In
the case of heavy pile products, intermediate dunnage
boards are used in pairs.

Special care must be taken in the handling and storage


of coated piles to avoid damaging the coatings and piles.
The piles must be handled so that they do not suffer
mechanical damage. Piles or pile bundles must not be
lowered on uneven or dirty surface. Bottom and intermediate dunnage must be free of bark or other things that can
damage the product (e.g., nails, nail heads, knots, etc.).
To prevent damage to the coating, coated piles must not
be lifted by chains or wires. When lifting with hooks, it
must be ensured that their contact surfaces are Teflon,
rubber or other soft material. When lifting with slings,
at least 100 mm wide rubber-coated or nylon webbing
slings must be used. If coated piles are lifted with a
forklift, it is recommended to cover the lifting forks with
rubber mats. The forks are inserted under the bundle so
that they do not damage the bundle to be lifted or the
adjacent bundle, if the bundles are stored side by side.

Things to be considered in the storage of large diameter


piles: when storing large diameter piles, wedges must
be used with the bottom and intermediate dunnage to
prevent the rolling of piles.

6. Installation
Work safety must be ensured at all stages of pile installation. Possible special requirements of the installation
site as to work safety are established before starting the
installation. Piles and their accessories are to be inspected once more before installation. The pre-installation
inspection ensures that the piles have not been damaged during handling or storage on site. For installation
instructions, see the design and installation instructions
for Ruukki steel piles.

Utmost care should be taken in cutting open a pile


bundle. The rolling of piles has to be prevented by
supporting the pile bundle, for example, by a forklift. To
avoid hazardous situations, people must stay behind the
support. It is recommended to cut the middle straps first.
Then the straps at the ends of the bundle can be cut
while standing at each end, which prevents piles from
rolling onto the cutter.

CFI 03.025EN/06.2012/PR/HK

Ruukki Construction Oy, Harvialantie 420, FI-13300 Hmeenlinna, Finland


tel. +358 20 5911, fax +358 20 592 5656, www.ruukki.com

The information given on this data sheet has been carefully checked. Rautaruukki Oyj does not, however, assume any responsibility for errors
or omissions, or any direct or indirect damage caused by incorrect application of the information. Right to changes reserved.
Copyright 2012 Rautaruukki Corporation. All rights reserved. Ruukki, Rautaruukki, Living. Working. Moving.
and Ruukkis product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of Rautaruukki Corporation

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