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Your First Stop for Piledriving Technology News

Michele Corda the Equipment Supervisor for Costa Fortuna and Jim Casavant of APE were on hand for the 1st Caisson driven with their new APE D50 outfitted with Costa Fortuna’s very well thought out Offshore Driving System. The System uses a Large drive plate with a Heavy Duty Pipe stub welded in the center, the Hammer in a Short Lead section is then lower onto the stub and Driving is complete.
The D50 will be used to drive the 2.5 mt. dia. x 58 mt. long Caisson’s for the new 3,000 meter Ponte Luis Inacio Lula da Silva Bridge. The Overall Shaft depth is 85 mt.

APE looks forward to many more projects with Costa Fortuna in the future.

Costa Fortuna a Foundation Contractor from Sao Paulo, Brazil has taken delivery of a new APE Model 100 Wick Drain installation system.
We assisted Costa Fortuna’s very fine crew with installing the system on their 245 Cat, the installation went smoothly with only minor problems with the Excavator’s older hydraulic system.
I look forward to many more projects with Costa Fortuna in the beautiful Country of Brazil.

Some projects are so senstive, so secret that we just can’t talk about them. Such is the case with several projects going on in the Southeast right now. Top Secret Naval projects, Highly secure and confidential LNG applications, and Miltary Bomb Plant Installitions all require contractors to do things a little differently. There is no room for delays, shut-downs or mis-haps, thats why contractors call on American Piledriving Equipment. A.P.E. will not only supply top of the line equipment, but will provide complete support and service second to none.
If we can give contractors peace of mind on these types of projects, imagine how comfortable you will be with A.P.E. equipment on your job!

While working in Charlotte, NC one of your 35- AT’s goes down. The good news: you are in the city where your 35-AT was manufactured. So, you make the call for the necessary parts. The bad news: your are told it will be FIVE weeks before you can get your parts. Then someone on your crew remembers that American Piledriving Equipment and J & M Foundation can supply you with parts for your “green” equipment.
Once again, A.P.E. worked together from across the country to get A.D.F. back to work. From FL, to NC, to Seattle, Wa. the A.P.E. team got the parts together on Friday Afternoon and had them on site the next morning. By Saturday Afternoon, A.D.F. was back at work…no FIVE week wait!
American Piledriving Equipment knows the value of teamwork! The “old-timers” at A.P.E. understand this concept and believe in it…anything less is just bad business!
Give us a call and let the A.P.E team work for you!

PCL is the bid winner for the Lake Underhill Bridge in Orlando Florida. This bridge will be built on 30-inch concrete piles many of which are over 200-feet long with some approaching 300-feet.

Due to the length of the piling, it will be necessary to splice. Some of the longer piles will have two splices in order to get the length. PCL is using the Sure-Lock mechanical splice system.

After weap analysis and a field test, PCL choose the Ape/J&M Model 220 hydraulic hammer to do the work. The 220H was chosen because it has a heavy ram (22,000 pounds) and a totally controllable stroke. For this project, the 22,000-pound ram will be operated at short strokes (up to two feet) in order to minimize the stress in the pile while driving.

It is interesting to note that in Florida, when a pile is spliced, the amount of stress permitted during driving is about one-half of the stress permitted in a non-spliced pile. Therefore, hammer selection becomes a little more difficult and we see increased use of hydraulic hammers because of the excellent stroke control and heavy rams.

The hammer in use at Lake Underhill has also been equipped with an e-Saximeter. This is a device, which electronically transmits data regarding the hammer’s energy output. This information is valuable to the engineers in monitoring pile stress levels and writing hammer operation criteria.

Although the project is just starting, to date, hammer operation has been flawless and the pile stress levels are acceptable.

Leware Construction is taking delivery of their new APE D36-42 this month, this is the 3rd APE Diesel Hammer purchased by Leware Construction in the last 3 years. Leware has also purchased a new APE Model 75 Top Drive Auger and APE 475 Power unit this year. We at APE Southeast are very proud to have repeat customers like Leware Construction and will do everything possible to make their jobs more profitable with fast service and top of the line APE / J&M products.

Morris Shea Bridge completed a New D19-42 Sale this month complete with 100 ft. of APE 21″ Heavy Duty Leads, this Hammer was part of the Orange City High School project in Central Florida. Morris Shea is a very high production Company and very demanding of the equipment. It makes me proud as an APE salesman that they converted the Rental into a Sale. Morris Shea also has a APE Model 200-6 Vibro working in Puerto Rico on a long term project and a APE Model 300 Vibro just starting on a project in South Florida.

Boy, talk about a touchy subject!
In last months article, “If you cant beat ’em, join ’em”, seems some feathers got ruffled. Well, keep reading, more “ruffling” to come!
The competition has now placed orders for three more A.P.E. 150-T’s for their rental fleet. Another competitor has ordered some 28-35’s and some 44’s for their rental fleet. All of these hammers will eventually end up in Florida.
It should be clear by now that American Piledriving Equipment has proven the statement: we build some of the best piledriving equipment in the world. We know it, our competition knows it, and now, these guys are helping us prove it!
So, as I said before, no matter if your rental hammer is out of Virgina, Kansas, Florida, or anywhere in between, look behind the logos, look beneath, the paint, chances are good that you will find an A.P.E Vibro ready to go to work!
American Piledriving Equipment…we build some of the finest Piledriving Equipment in the world…just ask the competition!

American Piledriving Equipment has long stated that our Equipment is among the best in the world. We truly believe this and now it looks as though the competition believes it as well.
These pictures have two things in common: first, you will see equipment manufactured by American Piledriving Equipment. Second, none of it is owned by A.P.E. rather it is owned by competitors and in their rental fleets readily available throughout the Southeast.
So when your next Hammer shows up at your jobsite, no matter if you ordered it out of St. Louis, Mo., Kansas City, KS., Orlando, FL., or anywhere in between, look beneath the paint, look behind the logo and you may very well find beats the heart of an A.P.E.!
American Piledriving Equipment…we build some of the finest Piledriving Equipment in the world…just ask the competition!

We all know that delays can cost a contractor dearly. No matter what the delay, making up lost time is difficult at best. Longer hours and short cuts, often lead to even more, sometimes severe delays.
So when an A.P.E. customer needed to work through the 4th of July, American Piledriving Equipment was there to lend a hand. Many contractors will take the 5th and 6th off as well, but not everyone. Some guys will be hard at it driving pile…American Piledriving Equipment will be right there with them doing our part to help the job finish on time!
At A.P.E., we work when you work!