A process for producing a pile in the earth with a pipe is provided. The pipe is provided internally with a conduit, which emerges on the bottom side of the pipe, for feeding pile-forming, hardening material into the earth. The pipe is introduced into the earth, and the pipe is removed from the earth while a space created by the removal of the pipe is simultaneously filled with the pipe-forming, hardening material.

A system for inserting elongate members into and removing elongate members from the ground. The system is a bottom drive system that is capable of applying crowding or extraction forces to the elongate member while at the same time vibrating the elongate member along its axis. A vibratory assembly is mounted by a shock absorbing assembly to a support base. A gear or other type of drive assembly is mounted on the vibratory assembly. Vibratory forces generated by the vibratory assembly are applied to the elongate member through the drive assembly, causing the drive assembly to vibrate with the elongate member. The elongate member extends through the center of the vibratory assembly such that the vibratory forces have a vibratory axis that is aligned with the lengthwise axis of the elongate member to prevent torsional or twisting forces from being applied to the elongate member.

A drive system for elongate members comprising a drive plate, a support system, an insertion housing, at least one drive gear, and a vibratory system. The suppression system resiliently opposes relative movement between the support plate and the insertion housing. The drive gear displaces the elongate member along its longitudinal axis. The vibratory forces are transmitted to the elongate member through the at least one drive gear. The drive gear and the vibratory system simultaneously crowd and vibrate the elongate member into the ground.

A clamp assembly for attaching a pile to a pile driving apparatus for inserting and/or extracting the pile, comprising a housing; a first pivot assembly pivotably attached to the housing; a first gripping assembly rotatably attached to the first pivot assembly; a second pivot assembly pivotably attached to the housing; a second gripping assembly rotatably attached to the second pivot assembly; a first actuating assembly for displacing the first pivot assembly and the first gripping assembly such that first gripping assembly moves towards the second gripping assembly; and a second actuating assembly for displacing the second pivot assembly and the second gripping assembly such that second gripping assembly moves towards the first gripping assembly; wherein as the first and second gripping assemblies move towards each other, the pile is gripped between the first and second gripping assemblies to inhibit relative movement between the housing and the pile.

A system for displacing an elongate member relative to the ground. The system includes a drive rack, a support assembly, a vibratory assembly, and a drive assembly. The vibratory assembly comprises a vibratory housing defining a vibratory chamber and a vibratory axis and a vibratory system mounted within the vibratory chamber to generate a vibratory force along the vibratory axis. The drive assembly comprises a drive housing comprising a main portion defining a drive chamber and, in certain configurations, a sleeve portion defining a sleeve chamber, where a drive axis extends through the drive chamber and the sleeve chamber and a drive system mounted within the drive chamber and comprising a drive gear that rotates to generate a drive force along the drive axis. The vibratory housing is mounted onto the support assembly to reduce the transmission of vibratory forces from the vibratory housing to the support assembly. The drive housing is attached to the vibratory assembly such that the drive axis, the vibratory axis, and a longitudinal axis of the elongate member are substantially aligned and, if used, the sleeve portion extends through at least a substantial portion of the vibratory chamber. The elongate member extends through the drive chamber and the sleeve chamber such that the drive gear engages the drive rack to transfer at least one of the vibratory force and the drive force to the elongate member and thereby displace the elongate member relative to the ground.