Hydro Hammer

What Does Hydro Hammer Mean?

A hydro hammer (also spelled hydrohammer) is a hydraulic piling hammer used in directional drilling. It is used to advance surface casing and other pipe products in trenchless construction.

A variation of the hydro hammer is one that actually uses water rather than hydraulic fluid. This product is used for deep-water drilling applications.

The hydro hammer has replaced diesel and air hammers for driving steel pipe. In trenchless technology, this may involve the use of an entry pit where the hydro hammer can be placed. The method for pipe or casing installation using this kind of horizontal pile driving is called pipe ramming.

A hydro hammer is also known as a hydraulic hammer or hydraulic breaker.

Trenchlesspedia Explains Hydro Hammer

A hydro hammer is a form of pile driver, traditionally used to force poles into the ground. Ancient pile drivers used animal labor to raise heavy weights into the air so that they could be dropped onto the pile. Renaissance drawings included pile driver designs, and various inventors -- including Leonardo da Vinci -- have been credited with its invention. John Rennie created a steam pile driver in England in 1801, and Otis Tufts followed with one in the United States. Other forms include diesel and pneumatic hammers.