Portable Rapid Pipe Pile Cutter System

The ELCAS(M) can be made operational significantly faster by implementing a superior technology for steel pile cut off The current practice uses manual cutting torches to cut the piles while being supported by a crane. Approximately 60 hours of valuable crane time are required to cut and remove more than 160 piles for a 3000 foot long causeway. A concept that improves the current steel pile cutting process with minimal impact the existing logistics support structure would meet the objectives of this task. One concept will use a modular multi-head, oxy-acetylene torch array (MOTA) to perform the cutoff operation. The Automated Plasma Arc (APA) Rapid Pipe Pile Cutter concept is similar in configuration to the MOTA concept. A plasma arc torch is substituted for the oxyacetylene torch array. A review of the ELCAS(M) assembly procedure lead to the development of a pile handling concept to eliminate the crane from the cutting operation entirely -- saving 60 hours or 2.5 days of crane time. The development of a simple, two-axis hydraulic pile gripper (BPG) allows a forklift type vehicle to support and handle the steel piles during and after the cutting procedure.