From lake to lake, and around Puget Sound, conditions very considerably, and subsequently, the criteria affecting the choice of piling. Water depth, and fluctuation, soil conditions, boat size, wind, waves, currents, esthetics, longevity, codes, and cost are all considerations in selecting the right piling for your project.
In lakes, traditionally we have driven douglas fir piling, usually 8 to 12 inches in diameter. These have an attractive, classical appearance, and are quite rigid in the lake environments. More recently, we have evolved to utilizing galvanized steel piling, normally 3 and 4 inches in diameter. The smaller pipe size alleviates the need to mobilize the larger equipment, yielding substantial cost savings to the owner.
In the Sound, we typically drive 8 and 10 inch diameter galvanized steel piling, which is readily handled by our mobile pile driving barge, with its 45-ft boom and 2-ton drop hammer. Should more demanding conditions dictate, through our associates, we have the capacity to handle ever larger piling, and utilize a vibratory hammer, if needed.