[Case Study] GIKEN LTD. GYRO PILER™ Powered by Poclain Reduces Seismic Risks

Since its establishment in the Kochi prefecture, Japan, GIKEN LTD. has designed construction machinery to protect people from pollution and natural disasters. One of their leading products is the GYRO PILER™, which reinforces infrastructures against earthquakes, tsunamis and floods. 

The GYRO PILER™ requires high torque to drill through diverse ground conditions, a perfect application for Poclain’s MS50 motors. Three of them powered GYRO PILER™ F401-G1200 as it consolidated the Noto-Satoyama Kaido expressway after the Noto earthquake in 2024.

GIKEN LTD Secures the Expressway During the Noto Earthquake  

The GYRO PILER™ uses the press-in principle to drill the piles into the ground. It clamps onto the piles that are already in place and uses their resistance and the static load of the hydraulic system to push the next pile into the ground. 

No pounding or vibrating, and no need to erect a temporary construction site, as the machine stands on the piles. It can work on steep landslide-prone terrain and drill through all types of ground. After the Noto earthquake, the GYRO PILER™ F401-G1200 took only three weeks to build a retaining wall that prevented further landslides and enabled the safe reopening of the roadway.

Poclain MS50 Motors at the Core of the GIKEN LTD GYRO PILER™

Three MS50 hydrobases power the slew drive of the GYRO PILER™, which provides a press-in load of 1500 kN and maximum torque of 1050 kN-m at the chuck, enough to drill effortlessly through any terrain. The motors rotate continuously, drilling the length of the pile into the ground. Rotation speed is stable and efficient even at low speed and is adjusted according to the ground type. The MS50 motors generate low noise, a crucial advantage for urban construction projects. 

As sea levels rise, the GYRO PILER™ is being deployed beyond Japan. A notable example is its role in replacing
ageing wooden piles along 200 km of canal banks in the Netherlands. With its unique disaster mitigation expertise and offering, GIKEN LTD stands out from conventional vertical drilling solutions, providing faster and more efficient response.

An interview with Munehiro HAMAGUCHI, Product Development Department at GIKEN LTD

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