Giken SA100 Load Chart PDF + Specifications

The Giken Silent Piler SA100 is an earlier-generation hydraulic sheet-pile press-in machine developed for low-noise and low-vibration piling work. It forms part of Giken’s Super Auto series and uses the company’s characteristic reaction-based press-in principle. Instead of relying on the weight of a large piling rig, the machine clamps onto previously installed sheet piles and uses their extraction resistance as the reaction force needed to press the next pile into the ground. This allows the SA100 to generate very high installation force from a comparatively compact and lightweight machine.

The SA100 is designed for conventional 400 mm wide U-shaped steel sheet piles. Its maximum press-in force is 1,000 kN, equivalent to approximately 102 tonnes, while maximum extraction force is 1,100 kN, or about 112 tonnes. The hydraulic press-in cylinder has a 750 mm stroke, giving the machine a repetitive vertical working cycle suited to continuous sheet-pile installation and extraction.

Press-in speed ranges from approximately 1.5 to 35.2 m/min, while extraction speed ranges from approximately 3.2 to 27.5 m/min. These relatively high maximum speeds reflect the machine’s emphasis on productivity in normal soil conditions, while the hydraulic system allows slower controlled movement when resistance increases or precise positioning is required.

The SA100 uses Giken’s self-moving system, allowing the machine to advance progressively along a row of installed sheet piles. Once one pile has been completed, the Silent Piler releases and repositions its clamps and saddle to move forward to the next installation position. This eliminates the need for a conventional crawler piling base directly alongside the wall and makes the machine particularly useful in restricted sites such as riverbanks, railway corridors, urban streets and confined infrastructure projects.

The main body is approximately 2,070 mm long, 1,000 mm wide and 2,285 mm high, with a mass of about 5,900 kg. These compact dimensions are a key advantage of the Silent Piler concept because the machine works directly on the pile line rather than occupying a large working platform beside it. The relatively narrow width also allows operation in locations where conventional piling equipment would require substantial temporary works or additional access space.

Hydraulic power is supplied by a separate turbocharged diesel power unit rated at approximately 169 kW (230 PS) at 1,800 rpm. The unit has a fuel tank capacity of about 375 litres and a hydraulic oil tank capacity of approximately 550 litres. With its crawler and associated equipment, the power unit measures about 4.3 m long, 1.705 m wide and 2.35 m high, with a power-unit mass of approximately 4,500 kg and a total mass of about 6,100 kg when fitted with its crawler and equipment package.

The crawler-mounted power unit travels at approximately 1.4 km/h. Hydraulic pumps and motors provide crawler movement, allowing the power unit to relocate around the jobsite independently while supplying the Silent Piler through hydraulic hoses. A reaction stand was also available to support initial installation before a sufficient number of sheet piles had been installed for the machine to use them as its normal reaction base.

Radio control was available for the SA100, allowing the operator to work from a position with a clear view of the pile, machine and surrounding area. This is particularly useful on constrained sites, where visibility around the pile head and adjacent structures is important. The machine’s operating philosophy was focused on reducing manpower around moving components while maintaining accurate control of the pressing and extraction process.

The SA100 also represented an important stage in the development of Giken’s Silent Piler range. Later models such as the ECO82, ECO100 and F-series machines introduced improved hydraulic efficiency, reduced engine emissions, biodegradable oils, quieter power units, advanced electronic monitoring and more automated control. In particular, later ECO-generation machines were developed partly to improve upon the operating efficiency and environmental performance of machines such as the SA100.

Overall, the Giken Silent Piler SA100 is best described as a compact 100-tonne-class hydraulic sheet-pile press-in machine with 1,000 kN maximum press-in force, 1,100 kN extraction force, a 750 mm stroke and a 169 kW turbo-diesel power unit. Its self-moving operation, compact dimensions and reaction-based working principle made it well suited to urban, river, road and infrastructure projects where conventional impact or vibratory piling would create excessive noise, vibration or space requirements.