Shape the landscape with the best in Ground Improvement Equipment.

Ground improvement rigs: the next generation of foundations.

Through our partnership as a PTC distributor, IDE offers quality equipment for stone columns, vibro compaction, pile driving, sheet installations and multi-functional fixed mast rigs.

PTC is a worldwide leader in the design and manufacture of pile driving and soil improvement equipment, such as Vibrodrivers, Vibrolances®, Piling Rigs, and Power Packs. Founded in 1928, PTC played a leading role in the development of the vibrodrivers and was the first company to both variable moment and high-frequency vibrodrivers. Today, PTC is the one of the foundation industry’s most innovative and forward-thinking solution providers.

What makes ground improvement so effective?

Stone columns are a soil improvement technique which boasts the benefits of improvement of soil bearing capacity by simply compacting gravel fed into the soil. Circumventing the need for concrete or steel makes for a highly productive, low-cost technique. By avoiding soil liquefaction, stones columns are perfectly suitable for seismic areas.

The benefits of stone columns soil treatments include:

• Global improvement in soil characteristics
• Increase in soil bearing capacity
• Decrease in soil settlement under load
• Increased vertical drainage
• Increased stability of embankments
• Reduced risk of soil liquefaction in seismic areas

Our line of Vibro Lances includes top feed and bottom feed systems, all of which can be excavator mounted, free hanging, or installed on a fixed mast.

The “Top Feed Method” typically requires the use of a free hanging vibrolance® that penetrates the ground thanks to the lateral vibrations emitted by its tip. During penetration, the soil is laterally compacted by displacement, allowing the vibrolance® to create the hole that will contain the stone column.

The “Bottom Feed Method” is best suited when mounted on a fixed mast or excavator. The BFS (bottom feed system) eliminates the risk of soil collapsing while stone is introduced to the soil because the vibrolance® is not withdrawn from the ground until the stone column is finished.

We also offer our customers dedicated stone column rigs. The SC13 and SC18 rigs provide an optimal solution for stone columns up to 18m of depth with high productivity and ease of use, from the commissioning to the comfort in the cabin. The SC13 & SC18 are designed to facilitate the work of the operator; special automatic modes have been created to load the gravel with the skip. One simple touch of one button performs the whole loading cycle. An automatic compaction mode enables the unit to to advance the compaction, up and down movements, and stone feeding.
These automatic modes also allow for repeatable stone columns with the exact same parameters, for better quality of work across the entire jobsite.

At any time, the unit operator can switch to manual mode by using control joysticks. Ground improvement units are also equipped with a camera set on top of the stone tank, and a sensor to measure the stone level, enabling survey of the stone consumption and indicating when to load stones. All parameters can be monitored and modified easily through the LCD touch-screen, to adapt to soil conditions and desired soil improvement results.

The optional Vibcorder® is an independent monitoring system, based on the BAP160 by Jean Lutz. It records the stone columns parameters such as penetration depth, Vibrolance® working pressure, stone consumption, diameter of stone columns, and more. The data can be transferred directly using a USB key set or sent remotely by GSM (requiring additional subscription) to an offsite location. The PC software allows for visualization and printing of data. As a further option, a printer can be added right in the unit’s cabin.