Method and apparatus for remotely monitoring and evaluating pile driving hammers

An apparatus for remotely monitoring and evaluating the rate at which a pile driving hammer strikes a pile located in a liquid, said apparatus comprising:

• sensing means, disposed in the liquid remotely from the pile driving hammer and the pile, for sensing a pressure wave generated by the pile driving hammer striking the pile and for generating an analog electrical striking signal proportional to the sensed pressure wave;
• electrical signal conditioning means for converting the analog electrical signal to a digital electrical striking signal;
• clock means for providing an electrical timing signal;
• integrated circuit computer means, responsive to the digital electrical striking signal and the electrical timing signal, for computing the rate at which the pile driving hammer strikes the pile during a predetermined time period;
• multi-position, presettable switch means, connected to said computer means, or communicating numerical data to said computer means;
• and
• display means for displaying the computed striking rates.

An apparatus for remotely monitoring and evaluating the rate at which a pile driving hammer strikes a pile located in a liquid, said apparatus comprising:

• a hydrophone, disposed in the liquid remotely from the pile driving hammer and the pile, for sensing a pressure wave generated by the pile driving hammer striking the pile and for generating an analog electrical striking signal proportional to the sensed pressure wave;
• electrical signal conditioning means for converting the analog electrical striking signal to a digital electrical striking signal;
• clock means for providing an electrical timing signal;
• integrated circuit computer means, responsive to the digital electrical striking signal and the electrical timing signal, for computing the rate at which the pile driving hammer strikes the pile during a predetermined time period;
• and
• display means for displaying the computed rate.

A method of remotely monitoring and evaluating the rate at which a pile driving hammer strikes a pile located in a liquid, comprising the steps of:

• placing a hydrophone in the liquid remotely from the pile driving hammer and the pile for sensing pressure waves generated when the pile driving hammer strikes a pile;
• providing an electrical timing signal;
• utilizing electronic computer means for computing the number of times the pile driving hammer strikes the pile during a predetermined time period;
• and
• displaying the computed number of hammer strikes which occurred during the predetermined time period.