Pile driver for use in a confined space with limited head room

A piling driver that can be assembled on site to drive an underpinning pile into a ground within a space under a limited head room, comprising:

• a pair of vertical holding frame members being supported in between a pair of horizontal parallel beams that have a gap therebetween by a pair of upper and lower locking pins;
• a clamping block being inserted through the vertical holding frame members and disposed above the horizontal parallel beams, having a pair of horizontal hydraulic clamps, and a vertical opening for the underpinning pile to be inserted through the vertical opening and the gap in between the horizontal parallel beams;
• and
• a thrust block frame structure being inserted through the vertical holding frame members and positioned above the clamping block, having a substantially C-shaped horizontal beam supported by a pair of vertical hydraulic jacks with corresponding rams connected to the clamping block for driving the clamping block along the vertical holding frame members;
• wherein the C-shaped horizontal beam has a side opening in the form of a groove that has dimensions that are sufficient for the underpinning pile to be inserted either laterally into the side opening and aligned vertically into the clamping block, or vertically into the side opening and the clamping block, such that the piling driver can drive a high capacity and maximum continuous length of the underpinning pile or at least equal to a clear floor height of a building, and the clamping block can slide smoothly along the two vertical holding frame members to at or below the foundation sub-structure whilst securely clamping the underpinning pile when being push down or pulled up by the rams against the thrust block frame structure.