What are Hammer Cushions?

Hammer cushions are used in the Pile Driving industry to help protect various types of piles while they are being driven into the ground. They also are referred to as Pile Cushions, Cushion Pads, or Hammer Pads to name a few.

Ultimately, their main purpose is to protect the driven pile from damage and help transmit as much force from the hammer to the pile in the process. Most hammer cushions are used in various drive cap assemblies depending on the type of pile being driven.

Since pictures usually help tell a story, you can see here an example of how hammer cushions are typically installed in a drive cap assembly. Hammer cushions are available in several different diameters depending again on the size of piles being driven. A few common diameters are 22.5”, 25”, and 30”.

Most hammer cushions are usually made like a sandwich, with there being 2 aluminum discs, 1 on the top and 1 on the bottom and 1 composite disc in between. The composite material that is most often used is a material called Micarta which is a canvas phenolic material used in numerous applications.