Pile Drivers

Most residents of northeast Illinois are familiar with the banks of the Chicago River. Union carpenters known as “Pile Drivers” installed the steel that stabilizes the river’s bank. UBC pile drivers are adept at expertly and efficiently driving steel, concrete or wood piling into the earth during the early stages of construction. This skill is crucial to both a project’s success and the safety of workers because the piling is also meant to hold back the earth during excavations, to set up the foundation of skyscrapers, highways, and bridges, and to build docks and wharfs.

To service customers who have a wide range of project types in this hearty trade, many pile drivers are certified welders and capable of working with a variety of shapes and sizes of steel. Some pile drivers are also commercial divers, responsible for the underwater construction required by many industries including construction and power generation.

Our professional pile drivers are versed in pre-installation inspection of the material and job site, using static and dynamic testing to determine load-carrying capacities and to gauge hammer performance. Our carpenters also understand how to install to accommodate lateral, compression or tension loads, sound wall barriers, mooring structures, pile-supported embankments, bulkheads, and more.

Quality Work via Quality Training

UBC Pile Driving professionals are trained to approach every project with productivity and safety as the primary goal. Training is done in both classroom and hands-on settings at state-of-the-art training centers around the country. Initial training for apprentices and skill- enhancement courses for journeymen are taught by industry veterans or industry and manufacturer technical experts. Subjects range from basic skills to new technologies, tools and installation methods.

Safety is a critical component of our training. In conjunction with OSHA, we train for a variety of situations, so that our professionals are experts in OSHA standards, SDS, first aid and CPR, fall protection, ergonomics, and more.

For additional information on this program, please contact Local #54 at (708) 598-4554.