GIKEN LTD. announced the development of waterproof SILENT PILER™ pile press-in and extraction machine that can withstand flooding at river banks and coastal areas. The waterproof SILENT PILER™ carried out piling for the first time at a site. In recent years, dealing with rising water levels due to sudden torrential rains and such has become an issue in riverbank infrastructure maintenance and renovation projects in urban areas. In the past, when press-in machines were at risk of becoming submerged, it was necessary to interrupt the project, use cranes to lift the press-in machines so that they avoid being submerged, then redeploy them. Besides shortening construction periods by minimising such interruptions, this development increases the scenarios where piling is possible, allowing more flexible and efficient response in projects to deal with the aging of bridge piers, river revetments, and such.
Based on SILENT PILER™, a low-headroom press-in machine for sites with overhead obstacles, the hydraulic and electrical components of the waterproof SILENT PILER™ were modified to make them waterproof. Currently, the waterproof SILENT PILER™ can withstand water up to a depth of 2 m and water pressure up to 0.02 MPa. With a view of launching it in the market, it was used by Group company GIKEN SEKO CO., LTD. to carry out piling for the first time at the site of the Oe River Renovation Project in Nagoya. Under conditions where the difference between high and low tides was 2.3 m and the saddle* was submerged during high tides, the cut-off walls were completed without removing any machinery.
Going forwards, GIKEN will improve water resistance—including waterproofing the upper part of the press-in machine and coating to prevent corrosion—to achieve piling under tighter limitations and propose the waterproof
SILENT PILER™ as an effective technological solution for riverbank development projects responding to climate change.
* Foundation part for installing clamps that grip previously installed piles
■Development of waterproof SILENT PILER™
The hydraulic components have been given special treatment, such as covering with a cover, while the electrical components have been upgraded to use components with waterproof specifications. Measures against water intrusion have also been implemented separately for each actuator. To verify the waterproofing performance of each component, GIKEN installed a water resistance test system that is capable of pressurising up to 1 MPa (equivalent to a water depth of approximately 100 m) within its facility. Pressure higher than expected for the project this time was applied, confirming that the components had sufficient waterproofing performance.
■Oe River Renovation Project
As part of the Oe River Reclamation Project, this work involved the construction of cut-off walls using steel sheet piles. GIKEN SEKO embarked on piling using the waterproof SILENT PILER™ on August 23, 2025. Construction was completed in the short period of approximately one month at the difficult location under the elevated portion of the Tochiku Line of Nagoya Rinkai Railway.
■Construction Overview
| Project Name | Oe River Renovation Project (R6 Part 2) |
| Location | Minato-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi |
| Project Owner | River Works Section, River Department, Nagoya City Greenery Planning and Civil Engineering Bureau |
| Main Contractor | Fudo Tetra Corporation |
| Equipment | SILENT PILER™ CLW100 |
| Pile Element | U sheet pile Type IIIw |
■ Future development vision
The waterproof SILENT PILER™ developed this time is especially useful at sites where the river is narrow and there is the possibility of a sudden increase in the water level. Validation of a completely waterproof specification in an environment where the machinery is almost fully submerged is being scheduled in 2026. The intention is to further deploy the specification to models other than the low headroom SILENT PILER™ if the validation is successful. GIKEN will continue to take on the challenge of realising underwater SILENT PILER™ that can carry out piling at the bottom of oceans and rivers in the future by combining remote operation with autonomous operation functions.
Conceptual image of construction by underwater SILENT PILER™
■Profile of GIKEN Group
GIKEN developed the SILENT PILER™, the world’s first reaction-based, non-vibratory hydraulic pile driving machine that operates with minimal noise impacts. The GIKEN Group now actively promotes its press-in technology worldwide and contributes to the construction industry by proposing and implementing innovative solutions. The innovative press-in technology provides a unique solution and the adoption of this technology has spread to over 40 nations and regions.
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