Huien is a corruption of the Dutch ‘heien’ (pile driving) and refers to driving piles by hand, as was done in the past. The name probably comes from the rhythmic command with which the pile-driving crew let the hammer block fall.
How was it done?
Before pile-driving machines existed, foundation piles were driven by manpower:
- A crew of about fifteen men hauled a heavy (cast-iron) hammer block up the pile-driving frame with ropes
- On the command “hui” from the pile master they dropped the block together, so it struck the pile head with full force
- Blow by blow the driven pile sank deeper into the ground until the required depth was reached
The rhythmic shouting kept the crew in time and gave the work a recognisable sound; hence the onomatopoeic name.
Application
Huien is mainly of historical interest. Today piles are driven by machine, but the term is still met in restoration and historical contexts. The number of blows and the settlement were recorded in a pile-driving log, which is still usual with machine driving.
Related terms
- Driven pile
- Hammer block
- Pile-driving frame
- Pile-driving log
- Pile foundation
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