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A driven pile is a relatively long, slender column, provided to offer support or to resist forces, made of preformed material having a predetermined shape and size, which is installed by impact hammering, vibrating or pushing into the earth. This pile consists of pre-manufactured structural shapes built to precise tolerances utilizing high strength materials and reliable quality control. Driven piles are installed to accommodate compression, tension or lateral loads. Groups of driven production piles densify the soil, improving the capacity of previously driven piles. Thus, piles generally have higher capacities than other pile types of the same diameter and length.
 The design, installation and quality assurance that are a part of each driven pile combine to eliminate guesswork and produce a known, reliable and cost effective product that can accommodate a wide variety of subsurface conditions. Piles can be easily driven through upper soft soil layers regardless of the soil type and groundwater conditions; and either vertically or at various angles of inclination to increase support for lateral loads. Driven piles require no curing time and can be installed in natural sequence rather t han skipping alternate piles, thus minimizing the moving of the equipment and speeding installation.
Their quality is consistent from the first pile to the last and can be physically inspected prior to and during installation. Many hollow-section piles can be visually inspected after installation to assure integrity. Because driven piles are usually driven to a blow count criterion,  they will have a measurable capacity providing assurance that they meet the project requirements.
The wide variety of materials and shapes available for driven piles can be easily fabricated or specified for high structural strength, resulting in substantial savings in  foundation costs.
The most common use of the driven pile is in deep foundations, they can also be utilized in other applications such as pile-supported embankments, sound wall barriers, retaining walls, bulkheads, mooring structures, anchorage structures and cofferdams.
ADVANCES:
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Do not corrode or rot.
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Stable in squeezing ground.
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Pile material can be inspected before piling.
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Construction procedure unaffected by ground water.
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Can increase the relative density of a granular founding stratum.
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Minimal site preparation
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Can be installed successfully in most ground conditions including peats, soft clay and loose sand where some other techniques are unsuitable.
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Design loads up to 1,000 tons
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Usually the fastest deep foundation
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Driven pile installations usually produce no spoils for removal and therefore no exposure to, or costly disposal of, potentially hazardous or contaminated materials. The site is left clean and ready for the next construction activity.
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