Steel Sheet Pile Basics
Sheet piles are, by definition, structural members which when interlocked to another, will form a continuous wall, generally for retaining earth or water. Interlocks formed as part of the manufacturing process provide the continuity in the wall. Sheet piling has historically been made of steel, concrete, wood, aluminum or other materials. Steel is by far the dominant choice, due to ready availability, relative strength, and ease of handling, storage and installation.
- Steel sheet piling is generally delivered to the project direct from the mill, in exact lengths, or from various stocking yards in standard lengths.
- Sheet piles are typically installed with impact hammers, vibratory hammers, or press systems.
- Sheet piles, in singles or pairs, are interlocked into one another during the setting and driving operation so that a continuous, relatively soil and watertight wall, is formed.
- Sheet piles in a wall act similar to a beam under load and can resist both lateral and vertical forces. Alternatively, flat sheet piles are designed to resist tensile forces in the interlocks.
- Sheet pile shapes have evolved over the years from simple channel sections with crude fabricated locks, to “U” shapes with integral, rolled-on interlocks, to today’s wide range of high strength “Z” shapes.
Steel Sheet Pile
- Bulkheads – from small retaining walls for private marinas to large dry docks, ports, and other infrastructure projects
- Cofferdams– temporary, in water or on land, to permit excavation for and construction of permanent works
- Cut-off Walls – in connection with earth or concrete dams or dikes to retard seepage
- Environmental Barrier Walls – for contaminant containment purposes
- Temporary and Permanent Retaining Walls
- Seawalls, Flood Walls, Dikes, Jetties, Groins
- Navigation Lock Walls and other large navigation structures
- Mooring and Turning Cells, Dolphins
- Barge Docks – consisting of individual cellular structures
- Bridge Protection Cells – to protect bridge piers from shipping collisions.
- Bridge Abutments
- Temporary or Permanent Below Grade Shoring – for basements and parking structures
- Artificial Islands
Steel Sheet Pile Used in Cofferdam
Steel sheet piling is manufactured in three basic configurations: “Z”, “U” and “straight” (flat). Historically, such shapes have been hot-rolled products produced at structural mills. Like other shapes such as beams or channels, the steel is heated in a furnace and then passes through a series of rolls to form the final shape and the interlock, which allows the sheet piles to be threaded together. Some manufacturer’s use a cold-forming process in which steel coil is rolled at room temperature into the final sheet pile shape. Cold formed sheet piles have hook and grip interlocks.
Sample of Z-Type Shape
- The Z type configuration is generally considered the strongest and most efficient.
- These shapes resemble wide-flange beams, having a web and two flanges. The interlocks are located out on the flanges at maximum distance from the neutral axis, and this provides a high section modulus for resisting bending moments.
- Because of this, Z-shapes have traditionally been used for heavier construction projects. However, they are now complemented by the arch or U shapes for lighter work, and lightweight Z-shapes have been also introduced into the marketplace.
- The interlocks of hot-rolled Z-type sheet piling are designed for free sliding and integrity during driving. Since most Z-piles are used to construct straight walls, there is generally no need for any guaranteed swing or deflection between sheets although there is almost always some attainable if needed, except perhaps in very long sheets.
- Sheet piling produced in the United States has been rolled with a “ball and socket” interlock design. Historically, it has been recommended that these be driven so that the ball of the interlock was leading. The socket then had a pre- cleared path into the ground. The importance of this recommendation has been properly questioned and many walls have been successfully installed without following this procedure. These inter locks are not designed for applications where resistance to tension is important.
- Although there are some general similarities in the styles, the interlocks provided on Z-piling available from European and Japanese producers vary with the producer.
- In general, whether the piling be foreign or domestic, the user should not assume sheets can be mixed on the job simply because the locks “look” the same. Tolerances may vary from producer to producer.
- The interlocks of the heavier piling sections may not interlock with lighter ones from the same producer.
- Because of their inherent strength, Z-piles can be handled and shipped with less exposure to possible damage than some other style sheets. These interlocks do not lend themselves well to splicing and splices should be avoided if possible.
- Interlocks should be reasonably free sliding, that is, the pile should run to grade of its own weight when interlocked with its neighbor.
- Z-piles are generally used in constructing straight wall structures – cofferdams, bulkheads and retaining walls.
- Sheet piling can be pulled after temporary use, the interlocks cleaned and reconditioned and the sheets used again for similar applications.
Sample of Z-Type Shape
Sample of Z-Type Shape
U-type sheet piles are not generally used in North America as they are not as efficient or economical as Z-type sheet piles. Interlocks on u-type piles are located on the neutral axis of the pile, so the sheet piles must be crimped in order to achieve their full capacity. These types of sheet piles are still available in the international market.
Flat Sheet Piles
Flat sheet piles are used for circular cell applications where the cells form a gravity structure. The sheet piles are interlocked together to form individual cells, or a series of cells, and are then filled with soil. Whereas z-type sheet piles require resistance in bending, the strength of the flat sheets come from their interlocks. Flat sheet interlocks are larger than those on z-type sheet piles and are designed to resist significant tensile forces. Flat sheet piles have limited bending capacity.
Sample of U-Type Shape
Grades of Steel Sheet Piling
- In the United States, sheet piling is specified by reference to the ASTM standard. The basic grade is ASTM A572 Gr 50, with many manufacturers producing ASTM A572 Gr 60 as the new standard.
- Additional grades of steel for piling have been developed for possible use where corrosion is a consideration. ASTM A690 and A588 are 50 ksi (345 MPa) yield steels of a formulation which has demonstrated increased life. ASTM A690 has been shown to reduce the corrosion rate in the splash zone by 2 to 3 times. A588, also known as weathering steel, is resistant to corrosion in the atmospheric zone.
- There are other proprietary steel grades, such as AMLoCor®, which has been shown to reduce the corrosion rate in the permanent immersion zone by up to 5 times.
APE Vibro Hammer Installing Steel Sheet Pile
PILE BUCK’S TOP RECOMMENDED STEEL SHEET PILE SUPPLIERS
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- Custom corners
- Pipe piles
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