What is Sheet Piling?

Sheet piling can be used for various construction and civil engineering projects including building foundations, retaining walls and underground structures such as car parks and basements. Other applications include marine structures such as cofferdams, seawalls and canals.

Permanent retaining walls utilising sheet piles are used on schemes large and small, from simple projects to complex slope stabilisation solutions. They may be designed to both retain temporary excavations and to act as the permanent retaining structure, often in conjunction with the base slab which offers propping to the wall.

Sheet pile walls are also commonly used in service yards of commercial and retail sector developments, flood defence schemes, bridge abutments and boundary walls.

Before installation, the ground is inspected for stability and the sheet piles are inspected for cracks or any other damage. Traditionally, sheet piles are driven or hammered into the ground using a vibratory hammer or an impact hammer, if the ground is too hard or dense. However, these methods produce high frequencies of noise and vibration. For areas or sites that require lower levels of noise or vibration, sheet piles can be hydraulically-pressed into the ground.

This video demonstrates the installation of pressed sheet piles using a hydraulically-powered static load press-in method:

For difficult soil conditions that contain larger particles, driving assistance may need to be considered. One example of driving assistance is water jetting. A high-powered water jet is attached at the toe of the sheet pile and uses low pressure to push the particles out of the way, allowing the pile to be easily inserted into the ground.

There are many advantages of sheet piling, these include:

• Versatile – Sheet piling can be used as a permanent or temporary solution and is suitable for most types of soils. Sheet piles are available in different sizes and steel grades. Furthermore, steel sheet piles can be welded or bolted together to create the desired length or depth.
• Durable – Sheet piling has a lifespan of up to 125 years. Steel sheet piles are extremely durable and can withstand harsh environments, providing a safe and high-strength pile wall.
• Cost & Time-Effective – Sheet piles are relatively easy to install, maintain and extract. This leads to saving time and reducing labour costs. They also offer cost-effective alternatives to contiguous and secant piled walls.
• Watertight – For marine applications, sheet piles can be secured or welded to ensure a watertight barrier – allowing no water to pass through.
• Anti-corrosive – Sheet piles can be sprayed with an anti-corrosive coating to prevent corrosion and enhance their lifespan.
• Minimal Disruption – Sheet piling does not cause disruption or damage to the surrounding ground, unlike other techniques such as bored piling or contiguous piling.
• Sustainable – Steel sheet piles are recyclable and reusable, making them a sustainable option. [3]