‫جامعة طرابلس‬

‫كلية الهندسة‬
‫قسم الهندسة الجيولوجية‬
‫العنــوان ‪sheet piles :‬‬
‫‪special topics‬‬

‫االسم ‪ :‬انيس عبد الباسط الجبالي‬

ABSTRACT

This paper presents some of the most common applications of sheet piles namely
anchored,
contilevered sheet piles, excavation or cofferdams. It also contains various shapes
and types
of sheet piles and their advantages. Wood,concrete,steel, and aluminium are common
materials that make sheet piles. This review also explaines a new type of steel sheet
piles
wall with improved workability and higher resistance to driving stresses which is called
in the
construction industry HAT-TYPE Sheet pile 900.
KEYWORDS: Sheet pile, Retaining wall, Sheet piles application, Sheet piles types,
.Hat-Type
INTRODUCTION

Sheet pile walls consist of continuously interlocked pile segments embedded in soils
to resist
horizontal pressures. Classified as a flexible retaining system, sheet pile walls can
tolerate
relatively large deformations. (Stanislav, 2006)
Sheet piles are being used as retaining systems for many years. They are widely
used for
several purposes such as:
*large and waterfront structures
*erosion protection
*stabilizing ground slopes
Generally sheet piles that used for retaining walls are classified as Anchored sheet piles
or Cantilevered sheet piles.
Sheet piles are made of different kinds of materials such as wood, concrete, steel or
aluminum and these different materials cause different applications which are illustrated
in following sections.
Sheet pile walls are constructed by:

1. Laying out a sequence of sheet pile sections, and ensuring that sheet piles will
interlock.
2. Driving (or vibrating) the individual sheet piles to the desired depth.
3. Driving the second sheet pile with the interlocks between the first sheet pile and
second
"locked"
4. Repeating steps 2 & 3 until the wall perimeter is completed
5. Use connector elements when more complex shapes are used.
Sheet pile wall disadvantages are:
1. Sections can rarely be used as part of the permanent structure.
2. Installation of sheet piles is difficult in soils with boulders or cobbles. In such cases.
wall depths may not be reached.
3. Excavation shapes are dictated by the sheet pile section and interlocking elements.
4. Sheet pile driving may cause neighborhood disturbance.
.5. Settlements in adjacent properties may take place due to installation vibrations
 APPLICATIONS OF SHEET
PILE WALLS

As stated earlier, one of the effective methods to retain a soil

mass is to install a vertical wall which consists of long thin
element such as steel, concrete or wood that are driven in the
ground.
The elements are usually connected by interlocking joints.
Sheet piles in comparison with massive type of walls (concrete
or stone) are considered as flexible structures, in which bending
moments are developed by the produced lateral loads.
Therefore they should be designed so that, they are able to
resist the maximum bending moments. Some of their common
applications are shown in Fig. 1.
Anchored sheet piles

When the height of sheet pile is less than 6m, it is economical to use sheet pile which is
anchored near its top. (Fig.1-b) Anchoring the sheet pile cause less penetration depth and
also less
moment to the sheet pile.
Well constructed anchor walls undergo less lateral deflection than braced walls and so
provide a better control of back-slope subsidence. Anchor installation only requires a small
excavation to allow equipment access.
Anchored walls are always pre stressed which essentially removes the slacks from the
system. The anchor will maintain their load through the excavation sequence unless creep
occurs.
The anchors also place the entire soil mass between the anchors and wall in compression,
thus
creating a very large gravity wall. (Hunt, 1986)
There are two causes of subsidence for anchor systems:
1) Caving of the anchor holes prior to grouting
2) Flow of cohesionless material into the excavation through wall opening made for anchor
installation.
Another disadvantage includes possible downward movement of the wall due to the vertical
component of the anchor forces
Excavation
Sheet piling systems comprises developed sheet pile sections with either an overlapping
joints or an interlocking one (Fig.1-c). The sections can either be cantilevered to support the
excavation, depending on the imposed loads, or they can be restrained by a specially designed
mechanism with anchor. During excavation ground anchors are progressively installed to restrain
the sheet piling. This creates a ‘reinforced earth zone’ behind the sheet piling to form a retaining
wall structure around the excavation. Hence, deep excavation can be supported in a wide range of
.ground conditions

Cofferdams
A cofferdam is a temporary structure designed to keep water and soil out of the excavation in
which a bridge pier or other structure is built. (Fig.1-d) When construction must take place below
the water level, a cofferdam is built to give dry work enviroment.sheet piling is driven around the
work site, seal concrete is placed into the bottom to prevent water from seeping in from
underneath the sheet piling
 TYPES OF SHEET-PILING
.Traditional sheet pile shapes are “Z” type and “U” type
Z-Type (Z): Used for intermediate to deep wall construction, Z sections are
considered one
of the most efficient pile available today. Z- piles are commonly used for
cantilevered and tied-
back systems. Additional applications also include load bearing bridge
abutments. “U” Type (U)
sheet piles are used for the applications similar to Z- Type (Nemati, 2007)

Sheet piles are made of different materials such as wood,

concrete, aluminium, steel or vinyl which are briefly explained
in the following sections
Wooden sheet pile
wooden sheet piles are the oldest construction materials used for temporary light structures to
prevent cave-ins. All woods degrades over times, especially when exposed to water and
extrem temperatures, where fungus and bugs accelerate decomposition. Wood sheet piling is
still used today, however the wood is either fully encapsulated, or treated with chemicals like
.chrome, aluminum or steel plating

Concrete sheet pile

precast concrete sheet piles are more aesthetics but are haevy and produce large disturbance
during driving. Concrete sheet piles are primarily used as bulkheads in either fresh or saltwater,
in this case they are normally tied back with dead men.Rock in close proximity to the ground
.surface is a concern with this type of sheet pile walls as they are normally installed by jetting

Aluminium sheet pile

Aluminium sheet piles have cross-sections similar to those of steel. It is constructed using
6061 alloy, and often anodized or painted or visible applications. Aluminum is 100 percent
recyclable, durable and resistant to corrosin from air, water, extreme temperatur and
chemicals, but is more expensive than other type
 Steel sheet pile
The steel sheet pile alternative is the most popular due to its strength, ease of handeling and
ease of construction.
Steel sheet piles are available in various cross-section shapes. They can have problems
with
corrosion that can be prevented by coating. Their thickness is about 10 to 13mm; the
allowable
stress is 170 Mpa to 210 Mpa (25 – 30ksi).
Their advantages are summarized as follow:
*resistant to high driving stresses
*relatively lightweight
*reusable
*long service life
*easy to increase length by welding
*joints are less apt to deform; and
*can produce a watertight wall.
Also regarding to the usages and advantages of steel sheet piles, a new type with improved
workability named “Hat-Type” is explained below
CONCLUSION

Sheet piles are structural tools which are designed to resist horizontal forces as they
embedded in soils. They are also used as retaining systems. Sheet piles are made
of different materials which plays an important role in their applications. Steel sheet
pile is considered the most common type because of its advantages and providing
higher structural reliability as well as workability. The Hat-Type sheet pile 900 is a
structural steel product that incorporates the essence of sheet pile manufacturing
technology and application technology relating to design and construction projects.
Its application extends beyond conventional civil engineering works, such as river
revetments and port piers. It also can be applied in different ways as measures to
prevent ground subsidence. Promoting the Hat-Type sheet pile 900, contributes
much to reduce construction costs and construction durations.