Steel sheet piles are continuous sheets that have interlocking
connectors on either end. While they were primarily used to
retain soil and minimize erosion, steel sheet piles have now gained
popularity in other foundation types, such as below-grade parking
garages and as load-bearing bridge abutments. This is only possible
with geometrical refinements in conjunction with the use of
higher strength steels with more advanced chemistry.
Although steel pipe has been around since the early 1800s, its
use as a driven pile became popular in the late 1980s. This rapid
increase in popularity could be attributed to improved manufacturing
techniques along with the ability for the pipe to be optimized
for its end use. In particular, steel pipe piles are excellent at
supporting large loads along with lateral and seismic forces.
It is very important to have open discussions with your designers,
engineers and contractors, and be flexible in your thinking
while using pipe piles. Pipe piles are one of the few steel products
that have multiple manufacturing methods, such as spiralweld,
Electric Resistance Welded (ERW) and rolled and welded. Within
each type of pipe, there are different sizes for different applications
along with different QA/QC procedures.
The purpose of this article is not to dwell on the technical details
of the particulars for each product, but to emphasize the standards
to which these materials conform. When a designer specifies a
product, they will most likely reference a universal standard that
QA/QC – STEEL
the product must meet. One of the oldest and most recognized
organizations that write standards is ASTM International, which
wrote the first standard on the steel used to fabricate rails for the
railway in 1898. Fast forward 120 plus years and there are now more
than 12,000 ASTM standards alone, with multiple standards applying
to a single product. For example, all rolled structural steel bars,
plates, shapes and sheet piling must conform to ASTM A6.A6M
for common requirements (primarily tolerances) along with more
specific standards required by the designer. However, these standards
are living documents that are updated periodically, so when
you are writing specifications for a project, it is imperative that you
make sure you are using the latest version, instead of pulling from
a previous project. For more information on ASTM Standards and
other guidelines, please visit the PDCA website’s technical library.
Figure 1: H-piles used for the foundation of an airport expansion
Figure 2: Sheet piles used for a bulkhead replacement project
Figure 3: Pipe piles used to form a combi-wall for flood protection
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