Sheet piling

Interlocking steel sheet piles are profiled steel sections which are installed vertically into the ground by a variety of methods to support the ground and exclude water when excavating or to carry applied loads. They are used in temporary works to support the ground and to exclude water while a structure or service is installed below ground level. They are generally extracted to be reused; however, they may be incorporated into the permanent works, such as in sealed basement walls where they may also be used to carry vertical loads from the building or structure. Sheet piles can also be used as anchorages and in conjunction with other types of retaining walls. They may be used with tubular or I-section piles to form a high-modulus combination wall. ‘Cofferdam’ is a term given to a closed sheet pile ‘box’ used for deep retention schemes and which may include provisions for excluding water. Isolated steel I- or H-sections or steel tubes can be driven into the ground to form bearing piles. The design concept of sheet piling is unusual in that it utilises the shear strength of the ground to support itself; the element being supported is therefore also part of the supporting mechanism.