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By Kevin P. Gleckler, Steven C. Highfill

"Escalators to access platforms for the Second Avenue Subway Station at 72nd Street in Manhattan are to be installed in the basement of an existing 19-Story residential building. The escalators, which extend below the existing building foundations, require excavation of an inclined rock cavern up to 80-feet deep. Underpinning of columns within the 19-story building as well as a stone masonry party wall and columns for an adjacent 5-story building was completed prior to excavation of the rock cavern to ensure structural stability.This paper will discuss the analysis and design of the underpinning system, the installation and load transfer procedures and the cavern excavation immediately below. The underpinning system was subject to very strict deformation limits and to electronic monitoring prior to and throughout the load transfer and construction process. Key details such as the load transfer mechanism between the reinforced concrete column and the temporary structural steel underpinning frame will be discussed. The challenging rock excavation process will be described which utilized conventional equipment and pattern drilling with Damite rock splitting mortar.INTRODUCTIONPhase 1 of the Second Avenue Subway is being built by MTA Capital Construction (MTACC) to improve subway service on the east side of Manhattan. Entrance 1 for the 72nd Street Station of the Second Avenue Subway is located on the east side of 2nd Avenue at the corner of E 69th Street in New York City. Access to the station mezzanine, approximately 80-feet below grade, is designed to be routed through the basement of an existing 19-story residential building. From the sidewalk, stairs and escalators within the width of sidewalk connect the riding public to a basement level mezzanine, which turns into the building at roughly 16 feet below grade (Fig. 1). Riders then connect to three long escalators to arrive at the station mezzanine. The escalators are to be installed within an inclined and arched cast-in-place (CIP) concrete lined rock cavern (Fig. 2). Construction of both the entrance into the basement and the escalator cavern require the transfer of columns within the 19-story building. Excavation of the escalator cavern also impacts the foundation support for columns and a load bearing party wall for the 5-story residential building immediately to the north. Two stages of load transfer were used at each location. The Stage 1 transfer used a temporary underpinning system to unload the current structure which allowed for construction of the permanent transfer girders. Stage 2 transferred the load from the temporary system to the permanent transfer girders."

Jan 1, 2016

By Swaminathan Srinivasan, Aaron J. Muck

"When an opportunity arises to combine state-of-the-art concepts with advanced modeling tools, engineers need to take what they know and apply forward thinking to geotechnical solutions to promote the state-ofpractice. Such an opportunity was seized during the design and construction of the Great American Tower in Cincinnati, Ohio. The forty-one story Great American Tower at Queen City Square – currently the tallest building in Cincinnati – has not only changed the downtown skyline, it is also contributing to the advancement of the state-of-the-art use of auger cast-in-place (ACIP) piles as settlement reducers. Predicted settlements of a traditional mat foundation were excessive, and the costs and construction time associated with traditional ACIP piles extending to bedrock were not preferred. A mat supported on a limited number of ACIP piles, with the piles primarily acting as settlement reducers, was evaluated as the preferred foundation type.Promoting the unique soil-structure interaction of the foundation system with confidence required the use of sophisticated numerical modeling tools. Traditional standard penetration test boring data (SPT) was initially used to develop a numerical analysis of the soil-structure interaction using FLAC 3D software. The model was further modified with cone penetration (CPT) and pressuremeter testing (PMT), along with actual load test results on several ACIP pile elements of varying lengths, but all tipping above bedrock. Through a combined design team effort, and detailed numerical modeling analysis, ACIP piles were recommended for reducing mat foundation settlement. Instrumentation during and post-construction confirmed design assumptions and predictions. Integrating sound geotechnical concepts, and using advanced geotechnical analysis and design methods, traditional mat and ACIP pile foundations were successfully integrated into a unique foundation support system.INTRODUCTIONThe Great American Tower at Queen City Square in Cincinnati, Ohio is located within a region dissected by historical geologic deviances associated with the meander of the Ohio River and glacial progression/recession. Combining a challenging geology, with the development of a high-rise office building afforded the design team an opportunity to combine state-of-the-art soil-structure interaction concepts and method with traditional geotechnical engineering concepts. Such a combination required a variety of field tests, collaboration with the design team and owner, and geotechnical-structural modeling during the design phase. During construction, in addition to materials testing and observation, a variety of instrumentation systems were employed. Together, the data was used to corroborate the design model and make adjustments during construction and further substantiate design assumptions following construction."

Jan 1, 2015

By Silas C. Nichols, Jennifer E. Nicks

"Limit states design (LSD), or load and resistance factor design (LRFD), is a method to account for the uncertainty in loads and resistance through a reliability calibration that requires all applicable limit states (strength, service and extreme) to be checked during foundation design. LRFD has been in use internationally for several decades; however it wasn’t until recently that engineers working on highway projects were required to use the method for the design of highway bridges and other appurtenances. Although the bridge community has been using a form of limit states design for structural components since the early 1970s, the design of foundations for bridges, walls and other geotechnical features had long been performed using allowable stress design (ASD), whereby all uncertainty in loads and material resistance is combined in a single factor of safety. While the move to LRFD was viewed as a more rational approach for the design of bridges and structures, the transition to its use for geotechnical engineering has been met by many with confusion and difficulties in application. This article will revisit the history of transition from ASD to LRFD for geotechnical engineering, summarize the status of the transition and issues with its use, and briefly discuss some emerging research opportunities for improving and advancing the design platform.Background and HistoryUntil about a decade ago, foundations and substructures for bridges were traditionally designed using ASD, while the superstructure was designed using load factor design (LFD), a precursor to LRFD that incorporated factored design loads but no risk assessment. This combination led to uncertain and incompatible safety margins in design for the various bridge components. In 1986, the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Subcommittee on Bridges and Structures (SCOBS) concluded that the standard bridge specifications in use at the time for U.S. transportation projects had significant inconsistencies and gaps, wasn’t up to date with emerging technology and that the development of new specifications was warranted. The proposed solution by the subcommittee was to transition to a more coherent method of design where applicable failure and serviceability conditions could be evaluated considering the uncertainties associated with loads and resistance."

Jan 1, 2015

By Alex Ryberg, Matthew L. Becker

Several integrity testing methods exist which may be used to evaluate drilled shafts. Each test method has advantages and limitations. On occasion, the results from different test methods may lead to conflicting conclusions, making it difficult to conclusively know which results more accurately represent the quality and integrity of a drilled shaft. This case study focuses on the integrity testing evaluation for two drilled shafts which were constructed using permanent casings and installed through flowing river water. Integrity testing was performed using Thermal Integrity Profiling (TIP) and Crosshole Sonic Logging (CSL) on each shaft. During testing, the influence of flowing water and soil layering needed consideration in the collected TIP data. Similarly, concrete curing time influenced the CSL test results and required the CSL tests to be performed multiple times with additional wait times following concrete placement. To aid in the shaft integrity evaluations, Low Strain Integrity testing via the Pulse Echo Method (PEM) was performed on several shafts and concrete coring was also performed to help further assess the acceptance or rejection of the questionable shafts. This paper presents an overview of the testing methods that were applied, their basic methodology, as well as potential limitations that should be considered when evaluating their results.

Sep 8, 2021

By George W. Little, John Councilman

"The selection, evaluation, and modification of contractor mix designs for self-hardening seepage barriers, completed by the slurry trench excavation method, can be one of the most critical and challenging tasks to ensure the cutoff wall meets the design performance criteria. Contractor mix designs should incorporate all available geotechnical data, including subsurface soil characteristics, groundwater information, and potential site contaminates. However, the pre-construction mix design can have limitations if subsurface data is limited or shows variability from initial investigations. Placement of the seepage barrier material needs to be evaluated during construction to identify in-situ performance. In one particular case study, the self-hardening cutoff wall mix design was evaluated over a one year period followed by a year and a half installation period, in which, a number of adjustments were made to the laboratory mix design during construction due to performance in the field. Installation for the selected mix was monitored on a real-time basis, using quality control data, as well as early strength and permeability results to determine if adjustments to the self-hardening mix were necessary. Evaluation of early results and relationships between strength and permeability were used to make adjustments prior to achieving the final test results for 28-day strength and permeability. Test results of the installed mix illustrated a direct correlation between strength and permeability. Achieving a minimum unconfined compressive strength was necessary to meet the minimum permeability of the seepage barrier. Other determinations conclude that the thorough development of a pre-construction mix design can have limitations even when all geotechnical data and site conditions are taken into account. Understanding early indicators and key strength and permeability relationships are necessary to determine seepage barrier performance and limitations.IntroductionThe evaluation of contractor mix designs for self-hardening seepage barriers was reviewed for one particular case study where a mix was developed using available geotechnical background information, including considerations for impacted groundwater. Following development of the laboratory mix design, the seepage barrier wall was installed over a one and a half year period, where the contractor mix design was evaluated and modified to accommodate field conditions affecting performance. The objective of the project was to cutoff and collect impacted groundwater and prevent the migration of contaminants to the creek running adjacent to the project. The self-hardening seepage barrier wall was installed using the slurry trench excavation method along 4700 ft of alignment and extended to depths ranging from 20 to 85 ft below ground surface, where it tied in with a low permeability stratum or competent bedrock."

Jan 1, 2016

By John D. Nelson

Foundation underpinning is a common component of remediation schemes for distressed foundations on expansive soils. For many applications in expansive soil, micropiles have distinct advantages over other techniques. This paper will concentrate on the design and construction of micropiles in expansive soil. It discusses the nature of building distress and the relationship between foundation movement and soil heave. It presents methods for determining the factors that are required for the design of micropiles. Such factors include calculation of expected free-field heave, depth of soil wetting, and prediction of pier movement. A finite element program developed by the authors and others to determine pier heave and internal forces is presented. The input parameters that are required for pier analysis are discussed, and the nature of the output and the sensitivity of the results to the output are described. A case example illustrates the advantages of micropiles over other methods.

Aug 1, 2013

By S. P. Lin

The numerical models of nonlinear piles for deep foundations are studied in this paper. The purpose of these is to clarify the mechanical behaviour of deep foundation nonlinear piles subjected to axial and lateral loadings. Based on the site data of p-y curve as well as t-z curve of foundation soils, it is possible to evaluate pile performance under above mentioned loads by means of combined FEM/FDM models. Numerical examples are presented in tall building and offshore jacket for illustrating the technique, it show high efficiency of these models. Some information to be interested by design engineers are given, especially for those who pay very concerns on the interaction behaviours of structure and its pile foundation.

Jan 1, 2010

By Jamey Rosen

A Project Information Management System (PIMS) was developed to manage and analyze QC data at the Herbert Hoover Dike Rehabilitation Dam Modification Cutoff Wall (owned by the Jacksonville District of the United States Army Corps of Engineers). A special feature of this PIMS was its geospatial component. Data collected from Bauer drill rigs were automatically “geoprocessed” into threedimensional features representing the predrill, jet grout, and Cutter Soil Mixing panel elements, as well as calculated verticality and overlap metrics. These features were visualized in interactive planimetric, profile, and 3D views that facilitated several quality control activities during the project.

By Tsunenobu Nozaki

"Basically, the “Press-in Piling Method” was invented to eliminate construction nuisances, such as noise and vibration which have been serious unsolved problems for advancing societies over a long time. In the construction industry, piling works have been a major cause of noise and vibration, because most piling methods utilize dynamic load to install piles into the ground. The secret of the Press-in Piling Method is to utilize static loading to install pre-formed piles rather than dynamic load. The piles are hydraulically gripped and jacked into the ground by the special piling rig known as the “Silent Piler”. Therefore, the piles can form a robust and firm foundation, which is another advantage of the Press-in Piling Method.The Press-in Piling Mechanism and Implant Foundations The basis of the Press-in Piling Method is simple. The Pres-in Piling Machine installs a preformed displacement pile into the ground by static jacking force. The reaction for the Press-in Force is generated by gripping previously installed piles, which are called “Reaction Piles”. Due to this, the Press-in Piling Machine can produce a powerful piling force whilst only requiring minimal machine size.With the Press-in Piling Method, as piles are pressed into the ground, they are incorporated with the surrounding soils, which provides a large bearing capacity and passive horizontal resistance. These embedded foundations which are firmly anchored into the ground are known as “Implant Foundations”. Being embedded into the ground, the foundations are resilient and maintain their serviceability even in the worst credible design conditions."

Jan 1, 2015

By Chandramohan P. V

A unique tension pile where the pull is at a point a certain distance below the top of the pile. The pull is transferred by a cable consisting of high tensile strands. The HDPE duct of the cable prevents bond between the strands and pile concrete in upper portion. While soil friction on the pile will act downwards on the whole length, there is tension in the bottom portion of pile, there will be compression at the top portion.

Nov 1, 2022

By Takefumi Takuma, Hiroyuki Nishimura, Shigeru Kambe

"In order to achieve tubular pile driving with low noise and low vibration, the Press-in Piling Method has been adopted on many projects. The method utilizes reaction force derived primarily from previously driven piles to push in the next pile into ground. With attachments, the Press-in piling equipment can deal with hard soil as well as difficult site conditions. At West Toronto Diamond Rail Grade Separation Project in Toronto, Canada, the Press-in piling equipment drove more than 500 of 914 mm (36 inches) diameter tube piles in length of 12 to 25 meters (39 to 82 feet) to construct earth-retaining walls for railway grade separation. Myoshoji River Restoration Project in Tokyo, Japan drove some 600 of 1,000mm (39.4 inches) diameter tube pipe sections in length of 11 to 22 meters (36 to 72 feet) by the rotary Press-in piling equipment to increase the flood drainage capacity of an existing river in highly populated area of the city. Both projects exemplify the advantages of the method in urban settings.1. BACKGROUNDThe Press-in Piling Method was invented some forty years ago in Japan, where a very large number of construction projects were causing widespread construction pollution, especially by pile driving work in densely populated areas. The method has been providing solutions for piling projects which could not have been built otherwise due to the noise and vibration impact to the surrounding communities. The method can be used with various types of piles including sheet piles, tubular piles, concrete sheet piles and so on. With high pressure water jet and continuous flight auger attachments, the Press-in piling equipment can deal with dense sand, stiff clay, gravels, boulders and even soft rock without employing a different set of equipment."

Jan 1, 2015

By Krishnendu Mandal

"For a multi-story building project in Kolkata, a pile load testing program was conducted to minimize pile performance uncertainty resulting from variable subsurface conditions and to verify the pile load vs. settlement response. The program consisted of performing five (5) instrumented load tests on augured cast-in-place (ACIP) pre-production test piles. Vibrating-wire strain gages and extensometers were installed in the test piles at strategic locations to enable measurements of the load vs. deformation behavior of the test piles. This paper presents a description of site subsurface conditions, test pile installation, instrumentation setup for a maintained load test (MLT), static compression pile load test results, and pile instrumentation result interpretation. Average mobilized unit shaft resistance values are calculated.2.0 INTRODUCTIONThe project site is located in Kolkata, near river Ganges, and the proposed development plans consist of constructing six (6)25-story (G+25) towers; see Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 below for approximate site location and proposed development layout, respectively. The buildings were designed to be supported on ACIP piles. A field load test program was implemented to verify sub-surface conditions and pile design. The test program consisted of installing Five (5) instrumented test piles numbered LP1A and B through LP6A and B, and performing static compression load tests on these piles. The piles were instrumented with vibrating-wire strain gauges and extensometers, so that the pile shaft resistance distribution along pile length and the pile toe resistance could be interpreted using direct instrumentation measurements."

Jan 1, 2015

By P. V. Chandramohan

"The paper deals with the arrangement of structural members for a retaining structure used as a berth in the port of Krishnapatnam. The height of retention is 24.3m. A T-shaped diaphragm wall acts as the retaining surface. A relieving platform has been provided at the top to ease lateral earth pressure on the wall. The diaphragm wall is tied back to a combination of vertical and raker pile. Later, this arrangement was altered to replace the relieving platform with just lowering of ground level below the berth. The tie back was changed to a classical A-frame anchorage. At certain reaches, installation of piles pointing towards the rear was obstructed by a conveyor structure. The anchorage was then changed to include a vertical pile and a pile that points towards the front of the berth. Change in position of inclined pile alters the force in the pile from compression to tension.GeneralPort is a major link in the multimodal transport chain. Berth is the heart of the Port infrastructure. It is here the ocean freight changes to land transport. The change-over, warrants special type of heavy duty handling equipment. The equipment and the process necessitate deep seated foundations. On one side of the berth, deep drafted ships would be berthed. But adjacent to this heavy duty cranes would be operating at the deck level. Berths are of various types. Some are founded on piles and may project into water. Some operators prefer a retaining structure. At the port of Krishnapatnam, a retaining structure was preferred. Dredged level at the berth was to be -20. Deck of the berth was at +4.3. This meant that the height of retention of soil was 24.3m. Ports are generally located near the coast. Subsoil in the port area generally consists of cohesive material of low shearing strength. The berth has to cater to imposed vertical and horizontal loads.Structural functionFor bulk cargo and containers, berth has to support the two crane tracks. These tracks will carry heavy wheel loads of the crane. Besides, the space between the tracks would be used for stacking of cargo or hatch covers. In short, the deck will be subjected to heavy surcharge. This vertical load will manifest as additional lateral force on the retaining wall. Since the height of soil to be retained is high, it is a practice to relieve the lateral earth pressure due to the heavy surcharge of the wall. This is done by providing a relieving platform. The surcharge of superimposed load on the deck and the self-weight of the soil up to a few metres below would be relieved by a suitable platform. This vertical load would be transferred directly to deeper levels through piles. Mooring pull is a horizontal force exerted by the vessel on the bollards towards water side. Berthing force is exerted by the vessel during berthing, through fenders and acts towards land side.Diaphragm walls are usually employed as the retaining face. If the height of retention is less, these walls can cantilever out but in the case of large retention, they have to be tied back. The ties are to be anchored on to suitable arrangements like a dead-man or an A-frame. Berthing structure in the early stages at Krishnapatnam port is shown in fig 1."

Jan 1, 2015

By Andreu J. Ferrero

Polyurethane and acrylate resins are routinely injected into soils to gain strength and control water flow. However, most published data regarding strength gain is derived from laboratory samples created under ideal conditions. This study endeavored to inject resins into full scale mock-ups that could then be excavated and tested to yield results comparable to actual field conditions. To achieve this goal, a large container was filled with a silty SAND (SM), as defined by the Unified Soil Classification System (USCS). The soil was moisture treated and compacted in lifts of 0.3m. PVC pipes installed in a diamond grid into the soil were used to inject polyurethane and acrylate resins. Dynamic cone penetrometer (DCP) tests were conducted on the polyurethane treated soils, the acrylate treated soils, and the baseline untreated soils in the container. Testing results will be correlated to SPTn and CBR values to evaluate increases in the soil strength parameters in the treated soils. Cored samples of polyurethane and acrylate treated soils will be tested in compression, shear, and triaxial. These laboratory test results will focus on material property gains for the treated soils, in comparison to standard values for similar soil types. Complete documentation of the soil type, compaction methods, injection methods, and testing performed have been documented and will be presented in the final paper.

By Sung-Ryul Kim, Woong-Jong Park, Juhyung Lee, Si-Hoon Lee

"A bucket foundation has been considered to be a potential foundation technology for offshore wind turbines. In this study, a series of 1-g model tests were performed to analyze the accumulated rotation of suction bucket foundations under long-term cyclic horizontal loads. The model suction buckets were made to have the embedment ratios of 0.5 and 1. The dry model ground was prepared to have two different soil densities by air-pluviation method. A horizontal cyclic load over 104 cycles was applied varying the loading amplitude. Test results showed that the accumulated rotation of the bucket foundation increased with the increase in the number of cycles and load magnitudes. Based on the model test results, a new equation was proposed to evaluate the accumulated rotation of the bucket foundations in sandy ground under long-term cyclic horizontal loads.INTRODUCTIONRecently, a bucket foundation has been considered to be a potential foundation technology for offshore wind turbines. In terms of economy, a bucket foundation has been considered to be an economical foundation type at sea beds where ground condition is clay or medium dense sand.A bucket foundation resembling a bucket is a kind of suction-installed foundation units. It is a skirted steel foundation which is open at the lower end and closed at the upper end by a lid. The embedment depth ratio (L/D) of a bucket foundation is usually less than one. Figure 1 shows an example of a bucket foundation. Offshore wind turbines are subjected to long-term cyclic loading by wind or currents. A bucket foundation is installed in soil grounds, so the long-term cyclic loading may induce the accumulation of soil deformation.In this study, the accumulated rotations of the bucket foundations in sandy ground were investigated under long term cyclic horizontal load. The number of cycles up to 104 cycles was applied varying load magnitude. The accumulated rotations of the bucket foundations in sandy ground were analyzed based on the test results."

Jan 1, 2016

By Seyyed Mehdi Radeghi Mehrjou

It is important to study structures and their retrofitting techniques in order to avoid earthquake-induced seismic damage within countries that are prone to earthquakes. Todays, micro piles are employed as useful structural components for seismic behavior improvement. The present study analyzes inclined micro piles subjected to seismic loading by using the three-dimensional finite difference method (FDM). FDM assumes an idealized three-dimensional soil-micro pile model to perform logical behavior evaluation in the event of an earthquake. Linear and elastic micro piles and elastoplastic soil were employed in this study. The Mohr-Coulomb criterion was employed in the failure control of the micro piles. The micro piles were subjected to the 1978 Tubas earthquake records. The numerical results were compared to experimental data. The comparison revealed good agreement between the numerical results and experimental data. The inclined micro piles were found to sufficiently enhance soil strength under seismic loading, inducing smaller displacements than vertical micro piles. Furthermore, the soil and inclined micro piles showed salient interaction.

Sep 1, 2022

By Andrew Higgins, Jamey Rosen

This presentation will demonstrate some recent advancements in the applications of Project Information Systems (PIMS) technology to seepage barrier walls in the context of evolving Owner Specifications. The use of geospatial technology in particular is used to track, visualize, and analyze data from a variety of sources and serve those data to contractors and owners via dashboards and as-built drawings. Data describing the geometry of construction elements (including diaphragm panels, secant piles, and jet grout columns) is of particular importance on these projects, and this presentation will include case studies in the United States of how these data are used to determine if a barrier wall is constructed as designed and if it meets the owner specifications with respect to tolerance (i.e., if each element is sufficiently close to vertical) and overlap (i.e., do adjacent elements overlap sufficiently to prevent leakage).

May 1, 2022

By Damien Enright, Franz-Werner Gerressen

CFA/ACIP pile is the most used single pass drilling method for deep foundation installations. It is constructed by rotating and driving a Continuous Flight Auger (CFA) into the ground at a controlled speed to the specified pile depth. Concrete is then pumped under continuous positive pressure through the hollow stem of the auger to fill the borehole as the auger is withdrawn. CFA/ACIP piles are preferred due to their high daily production capacity when used in suitable soil conditions. CFA/ACIP piles have been installed in the United States for decades and the industry has seen a huge development in equipment, installation process, monitoring and more. Nowadays, CFA/ACIP piles are installed using fully computer monitored drill rigs rather than a bulky crane and lead setup. Because of the torque and crowd offered by these rigs, piles can be installed to depths of more than 100 feet and diameters up to 48 inches. New age crane-based equipment with leader systems are than welcome to substitute old fashioned bulky cranes These new age crane-based systems combine the benefits of sufficient hydraulic power, fully equipped software, etc. with the additional benefits that they can do single pass drilling without extension systems, even when drill depths of more than 100 feet are required. The paper will explain the construction process and will discuss some jobsite references and experiences made using the new age crane-based equipment.

Oct 1, 2022

By Viswanadham B. V. S., Babu K. V

Many refineries are in the process of revamping and expanding their existing facilities. Most of the refineries are located in coastal areas due to ease of transportation and storage of crude oil. Considering the criticality of structures as well as prevailing soil conditions, most of the structures are supported on pile foundations. In depth review of sub-surface investigations data followed by liquefaction assessment of the site, it is noticed that site is prone to liquefaction during the seismic event. Among various techniques, driven cast-in-situ piles were selected to mitigate liquefaction. Static cone penetration tests were conducted during the pre and post installation of driven cast-in-situ piles at identified locations. Analysis of cone penetration test data shows that considerable ground improvement has been achieved post-installation of driven cast-in-situ piles.

Sep 1, 2022

By D. Cantali

This paper will be presented in two parts. The first part will present the latest advancements in pile installation techniques using state-of-the-art press-in piling technology by Giken. By pressing in sheet piles and large modulus contiguous steel tube pile walls – as opposed to the more traditional installation methods using percussive hammers or vibrators – retaining structures can be constructed effectively noise and vibration free. For over water and coastal projects with limited access, this provides significant environmental benefits in the form of minimising the construction foot print and the impact to surrounding communities and the marine natural habitat. Typical noise and vibration data will also be presented. The second part of this paper will review the current manufacturing techniques for sheet piles and introduce innovative new materials used in the current piling market for embedded sheet pile walls. Materials include long service life non – ferrous materials such as new age plastics and fibre reinforced polymer piles. Their excellent long term performance and durability make them an effective solution in the marine environment. For steel piles, a number of steel grades with reduced corrosion characteristics will also be discussed including a newly developed steel to combat corrossion in the low water zone, an area often exhibiting the highest moments in a retaining wall. A number of project case studies will also be presented to reinforce their relevance in today’s changing construction landscape.

Nov 1, 2022