Sheet piling is one of the most popular methods in construction when it comes to creating a retaining wall.

In simple terms, sheet piling is a construction technique where long corrugated sheets (usually steel) are placed together using a vertical interlocking system to create a long wall which is earth-tight and soil resistant.

In general, about two-thirds of a sheet piled wall will be underground, with the other third visible above ground, and this is what gives it such strength against the soil it is pushing back.

The two main methods of sheet piling are ‘hot rolled’ and ‘cold formed’, with the key difference being the interlocking system used.

The hot rolled piles are made at extremely high temperatures, and have much tighter and more durable interlocks, and generally larger and stronger than the cold formed piles.

Cold formed piles have slightly looser interlocks, and are more likely to be used to used when a low permeability is needed.

The sheets are driven into the ground using a vibratory hammer, and an impact hammer can be used to complete the process if the is particularly hard or dense.

While it is usually made from steel, sheet piling can also be made from concrete or aluminium.

Sheet Piling is also an environmentally sustainable option, as they use recycled steel, and the piles themselves can often be reused.

These walls are usually used as a method of holding back soil or water during construction products.

Typical instances where sheet piling might be used include underground car parks, basements, foundations, and seawalls and bulkheads.

Having said this, sheet piling is also useful as a temporary solution in construction projects, creating trenches and cofferdams for excavations. The sheet can then easily be removed and reused for another product as corrosion rates are very low at the depth it is used at.

This article comes from valtrexhome edit released