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Re: Sheet Pile Walls

From: info@builderswebsource.com
Category: Foundations and Basements
Remote Name: 63.198.181.43
Date: 28 May 2001
Time: 06:47 PM

Comments

Sheet pile walls are a type of retaining wall used to buttress soils and foundations during construction projects. Typical applications include retention of soils when excavating for foundations for large commercial projects, seawalls to mitigate soil erosion of waterfront property, as well as construction of roads and bridges.

Sheet piles are generally made of corrugated steel, ranging from 10 gauge (0.134") thick to 0.375" or more. Materials costs range from $2-$7/square foot depending on thickness and supplier.

Most comprehensive books on foundation and retaining wall design have a chapter that addresses sheet pile construction considerations. An excellent online source worth your time is the Swedish website http://www.geoforum.com (explore the section on Pile Info). The following drawing, courtesy Bengt B. Broms from the online illustrations of Foundation Engineering at Geoforum, shows three typical types of sheet pile walls, including anchored, strutted and cantilevered.

Drawing Source: Geoforum, B. Brams, Foundation Engineering

Bottom line, if installed and specified properly, steel sheet pile retaining walls would work well in your situation to prevent catastrophic failure of the soil while your basement is being excavated and installed. An addition source of information on sheet piling can be found at http://www.guideme.com/Civil/SheetPile.htm

For additional reading, try the book Pile Design and Construction Practice by T. J. Tomlinson as well as Design of Sheet Pile Walls adapted from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. For additional considerations of sheet pile installations, see Tomlinson's excerpt that compares advantages and disadvantages.

We hope these references help!

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