Sheet Pile Walls
Sheet pile walls consist of interlocked sections of relatively thin, steel sheeting that are installed in series along a predetermined alignment to form a continuous earth support wall. They are commonly used for temporary excavation support and/or a groundwater flow cutoff and can also be used to form seawalls, cofferdams, and bulkheads. Individual sheeting sections are generally 1.5- to 2.5-feet-wide and have interlocking edges. The sections are vibrated into the ground with a high-frequency vibratory hammer that is affixed to a large, tracked vertical mast rig. Sheet piles walls can generally be cantilevered for excavation heights up to 10 to 15 feet. Penetration depths for cantilever walls are typically at least 2 times the height of the excavation. For example, for a 10-foot-high sheeted excavation, the sheets would be driven at least 20 feet below the bottom of the excavation. For excavation depths that exceed 10 to 15 feet and/or where wall surcharge loads are relatively high, Tiebacks/Anchors or internal bracing can be added to help meet the project’s earth retention requirements.
