The Invisible Sheet Pile

The Steel Piling Group Seminar - A CIRIA C760 Preview -proved to be somewhat of an eye opener, not so much in terms of content, although that was excellent; more in terms of what was missing. The seminar covered topics of Geothermal Piles, Key Piles, the update of the popular C580 - C760, and sheet pile installation with Pre-augering.

I fully appreciate that this was a steel event, and was not disappointed to see the adaption and analysis of driven steel piling methodologies in areas such as geothermal piles.

It was interesting to see the promotion of steel as a minority product, a new way, compared to established materials and methods involving concrete; I often feel this way with plastic piling in general.

Spend more money on the right piling and save overall as in this example you have more space to rent every year that structure exists.

So the Dawson Key pile was very interesting; I particularly like the innovative use of recycled rubber from tyres to work with the system, and the fact that the system as a whole, was inclusive, working with concrete, precast or poured and of course recycled materials.

This idea of combining materials to get improvements has always appealed to me, with our range of plastic piling hybrids that work with timber, steel, aggregates and concrete.

Prior to the presentation on C760, a comment was made that here will be a forthcoming update of ICE Specification for Piling and Embedded Retaining Walls The second edition first published in 2007.

I remember when i first got my copy of SPERW, eagerly looked through trying (in vain) to find guidance for use on plastic sheet piling, something that I could refer prospective clients, architects and designers to.

Finally found the first reference to plastic piling on page 197 - as an exclusion.
"this section not relevant to piles constructed from timber, plastic or an other material apart from steel" SPERW 2nd edition
Surely plastic sheet piling will be one of those improvements, one of those technology updates?

Now in fairness time was running short during this presentation and it was only an overview. C760 the update for the very successful C580 "Guidance for the design of embedded retaining walls" (2003).

The guidance at 12 years old, was clearly in need of an update, to allow for improvement is design software, methods, technology and of course the influence of the Eurocodes and how to apply them.

As I listened to the presentations, and during a few conversations afterwards, it was clear there are British and European Standards for Hot Rolled Steel Piles BS EN 10248, likewise for cold formed BS EN 10249, what do we have for plastic piling? Nothing that I am aware of (excluding the USACE / TRL reports).

Plastic Piling is a new development within piling but the fact that they are in used and new warrants a mention, an acknowledgement.Guidance and standardisation is very much needed.