In construction, there is a type of pile, which is called sheet pile. The main purpose of these products is the creation of fences, which excludes the movement of soil and the penetration of moisture. These products are not used for foundations.
Key Benefits
Sheet piles are products made from different materials. When using them, rows or fences are erected. Another name for these products is known - anti-filtration curtains. They are a wall of piles, tightly adjacent to each other.
Installation is carried out by indentation or immersion into the soil. Benefits include:
- no need to remove and take out the soil;
- possibility to improve security after installation;
- compact;
- reduced construction time due to pre-installation;
- reusable.
Piles take up little space. They have a high bearing capacity and allow you to use them repeatedly, because dismantling is quite simple. Products can be removed from the ground.
Main species
The described piles can be classified according to several criteria, among others - the material at the base, it is:
- steel;
- PVC;
- composite.
The first variety is also called Larsen piles and is a gutter with grooves on the sides of the walls. These structures are used in various areas of construction, such as storage facilities, bridges, and oil terminals. Products are used to strengthen the banks of reservoirs and help to prevent flooding and landslides. With the help of a steel sheet pile, the pavement or embankments are strengthened.
Designs are widespread in residential construction. If PVC is the basis, then the wall will be able to withstand high loads. It has sufficient strength. Piles are used to strengthen banks and are popular due to their ease of installation and affordable cost.
PVC sheet pile is effective enough to solve the problem of shoreline stabilization. When the basis is a composite, we are talking about products that have appeared on the construction market quite recently. They are based on ultra-composite material, and are similar in characteristics to sheet pile structures, but have a more affordable cost. The bearing capacity is comparable to metal sheet piles, but the price is more favorable.
Reinforced concrete piles
The arrangement of reinforced concrete piles is distinguished by the presence of joints that ensure the tightness of the structure. They have the shape of trapezoidal tongues and grooves,which are inserted one into the other during installation. Industrial technologies make it possible to produce elements up to 15 m in length. Increasing this parameter is almost impossible, because there are difficulties with transportation and installation. During these stages, you may encounter lock damage issues.
Such sheet piles are of considerable weight and are used in strengthening coastlines and in the construction of special purpose sites. Installation is carried out using driving technology.
Advantages of polymer products
In recent years, piles made of composite materials have become more widespread. They reduce the cost of construction and maintain performance. In some properties, such structures are better than other varieties. They are not subject to rotting and corrosion, do not require additional operating costs and do not provide for the need for conservation. This makes the use of such products more profitable compared to metal ones.
In terms of strength, they are slightly inferior if special requirements are imposed on the design in this regard. More often in construction, models are used, the shape of which is similar to metal piles of the trough type. Lock connections can be represented in several ways. Installation is carried out by vibration immersion with preliminary erosion of the soil, and in difficult conditions, the technology of digging in piles is used.
Installation technology
Steel sheet pilesmounted on a specific technology. At the first stage, it provides for the implementation of design calculations based on soil studies. After that, the location and support of the tongues are calculated. Permissible movements and movement of products must be taken into account. Calculations should be entrusted to professionals.
At the next stage, preparatory work is carried out, providing for tracing the axes of the wall. Machinery and equipment are delivered to the territory, working platforms and a foundation pit are being prepared. If at this stage it was not possible to determine the method of immersion, a test should be made. Depending on the quality of immersion and the ability to introduce the following sheet piles, the possibility of using one or another method is determined. Then you can start installing metal piles.
Work methodology
Installation is carried out one by one or in pairs. Guide frames made of wood are laid in the soil. The distance between them should be equal to the width of the tongue. The structures are inserted into the lock of the corner product and immersed to a depth of 2 to 4 m.
The rest of the tongues follow, they are placed in those areas where the guide frames are located. To eliminate deviations during immersion, upper bouts are installed, which are immersed in the soil along with piles. In the process, there may be obstacles in the form of large boulders. This can cause the walls between the locks to break.
Sometimes the problem is expressed in the curvature of the lower edge of the metal piles. To avoid such situations, it is necessarybase strengthening. When the sheet pile meets the boulder, you will feel the sinking slow down.
Foundation price
Some novice home builders mistakenly believe that sheet piles form the basis of a conventional foundation. This is not true. These products have different purposes. If you are still interested in the basis for your future housing, then you should familiarize yourself with the price of such work. If you are planning to build on your own, you can study the prices for screw piles. They depend on the length. If this parameter is 1.5 m, then you can purchase products for 1250 rubles. With an increase in this value to 6 m, the price increases to 3300 rubles.
Some companies provide foundation piling services. Products with a length of 1.5 m can be mounted at 1750 rubles. This price also includes a cap. Manual installation costs 800 rubles. The price increases with the length of the product. If it is 6 m, then you will have to pay 1,700 rubles for manual installation. If the pile for the foundation will be mounted using equipment, then you will pay 3950 rubles for the work
Before purchasing a support, it is important to ask about its technical characteristics. With a trunk diameter of 57 mm, you can expect a load capacity of 1 ton. The coating affects the cost of the foundation. The weight of the barrel can reach 45 kg, while the minimum value is 10 kg. The blade diameter is equivalent to 200mm and its thickness is 4m.
The cost of the foundation shouldcalculated taking into account the price for the installation of one pile. If you want to carry out manual installation with the help of specialists, using a pile 3.5 m long, you will have to pay 1200 rubles.
In conclusion
The main purpose of sheet piles is to prevent the penetration of moisture into the pit. Such products are used on sites where the level of groundwater is quite high. The installed wall helps to carry out construction work when the foundation is laid deep. The slopes remain vertical.
For the installation of underground parts of the structure, such piles are not used, they act only as an auxiliary element for strengthening trenches and pits. However, in some cases they serve as the outer shell of the foundation.
