History of sheet piling

For over 90 years, steel sheet piling has been a tried and tested method in specialist foundation and hydraulic engineering. As a result of continuous improvements in the methods of installation, this technique is characterized by high cost-effectiveness and an ever increasing range of applications.

The main area of application is the retention of excavation pits in areas where there is no space for a slope or where sealing against positive water pressure is required. Here, sheet piles are used to create a rigid barrier, which is removed after completion of the construction works and backfilling of the excavation pit.

The individual sheet piles are connected to each other by a vertical interlocking system (tongue and groove) to form a continuous wall of sheet piling. During installation, each sheet pile is guided laterally by the interlock of the previously driven sheet pile and connected to it positively and watertight.

Steel sheet piling can be made to be practically watertight. It is also possible to work below the water table inside an excavation pit enclosed by sheet piling (sheet piling cofferdam). Sheet piling retaining walls can be sealed at the bottom of the excavation by the following methods: underwater concrete slab, jet-grouted base slab, soft gel horizontal cut-off or temporary dewatering with pumps (dewatering system).

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