Today, sheet piles are used frequently in the construction of underground car parks and basements. Manufacturers are designing and installing a variety of sheet pile retaining walls according to the ground conditions and individual project requirements. Sheet pile walls can either be used in a temporary or permanent works application.
When sheet piles are used in permanent works, there is a possibility of achieving a high quality finish to such an extent that outward face of steel can be painted rather than building a concrete facing wall to place in front of the sheet piles. Sheet piles have been widely used in the construction of multiple underground car parks located within the basement structures and they have proved to be extremely efficient and cost effective.
Sheet pile walls when used as permanent structural elements in the construction of car parks or roads play multiple roles. A sheet pile wall :
Provides watertight containment for the excavation pit.
Serves as the permanent outer structural wall.
Serves as a retaining wall especially during the excavation phase in order to support the horizontal pressures better.
Sheet pile applications provide a number of benefits. Sheet pile walls can:
Maximise the available space, a highly needed feature especially in the urban centres.
Shortens the overall construction time.
Reduces the total cost of the project or building being constructed.
Sheet piles can be easily given a new look once the construction is complete with paint. Sheet pile application does not require a lot of time nor space for installation. Apart from providing water tightness during the excavation phase, sheet pile walls can also carry horizontal loads from earth pressures.
Sheet piles are usually delivered and used as welded double piles. Underground car park sheet piles are an extremely constructive component, shaped in a way that provides suitable depth below the floor of the excavation. Due to their exceptional benefits and help in rapid construction of the site, sheet piles today are used around the world in the construction of ports and harbours, bridge abutments, road widening retaining walls, flood defense system and river control structures.
This article comes from escpile edit released