Vinyl Sheet Piling

Vinyl sheet piling is a relatively new type of sheet piling which can be applied in a wide variety of ways for seawalls and other applications of sheet piling. It is generally manufactured by continuous extrusion. The raw material, plastic resin compound, is melted and pushed through a die. This die shapes the plastic into the computer aided design cross section. The sheet is then cooled and cut to length. The sheets can be extruded to the length required for different retaining wall applications.

Vinyl sheet piling comes in a number of configurations. The individual sheets have interlocking male and female edges. The interlocking edges are extruded as part of the sheet to insure consistent strength throughout the retaining wall. As is the case with other sheet piling, vinyl sheet piling requires transition pieces such as corners and intersections. These are designed to interface properly with the other sheet piling the manufacturer makes.

Vinyl sheet piling is made of a modified polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which makes it suitable for most marine environments and not subject to leaching, corrosion or similar deterioration mechanisms. The technology that has brought us vinyl siding for homes, plastic automotive parts such as bumpers and dashboards, and durable home appliances, is now being utilized to produce a sheet piling for marine retaining walls, sea walls or bulkheads. The vinyl also includes a UV stabilizer to reduce deterioration due to sunlight.

Because vinyl sheet piling generally has a low modulus of elasticity and strength relative to metal sheet piling, deflection frequently becomes the governing factor in the design of the wall, and should be determined in the design process.

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