Steel sheet piling is a manufactured construction product with a mechanical connection “interlock” at both ends of the section. These mechanical connections interlock with one another to form a continuous wall of sheet piling. Steel sheet pile applications are typically designed to create a rigid barrier for earth and water, while resisting the lateral pressures of those bending forces. The shape or geometry of a section lends to the structural strength. In addition, the soil in which the section is driven has numerous mechanical properties that can affect the performance.
Steel sheet piling is classified in two construction applications, permanent and temporary. A permanent application is “stay-in-place” where the sheet piling wall is driven and remains in the ground. A temporary application provides access and safety for construction in a confined area. Once the work is completed, the sheet piling is removed.
Z sections are considered one of the most efficient piles available today. Having the interlocks located at the outer fibers of the wall, assures the designer of their published section modulus.
Z-Piles are commonly used for Cantilevered, Tied-Back, King Pile and Combi-Wall retaining systems. Additional applications also include load bearing bridge abutments.
Innovative New Wider, Lighter, Stronger PZC Sheet Piling
L.B. Foster Piling and Gerdau work together as strategic partners to provide the cost savings of innovative PZC sheet piling to customers throughout North America.
• wider sections maximize production
• lighter sections minimize required steel
• stronger sections increase strength per pound
• superior ball & socket interlock
• PZC™ is a registered trademark of Gerdau.
L.B. Foster Z-Piling is produced with a Ball & Socket (B&S) interlock. The B&S permits flexibility upon setting, yet is extremely durable under driving conditions compared to other interlock systems. In addition, the B&S will outperform other systems in temporary, reuse applications.
All PZC Piling is produced with a Ball & Socket (B&S) interlock. The B&S permits flexibility upon setting, yet is extremely durable under driving conditions compared to other interlock systems. In addition, the B&S will outperform other systems in temporary and reuse applications. All PZC Sheet Pile sections interlock with each other.
Compared to Z – Pile, PS sheet piles offer minimal beam strength. They are typically used for circular cell design. This application applies hoop stress to the sheets, which is transferred to the interlock. The PS Thumb & Finger (T&F) interlock is a three-point contact connection that provides superior pull strength to counter those forces.
Although circular cell design with flat sheets is considered old technology, it is a solid, proven application that is still used by today’s engineers. The OPEN CELL® design is an innovative concept that has taken this “old technology” into the 21st century. The OPEN CELL® trademark is used with the permission of PND Engineers, Inc.
PS Flat Sheet Pile Technical Data
L.B. Foster Piling supplies everything you need to complete a project. From coated piles to points and splicers, pile connectors, fabricated corners and joint sealant, L.B. Foster Piling is your single source for piling accessories.
For specific more information please click on the following PDF links:
L.B. Foster Piling provides the cost savings of actual 12" pipe piling to customers in North America. Our new TRU 12™ piling is manufactured to meet the same performance requirements as standard 12.75" round piling. Domestically produced TRU 12 ERW pipe piling has an actual 12" OD diameter with up to a 1/2" wall. TRU 12 is an innovative piling solution that can meet demanding project budgets and requirements.
Similar to H-Piles, Pipe Piles are also designed to transfer structural loads through the foundation to soils below. Where H-Piles are typically classified as point bearing, Pipe Piles are most efficient as friction piles. Pipe Piles have substantial surface area that interacts with the surrounding soil to provide great frictional load resistance.
Pipe Piles are also used in conjunction with sheet piles to add lateral stiffness and bending resistance where loads exceed the capacity of sheet piles alone.
L.B. Foster provides ERW, DSAW and Spiralweld pipe pile in a wide range of sizes and lengths to meet your requirements. In addition, L.B. Foster provides value added services such as coating and welding to facilitate complete pipe pile solutions. The piling shown on this page was coated and welded into 160’ lengths.
Electric Resistance Weld pipe is normally produced in sizes from 2 3/8 inch OD thru 24 inch OD.
ERW is produced from individual sheets or continuously from rolls of skelp. There are two important differences in the production of ERW pipe as versus CW pipe. ERW pipe is cold formed into a cylindrical shape rather than hot formed. An electric current rather than a flame is used to heat the edges of the strip for the fusion weld. Revolving copper discs serve as electrodes and raise the temperature to about 2600°F for effective welding. As in CW pipe, no extraneous metal is added; in fact, due to the extreme pressure of the rolls, steel is extruded on both the inside and outside of the pipe at the point of the weld. This is called flash and is removed on the O.D. by stationary cutters while still white-hot for A252 grades, and both the I.D. and O.D. for other grades. As in CW production, ERW pipe is subject to numerous finishing operations. ERW pipe is primarily used as API Line pipe for the transmission of gas and oil. It is also used for the transmission of water, under AWWA specifications, as piling and slurry pipe and in mechanical applications.
L.B. Foster provides ERW piling in sizes ranging from 8 5/8" OD to 24" OD with the wall thickness range of 0.250" to 0.625". L.B. Foster is proud to be the exclusive distributor of TRU 12™ ERW pipe piling. TRU 12™ pipe piling is produced with an actual 12" OD diameter versus the common 12.75" OD providing cost savings in weight per foot of pile, shipping costs and construction fill.
Double submerged arc welded pipe (DSAW) derives its name from the welding process wherein the welding arc is submerged in flux while the welding takes place. Both inside and outside welds are required and are usually accomplished in separate processes, hence the word “double.” These separate welds consume a portion of the other, resulting in a single high quality weld nugget.
DSAW pipe is produced in sizes from 18" through 66" OD and wall thicknesses from .250" through 1.5".
Two different processes are used to manufacture DSAW pipe; the pyramid rolls method, and the U-0-E method. The difference in the processes is found only in the method of forming the cylinder. In the pyramid rolls process the cylinder is formed between 3 rolls arranged in a pyramidal fashion. As the name implies, the U-0-E method uses a “U” press, and “O” press for forming. Other parts of the process such as finishing and inspection are similar. Both processes use flat steel plate as the raw material.
DSAW pipe may or may not be cold expanded. Cold expansion is a process where the pipe is expanded (up to 1.5%) to obtain its final OD dimension. In the process, a gain of yield strength results. Expansion is most often utilized in a U-O-E mill due to the need to recover the yield strength lost during forming in the “O” press.
DSAW pipe is normally produced in double random lengths with square ends or beveled for welding.
DSAW pipe is used in high-pressure gas and oil transmission lines (both onshore and offshore), structural members and pipe piles.
Spiral Weld Pipe, as the name implies, is a steel pipe that has a seam running its entire length in a spiral form.
In the past, due to the method of manufacture, Spiral Welded pipe was relegated to low pressure and structural applications. With the development of the Submerged Arc Welding process, the production of large hot rolled coils of sufficient width and the development of dependable non-destructive testing methods, it is now possible to produce Spiral Weld pipe for high-pressure service.
Present Spiral Weld mills consist of a de-coiling device (in the case of strip base material) or a plate preparation table (where the base material is in plate form) a strip connecting welder, straightening rollers, edge preparation tools (shearing and trimming), prebending devices, a three roller bending and cage forming system, an internal welder, an external welder (both Submerged Arc), ultrasonic testing apparatus and cutting devices.
The material passes through all these production stages continuously. The angle between the flat strip being fed into the machine and the finished pipe leaving the machine controls the pipe diameter in ratio to strip width and the angle of the weld in the pipe.
Because of the method of manufacture, a wide variety of diameters can be produced. The diameter tolerance is small, particularly with regard to ovality; and the pipe, due to its axial symmetry, has an inherent straightness. The length range is infinite and is controlled only by the economics of transportation.
Spiral Weld Pipe is used for dredging, slurry, water and other pipelines, as well as piling and structural applications.
Spiral Weld Pipe is produced in accordance with the dimensional and tolerance requirements of various ASTM, AWWA, and API Specifications.
L.B. Foster is the exclusive North American distributor for Northwest Pipe’s spiral pipe piling. Northwest Pipe is an industry leader in the production of spiral weld pipe.
Micropiles are one of the largest growing segments in Deep Foundations today. Also known as “Pin piles” or “Minipiles”, Micropiles are small diameter high capacity pipe piles. They are typically specified in short threaded lengths and installed through various drilling techniques. The addition of grout and threaded bar reinforce the pile in lateral, tensile, and compressive loading.
Depending on pile diameter and soil conditions, Micropiles can extend to depths of 200’ and exceed design loads of 400 kips. The threaded lengths are suited for low access and retrofit applications. In addition, drilled installation methods are being used in new construction where surrounding structures might be sensitive to vibration.
In 2007, L.B. Foster had a tension test was done on 9-5/8″ × .545″ high strength casing, threaded male x female with a 2.5" long 4TPI thread, a thread we commonly apply to micropiles unless other patterns are requested.
Mohr Engineering took three threaded 3ft sections, assembled and torqued to 9,000 ft-lbs, and performed a tension test to failure.
Scope: Provisions of threading services under IAF scope category 17, with the exclusion of section 7.3, design and development.
ISO 9001:2000 Certificate of Registration
ISO /TS 29001 Certificate of Registration
API Specification Q1 Certificate of Registration
API Spec 5CT Certificate of Authority
API Spec 5L Certificate of Authority
For more Micropile product information please contact:
Toll Free: 800.848.6256
E-Mail: info@lbpcp.com
www.lbpcp.com
L.B. Foster is a proud member of the following organizations:
The International Association of Foundation Drilling
International Society for Micropiles
H-Piles are dimensionally square structural beams that are driven in the ground for deep foundation applications. Most soils at or near surface do not have the mechanical properties to support large buildings. As you go deeper into the earth’s geology, there are layers (bearing strata) capable of doing so. H-Piles are manufactured and designed to transfer structural loads to these good bearing soils.
H-Piles are also used in conjunction with sheet piles to add lateral stiffness and bending resistance where loads exceed the capacity of sheet piles alone.
Structural Steel Shapes
Structural shapes distributed by L.B. Foster Piling are rolled to conform to the latest ASTM Structural Steel Specification. Rolling and cutting tolerances shown in this catalog are in conformance with ASTM A6/A6M.
Weights of rolled sections are computed on the basis that one cubic foot of steel weighs 490 lbs. Weights have been calculated on theoretical dimensions and rounded to the nearest pound.
Rolling shapes involves factors such as roll wear, subsequent roll dressing, and temperature variations, which cause actual dimensions to vary slightly from the published dimensions, within the permissible ASTM tolerances. The radii of fillets and rounded edges are likely to change during the rolling process due to roll wear. The listed dimensions of k and k1 generally allow for these wear variations.
Derived design property values have been calculated from the theoretical dimensions, and generally rounded to three significant figures. Fillets have been included in computations of weights and properties.
Full dimension and properties information for the following will be available on our website in the future:
• W Shapes
• Channels (American Standard)
• MC Shapes
Information regarding the full line of L.B. Foster Piling products is currently available in our new Piling Catalog.
L.B. Foster Z-Piling is produced with a Ball & Socket (B&S) interlock. The B&S permits flexibility upon setting, yet is extremely durable under driving conditions compared to other interlock systems. In addition, the B&S will outperform other systems in temporary, reuse applications.
All PZC Piling is produced with a Ball & Socket (B&S) interlock. The B&S permits flexibility upon setting, yet is extremely durable under driving conditions compared to other interlock systems. In addition, the B&S will outperform other systems in temporary and reuse applications. All PZC Sheet Pile sections interlock with each other.
Compared to Z – Pile, PS sheet piles offer minimal beam strength. They are typically used for circular cell design. This application applies hoop stress to the sheets, which is transferred to the interlock. The PS Thumb & Finger (T&F) interlock is a three-point contact connection that provides superior pull strength to counter those forces.
Although circular cell design with flat sheets is considered old technology, it is a solid, proven application that is still used by today’s engineers. The OPEN CELL® design is an innovative concept that has taken this “old technology” into the 21st century. The OPEN CELL® trademark is used with the permission of PND Engineers, Inc.
L.B. Foster Piling offers one of the most comprehensive piling catalogs available today. It includes a complete technical resources section offering hard to find material such as:
• US Steel Design Extracts
• The Bethlehem Piling Catalog
• USACE Piling Specifications
• Summary Results of Direct Comparison of Hot Rolled vs Cold Form
• Steel Making Processes, Practices and Specifications
• Design Concepts
This only describes a fraction of the information contained in the L.B. Foster Piling catalog.
Please click here to request an L.B. Foster Construction Products Catalog
Note: To view DWG and DXF files requires AutoCAD or some viewer software.
Click here to download eDrawings
Click here to download Autodesk DWF Viewer
Combi-Wall systems are comprised of two main sections: steel sheet pile and a king pile. The king pile may be either a steel beam or pipe pile. A section modulus (Sx) of up to 700 in3/ft is achievable through the Peine box pile system. Pipe piling systems are only limited to manufacturing and jobsite restrictions.
L.B. Foster Combi-Walls are an efficient way to achieve high section modulus for those structures which require strength which exceeds that available from traditional sheet pile sections. By utilizing King Piles, typically of Wide Flange, Pipe Pile or Peiner Beams, in conjunction with steel pile and extruded connectors to connect these together, the contractor can achieve an efficient cost effective system.
The King Pile will be driven to a depth necessary to achieve the required passive toe resistance then steel sheet pile can be supplied in shorter lengths to act simply as a barrier for the soils or grade separation that is being constructed. This shorter sheets result in an overall reduction in steel required as well as less driving time.
L.B. Foster utilizes the "Wider, Lighter, Stronger” PZC sections produced by Gerdau Ameristeel which enable us to space the King Pile farther apart due to the laying width of the efficient PZC sections, therefore requiring less installation time.
L.B. Foster Piling is ready to supply the largest assortment of hot rolled Z sheet pile in the market today with the appropriate king pile section to meet your construction requirements.
OPEN CELL bulkheads are an innovative technology used primarily in docks and marine structures. These unique bulkheads simplify construction processes, reduce construction schedules, and eliminate labor intensive tie backs. OPEN CELL structures are flexible steel sheet pile membranes supported by soil contact with embedded sheet pile tail anchor walls.
The first OPEN CELL structure was completed in 1981 for ARCO to support and protect a bridge servicing the oil fields. Since then, hundreds of satisfied owners and contractors have become convinced about the unique performance and low cost of OPEN CELL’s through their own experiences.
View our dedicated OPEN CELL Website. http://www.opencell.us
The system delivers proven performance for both ideal and extreme conditions:
High vertical capacity for localized loads such as cranes or uniform loads from freight can be easily supported. Uniform loads of 5,000 pounds per square foot and concentrated loads of 6,000 tons have been accommodated. In addition, load capacity can be increased by simply extending tail walls even after construction has been completed if project requirements dictate.
The increasing draft of vessels throughout the world has required increased dredge depths. Vertical faces of over 80-feet have been constructed while still maintaining the highest load capacities.
A minimal toe embedment of 10 feet below potential scour depth is a common design tip elevation. This is significantly less than other structure types.
The OPEN CELL system accommodates soft clay and silts, allowing high capacities while still maintaining local and global stability.
The OPEN CELL system is scour insensitive because it derives its strength horizontally from its vertical tail wall and not through passive toe resistance.
Bulkheads have been subjected to severe arctic conditions both in fresh and salt water. The OPEN CELL system has effectively proven itself against the ice prevalent throughout the Alaska arctic.
OPEN CELL structures have survived hundreds of seismic events throughout the Pacific Rim. Not only have they survived, but they have remained in service with no damage noted.
In certain instances structures may need to be constructed in areas with deep deposits of soft material that are subject to significant settlement. Vertical member orientation of OPEN CELL SHEET PILE® systems allows for soil settlement without damage to this flexible membrane structure. Also, due to the flexible nature of OPEN CELL systems, differential settlement can be accommodated without loss of strength.
Recent OPEN CELL design projects:
L.B. Foster Piling can meet most protective coating specifications for pipe, flat, Z and H piling.
Please contact our sales professionals for more information regarding corrosion protection.
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