Why are secant pile wall used?
A Secant Piled Wall is a retaining wall constructed for ground retention prior to excavation. The wall is formed by constructing alternating primary (female) and secondary (male) piles where the secondary piles partially cut into either side of the primary piles in order to form a continuous impervious structure.
What is the difference between sheet piling and secant piling?
The advantages of secant pile walls are that, compared to sheet piling methods, they can provide greater wall stiffness. They are also capable of being installed in low headroom and in difficult ground conditions.
Are secant piles watertight?
The overlapping concrete piles that form a secant pile wall create a water resistant barrier which can eliminate issues of scouring caused by tides, wave action and weather. Another great advantage of secant piling is that the installation process involves significantly less noise and vibration than sheet piling.
What is the main benefit of using sheet piles compared to secant piles?
The main advantages of secant or tangent pile walls are: Increased wall stiffness compared to sheet piles. 3. Can be installed in difficult ground (cobbles/boulders).
When would you use secant piles?
Secant Pile Walls are usually installed as retaining structures and support systems for deep foundations, retaining elements and at the same time load-bearing walls and deep foundations for engineering constructions (e.g. walls and foundations of underground storeys, stand-alone and framed bridgeheads, etc.).
What is a secant retaining wall?
Secant pile walls are formed by constructing intersecting reinforced concrete piles. Secant pile walls are reinforced with either steel rebar or with steel beams and are constructed by drilling under mud. Pile overlap is typically in the order of 3 inches (8 cm).
What is the main benefit of using sheet piles compared to Secant piles?
How much overlap does a Secant pile wall have?
Pile overlap is typically in the order of 3 inches (8 cm). In a tangent pile wall, there is no pile overlap as the piles are constructed flush to each other. The main advantages of Secant Pile Walls are: Increased construction alignment flexibility.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of secant piles?
The advantages of secant pile walls are that, compared to sheet piling methods, they can provide greater wall stiffness. They are also capable of being installed in low headroom and in difficult ground conditions . The disadvantages are that vertical tolerances may be difficult to achieve for deep piles,…
What kind of rebar is used for secant piles?
The secant piles are reinforced with either steel rebar or with steel beams and are constructed by either drilling under mud or augering. Primary piles are installed first with secondary (male) piles constructed in between primary (female) piles once the latter gain sufficient strength.
Can a pile wall be used as a retaining wall?
Pile walls can be used to create permanent or temporary retaining walls. They are formed by placing piles directly adjacent to one another. Pile walls can be either closely-spaced contiguous piles walls or secant pile walls.