Marine Construction: Timber, Concrete, or Steel Piles?

The type of piles you need for your marine construction project depend on factors like the necessary load-bearing capacity and where the piles will be driven (what type of soil, which type of climate, etc.) For basic marine construction, timber piles and concrete piles can often get the job done just fine and save you a bit of money. For projects that require deep foundations, steel pipe piles and H-piles are often a better solution. Each category of piles comes with its own advantages that make it best-suited for certain applications. Below is some information about the most common pile driving selections:

Timber Piles

Timber piles are the oldest option on the market. They’ve been a tried-and-true choice for pile driving for a couple of thousands of years. They’re used for foundations for a variety of construction projects as well as for building piers, docks, marinas, and shoring. Timber piles are also one of the cheapest types of piles and cost about half of what other popular choices do. Most timber piles are tapered in shape, which increases their friction capabilities and allows them to support pretty heavy loads. They are ideal for use in acid soils and have the added benefit of not being a source of conduction for electricity. They can be easily cut to desired sizes using chainsaws. The downside to utilizing timber piles is that they are the most prone to corrosion, in comparison to other pile materials.

Concrete Piles

Concrete piles are typically prestressed and precast. They’re a hardy and budget-friendly category of pile and are common for a variety of uses in marine construction, particularly because they are quite resistant to corrosion. They are frequently prefabricated based on the particular needs of a project and are driven into the ground using either a diesel or a hydraulic hammer. They come in various shapes, including square, octagonal, and circular.

Steel Pipe Piles

This is one of your best bets for deep foundation applications in marine construction. If you need the pile driven deep below soil into areas of rock, steel pipe piles far outdo options like timber piles or concrete piles, which simply aren’t designed to be driven so deep. Steel pipe piles also have a greater load-bearing capacity as well as better resistance to bending in comparison to concrete and timber. They’re often used in marine construction to help build bridges, buildings, wharfs, quay walls, trestles, combiwalls, and bulkheads. Steel pipe piles have large surface areas, which enables them to provide a large amount of load resistance in the form of friction in addition to enabling them to provide superior point bearing capabilities.

There are various types of steel pipe piles: stainless steel, carbon steel, carbon steel with epoxy coating, duplex stainless steel, etc. Stainless steel types are the most protective against corrosion, with duplex stainless steel pipe piles being the most anti-corrosive for use in sea water.

H-Pile and Wide Flange Beams

In addition to steel pipe piles, H-piles and wide flange beams are a solid choice for deep foundation projects. They are dimensionally square steel beams (in the shape of an H) that can be driven below weak soil layers into hard rock or into deeper bearing strata soils. They don’t bend easily at all and have excellent load-bearing capabilities. They’re great for building foundations that support large buildings or heavy bridges. When steel beams are a part of the equation, you can be sure that you have an ultra-strong foundation that will keep your marine structure reinforced.

All of the types of piles listed above can be bought new or used. Most, if purchased used, can be cut-to-size to meet the needs of a particular project.

BUY AND SELL WITH EIFFEL TRADING

Eiffel Trading’s online marketplace boast a wide variety of new and used construction materials, including h pile beams are constantly being updated, but if you don’t see what you’re looking for, wide flange beams, and steel pipe. Furthermore, our equipment inventory ranges from foundation equipment, to barges, and everything in between.

All of our listings are constantly being updated, but if you don’t see what you’re looking for, create a wanted listing for free.

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