Tips & Advice Posts

Several years ago, concrete technology did not have all of the wonderful advancements we have today. Today we have high performance concrete that has additives to increase strength and overall performance. Not to mention, the current preferred method of delivery is pumping concrete into place. Back when our Dads were pouring concrete, they didn’t have to worry so much about concrete pressure on their formwork.If you are a project manager, superintendent or working around concrete formwork you should be aware of these important factors to avoid overloading your concrete forms:

1. Know the capacity of the concrete formwork system you are using.
2. Know the capacity of the delivery system you are using – concrete pump, bucket, etc.
3. Be aware of the additives used in your concrete mix.
4. Be aware of the concrete mix properties.
5. Know the temperature of your concrete.
6. Know the concrete placement rate your formwork is able to withstand.

As you can see, there are many factors to consider. If your placement rate is faster than the formwork is rated, you may want to adjust your concrete temperature, additives or formwork system to ensure your concrete pour is safe. If you have a need for concrete formwork, you can see the available forms we have for sale here. In addition, we’d be happy to help you sell your used concrete formwork here. If you have any questions or would like additional information please call us at 1-800-541-7998 or email sales@eiffeltrading.comCheers,AndrewAndrew Norman is one of the co-founders of Eiffel Trading. His background is in Heavy-Civil and Marine Construction in Project Management and Procurement. He has worked on many projects pouring thousands of yards of concrete with EFCO, DOKA and SYMONS concrete formwork.

Would you run your truck without oil? If you don’t clean and oil your formwork after each use, you are going to damage your formwork and eventually render it useless. It’s not a surprise that clean formwork translates into beautiful concrete. Here are some easy formwork maintenance tips to help keep the concrete you’re pouring looking beautiful:

1. Clean the face of the form after each concrete pour. It sounds simple and it is, but you need to clean the face immediately after removing it from the wall. You can use a burlap bag and water to clean the forms while the concrete is still green.
2. Oil your formwork! This coincides with the opening statement of this post. By oiling your formwork before and after each use, you are going to keep your formwork looking new for years. The cost of the form oil is a small maintenance cost when compared to buying new forms.
3. If you have steel formwork, use a passive form oil. Passive form oil, when compared to reactive form oil, will leave less dust on your concrete formwork. It’s important to follow step number 1, whether you are using passive or reactive form oil.
4. When applying form oil, you want to make sure you only apply a thin layer. Less is more. If you apply too much form oil, you will leave a layer of dust on the forms after the concrete is poured which will increase the amount of formwork cleaning time.

If you regularly maintain your concrete formwork, you will have a revenue producing asset for many years. Whether you own or are renting formwork, you should always make sure the forms are properly cleaned and maintained after each concrete pour. If you are in the market to purchase used concrete formwork, our inventory of concrete formwork can be found here. In addition, you can advertise your concrete formwork for sale by clicking here. Please feel free to give us a call if you have any questions at 1-800-541-7998 or email sales@eiffeltrading.com.Cheers,AndrewAndrew Norman is one of the co-founders of Eiffel Trading. His background is in Heavy-Civil and Marine Construction in Project Management and Procurement. He has worked on many projects pouring thousands of yards of concrete with EFCO, DOKA and SYMONS formwork.

For the past 4 years, Eiffel Trading has worked with several notable construction projects to help liquidate unwanted project assets. We have moved several million pounds of steel, cranes, barges, yellow iron, pick-up trucks and the list goes on. Previously, we would send out emails to our subscribers announcing these liquidation sales and provide them with the list of assets our customers were looking to move quickly. We noticed the need to have large lists prominently displayed, so we have created a special section of our marketplace labeled “Liquidations”.The Liquidations tab is like going to the Bargain Cave at Cabela’s, but for the equipment and material you need!When you are buying equipment and material for your project, you’d be smart to check out Liquidations on Eiffel Trading before looking anywhere else.For Buyers:

• Large inventory of used construction equipment and material readily available
• Locate the asset you need in your region
• Huge cost savings

If you have a project winding down (especially a joint venture), closing down your business, or just need to generate some quick cash by selling your used construction assets – Liquidations is for YOU!For Sellers:

• Exposure to a global buyer base of fellow contractors
• Use Smart Demobilization practices and list your assets at projected availability dates
• Dedicated marketing via print, social and email
• Manage the salvage value of your assets by controlling the sale price – not an auction

To learn more about getting your assets listed in Liquidations on Eiffel Trading, contact sales@eiffeltrading.com. If you want to be the first to know about new Liquidations, you can sign up for the mailing list here!Cheers,AndrewAndrew Norman is one of the co-founders of Eiffel Trading. He has experience in Project Management and Procurement for large federal and municipal construction projects. During his time working in Project Management, he saw the need to help contractors liquidate large projects quickly, efficiently and effectively.

Choosing the correct steel pipe for your project is extremely important. There are several ways pipe can be manufactured and each manufacturing process has limitations. The design engineer will specify pipe that has been manufactured by a specific process. However, you may be able to substitute a pipe that has been manufactured by an alternate process and still achieve the engineer’s intended design capacity – especially if the steel pipe is used for temporary works.DSAW Steel PipeDouble Submerged Arc Welded (DSAW) steel pipe is formed from rolling steel plates into a cylindrical shape. The edge of the plate is beveled on both sides which forms V-shape grooves on the interior and exterior surfaces as the steel plates are rolled into a cylinder. The V-Shape groove is then welded on the interior and exterior surfaces simultaneously in a single pass of an arc welder. This produce a full penetration weld along the pipe seam. DSAW Pipe can be manufactured in both spiral and straight seam formats. DSAW steel pipe can be used in high pressure applications, as a structural member and for pipe piling. DSAW steel pipe can be found in sizes from 18 inch to 72 inch OD.Seamless Steel PipeSeamless steel pipe is manufactured by extruding solid round billets to the desired length. Seamless pipe is produced by piercing a solid round billet of deoxidized and conditioned steel that has been heated to the proper temperature. The steel is then processed through a series of mills that finish the pipe to the proper dimensions. For seamless pipes over 14 inches they are usually rotary rolled from 14 inch seamless shells that expand the diameter and reduce the wall until the proper dimensions are achieved. Seamless steel pipe is ideally used in high pressure applications. Seamless steel pipe can be found in sizes from 1/8 inch to 26 inch OD.ERW Steel PipeElectronic Resistance Welded (ERW) steel pipe is formed from a ribbon of steel that is pulled through a series of rollers that form it into a cylinder and is fused together by an electric charge. The seam of an ERW steel pipe is straight. ERW steel pipe is ideally used in low to medium pressure applications. ERW pipe can be found in sizes from 2-3/8 inch to 24 inch OD.SAW Steel PipeSubmerged Arc Welded (SAW) steel pipe is formed from hot rolled coil steel by automatic submerged weld under normal atmospheric temperatures. SAW steel pipe has two subcategories Longitudinal Submerged Arc Welded (LSAW) steel pipe or Spiral Submerged Arc Welded (SSAW) steel pipe. SAW steel pipe is ideally used in high pressure applications, as structural members and for pipe piling. LSAW steel pipe can be found in sizes from 16 inch to 60 inch OD. SSAW steel pipe can be found in sizes from 20 inch to 100 inch OD.These are the most common pipe manufacturing methods. We have a used and surplus pipe inventory from all different manufacturing methods and grades. If you have any used or surplus pipe you are looking to sell, click here to create a free listing or email the inventory to sales@eiffeltrading.com. If you have any questions, please call us at 1-800-541-7998.Cheers,AndrewAndrew Norman is one of the co-founders of Eiffel Trading. His background is in Heavy-Civil and Marine Construction in Project Management and Procurement. While working in Project Management he worked on projects that used SAW and DSAW steel pipe in foundation and structural applications.

Sheet pile is defined as a rolled structural steel section with interlocks on the flange tips that allows the sections to be joined to form a continuous wall. A continuous wall doesn’t necessarily mean a straight wall without corners or angles. When you are driving a cofferdam in the middle of a lake or river, you are going to typically have 4 corners where the sheet pile will need to interlock. How do you keep the wall continuously interlocked – the solution is fabricated sheet pile connectors or extruded sheet pile connectors.Fabricated Sheet Pile ConnectorsFabricated Sheet Pile Connectors can be purchased from the sheet pile manufacturer. The fabricated sheet pile connector is made of up the interlock flange tips, plates and angles all bolted together. The bolts are spaced approximately on 3” centers. These sheet pile connectors can be arranged in all sorts of configurations from 90 degree corners, crosses, tees and bent corners at various angles. Due to the man power of drilling holes, hardware and bolting the pieces together, these sheet pile connectors can be very expensive. Fabricated Sheet Pile Connectors are made for both Z-Section and Flat sheet pile.Extruded Sheet Pile ConnectorsExtruded Connectors are a sheet pile connector that manufactured at the steel mill in one seamless piece. Due to the one-piece construction, the extruded connectors pose less corrosion risk than a comparable fabricated sheet pile connector. Extruded connectors are much lighter than a fabricated connector, which equates to being easier and more cost effective to transport. Here are some of the configurations you can use an extruded connector for: Colt (45 degree), PZ90 (90 degree), Cobra (135 degree), Tee (PZTEE, Joker, Bullhead, CBF) and many more. The extruded connectors are manufactured for both Z-Section and Flat sheet pile.Our friends over at PilePro have brought extruded connectors into the 21st Century. In addition to the typical connectors mentioned above, they manufacture connectors for sheet pile with different interlock types. For example, they have a 90 degree connector that will work with any sheet pile interlock type, whether it’s cold-formed, larssen or ball and socket. In addition to the angled connectors, they also offer extruded connectors that allow you to drive a straight wall with different sheet pile interlocks. If you are on a project that has existing sheet pile with larssen interlocks and you need to tie into those sheets with a ball and socket interlocked sheet pile, they have a solution for that.With multiple solutions to connect your sheet pile, driving sheet pile in different configurations is easier than ever. If you are looking to buy or sell used sheet pile, give us a call at 1-800-541-7998 or email sales@eiffeltrading.com.Cheers,AndrewAndrew Norman is one of the co-founders of Eiffel Trading. His background is in Heavy-Civil and Marine Construction in Project Management and Procurement. While working in Project Management he worked on several projects using both extruded and fabricated sheet pile connectors.P.S. Check out the MarketScale Podcast with Andrew Norman talking about e-commerce in construction.<iframe src="https://widget.spreaker.com/player?episodeid=14443932&theme=light&autoplay=false&playlist=false&coverimage_url=https%3A%2F%2Fd3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net%2Fimages.spreaker.com%2Foriginal%2F1219ac5b73348552f179b84cf2efcf93.jpg" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe>

When it comes to purchasing used steel beams, plate, pipe, sheet pile or crane access trestle, it is important to understand what different pricing terms mean. What happens when suppliers are giving you prices in CWT, Tons, Tonnes and Gross Tons? How can you compare your quotes apples to apples?Example: We are going to order 400 linear feet of used W36x232 beams at 40’ lengths. The steel beams come out to 92,800 pounds of steel. The price is listed at $0.30/LB.PoundsThe example already lists the used beams at $0.30/LB.HudredweightHundredweight or commonly written as CWT refers to the price for steel for every 100 pounds. To convert the price per pound to hundred weight, you will multiply the price by 100.Used beams at $0.30/LB equals $30/CWTTonsWhen pricing steel per ton, we are referring to the “short ton” or “net ton”. Steel mills frequently give you pricing on their steel beams in tons. To convert the price per pound to price per ton, you will multiply the price by 2,000.Used beams at $0.30/LB equals $600/TonTonnesOver the phone, Tonnes is pronounced the same as tons, but is an entirely different form of measurement. A Tonne is a metric tonne or MT, which is equivalent to 1,000 KG. This standard of measurement is common with steel sold outside of the United States. To convert the price per pound to price per tonne, you will multiply the price by 2,204.62.Used beams at $0.30/LB equals $661.39/TonneGross TonsGross tons are primarily used to measure scrap steel. Gross ton is also known as “long ton” or “imperial ton”. A gross ton is 12% larger than a short ton. To convert the price per pound to price per gross ton, you will multiply the price by 2,240.Used beams at $0.30/LB equals $672/Gross TonAs you can see through these examples, any pricing you receive can easily be converted into a price per pound. Any used steel beams, plate, pipe, sheet pile or crane access trestle listed on Eiffel Trading is priced per pound. If you would like to learn more or have any questions buying or selling used equipment and material please call us at 1-800-541-7998 or email sales@eiffeltrading.com.Cheers,AndrewAndrew Norman is one of the co-founders of Eiffel Trading. His background is in Heavy-Civil and Marine Construction in Project Management and Procurement. While working in project procurement on large government contracts he would frequently compare steel pricing from multiple suppliers and vendors.

On my last Opportunity Cost blog post we covered Equipment Rent vs. Purchase. To recap: Opportunity Cost is loosely defined as the loss of a potential gain from other alternatives when one alternative is chosen. What are you giving up when choosing between two options. This time we are going to explore the opportunity cost between buying used material vs. renting material.Used Sheet Pile Rent vs. PurchaseAfter you are officially awarded a project, everyone shifts into overdrive to get the project material procured. It’s important not to let the rush of procuring everything skew your decision making to miss out on potential cost savings. If you are building a bridge where sheet pile is needed for a cofferdam, you have 3 options: purchase new sheet pile, purchase used sheet pile or rent sheet pile.For example, let’s say you are needing 300 wall feet of PZ-27 sheet pile at 40’ lengths. The cofferdam work on your project will last approximately 6 months. You have narrowed it down to either renting the sheet pile or purchasing the used sheet pile option your friends at Eiffel Trading located for you. You have also decided that when you are done with your sheet pile, you’re going to have Eiffel Trading help you sell them, if you decide to buy the used sheet pile option.300 wall feet of PZ-27 at 40’ lengths weighs 324,000 LBS.On the rental here are the approximate costs:Mobilization: 7 loads at $2500/load = $17,500.001st Month’s Rent: $0.20/LB x 324,000 LBS = $64,800Next 5 Month’s Rent: $0.02/LB x 324,000LBS x 5 Months = $32,400Demobilization: $17,500.00Total estimated cost for renting sheet pile: $132,200.00Keep in mind when you rent sheet pile, you are liable for any damage or cut-off that happens. For this example we aren’t even counting those costs. If you’ve ever rented sheet pile, you know there’s always some sort of damage/loss that you will have to pay.Before we get to the used option, it hardly ever works out where you will find the exact length and quantity of used sheet pile extremely close to your project. To give a more accurate example, we will increase the trucking costs and assume 300 wall feet of PZ-27 at 45’ = 364,500 LBSMobilization: 8 loads at $3000/load = $24,000Purchase Price: $0.40/LB x 364,500 LBS = $145,800Sale Price: $0.35/LB x 364,500 LBS = <$127,575>Demobilization: $0Total estimated cost for purchasing used sheet pile and reselling them: $42,225.00Based on this estimate we are talking almost a 70% savings when you purchase and resell used sheet pile!As you can see, if you buy used sheet pile and resell them at the end of the project, you will be able to save tens of thousands of dollars when compared to renting or buying new sheet pile. When you sell the used sheet pile at the end of the project, you are eliminating any demobilization costs associated with that line item. By planning ahead and thinking about Smart Demobilization at the start of your project, you can save your budget thousands of dollars. If you would like to learn more or have any questions buying or selling used equipment and material please call us at 1-800-541-7998 or email sales@eiffeltrading.com.Cheers,AndrewAndrew Norman is one of the co-founders of Eiffel Trading. His background is in Heavy-Civil and Marine Construction in Project Management and Procurement. His experience working on multiple projects left him frustrated with the previous options out there to help contractors buy and sell equipment and material. He has helped contractors save millions of dollars by helping them implement Smart Demobilization practices.

In the heavy-civil and marine construction industry, choosing the right transportation can make or break your budget. Two common modes of transporting construction material involve barges and trucks. It goes without saying that barges are substantially larger than semi-trailers and can carry significantly greater loads. An average barge can handle ~1,500 tons of cargo compared to an average truck that can handle ~24 tons of cargo. Here are a couple things to consider when you’re thinking about using a barge or truck for your project’s transportation:LengthThe length of the material you are hauling can significantly impact the price of transportation. For trucks, most trailers range from 48’-53’ and the DOT allows you to have some overhang (depending on state). If you are hauling 100’ sheet pile, your trucking costs will increase substantially due to having to permit and escort the load (again, depending on the state). Most standard hopper barges are able to easily fit material over 150’ in length.AccessHow close is your steel mill or supplier from a barge loading facility? Do you have a barge offloading capabilities on your site? If your supplier does not have barge loading capabilities, you will have to truck the material to a stevedore, then pay them to load your barge. In addition, if you do not have barge offloading capabilities on your site, you will have to find a stevedore again and pay them to offload your barge, then load the material onto trucks to finish up the transport. The stevedore and extra trucking costs can add up quickly.TimingIf you are needing material within the next couple days, trucking will most likely be the quicker option. Barge transportation is more suited for when you have large quantities of material that have several days/weeks before they need to arrive.Another time related factor when using a barge is demurrage. Demurrage is the charge assessed for detaining a vessel beyond the free time stipulated for loading or unloading in the contract. It is extremely important to make sure you have consider loading and offloading time properly when using barge transportation. Demurrage can be up to several hundred dollars/day.VolumeA single barge can transport significantly larger volumes than a single truck. One barge can transport the volume of approximately 60 trucks – depending on the cargo moved. Barges are typically moved in a 15-barge tow. If you only have one or two barges of material, you will need to find a way to get into a tow that is heading your direction. If you are hiring a dedicated tow for one or two barges, the economics will most likely favor trucking the material.As you can see, there are many variables to consider when transporting material via barge or truck. Sometimes the factors aren’t only economics, but feasibility. If you have a construction project starting up that requires working from barges, please check out our large selection of used barges and work boats. If you have any questions, you can reach us at 1-800-541-7998 or email sales@eiffeltrading.com.Cheers,AndrewAndrew Norman is one of the co-founders of Eiffel Trading. His background is in Heavy-Civil and Marine Construction in Project Management and Procurement. Through his work in Project Management, he worked on several projects where steel pipe pile, sheet pile, access trestle, beams and other materials were delivered via barge and trucks.

What is H-Pile? What is H-Pile used for? H-Pile is a structural steel shape that is typically made of 100% recycled content. H-Pile is commonly used as a bearing pile (foundation pile) that is driven into the ground to support large structures. The structures H-Pile supports are almost infinite – bridges, buildings, stadiums, manufacturing centers and the list goes on. Here are some common applications for H-Pile:Bearing PilesAs mentioned in the introduction, H-Pile is mainly designed to be used as a bearing pile for the foundation of a structure. H-Pile resists loads by skin friction, which is how it achieves loading capacity.Walers and BracingAre you building a sheet pile cofferdam, but the section needs support bracing? H-Pile is commonly used as walers and bracing inside cofferdams and on retaining walls to help strengthen the structure.Beam and Lagging WallsBeam and lagging walls are frequently used in deep excavations in urban areas. A beam and lagging wall is made up of beams driven vertically into the ground with hardwood timbers (lagging) placed on the interior of the flanges of two parallel piles to create an earth retention structure. The design property of H-Pile make it an ideal steel section to act as the support beams in the beam and lagging wall.Pile Driving TemplatesIn manufacturer literature, this H-Pile application is frequently left out. Contractors love to use H-Pile for their pile driving templates. The templates are used for driving sheet pile, pipe pile and even h-pile.H-Pile is a very versatile structural shape that has many benefits in the construction industry. If you are looking to purchase or sell your used h-pile, we would be happy to help. You can view our H-Pile inventory or create a listing online. If you have any questions, you can reach us at 1-800-541-7998 or email sales@eiffeltrading.com.Cheers,AndrewAndrew Norman is one of the co-founders of Eiffel Trading. His background is in Heavy-Civil and Marine Construction in Project Management and Procurement. Through his work in Project Management, he worked on several projects where H-Pile was used as walers, templates and bearing piles.

What happens when sheet pile isn’t strong enough to carry the required loads and you don’t have enough room to put in a sheet pile cell? Answer: Combined Walls aka Combi-Walls. A combi-wall is comprised of a king pile (either beam or pipe) and a pair of intermediary sheet pile. The king pile will have sheet pile interlocks on either side to allow the sheet pile to connect. In a combi-wall the king pile carriers the majority of the load. The sheet pile in a combi-wall can be shorter, typically 60%-80% of the length of the king pile. When you are designing a combi-wall you should ask yourself if your king pile is going to be a beam or pipe?Beam King Pile – Advantages• Most beams can be manufactured with the interlocks built into the flange – eliminating any need for welding interlock connectors• Shallower depth than the pipe system, reducing intrusion into waterwaysPipe King Pile – Advantages• A pipe combi-wall system has a much greater range of strengths due to the large pipes that can be manufactured for the system.• Can have a greater strength to weight and stiffness to weight ratios than a beam systemEither way you choose, a combi-wall will prove to be a reliable system for your deep excavations, breakwaters, deep cofferdams or other large retaining structures. Before you design your temporary combi-wall, check out our inventory of sheet pile and combi-wall. If you are in the market to buy or sell your used sheet pile or combi-wall, you can reach us at sales@eiffeltrading.com or 1-800-541-7998.Cheers,AndrewAndrew Norman is one of the co-founders of Eiffel Trading. His background is in Heavy-Civil and Marine Construction in Project Management and Procurement. Through his work in Project Management, he worked on several projects involving cofferdams and retaining structures.