Driving Innovation Below Ground.

The best measure of strength to compare steel sheet pile systems is bending moment capacity, which incorporates section modulus and steel grade into one number independent of lifespan or safety factor. Thus, a higher grade of steel results in a stronger wall for less weight.

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O-Pile® systems typically have a higher strength to weight ratio compared to very heavy Z or combined sheet pile walls as they can be made using high strength coiled steel that exceeds the capabilities of hot rolled sheet pile, allowing for a much larger bending moment capacity. For example, O-Pile® is available in X70 steel to provide 70,000 yield strength, whereas hot rolled sheet pile is limited to less than 65,000 and typically uses steel with a yield strength of 50,000. Steel grade has a marked impact on the structural resistance of the pile wall. Also, selecting a stronger steel grade such as X70 or X80 often allows using piles of smaller diameter or wall thickness.

DTH utilizes state-of-the-art down the hole drilling techniques that allow driving into any ground or rock strata. The O-Pile®: DTH Pile is installed with the centric drilling method using ring bits of a larger diameter than standard bits. The ring bit drills a hole larger than the pile to accommodate the WOF/ WOM connectors. Pipe diameters from 16” (323mm) to 54” can be installed using O-Pile®: DTH.

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O-Pile®: DTH systems can be driven into environments where the rock strata exceeds 120 megapascals or other difficult environments at levels of productivity not achieved before by using the state-of-the-art Down-the-Hole (DTH) drilling technique. DTH drilling has been used in post-glacial soils of Norway, boulders of Sweden, granite of Finland, deep bedrock of Hong Kong, next to a dams in Canada and building a tunnel in the Chesapeake Bay connecting Virginia to Maryland.

Development of new Down The Hole (DTH) techniques, especially the introduction of new air control bits, is making DTH drilling safer and more environmentally friendly than ever before. Using DTH in urban areas and in sensitive ground is now possible; plus, there is no danger of overdrilling or air escaping, which could otherwise cause settlements to existing structures.

Double pipe thickness allows you to “dial-in” the specified thickness to meet your specific structural load and durability needs to ensure overall safety. Thickness can be increased specifically at the splash- and low-water zones for increased durability via “sacrificial thickness” where the sheet pile experiences the greatest corrosive effect. For example, with a spliced 100’ pipe, the thickness of the upper 20’ of pipe can be engineered for corrosion allowance, while the bottom 80’ is specified to meet load bearing needs. This makes coatings, special steel grades, cathodic protection or other costly measures unnecessary. In total, O-Pile® systems give the most efficient use of steel and therefore the most cost-effective solution for durability.

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O-Pile® saves costs over combined, Z and U sheet pile with easier application of corrosion protection compared to other geometries, and by having a minimized exposed surface.

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Furthermore, the interior of the pipe can be sealed off (capped or filled) from oxygen infiltration to avoid corrosion on the inside surface. Also, concrete can be poured inside the O-Pile® itself, further increasing strength while also preventing oxidation or corrosion on the interior surface. This is in contrast to a combined sheet pile system, which has all of its surface faces exposed to corrosive elements. 

Flexibility with O-Pile® systems works in two ways: the flexibility within the ball and socket interlock, and the flexibility offered by the pipes. Interlocks can be added to make any angle along the radius of the pipe. Each WOF/WOM connection provides ~20° of rotation to ease placement.

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Both options allow for the centerline or driving line to turn, whether to avoid obstructions or just to conform to the designed wall shape without requiring in the field custom fabrication, cutting, or welding.

The O-Pile® pipe sheet pile system is supported throughout their installation, whereas combined sheet pile systems are not. Installation is simplified by the use of a template and panel method. The installation of the O-Pile section is similar to driving PZ/PZC in a basic two frame template. At no stage is there an O-Pile® entirely unsupported throughout its length as it is driven to grade. Each section is supported by adjacent section(s) with a small lead ahead of the rest, ensuring accurate wall alignment.

WOM/WOF® connectors on O-Pile® systems have superior interlock strength. The high pull-out resistance of the WOM/WOF® ball and socket connection is over 4 times stronger than Larssen interlocking hot rolled sheet pile (20 kips/inch 3418 kN/m vs 4.6 kips/inch 801 kN/m).

High capacity O-Pile systems achieve strength by increasing pipe diameter. This minimizes weight gain per sqft (sqm) and radically improves strength:weight ratio efficiency.

The surcharge and lateral load-bearing capacity is significantly higher than standard U or Z-type sheet pile or combined wall systems of similar weight, because of its circular geometry.

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