GEOTECHNICAL

1. Retaining Wall for Basement Construction

Secant Pile Walls
Sheet Pile Wall
In traditional construction, sheet piles have been used as a temporary excavation
support system for construction of basements. Using the sheet piles as a permanent
structure can provide an effective and economical option for swift basement
construction with minimal space. The sheet pile wall is typically painted to provide an
aesthetic finish for a visually pleasing basement area. The interlocks can be sealed or
welded for effective water cutoff. sheet piles have been successfully used in basement
car parks in Malaysia and Mexico.

Sheet piles are used frequently in the construction of underground car parks and
basements. Manufacturers are designing and installing a variety of sheet pile retaining
walls according to the ground conditions and individual project requirements. Sheet
pile walls can either be used in a temporary or permanent works application.

When sheet piles are used in permanent works, there is a possibility of achieving a
high quality finish to such an extent that outward face of steel can be painted rather
than building a concrete facing wall to place in front of the sheet piles. Sheet piles
have been widely used in the construction of multiple underground car parks located
within the basement structures and they have proved to be extremely efficient and cost
effective.
 
Sheet pile walls when used as permanent structural elements in the construction of car
parks or roads play multiple roles. A sheet pile wall:
 Provides watertight containment for the excavation pit
 Serves as the permanent outer structural wall
 Serves as a retaining wall especially during the excavation phase in order to
support the horizontal pressures better.
Sheet pile applications provide few of the benefits. Sheet pile walls can:
 
 Maximise the available space, a highly needed feature especially in the urban
centres
 Shortens the overall construction time
 Reduces the total cost of the project or building being constructed.

Sheet piles can be easily given a new look once the construction is complete with
paint. Sheet pile application does not require a lot of time nor space for installation.
Apart from providing water tightness during the excavation phase, sheet pile walls can
also carry horizontal loads from earth pressures.

Sheet piles are usually delivered and used as welded double piles. Underground car
park sheet piles are an extremely constructive component, shaped in a way that
provides suitable depth below the floor of the excavation. Due to their exceptional
benefits and help in rapid construction of the site, sheet piles today are used around
the world in the construction of ports and harbours, bridge abutments, road widening
retaining walls, flood defence system and river control structures.

1.1 Construction Method

Sheet-pile walls may be divided into two basic categories: (a) cantilever and (b)
anchored. In the construction of sheet-pile walls, the sheet pile may be driven into the
ground and then the backfill placed on the land side, or the sheet pile may first be driven
into the ground and the soil in front of the sheet pile dredged. In either case, the soil
used for backfill behind the sheet-pile wall is usually granular. The soil below the
dredge line may be sandy or clayey. The surface of soil on the water side is referred to
as the mud line or dredge line.

Thus, construction methods generally can be divided into two categories (Tsinker,
1983):
1. Backfilled structure
2. Dredged structure
 Figure 1.1: Sequence of construction for a backfilled structure.

The sequence of construction for a backfilled structure is as follows (see Figure 1):
Step 1. Dredge the in situ soil in front and back of the proposed structure.
Step 2. Drive the sheet piles.
Step 3. Backfill up to the level of the anchor and place the anchor system.
Step 4. Backfill up to the top of the wall.

Figure 1.2: Sequence of construction of a dredged structure.

For a cantilever type of wall, only Steps 1, 2, and 4 apply. The sequence of construction
for a dredged structure is as follows (see Figure 1.2):
Step 1. Drive the sheet piles.
Step 2. Backfill up to the anchor level and place the anchor system.
Step 3. Backfill up to the top of the wall.
Step 4. Dredge the front side of the wall.
With cantilever sheet-pile walls, Step 2 is not required.

1.2 Anchored Sheet-Pile Walls

When the height of the backfill material behind a cantilever sheet-pile wall exceeds
about 6 m (≈20 ft), tying the wall near the top to anchor plates, anchor walls, or
anchor piles becomes more economical. This type of construction is referred to as
anchored sheet-pile wall or an anchored bulkhead. Anchors minimize the depth of
penetration required by the sheet piles and also reduce the cross-sectional area and
weight of the sheet piles needed for construction. However, the tie rods and anchors
must be carefully designed. The two basic methods of designing anchored sheet-pile
walls are (a) the free earth support method and (b) the fixed earth support method.
Figure below shows the assumed nature of deflection of the sheet piles for the two

(a)

(b)
methods. Figure 1.3 Nature of variation of deflection and moment for anchored
The free sheet piles: (a) free earth support design (b) fixed earth support design

earth support method involves a minimum penetration depth. Below the dredge line,
no pivot point exists for the static system. The nature of the variation of the bending
moment with depth for both methods is also shown in Figure below. Note that
D free earth < D ¿earth

1. Lateral Forces
2. Pile Design
3. Pile Cap Design
4.
5.