Construction Process of Plastic Steel Sheet Piles
- Selection of Construction Machinery
At present, hydraulic vibratory hammers are primarily used for construction due to their numerous advantages. These hammers are suitable for driving piles of any shape and material, such as steel pipe piles and concrete pipe piles. Compared to traditional pile-driving equipment, hydraulic vibratory hammers offer high efficiency, energy savings, convenient operation during construction, and amphibious capabilities. For instance, in terms of efficiency, high-frequency hydraulic vibratory hammers achieve ten times the productivity of conventional piling machinery. Vibration sinking rates typically range from 4 to 7 meters per minute, reaching up to 12 meters per minute in non-muddy soil conditions. Furthermore, the entire equipment setup requires only two medium-sized trucks for transportation, enabling highly convenient relocation during construction. Moreover, high-frequency hydraulic vibratory hammers can penetrate geological layers such as gravel beds, sand layers, and construction debris, offering broad applicability. During operations, hydraulic vibratory hammers are typically paired with crawler excavators or crawler cranes to enhance construction flexibility and efficiency. Simultaneously, to adapt to diverse construction environments, modified curb pile drivers and water pile drivers have emerged, meeting the demands of complex terrain construction.
- Construction Method Steps
1. Guide Trough Installation: Level and compact the site. Once materials and machinery are ready, mark the guide trough position with chalk lines after surveying and positioning. Place the guide trough flat and centered along the sheet pile chalk line.
2. Clamping the Pile-Driving Plate: Clean the pile-driving plate thoroughly to ensure it is undamaged. Clamp the plate and lay it horizontally on the ground. Install transverse pressure plates at the pile-driving board ends. Secure these plates to the steel formwork with double-sided bolts. Create three 15cm × 30cm openings spaced 1 meter apart along the pile-driving board’s length.
3. Secure the plastic steel sheet piles: First, loosen the bolts connecting the delivery plate and pressure plate. Position the plastic steel sheet piles tightly against the delivery plate. Then adjust the gap between the pile ends and pressure plate until they make firm contact. Tighten the fastening bolts on both sides. Finally, use clamping devices to securely fasten the plastic steel sheet piles to the delivery plate. Clamping devices must be reinforced perpendicular to the plastic steel sheet piles, with two sets on each side spaced approximately 2 meters apart. The number of fastening sets should be adjusted based on the pile length.
4. C-type and T-type Lock Connections: Adjacent high-strength plastic steel sheet pile bodies are connected using C-type and T-type locks.
5. Driving and Alignment: After secure locking connections, slowly vibrate the piles into position, strictly controlling verticality and elevation.
6. Pulling Out the Driving Plate: Upon reaching the design elevation, activate light vibration to gradually withdraw the driving plate.
7. Recompression with Pressing Head: To ensure accurate pile cap elevation, reserve 3–5 cm during driving and re-drive. After pile driving completion, replace with pressing head and apply static pressure to reach design elevation.
8. Dredging and Backfilling: After pile formation, manually dredge and backfill with mechanical assistance. Manually clear within 50 cm around piles.
9. Waterfront Platform Pouring: After spreading, compacting, and completing the base layer pour, proceed with platform formwork installation, rebar tying, and concrete pouring.