If you are a structural engineer, you already understand the importance of pile foundations in a structure. These are deep foundations that distribute the weight of the building deep into the ground rather than keeping the weight of the building on the surface. They are highly preferred when the groundwater table is very high. Pile foundations can also be used when the weight of the building is hard to distribute equally.
As you can see, deep foundations are important structures in buildings that should be constructed with maximum care and attention. Due to the importance attached to pile foundations, it would be important to consider steel piles as compared to timber or concrete piles as steel offers the following benefits.
1. Can Carry Heavy Loads
Steel sheet pile would be highly considered as compared to other types of pile foundations because it can carry heavy loads. The primary role of H piles is to carry heavy loads. Concrete and timber pile foundations are useful but they can only carry limited load capacity. You don’t need to use such piles because they will have an impact on the size of the building you will be constructing. However, with steel sheet pile joints, you can easily carry any type of load you want in your structure.
2. Steel is Easily Available
In construction, the availability of material determines its usability. In this case, steel is easily available in the United States as compared to timber and concrete. Current statistics indicate that the production of steel in the United States has significantly expanded. In 2017, the country produced more than 82 million metric tons of steel. This was more than what many steel-producing countries produced. Therefore, using steel pile foundations is the United States is cheaper and the most reasonable strategy.
3. Easy to Install
Pile foundations are complex structures that need a lot of work during installation. Using timber and concrete for pile foundations will take much time and resources. Importantly, the deep foundations installed might not be very effective in holding the weight of the load. The solution lies in using steel sheet piling. It is easy to install, which means that the entire project will take a single day. The deep foundation installed will also be effective in handling the entire load of the pile.
4. Steel is Hard
The hardness of steel can be effective in penetrating the various sections of the debris and hard rocks that characterize most of the ground below the soil. Traditionally, a pile foundation has to be dug deep so that it can sit on the rock. However, the ground is always hard, which makes it hard to dig. Timber and concrete piles may not penetrate the hard ground, which means that they are not effective. However, steel can easily penetrate the hard soil and simple rocks before installing the pile foundation on the basement rock.
5. Can Reach Greater Depth
The more the depth of the pile foundation, the more the weight of the load it can handle. Unlike other materials used in constructing pile foundations, steel can go to greater depths, which is essential in constructing large buildings. If you are looking to enhance the safety of the building, it will be necessary if you can consider using steel sheets.
6. Steel Does Not Corrode
Steel sheets that have not been combined with other metal alloys don’t corrode. Therefore, they can be used in the construction of marine structures, which have to be embedded in the sea. In such areas, there are many corrosive impurities, which can corrode pile foundation materials. Such corrosion can compromise the integrity of the building concerned. However, using pile foundations made of steel sheets will enhance the security of the structure because they do not corrode.
As a construction engineer, you can easily see that steel sheet piling has more benefits and guarantees as compared to other types of pile foundations such as timber and concrete. You can order steel pile sheets for pile foundations from the nearest steel suppliers.
