Sheet Pile Driving - Low Headroom 2

[structeng24]

I have a project where we are trying to drive sheet piling in front of an existing bridge abutment. There is about 10' of headroom between the channel bottom and the bottom of steel beams, and the piling needs to be driven about 8'-10' into the ground. Is it possible to drive the sheeting with this little headroom?

Alternatively, portions of the timber decking could be removed giving some access from above, but a the beams would remain in the way (partially). Any ideas of driving from above, although avoiding the beams?

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[MichSt]

If you have enough room to drive with the timber decking removed, you could consider driving partial depth sheets under the beams that have little or no toe and design the adjacent sheeting toe and section to take the addition load from the sheets that are not toed in. You may need to use some wales in that case. Another more costly option would be spliced sheeting...I've seen that used before in low clearance conditions, but not for such short sheets. Also could consider a soil nail type wall or another wall type that will work for your particluar condition.

 

[dhengr]

Why not load the existing bridge over the sheet piling location. Come up with some sort of a shallow jacking frame (min. depth) which fits up under the existing bridge beams and used them as a reaction point. This frame might be blocked right up to the underside of the deck and then your strong back (reaction beam) could be on top of the deck, but maybe also tied to the floor beams, and the reaction load on top of that. Then jack the piling in the first few feet where the driving force should be fairly low, until you have enough head room for normal driving means.

 

[VoyageofDiscovery]

Are you trying to dewater? How about sandbags?

 

[structeng24]

This is for a permanent scour protection application.

Thanks for the ideas. The bridge is fairly short, so removing the whole superstructure may not be out of the question and would provide all the room needed.

 

[MiketheEngineer]

Hire midgets with big sledge hammers!!

 

[bridgebuster]

Mike,

I'm glad you're not PC; otherwise you would have to say "low headroom people" or "vertically challenged people" with big sledgehammers.

 

[MiketheEngineer]

Never have been - never will. Can't even keep up with what is PC day to day. One day something is OK - then the next day - not so much!!!

Archie Bunker (modeled after my Dad or maybe vice verse) was my hero!!

 

[bridgebuster]

Tonight on the news there was a blurb about a high school in Utah. The students voted to have a cougar as their mascot. The school board said no because it's insulting to middle-aged women.

 

[dhengr]

Ah! But think of what the boys on the teams at that high school could learn from cougars who really participated in the full range of the educational experience. And, with the potential of those kinds of educational experiences there would probably be far fewer drop outs; in fact, more than likely, they would all be at attention. They would all have grins on their faces and be anxious to get to school each day. And, the cougars would probably be more than willing to provide this educational service for free, maybe even throwing in a free letter jacket at the end of the affair, I mean semester. Go Cougars.