Steel Pipe

Advantages

• Wide selection of diameters and wall thicknesses available.
• Readily available.
• Easily shortened or extended.
• Can be installed with conventional equipment.
• High individual loads when driven open-end to rock or hardpan, cleaned, inspected and filled with concrete.
• Can be treated as composite pile when filled with concrete.
• Can be driven straighter due to constant radius of gyration.
• Can be inspected for plumbness and curvature.
• Light wall pipe can be used as shell when mandrel-driven.
• Can be extended above ground level to act as columns.

Disadvantages

• Behaves as a displacement pile when driven closed-end.
• Driven open-end still considered displacement pile due to end plug.
• Usually not competitive with other displacement piles.

General

• Basic specification for pipe piles is ASTM A-252.
• Three grades listed (Grade 1 – 207 MPa yield, Grade 2 – 241 MPa yield, and Grade 3 – 310 MPa yield).
• Common splices involve full penetration butt weld.
• Most efficient as end-bearing/friction combination piles driven closed-end and filled with concrete.
• Propriety driving shoes or splicers available.
• Toe reinforcing may be required in areas of dense soil, soil containing cobbles or boulders, or when driven to rock.
• End plates of 13 mm to 51 mm thickness, or propriety points generally are used to form a closed-end pile.
• Open-ended pipe piles may be socketed into sloping rock or for toe fixity.
• Cathodic or other protection may be required.