How to Check Sheet Pile Deformation

Use inclinometer to measure sheet pile. 

Take steel sheet pile for example, firstly weld a φ75mm steel pipe in the groove of steel sheet pile and pile the pipe together with steel sheet pile. Insert inclinometer to the tube fixed with sand filled in. 

Although inclinometer can measure the horizontal displacement, it means little to distinguish safety of steel sheet pile, because the cofferdam allow a great amount of displacement (up to 100 ~ 300 mm). 

What means alot here is the sheet pile bending measurement, which could be obtained by numerical differentiation of curvature from inclinometer data. This is the reliable results to determine whether the steel sheet pile meet deformation requirements. It can also be used to compare with the moment from calculation results to indirectly get stiffness information of sheet pile wall.

How to Check Sheet Pile Before Construction

Firstly,  after the arrival of sheet piles, check whether the model is consistent as design, if not, re-calculate the strength and support of sheet pile.

Secondly, when go into the construction site, all sheet piles are required for inspection first, only a complete and straight sheet pile can be brought into the scene. For used-piles (like steel sheet pile), particularly should emphasis on inspection.  Because used sheet piles in Pile, transportation and stacking process are easily deformed by external factors. If do not check, some may not easy to pile or drive.

Inspection method

Use a little flat car with a 1.5 ~ 2.0m long standard sheet pile put on, check sheet piles going along with the standard pile from start to finish. Once a defect is discovered adjust it asap.

After this checking, when in the transport and stacking, make sure not bend them, avoid the collision, in particular, do not break the continuous lockings. Stack space should be flat and solid not producing a large settlement. At the bottom of sheet pile stack, should pad wood blocks. Piles with different sections should be separated in different stacks, between each stacks should set aside certain channels to facilitate the moving for crane or transport vehicle.