What are Steel Sheet Piling Permanent Works?
Steel sheet piling is a versatile and widely used solution for permanent retaining walls. These structures provide essential stability and reinforcement for projects requiring long-term earth retention, such as:
- Flood defence walls & coastal barriers
- River & canal banks
- Railway & highway embankments
- Steel-intensive basements
- Commercial service yards
- Any project requiring a change in ground level
Offering a cost-effective and efficient construction method, sheet piling is a preferred choice for projects where strength, durability, and environmental adaptability are key considerations.
Key Benefits & Advantages
☑ Versatility: Applicable across various engineering applications, including flood defence barriers, embankments, and basements.
☑ Durability: Highly durable with a long service life of up to 120 years
☑ Efficiency: Reduced programme times can be achieved compared to alternative retaining solutions.
☑ Installation Flexibility: A range of installation methods and techniques available, including vibration-free options.
☑ Watertight Structures: Capable of forming watertight barriers where required.
☑ Aesthetic Adaptability: Can be painted or clad in various materials to enhance visual appeal.
Custom finishes for Permanent Sheet Pile Retaining Walls
In most cases, sheet piles are left exposed, allowing them to naturally blend into their surroundings. However, when aesthetic enhancement is required, sheet piles can be shot blasted and painted to suit the environment. Additionally, to achieve a clean, finished edge, a steel or concrete capping beam can be applied, to which hand rails or barriers can be affixed. At Ivor King, we fabricate custom steel capping beams, tailored to project specifications.
Installation & Sheet Pile options
Sheet piling can be installed using a variety of methods, including traditional driving procedures or silent and vibration-free techniques methods, depending on the site and environmental requirements. We offer an extensive range of U and Z section sheet piles, with steel grades from S275GP to S430GP, readily available from Ivor King’s centrally located hub, with delivery via our own fleet of specialist lorries and trailers.
Sheet piling retaining walls are installed by driving or pressing steel sheet piles into the ground to create a continuous barrier for earth retention or water cut-off, such as flood barriers. The method selected depends on various factors like ground conditions, environmental considerations, and project requirements.
Traditional steel sheet pile installation methods involve driving sheets into the ground using impact hammers or vibratory hammers. While effective, these techniques can be noisy and disruptive, especially in urban areas.
An increasingly popular alternative to form steel sheet retaining walls is the use of a hydraulic silent press; a noise and vibration-free technique developed by Giken. This cutting-edge equipment is ideal for use in residential neighbourhoods, environmentally protected zones, and around sensitive structures like hospitals, schools, or historical buildings.
Retaining walls with sheet piles can be used as either temporary or permanent retaining structures:
- Temporary sheet piles are reusable and can be easily extracted for use on other projects.
- Permanent sheet piles can last up to 120 years, depending on environmental conditions and maintenance.
Steel sheet piles are inherently impermeable to water. The sheets are connected using an interlock or clutch system. For higher levels of water tightness in steel sheet pile walls:
- Clutch sealants can be applied to prevent water seepage.
- Welded interlocks offer complete water blockage, ensuring no water passes through the wall.
Steel sheet piles offer high strength, durability, and adaptability, making them ideal for various construction projects. Their key advantages include:
- High Strength & Load-Bearing Capacity – Withstand significant lateral and vertical loads, ideal for retaining walls and deep excavations.
- Durability & Corrosion Resistance – Long-lasting performance, especially with protective coatings in harsh environments.
- Reusability & Sustainability – Can be extracted and reused, reducing material waste and costs.
- Easy Installation & Removal – Quick deployment with vibratory hammers or presses, cutting construction time.
- Adaptability to Tough Soils – Effective in dense, cohesive, or waterlogged conditions.
- Water Tightness – Interlocking design limits seepage, ideal for flood prevention walls, flood wall barriers and underground structures.
- Space Efficiency – Slim profile allows use in confined urban areas.
These features make permanent sheet pile walls a cost-effective and versatile choice for construction.
Why choose Ivor King for Permanent Sheet Piling?
With decades of experience as a sheet piling specialist sub-contractor, Ivor King provides expert design and installation services for permanent sheet piling projects. Our in-house capabilities, extensive inventory, and commitment to quality make us a trusted partner for infrastructure and construction projects across the UK.
We have been providing Sheet Pile Retaining Walls to the Construction and Civil Engineering sectors since 1974, earning a first-class reputation through decades of work on a multitude of schemes and projects, large and small.
No substitute for experience
Ivor King has over 50 years of experience in steel sheet piling, we specialise in providing innovative and bespoke piling solutions.
Take a look at the range of Steel Piling Solutions we can design and install, and get in touch with our knowledgeable and friendly team to discuss how we can help. Whatever your piling project, we’re your people.
Sheet Pile Retaining Walls
The quick and easy solution that eliminates the need for temporary earthworks support.
Sheet Pile Basements
Maximise your basement footprint with a cost effective watertight construction solution.
Cofferdams
Allows excavation and construction in otherwise poor working environments
Temporary Sheet Pile Walls
Allowing earthworks to take place, sheet piles can be re-used on project completion
Steel Bearing Pile Foundations
Providing excellent load and resistance and high strength in compression and tension
Ground Anchors
Economical and practical alternative to propping, enabling greater retained heights
Inland Waterways & Marine Piling Solutions
Flood defences and water retention systems, including rivers, canals, harbour and dock wall stabilisations, marinas and reservoirs
Sheet Pile Hire & Sales Our dedicated hire and sales division is on hand to support all your temporary and permanent sheet pile needs
