RD® pile walls
Wall structures based on steel piles are often the best solution to replace traditional, labor-intensive cast-in-place based retaining wall structures.
Based on RD® piles (RD220–RD1200) and installed by drilling, RD® pile walls are suitable for retaining wall structures in difficult ground conditions. The RD® pile wall works extremely well in retaining wall structures that are under not only horizontal loads but also vertical loads.
Thanks to SSAB’s high-grade steel, our RD® pile walls have excellent bending stiffness and resistance.
For more detailed information see SSAB’s RD® Pile wall design and installation manual.
Applications:
- Retaining wall structures
- Building foundations
- Wharves, piers and quay walls
- Road and railway structures
- Bridges
- Earth dams
RD® pile wall structure
The RD® pile wall is a combination of SSAB's RD large diameter piles and special connector.
RD® piles are interlocked to each other's by welded connectors, creating a continuous pipe pile retaining wall against horizontal and vertical loads. The RD® pile wall is installed with an oversized ring bits instead of a normal ring bits. The RD® pile wall is always installed by percussion drilling methods, using a DTH hammer. The drilling method is concentric.
RD® pile pipes
Pile pipes used in RD® pile walls are SSAB’s drilled RD220 – RD1200 piles. RD® drilled piles are special piles, installed by drilling in difficult ground and environmental conditions. The RD400 - RD1200 drilled piles are based on spiral welded steel pipe. The standard steel grade of RD400 – RD1200 piles is S355J2H, but grades S440J2H and S550J2H are also used. Pile pipes for the RD® pile wall are spliced by welding.
Connectors
In the RD® pile wall the pipe piles are interlocked to each other's by connectors. Adjacent piles are always interlocked using a pair of a narrow and a wide connectors. The connector type specially developed for the RD® pile wall is the SSAB RM/RF connector.
SSAB’s RM/RF connector and the injection channel integrated in it ensure the water tightness of the bottom of the RD® pile wall and its rigid contact with rock without separate injection pipes.
The SSAB RM/RF connectors (in Figure) can be used with pile sizes RD220 to RD1200.
Availability
Standard pile sizes used in RD® pile walls. For project specific dimensions, please contact our sales.
Standard piles and availability of steel grades of RD® pile wall
*) Please contact our sales for availability
Steel grades
Standard steel grades of SSAB’s retaining walls. Against special order, the piles may also be delivered in MH steel grades according to standard EN 10219.
A5 min [%]
KV min [J]
Order & delivery
To order RD® pile wall and Combi wall, please contact our sales.
SSAB applies the General Conditions, ALBIF 2000, for deliveries with the addition that the parties will comply with applicable legislative and regulatory requirements and refrain from participating in any corrupt business practices.
The technical terms of delivery for steel piles manufactured by SSAB are in accordance with the EN 10219-1 and/or ETA 12/0526. The dimensions and tolerances are as defined in EN 10219-2 and/or in ETA 12/0526. Engineering work of piles for pile walls is in accordance with standard EN 12063.
Steel piles are delivered with bundle tags and SSAB's pile markings to enable full traceability and identification.
Type 3.1 material certificate will be provided according to the standard EN 10204.
Design tools
Software for fast and easy design
PileCalc is a design program for SSAB's steel piles. Eurocodes as well as National codes and instructions are applied in the end-bearing pile design.
PileWallCalc design tool enables easy calculation of cross section properties and bending resistances of the pile walls. The program calculates the bending resistances and normal force resistances of RD® pile wall, Combi wall and Zig-Zag Combi wall.
Read moreEnvironmental responsibility and sustainability
SSAB develops new products and services in order to improve our customers’ performance in sustainability and overall efficiency.
Life cycle assessment data for SSAB’s products are available in the form of Environmental product declarations (EPDs). Manufacturing chain from raw material to finished product is carefully managed.
SSAB has introduced CE marking for infrastructure products. Declarations of Performance (DoP) indicate the technical characteristics of CE-marked products.
Read moreRD® pile wall - Proven retaining wall solution for difficult ground conditions in urban environments
Fast and reliable installation and excellent water tightness has resulted in successful customer projects.
RD® pile wall is specially designed for challenging conditions, for instance, for faster implementation of retaining walls and other foundation structures.
You can always find the correct pile size and steel grade from SSAB’s extensive RD® pile and steel grade range, which allows you to implement a retaining wall or foundation structure with the best overall economy for all soil conditions and loading situations.
Customer cases
RD® pile wall in Tallinn Old City Harbour, Estonia
SSAB delivered RD® pile wall to Tallinn Old City Harbour, Estonia. The project was set up in order to build a supporting wall to a new cruise terminal. The solution used was easy to install in demanding conditions while saving time.
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Reliable RD® pile wall was chosen as a retaining wall solution for doubling the size of Port of Gävle – Deliveries via direct vessel route from the Port of Raahe to Gävle
The largest container terminal on the east coast of Sweden, the Port of Gävle, is doubling in capacity to be able to receive more and larger vessels. In this co-investment of Port of Gävle and Yilport the aim is also to expand the harbor with new unloading cranes and a new container area to meet the increasing yearly demands for container transport. New container terminal will open in the autumn of 2020
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RD® pile wall as support structure for excavation of polluted ground
When the decision was taken to remove 8,600 m3 of soil partly containing polluted material, the solution was SSAB’s RD pile wall. This watertight support structure with high horizontal capacity and ability to penetrate the ground and other unknown obstacles (like big boulders, former concrete structures and man-made fillings) really fulfilled its purpose.
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