SHEET-PILE MODULE AND SHEET-PILE WALL CONSISTING OF SHEET-PILE MODULES

Abstract

A sheet pile module with at least three sheet piles including a central sheet pile, wherein the central sheet pile has a first coupling segment with a first coupling feature along a first longitudinal edge, a second coupling segment with a second coupling feature along a second longitudinal edge that is opposite and parallel to the first longitudinal edge, and an intermediate segment between and connected to the first coupling segment and to the second coupling segment, a first U-sheet or Z-sheet pile is connected to the first coupling feature, and a second U-sheet or Z-sheet pile is connected to the second coupling feature.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a sheet pile module and a sheet pile wall with such sheet pile modules.

BACKGROUND

Sheet piles and sheet pile walls made of sheet piles are generally known from the state of the art, for example from DE 20 2016 101 909 U1.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure discloses improved sheet piles and sheet pile walls that make the manufacture of sheet pile walls more cost-effective while at the same time increasing the resistance of sheet piles or sheet pile walls.

A “central sheet pile” is understood to be a sheet pile that is arranged between two other sheet piles. A “Z-sheet pile” is understood to be a sheet pile that is essentially Z-shaped in cross-section. A “U-sheet pile” is understood to be a sheet pile that is essentially U-shaped in cross-section. A “connecting element of the ball-and-socket type” is understood to be a connecting element for connecting sheet piles, which has become known in English as a “ball-and-socket” connection. Such “ball-and-socket” connections are characterized by the fact that a socket of a socket strip on a sheet pile is brought into engagement with a ball of a ball strip on a sheet pile to be connected in order to connect the two sheet piles together to produce a sheet pile wall. A “longitudinal edge” of a sheet pile is understood to be a lateral edge of the sheet pile extending parallel to a longitudinal direction of the sheet pile. In the context of the present disclosure, a longitudinal extension direction of the sheet pile is to be understood as the extension of the sheet pile in a driving direction in which the sheet pile and/or also the sheet piles connected to one another or a sheet pile module composed of at least three sheet piles is driven as a whole into the ground. It is preferred if the cross-section of the sheet piles described in this disclosure is essentially constant along the longitudinal extension direction of the sheet pile.

The present disclosure recognizes that price is an important consideration in choosing sheet piles given the very large number of sheet piles required to build a sheet pile wall. In this context, the present disclosure also recognizes the importance for the performance of the sheet pile wall, such as the moment of inertia or moment of resistance or also with regard to the tensile strength, how thick the wall thickness of the respective sheet pile is selected. The thicker the wall thickness is chosen, the more efficient a sheet pile is. However, the present disclosure also includes the realization that the sheet pile material is usually steel and the price of steel is calculated per weight, so that as the wall thickness of the sheet pile increases, the weight and therefore the price of the sheet pile increases.

This being said, the present disclosure also includes the realization that a Z-shaped sheet pile has a greater resistance per square meter due to its shape than a sheet pile of the same weight which is formed as a flat plate. On the other hand, however, the present disclosure has also recognized that the production of the Z-shape of a Z-shaped sheet pile is more expensive than the production of a completely flat sheet pile. Overall, a sheet pile wall constructed entirely from Z-shaped sheet piles would therefore be the most efficient, but would still be more expensive than a combination of, for example, Z-shaped sheet piles and flat sheet piles.

In this context, the disclosure has now recognized that the additional use of U-sheet piles in accordance with the disclosure, either as lateral sheet piles with a central sheet pile formed as a Z-sheet pile, or as a central U-shaped sheet pile with laterally attached Z-sheet piles, both the resistance of a corresponding sheet pile module can be increased compared to a sheet pile module formed exclusively from Z-sheet piles or also compared to a combination of Z-sheet piles and plane sheet piles, while at the same time the disclosure has recognized that a U-shaped sheet pile can be produced considerably cheaper than a Z-shaped sheet pile, e.g., between 20 and 40 percent cheaper.

In summary, it can therefore be stated that by combining Z-shaped sheet piles with U-shaped sheet piles according to the teachings of the present disclosure, the advantages of both cross-sectional shapes can be combined in such a way that the resulting sheet pile module is not only more efficient but also cheaper than a comparable sheet pile module consisting exclusively of Z-sheet piles or of a combination of Z-sheet piles with plane sheet piles.

In addition, the disclosure has also recognized that because the wall thickness of the Z-sheet pile is generally thinner due to the greater stability of the Z-sheet pile driving a Z-sheet pile into the ground is more difficult than with a U-sheet pile. This is because the latter can be designed with a greater wall thickness, so that driving it into the ground does not present any problems even in difficult, for example rocky, ground.

On the other hand, if one were to assume that a sheet pile wall or a sheet pile module is constructed exclusively from U-shaped sheet piles in order to save costs in this way, the performance of a sheet pile wall constructed in this way would be below that of the present disclosure. Thanks to the present disclosure, it is thus possible, in all the embodiments and variants disclosed herein, to increase the performance of a sheet pile module constructed from at least three sheet piles and accordingly also the performance of a sheet pile wall constructed from such a sheet pile module according to the disclosure by at least 20 to 40%, such as with regard to its moment of inertia, section modulus and/or tensile strength, while at the same time the costs can be considerably reduced accordingly by using approximately 20 to 30% less expensive U-shaped sheet piles.

An example embodiment of the disclosure is characterized in that at least one of the first and second U-or Z-sheet piles has a coupling feature at an end facing away from the central sheet pile, wherein the coupling feature has a connecting element of the ball-and-socket type. This embodiment of the disclosure offers the advantage that such sheet pile modules can be reused. This is because the coupling feature with connecting elements of the ball-and-socket type are not damaged or destroyed when the sheet pile module is pulled out, as can be the case with Larssen interlocks when they are pulled out of the ground. The reusability of all embodiments of the sheet pile module with coupling features of the ball-and-socket type results in enormous cost savings.

This embodiment of the disclosure also offers the advantage that by using a connecting element of the ball-and-socket type for the end of at least one of the first and second sheet piles facing away from the central sheet pile, the tensile strength of such a connection or coupling of sheet piles is massively increased. For example, measurements have shown that with a steel thickness of 12 mm and a steel grade of class S355, a maximum tensile force of the corresponding connection of approximately 1500 KN/m is achieved, whereas the use of a ball-and-socket type connection or a corresponding connecting element as a coupling feature according to the disclosure achieves a maximum tensile force of approximately 3500 kN/m with the same steel thickness and grade. In other words, more than twice the maximum tensile force is achieved.

In one or more embodiments, the connecting element of the ball-and-socket type is formed integrally with the corresponding first and/or second U-or Z-sheet pile, or is provided as a separate connecting element of the ball-and-socket type. The connecting element of the ball-and-socket type can be formed integrally with the corresponding sheet pile if, for example, all sheet piles are to have such a connection.

In other embodiments, the connecting element of the ball-and-socket type can also be provided as a separate connecting element, which provides a ball or a socket at its end facing away from the sheet pile module, while it can be connected at its end facing the sheet pile module to the respective outer sheet pile, for example with the aid of a Larssen interlock. In this way, all U-shaped and Z-shaped sheet piles of the sheet pile module according to the disclosure can be produced in an identical manner, for example by all such sheet piles having Larssen interlocks on their edges. In this way, the additional cost-incurring connections of the ball-and-socket type can then only be used at neuralgic sections of the sheet pile wall, i.e. sections subject to particularly high loads, in order to increase the performance of the sheet pile wall according to the disclosure only at the necessary points at the lowest possible cost.

In one or more embodiments, the connecting element of the ball-and-socket type is provided by a separate connecting element of the ball-and-socket type having either a ball end or a socket end extending away from the sheet pile to which it is connected.

In an example embodiment, the connecting element of the ball-and-socket type is provided by a separate connecting element of the ball-and-socket type having a ball end or a socket end extending away from the sheet pile to which it is connected and having a Larssen interlock facing the sheet pile to which it is connected.

In one or more embodiments, at least one, or both, of the first coupling feature and the second coupling feature of the central sheet pile has a Larssen-type connecting element.

The open sides of the first and second U-sheet piles may point in the same direction. By “open side” of a U-sheet pile it is meant the side on which the U is open. The above-described embodiment of the arrangement of the U-sheet piles relative to one another ensures a particularly resistant embodiment of the disclosure, e.g., resistant to tensile forces in the sheet pile wall. This is because the first and second U-sheet piles point in different directions with their open sides, resulting in the tensile force of the corresponding sheet pile module being reduced.

The first and second Z-sheet piles may be mirror-symmetrical with respect to the central sheet pile. Here, the mirror-symmetrically arranged Z-sheet piles on both sides of the central U-sheet pile ensure a uniform construction of the corresponding sheet pile wall.

The sheet pile module may be prefabricated. This may be advantageous if the sheet pile modules are driven in as a whole on site. In this way, enormous time can be saved when constructing a sheet pile wall according to embodiments of this disclosure.

In one or more embodiments of the sheet pile wall according to this disclosure, at least two of the sheet pile modules are connected to one other.

In an example embodiment of the sheet pile wall according to the disclosure, open sides of the U-sheet piles of adjacent sheet pile modules point in opposite directions. In this way, a sheet pile wall is provided which does not have excessive waviness in the cross-section, but on the other hand has an high resistance to tensile forces. Above all, arrangement of the sheet piles to form a sheet pile wall has shown that the plane of the maximum tensile forces acting on a sheet pile wall assembled in this way does not run through any of the couplings connecting the sheet piles, i.e. not through the weakest points of the sheet pile module and thus of the sheet pile wall. Rather, this plane of the greatest tensile forces runs only through flat central plates of the central Z-sheet pile of the sheet pile modules. In this way, the present disclosure provides a durable sheet pile wall.

Further embodiments of the present disclosure may be described below with reference to the figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings are not necessarily true to scale. Functionally identical parts are designated by the same reference signs. Essentially functionally identical parts are designated by the same reference signs, which, however, additionally bear an apostrophe ('). The figures show:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a sheet pile module according to the disclosure:

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the sheet pile module of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a sheet pile wall formed from six sheet pile modules of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 3a is a cross-sectional view of a supplemented first embodiment of a sheet pile module according to the disclosure;

FIG. 3b is the cross-sectional view of FIG. 3a with a dashed line to illustrate the plane of the maximum of the tensile forces acting on the sheet pile wall;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a sheet pile module according to the disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the sheet pile module in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a sheet pile wall constructed from six sheet pile modules of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5; and

FIG. 6a is a cross-sectional view of a supplemented second embodiment of a sheet pile module according to the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment 1 of a sheet pile module according to the disclosure. The sheet pile module 1 has three sheet piles, a central sheet pile 2, wherein the central sheet pile 2 is a Z-sheet pile, a first U-sheet pile 4 on one side of the central sheet pile 2, shown on the left of the central sheet pile 2 in FIG. 1, and a second U-sheet pile 6 on the other side of the central sheet pile 2, shown on the right of the central sheet pile 2 in FIG. 1.

The central sheet pile 2 has a first coupling segment 2a with first coupling feature 2b along a first longitudinal edge 2c of the central sheet pile 2. The central sheet pile 2 also has a second coupling segment 2d with second coupling feature 2e along a second longitudinal edge 2f of the central sheet pile 2. The second longitudinal edge 2f lies opposite the first longitudinal edge 2c and is formed parallel to it along the central sheet pile 2. A Z-shaped intermediate segment 2g of the central sheet pile 2 is located between the first coupling segment 2a and the second coupling segment 2d and connected to these two, such as by integrally forming. The Z-shaped intermediate segment in turn has a flat central plate 2g.

In the embodiment shown, both the first coupling feature 2b and the second coupling feature 2e are formed as a Larssen interlock.

The first U-sheet pile 4 is connected to the first coupling feature 2b and also has a Larssen interlock on its edge 4a facing the central sheet pile 2. The second U-sheet pile 6 is connected to the second coupling feature 2e on its side facing the central sheet pile 2 and also has a Larssen interlock on its edge 6a facing the central sheet pile 2 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the first U-sheet pile 4 also has a Larssen interlock on its edge 4b facing away from the central sheet pile 2 in order to be able to be connected to a further sheet pile module 1 if necessary. For the same reason, the second U-shaped sheet pile 6 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 also has a Larssen interlock on its edge 6b facing away from the central sheet pile 2.

The first U-shaped sheet pile 4 has an open side 4c. The second U-shaped sheet pile 6 has an open side 6c. As shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the open side 4c of the first U-sheet pile 4 and the open side 6c of the second U-sheet pile 6 face in the same direction.

The sheet pile module 1 may be prefabricated. This means that the sheet pile module 1 is assembled from the three sheet piles 2, 4 and 6 away from the construction site, i.e. away from a place of use, and transported to the construction site as an assembled sheet pile module.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the sheet pile module 1 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a cross-section of a sheet pile wall 8 formed from a total of six sheet pile modules 1 of FIGS. 1 and 2. In the embodiment of the sheet pile wall 8 shown in FIG. 3, the open sides 4c and 6c of the U-sheet piles 4 and 6 of adjacent sheet pile modules 1 face in opposite directions.

FIG. 3a shows a supplemented first embodiment 1′ of a sheet pile module with three sheet piles. The three sheet piles 2, 4 and 6 of the supplemented sheet pile module l′ are identical to the sheet piles 2, 4 and 6 of the sheet pile module 1 of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. However, the sheet pile module 1′ of the supplemented first embodiment according to FIG. 3a is supplemented on the side of the first U-sheet pile 4 shown on the left in FIG. 3a facing away from the central sheet pile 2. Because a coupling feature 17a designed as a connecting element of the ball-and-socket type is located on its edge 4b facing away from the central sheet pile 2. The coupling feature 17a is provided as a separate connecting element. Alternatively, but not shown, the coupling feature 17a can also be integrally formed on the left edge 4b of the first U-sheet pile 4. The coupling feature 17a has a ball end 17b which extends away from the first U-sheet pile to which it is connected.

Accordingly, on the edge 6b of the second U-sheet pile 6 facing away from the central sheet pile 2 shown on the right in FIG. 3a, a coupling feature 17c is attached to the side of the second U-sheet pile 6 facing away from the central sheet pile 2 with the aid of a Larssen interlock. The coupling feature 17c is also provided as a separate connecting element. Alternatively, but not shown, the second coupling feature 17c can also be integrally formed with the edge 6b of the second U-sheet pile 6 facing away from the central sheet pile 2. At its end facing away from the second U-sheet pile 6, the second coupling feature 17c has a socket end 17d which extends away from the second U-sheet pile 6, to which it is connected via the Larssen interlock on the edge 6b.

The supplemented first embodiment l′ of the sheet pile module according to the disclosure as shown in FIG. 3a can be constructed in the same way as the sheet pile module 1 according to FIG. 3 with adjacent sheet pile modules l′ to form a sheet pile wall.

FIG. 3b shows the cross-sectional view of FIG. 3a with a dashed line 9 to illustrate the plane of the maximum of the tensile forces acting on the sheet pile wall 8. It can be seen that in this arrangement of the sheet piles 2, 4, 6 to form a sheet pile wall 8, the plane 9 of the maximum of the tensile forces acting on a sheet pile wall 8 assembled does not run through any of the coupling feature for connecting the sheet piles 2, 4, 6, i.e. not through the weakest points of the sheet pile module 1 and thus of the sheet pile wall 8. Rather, this plane 9 of the greatest tensile forces runs only through flat central plates 2g of the central Z-sheet piles 2 of the sheet pile modules 1. In this way, the present disclosure provides a particularly durable sheet pile wall 8.

FIG. 4 shows a cross-section of a second embodiment of a sheet pile module 10. The sheet pile module 10 may include three sheet piles, a central sheet pile 12, wherein the central sheet pile 12 is formed as a U-sheet pile, a first Z-sheet pile 14 attached to one side of the central sheet pile 12 shown in FIG. 4 on the left of the central sheet pile 12 and a second Z-sheet pile 16 attached to the other side of the central sheet pile 12 shown in FIG. 4 on the right of the central sheet pile 12.

The central sheet pile 12 has a first coupling segment 12a with first coupling feature 12b along a first longitudinal edge 12c of the central sheet pile 12. The central sheet pile 12 further includes a second coupling segment 12d with second coupling feature 12e along a second longitudinal edge 12f of the central sheet pile 12. The second longitudinal edge 12f lies opposite the first longitudinal edge 12c and is formed parallel thereto along the central sheet pile 12. A U-shaped intermediate segment 12g of the central sheet pile 12 is located between the first coupling segment 12a and the second coupling segment 12d and connected to these two, preferably integrally.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, both the first coupling feature 12b and the second coupling feature 12e are designed as a Larssen interlock.

The first Z-sheet pile 14 is connected to the first coupling feature 12b and also has a Larssen interlock on its edge 14a facing the central sheet pile 12. The second Z-sheet pile 16 is connected to the second coupling feature 12e on its side facing the central sheet pile 12 and also has a Larssen interlock on its edge 16a facing the central sheet pile 12 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the first Z-sheet pile 14 also has a Larssen interlock on its edge 14b facing away from the central sheet pile 12 in order to be able to be connected to a further sheet pile module 10 if necessary. For the same reason, the second Z-sheet pile 16 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 also has a Larssen interlock on its edge 16b facing away from the central sheet pile 12.

The central U-shaped sheet pile 12 has an open side 12h. The first Z-shaped sheet pile 14 has an inner side 14c which faces away from the open side 12h of the central sheet pile 12. The second Z-shaped sheet pile 16 has an inner side 16c, which also points away from the open side 12h of the central sheet pile 12.

The sheet pile module 10 can be prefabricated. This means that the sheet pile module 10 is assembled from the three sheet piles 12, 14 and 16 away from the construction site, i.e., away from a place of use, and is transported to the construction site as an assembled sheet pile module. FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the sheet pile module 10 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 shows a cross-section through a sheet pile wall 18, which is formed from a total of six sheet pile modules 10 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. In the sheet pile wall 18 of FIG. 6, open sides 12h of the U-shaped sheet piles 12 of adjacent sheet pile modules 10 also point in opposite directions.

FIG. 6a shows a cross-section of a supplemented second embodiment 10′ of a sheet pile module. The sheet pile module 10′ according to FIG. 6a has sheet piles 12, 14 and 16 identical to the sheet piles 12, 14 and 16 of the sheet pile module 10 of FIG. 4. However, the sheet pile module 10′ is supplemented in the same way at its edges by ball-and-socket coupling features 17a, 17b, 17c and 17d, as described in detail with reference to FIG. 3a.

The supplemented sheet pile module 10′ of FIG. 6a can be assembled to form a sheet pile wall 18, as shown in FIG. 6.

Claims

1. A sheet pile module with at least three sheet piles, comprising: a central sheet pile, wherein the central sheet pile is a Z-sheet pile, wherein the central sheet pile has a first coupling segment with a first coupling feature along a first longitudinal edge, a second coupling segment with a second coupling means-feature along a second longitudinal edge that is opposite and parallel to the first longitudinal edge, and an intermediate segment between and, connected to the first coupling segment and to the second coupling segment;a first U-sheet pile connected to the first coupling feature; anda second U-sheet pile connected to the second coupling feature.

2. A sheet pile module with at least three sheet piles, comprising: a central sheet pile, wherein the central sheet pile is a U-sheet pile, wherein the central sheet pile has a first coupling segment with first coupling feature along a first longitudinal edge, a second coupling segment with second coupling feature along a second longitudinal edge which is opposite and parallel to the first longitudinal edge, and an intermediate segment between and connected, to the first coupling segment and to the second coupling segment,a first Z-sheet pile connected to the first coupling means feature; anda second Z-sheet pile connected to the second coupling feature.

3. The sheet pile module of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second U-sheet piles has a coupling feature at an end thereof facing away from the central sheet pile and having a ball-and-socket type connecting element.

4. The sheet pile module of claim 3, wherein the connecting element of the ball-and-socket type is formed integrally with the corresponding first or second U-sheet pile.

5. The sheet pile module of claim 3, wherein the connecting element of the ball-and-socket type is provided by a separate connecting element of the ball-and-socket type having either a ball end or a socket end extending away from the sheet pile to which it is connected.

6. The sheet pile module of claim 5, wherein the connecting element of the ball-and-socket type is provided by a separate connecting element of the ball-and-socket type having a ball end or a socket end extending away from the sheet pile to which it is connected and having a Larssen interlock facing the sheet pile to which it is connected.

7. The sheet pile module of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first coupling feature and the second coupling feature of the central sheet pile has a Larssen-type connecting element.

8. The sheet pile module of claim 1, wherein open sides of the first and second U-sheet piles point in the same direction.

9. The sheet pile module according of claim 2, wherein first and second Z-sheet piles are mirror-symmetrical with respect to the central sheet pile.

10. The sheet pile module of claim 1, wherein the sheet pile module is prefabricated.

11. A sheet pile wall with at least two of the sheet pile modules according to claim 1, wherein at least two of the sheet pile modules are connected to one another.

12. The sheet pile wall of claim 11, wherein open sides of the U-sheet piles of adjacent sheet pile modules point in opposite directions.

13. The sheet pile module of claim 2, wherein at least one of the first and second Z-sheet piles has a coupling feature at an end thereof facing away from the central sheet pile and having a ball-and-socket type connecting element.

14. The sheet pile module of claim 13, wherein the connecting element of the ball-and-socket type is formed integrally with the corresponding first or second Z-sheet pile.

15. The sheet pile module of claim 13, wherein the connecting element of the ball-and-socket type is a separate connecting element of the ball-and-socket type having either a ball end or a socket end extending away from the sheet pile to which it is connected.

16. The sheet pile module of claim 15, wherein the connecting element of the ball-and-socket type is provided by a separate connecting element of the ball-and-socket type having a ball end or a socket end extending away from the sheet pile to which it is connected and having a Larssen interlock facing the sheet pile to which it is connected.

17. The sheet pile module of claim 2, wherein at least one of the first coupling feature and the second coupling feature of the central sheet pile has a Larssen-type connecting element.

18. The sheet pile module of claim 2, wherein open sides of the first and second Z-sheet piles point in the same direction.

19. The sheet pile module of claim 2, wherein the intermediate segment is integrally formed with the first coupling segment and the second coupling segment.