Steel sheet piles have long been used as temporary formwork for bridges. However, they can also be incorporated into the final structure as the permanent sheet pile abutment. When the sheet piles are used in this way, installation time, material costs and overall construction schedules can be reduced. Sheet pile bridge abutments are strong, durable and have a life span of up to 100 years, depending on site conditions, once coated with coal tar epoxy. According to Nucor Skyline's Manager of Business Development Errynne Bell, sheet pile abutments exhibit many advantages over conventional reinforced concrete abutments. "When an older bridge is to be replaced, the use of a sheet pile abutment may reduce or eliminate the need for costly shoring phases of construction," Bell explains. "Sheet pile abutments have a significant cost advantage by reducing excavation needs and construction time. In this era of emerging technologies associated with accelerated bridge construction, steel sheet pile abutments can play an important role."
展开▼
