Plastic sheet piling manufactured from either polyvinyl chloride or fibre reinforced polymer has been extensively used for soil retention in North America and Europe particularly for waterway and marine applications. Production of sheet piling from recycled polyvinyl chloride has recently been introduced into the UK and appears to have potential for use in highways related applications in offering a cost effective and environmentally friendly solution to the provision of low height retaining walls. This report reviews the experiences gained in the use of plastic piling and compares the physical properties of commercially available products. Some of the perceived performance concerns are whether plastic piles have adequate resistance to both ultraviolet degradation and also to creep under sustained load. This report gives the results from weathering and creep tests carried out to provide more information on behaviour. Issues of driveability and the potential applications for plastic piling in highway schemes are also discussed. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting