PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
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compacted to 98 percent maximum density
by standard proctor.
Construction problems and
creative solutions
To limit impact to the fabrication efforts in
the busy shipyard, Bergerson construction
performed all work from a barge offshore,
carefully positioned between existing inwater
structures.
The project site had been used continuously
for decades, and debris had accumulated
offshore. During the pile driving,
several obstacles were encountered. One
was encountered at cell one and another
while driving one of the tailwalls. In both
cases, the obstruction was avoided by driving
sheet piles around the obstructions. The
OPEN CELL system relies on the frictional
resistance of tailwalls, but the location can
be warped around obstacles. The swing
angle between interlocks allows for the
bearing of walls to swing into different radii
over a short distance. Bergerson’s efforts
probing tailwall locations with an HP pile
were also critical in locating obstructions to
be avoided.
Cost-saving measures
This system typically performs better and
can be built more cost effectively than conventional
wall structures. The U-shaped arc
faces of the OPEN CELL bulkhead go into
hoop tension and transfer load through wye
pile junctions to the tail walls. As a result,
there is no bending moment in the wall face,
eliminating the need for toe embedment,
build-up wall sections, face whalers or additional
anchorage such as tie rods. This fact
becomes more significant with higher wall
heights. Conventional systems become more
and more stout while OPEN CELL systems
have a few more tail wall sheet piles only.
Cost savings also come from construction
procedures that are repeated numerous
times, allowing the contractor to gain in
efficiency and shorten the overall duration
of construction. t
Figure 4. Staggered sheet pile driving
PILEDRIVER | 93
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