Construction methods · Driven piles

Steel H-piles

Rolled H-sections driven as low-displacement piles, threading through dense layers and gravels that stop other piles, and driving to point bearing on rock. Common in North America and Europe for abutments and integral bridges.

How bridges get built · Driven piles · Steel H-piles

Also called: HP section piles, bearing piles

Steel H-piles — concept diagram — Concept diagram (TheBridgeEng)

How it is done

Drive with an impact hammer, with a driving point in gravel or on rock; splice by welding or with proprietary sleeves.
Drive to refusal on rock or to a calculated set in dense sand; PDA verifies.
Embed in the cap or abutment; integral abutments use the weak axis to allow deck movement.

Where it fits

End-bearing on shallow rock, dense gravels, integral abutments, sites with hard driving where displacement piles would refuse early.

Where it does not

Deep soft soil with no bearing layer (little shaft resistance); highly corrosive fills.

Plant, pace and money

PlantCrawler piling rig, hydraulic or diesel hammer 5-10 t.

Productivity8-20 piles per shift.

CostUSD 120-250 per metre for HP 360.

Risks and controls

What goes wrong

Tip damage and deflection on sloping rock, corrosion in the splash and ground-air zone.

Quality assurance

Driving points inspected, plumbness, PDA on rock bearing piles.

Examples

Integral abutment bridges in the US and UK; many small river bridges in Canada.