When constructing quay walls, dams, underground car parks, tunnels, bridges and trunk roads, many alternate construction methods exist to retain earth or water, whether temporary or permanent. Steel sheet piles are particularly well suited for most of these soil retention & water containment projects because they are designed to hold together without welding or bolting, and they are easy to retrieve after use.
ArcelorMittal has been working for many years to continuously improve its steel sheet pile range, either by more sophisticated steel grades and/or optimizing the shape's geometry, which enable lighter, wider, more resistant steel sheet pile solutions. In addition, ArcelorMittal has implemented a rental business model for its sheet piles portfolio that allows both, the customer and the environment, to benefit from renting and reusing these products, thereby reducing project costs as well as the environmental footprint. As a result, a closed loop business model has been achieved with a recovery rate of 99% as documented in the Environmental Product Declaration of ArcelorMittal – Hot-rolled Steel Sheet Piling Products. This enables the assessment of sheet piles as most sustainable solution for earth and water retention in construction projects.
Added value and challenges of the rental business
During the rental cycles, steel sheet piles are used at least 10 times over a period that may reach 15 years and, at the end of their life, 100% of the steel sheet piles are recycled.
The added value is that:
The main challenges regarding the rental business are related to: