Steel Pipe Piles, Steel Pipe-Sheet Piles and Combination Walls
- Apr 2, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 21
Steel pipe piles are widely used in foundation works for marine structures (ports & offshore platforms), urban civil structures, infrastructures like oil & gas plants, bridges’ footings & abutments, and even as casing for concrete bored piles.

Steel pipe piles transfer the vertical load of a building or structure to deep or stable soil strata. They are in high demand because of the need for deeper and larger foundations due to the increase in magnitude of construction projects. It is also mandated by the increase in the number of construction projects, especially infrastructures, situated in bodies of water, which are, of course, requiring foundations to penetrate bedrock.
For designers, the major advantage of steel pipe pile is the versatility of options using their wide range of sizes (length, diameter, & thickness) to have custom designs conforming to different engineering requirements.
At the site, they are easier to handle and install compared to other materials like concrete piles, reducing construction cost and time. They produce less noise and ground disturbance, minimum to zero breakages, and low vibration during driving.
Apart from vertical load bearing as foundation piles, in many cases steel pipe piles are being utilized as retaining wall supporting horizontal earth or water pressure, like Steel pipe-pipe interlocking wall or mostly Steel pipe-sheet pile interlocking wall.
Steel pipe-sheet piles combination walls system is installed in seawalls, breakwaters, retaining walls, and cofferdams. It utilizes king pipe piles as main structural members, while steel sheet piles are used as intermediate infill panels to provide cutoffs and transfer loads to the main soldier pile structural members.
As a retainer, steel pipe-sheet piles have higher bearing capacity and resistance against bending compared to pure sheet pile walls because of their cross-section. This is particularly ideal when standard sheet piles alone do not have the capacity to withstand huge design loads or deep excavation. They can be driven as long segments into harder ground because of the solidity of the soldier pile properties.
ESC Group’s Pipe Pile Combination Wall is one of the best examples out there. We provide the best materials, optimum designs, and a competent workforce that works closely with clients to ensure the best results in pipe piling and foundation projects.
Using three (3) manufacturing processes, ESC can supply pipes between 21mm and 4267mm (0.82 inch and 167.99 inches) in diameter at thicknesses between 2.1mm and 100mm (0.082 inch and 3.93 inches). These include LSAW pipe, SSAW spiral pipe and ERW pipe. A wide range of steel grades. ESC has delivered many thousands of tons of pipe piling around the world. For complete details of products, visit www.escsteel.com.