Figure 3. Comparison of the properties of steel with PVC.
E = 30,000,000 psi
Peak stress
60,000 psi
Steel
Yield
(36,000 psi
20% elongation
E = 380,000 psi
PVC
80% elongation
6000 psi
Secant
Modulus
Strain
Figure 4. Stressstrain schematic of PVC and steel and PVC sheet pile materials.
Steel pilings are widely used in earth retaining and structural foundation works. Characteristic
corrosion rates for steel have been established for most environments for only one face. However,
in practice, opposite sides of a pile may be exposed to different conditions. For example, one side
of a harbor wall could be exposed to a marine environment while the other side could be in
contact with soil. In underground conditions, typically, a maximum corrosion rate of 0.015
mm/side/year is used. In the special case of recent fill or industrial waste soils, where corrosion
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