SuperLoc™ Sheet Pile System

Technical Information for Engineers

Wale & Retaining Wall System (US Patent #6,893,191 B2/May 17, 2005)

Introduction
In the late 1990’s Creative Pultrusions, Inc., (CPI)
developed the patented SuperLoc™ composite sheet
pile system. Since the product’s inception CPI has
focused on continuous product and process improve-
ments. These improvements, including UV optimi-
zation, geometry enhancements, accessories and
manufacturing controls have lead to CPI manufactur-
ing the most advanced structurally superior sheet
piles available in the market.

CPI’s staff of civil, mechanical, stress and manu- Finished Installation/SuperLoc™ Series 1560,
facturing engineers work diligently to produce the Wales and Top Cap
best design information and products for engineers
around the world to utilize. It is our job to dissemi- The SuperLoc™ Data Sheets have been developed
nate SuperLoc™’s mechanical and physical attributes based on the latest Pultrusion Industry codes and
so you can design our system into your project, with standards. CPI’s engineering staff actively par-
ticipates, along side industry and academia profes-
overwhelming confidence.
sionals, to assist in writing the codes and standards
associated with pultruded profiles.

Resins
CPI manufactures the SuperLoc™ sheet piles and can be expected for waterfront environments in salt
accessories in both vinyl ester and polyester resin and fresh water.
formulations. Proper resin selection should be
based on the environmental aspects of the site con- Isophthalic Polyester (I) pultrusions are manufactured
ditions including the soil and water pH and chemical for corrosion related applications. I resins display ex-
exposure. cellent structural properties and are resistant to acids,
salts, and many dilute chemicals at moderate tem-
Vinyl Ester (VE) Resins are based on bisphenol- peratures. They perform well in acidic environments;
A epoxy resin. VE resins provide resistance to a however, I pultrusions are not recommended for
wide range of acids, alkalis, bleaches and solvents caustic or alkaline environments. The pH should be
for use in many chemical environments. They also kept below 10.5. Oxidizing environments usually pres-
offer excellent toughness and fatigue resistance. ent limitations. A long service life can be expected for
The mechanical properties are typically 10% to 15% waterfront environments in salt and fresh water.
higher than polyester properties. A long service life

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UV Exposure and Weathering
Ultraviolet rays and heat from solar radiation degrade the molecular structure of most materials. The extent of
degradation ranges from mere fading to reduction in strength. Additives in the form of ultraviolet light absorbers
and inhibitors greatly increase the performance in long term sunlight exposure.

Polyester synthetic veils are applied to the SuperLoc™ in order to encapsulate the e-glass fibers and provide a
resin rich surface. Test results of advanced accelerated UV testing, as well as full section testing in the Florida
sun, have demonstrated that less than a 5% decrease in strength will occur over time. Results have shown
that UV degradation does not affect the modulus of elasticity. Fading of the polymerized resin will occur at
various rates over time. Typically, within three years the gloss is eliminated and a visual whitening or yellowing
can be observed on the surface. In general, the amount of sunlight and intensity will depend on the geographi-
cal location. Therefore, the rate at which composite materials will lighten is variable. The SuperLoc™ system
utilizes the most advanced resin technology and pigmentation to ensure the best possible aesthetics over time.

Codes and Standards

In September of 2006 ASTM D 7290-06 “Standard Practice for Evaluating Material Property Characteristic
Values for Polymeric Composites for Civil Engineering Structural Appli-
cations” was published. Until the development of the ASTM D 7290-06
Standard, manufacturers and marketers, of pultruded members, could
present their data in the format of their choice. The standard protects
both manufacturers and engineers, as it provides statistical based data
that rewards tight process control. It also gives engineers the comfort
that the data was derived per a world recognized standard.

The adoption of the ASTM D 7290-06 Standard dictates that every Example of Tensile Test Set Up
manufacturer must present their data based on a characteristic value
representing the 80% lower confidence bound on the 5th-percentile value
of a specified population. In general terms, 80% of the test labs would report that 95 out of 100 of the test
results would be at or above the minimum value published in the Data Sheet. The characteristic values deter-
mined using the ASTM D 7290-06 Standard can be used to calculate structural member resistance values in
design codes for composite civil engineering structures and for establishing limits upon which qualification and
acceptance criteria can be based. The data presented in the SuperLoc™ Data Sheets was developed per the
ASTM D 7290-06 Standard.

LRFD/ASD Analysis, Definition and Results

Currently, no standards exist that dictate how to test and publish design information, related to moment ca-
pacity of Fiberglass Reinforced Polymer (FRP) sheet pile walls. The moment capacities documented in the
SuperLoc™ Data Sheets were developed by following the design standards outlined in the “American Soci-
ety of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Pre-Standard for Load & Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) of Pultruded Fiber
Reinforced Polymer (FRP) Structures”.

The data sheets contain design values based on both LRFD and Allowable Stress Design (ASD) principles.
The LRFD published moments have been factored for manufacturing process control, environment, load type
and failure mode conditions. The ASD design values are factored per the ASTM D 7290 Standard only.

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LRFD/ASD Analysis, Definition and Results (cont’d)
The primary failure mode of most pultruded FRP products is local compression buckling. The geometry of
the sheet pile section plays a very important role in the overall moment
capacity of a pultruded sheet. The shear and flexural modulus of elas-
ticity values in addition to the unsupported width and thickness of the
compression flange dictate the local buckling capacity of the sheet pile in
bending.

Referencing the LRFD, Chapter Five Section 2.3.4, compression flange

local buckling governs the moment capacity of the sheet. The shear
capacity is governed by Chapter Five Sections 3.2 and 3.3. The failure
mode is either material rupture or web shear buckling. Example of Local Compression Buckling

The LRFD published moment capacities have been factored in accordance with the following factors:

The material properties were tested and reported in accordance to ASTM D7290-06 representing the
80% lower confidence bound on the 5th-percentile value of a specified population.

Nominal strength of the material in accordance with Chapter Two Sections 2.4.1 and 2.4.4 adjustment
factors for long term performance in water.

Polyester Resin Vinyl Ester Resin

CM Strength - .80 CM Strength - .85
CM Stiffness - .85 CM Stiffness - .95

Time effect factor for a permanent load λ = 0.4

Resistance factor (Ø) for shear and flexural members Ø= .80 or .65 and varies depending on the
governing mode of failure.

Industry standards for ASD include a 2.5 safety factor for flexural members, and a 3.0 in shear. The Modulus
of Elasticity (MOE) for the allowable stress design is taken as the lesser of the tensile or compression modulus
of the flange or web and is based on the average modulus.

The MOE, in accordance with the LRFD, requires that the lesser of the characteristic compression or tensile
modulus of the flange or web section be utilized for deflection calculations.

Testing/Calculations Correlation
The SuperLoc™ sheet pile sections have been tested in full section
bending, either in a lab environment or in full section in the field. The
full section testing correlated well with the LRFD predictions. In fact, the
percent difference, in all cases, was below 20%. The full section failure
modes correlated well with the LRFD predictions.

Example of Full Section Testing

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Specifying
The Engineer of Record (EOR) should specify FRP sheet piling based on the latest standards and codes
within the Pultrusion Industry. The proper specifications will protect the owner, EOR and the manufacturer.
The proper specifications will effectively communicate the manufacturing and material property expectations
to all involved.

CPI strongly recommends that the specification reference that all material properties be characterized per
ASTM D 7290-06. Second, a reference that the FRP sheet pile and accessories be manufactured and fab-
ricated per the Code of Standard Practice for the Fabrication and Installation of Pultruded FRP Structures.
The code can be viewed and downloaded from the American Composites Manufacturers Association web
site ([Link]). The code is currently in the ANSI balloting phase and will become an ANSI stan-
dard in early 2012.

The minimum moment, shear and MOE should be specified based on the requirements of your project. FRP
materials have a low strength MOE when compared to steel; therefore, the EOR should be sure to scrutinize
the deflection of the wall for fitness and aesthetics.

CPI strongly encourages the EOR to request the safety factors and methods for determining the moment
capacities from the FRP sheet pile manufacturers. The FRP industry codes and standards are just now find-
ing their way into the Civil/Geotechnical arena, making it important that you understand the safety factors and
how they were derived.

(Photo courtesy of Gulf Synthetics, LLC)

Installation
SuperLoc™ Sheet piles can be installed with common pile driving equip-
ment in soils with blow counts less than 20. Blow counts between 20 and
40 may require a steel mandrel.

CPI recommends vibratory hammers that weigh 2,500 lbs. or less.

Example of Driving SuperLoc™

Sheet Piles

FOR MORE DETAILS ON THE SUPERLOC™ SHEET PILE SYSTEM AND SUPERWALE™ CONTACT:
Andrew Swindell, Outside Sales Representative Waterfront Products
Toll-free: [Link]-PULL / Phone: 814.839.4186 Ext. 243 / Email: aswindell@[Link]

Creative Pultrusions, Inc. reserves the right to edit and modify literature,
please consult the web site for the most current version of this document.
214 Industrial Lane / Alum Bank, PA 15521 USA
CPM114.0112.1C Toll Free: [Link] / Phone: 814.839.4186 / Fax: 814.839.4276
DLR: 11.02.12 [Link]