SOLDIER PILE WALLS

European LGV project, section A from Vaires to Vendenheim Vrigny, France

The soldier pile wall is a temporary or permanent retaining wall commonly used for excavations in urban areas.
The method consists of : 1. Drilling regularly spaced boreholes in which metal beams are sunk 2. Installing cladding (wood, shotcrete, steel plates) between the beams as the excavation progresses The stability of the retaining wall is temporarily provided by struts or anchors except in shallow excavations where the wall may be self-supporting.

Triangle of the Arch

Nanterre, France

Quai Andr Citron

Paris, France

Line D of the RER

Doubling the viaduct and shoring of the line Gennevilliers, France

CONSTRUCTION Construction of a soldier pile wall is practically free of ground disturbance. It involves 5 main stages : 1 Drilling of large diameter boreholes 2 Sinking of a beam embedded with concrete or slurry at the bottom and filling from the top 3 Continuing the excavation in successive layers 4 Installing the cladding, which may consist of planks, railway sleepers, shotcrete or concrete cast in situ 5 Stabilising of the curtain wall for depths of more than 3 m by anchors or struts

Diagram of the construction of a soldier pile wall

Stage 1 : Drilling the borehole

Stage 2 : Installing the beam embedding and filling

Stages 3 & 4 : Excavation and cladding in layers

Grade

Grade

Cladding between beams

Filling Beam

1st excavation layer

Bottom Embedment

Bottom

Bottom

Rolland Garros Stadium

Paris, France

APPLICATION The soldier pile wall is the archetype of quick, inexpensive shoring It is, however, only applicable in the absence of groundwater (or with only small quantities of water) and in cohesive soils The soldier pile wall provides first and foremost temporary shoring but can be made permanent with certain adaptations

French Railways
Gare du Nord Paris, France

Stage 5

Plan view of a typical completed wall

Strut Grade

Anchor Cladding

Strut

or ch An

Anchor

Strut

Embedding of the anchor

steel beam Anchor Strut

SOLDIER PILE WALLS

Rolland Garros Stadium - Paris, France

USE

This type of wall is used mainly for : Shoring of excavations where no displacement is possible Shoring of narrow excavations (underground railways and sewers) at varying depths, combined with strut bracing Shoring of buildings or structures without settlement

ZAC Reuilly
Paris, France

2, avenue du Gnral-de-Gaulle - 91170 Viry-Chtillon - Tl.: 01 69 54 22 00 - Fax: 01 69 96 92 93 - e-mail: sefi-intrafor@sefi-intrafor.fayat.com - www.sefi-intrafor.com