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MARINE PILING & TIMBER FOR BRIDGE APPLICATIONS

Introduction

FRP composite marine piling was developed in the early 1990s to provide a solution for deteriorated piers and waterfront structures subjected to the harsh marine operating environment. FRP composites represent an alternative construction material without many of the performance disadvantages of conventional materials such as rot, rust, and spall. The population growth of marine borers, strict environmental laws that limit the use of toxic treatments for wood, and prohibitions on traditional maintenance practices (lead-based primers, sandblasting, and solvent-based paints have resulted in higher maintenance and replacement costs for traditional materials. Composite materials offer long-term and low-maintenance solutions. The use of composite piling in aggressive environments has been proven to be more economical when life-cycle costs are considered.

Private industry development programs and government-sponsored research have worked towards selecting and optimizing composite materials and tested products to meet the performance needs of the owner in waterfront facilities. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Champaign, IL, and the Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center, Port Hueneme, CA, in conjunction with the composites industry, conducted development programs to evaluate products that could retrofit and replace current products used in waterfront structures. The products evaluated in these programs included both FRP composite piling and FRP reinforced concrete piles.

Since 1990, FRP composites have been used for marine retaining walls in applications such as beaches, causeways, docks, harbors, lakes, residential developments, rivers and streams. Composite products have been installed as fender and structural piles for piers, docks, and wharves. Design of composite piles varies depending on the type of pile selected and performance requirements.

Available types of composite piling products:

• Fender Pile, Wales, and Chocks

• Sheet (bulkhead) Pile

• Load Bearing Pile

• Bridge Fender Systems

Applications:

• Pier Fendering

• Structural Supports for Pier Decks

• Navigation Aids

• Dolphin Clusters

• Bridge Pier Protection Systems

• Shoreline Stabilization

• Guide Walls – Locks and Dams

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