Sustainable Practice and the Environment

Recycled Content
All hot rolled steel sheet piling has a recycled content of up to 99 percent and meets the materials and resources credits of the US Green Building Council Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Rating System. Hot-rolled sheet piling is considered very “green.” The product obtains steel from the electric arc furnace process which utilizes selected recycled steel scrap, producing steel to exacting specifications. The scrap content of the finished steel is in the range of 99 percent or more.

Noise and Vibration
Until recently, developments in pile installation technology, piling operations and pile driving in particular was perceived as one of the most environmentally disruptive activities on a construction site. Newer developments have resulted in technologies and a range of methods that ensure cost effective pile installation with appropriate levels of noise and vibration mitigation/management. When heavy construction is to be carried out close to houses, offices, laboratories or historic buildings, careful planning is required in the selection of appropriate methods and practices to mitigate noise and vibration impacts consistent with the site and neighborhood context.

Modern piling techniques can facilitate the elimination of disruptive noise and vibration from the installation process for steel sheet piles. When ground conditions are appropriate, hydraulic pile pressing technology can drive the pile almost silently and without noticeable vibration. The newer techniques and technologies allow steel sheet piling to be considered as a first choice material for sites where environmental disturbance must be minimized, such as adjacent to hospitals, within urban areas, adjacent to cable or pipeline installations or near sensitive computer facilities.