How Are H-Pile Beams Manufactured?

H-pile beams are required when the ground under a building or a bridge cannot support its weight. This might happen if the building is too tall or if the ground is too soft. In either situation, a deep foundation system must be designed to transfer the foundation loads down through the steel piles to the denser rock or soil layers below.

H-piles are square in shape, meaning they are as wide as they are deep. They have the same thickness in the flange and web. Unlike standard beams, the design of an H-pile beam allows for better weight distribution over a wider area, which results in the ability to support heavier structures.

H-piles are commonly used as bearing piles in deep foundation applications and are driven into the ground to support bridges, buildings, factories and other large structures. H-piles are also used in other applications as bracing systems for cofferdams, and in beam and lagging walls. Finally, steel H-piles are commonly used for deep foundation and marine structures.

Process of Manufacturing and Rolling H-Pile Beams

H-pile beams are produced through a process called rolling. First, a beam blank (an unformed length of steel) is heated to make it malleable. The steel is then rolled using caliber rolls in order to form the beam into a rough H-shape. After the rolling is complete, the beam will undergo fine tuning using a universal mill and an edging mill. Within the universal mill, there are more rollers called H-rolls and V-rolls (which stand for horizontal rolls and vertical rolls), which run along the top, bottom and sides of the beam to shape it, while at the same time holding it in place. The H-shaped cross-section becomes fully formed when the material passes through the universal mill.

Materials Used in H-Pile Beams

Steel is commonly used to make H-pile beams because it’s highly customizable, durable, easy to work with and long lasting. While H-pile beams can be crafted from new steel, they’re often made from recycled steel, or “scrap.” It’s a common misconception that recycled steel must be old or corroded, but this isn’t always the case. The recycled steel used to make H-pile is often in good condition, or sometimes brand new. New steel might be sold as “used” or “surplus” if the steel was left over from another project, such as in instances where more steel was ordered than needed.

H-pile is 100 percent recyclable. This means it can be pulled from the ground and reused decades after use, making it one of the most environmentally friendly piling materials.

H-Pile Beam Sizes

H-Piles are structural beams that are dimensionally square. This design allows H-piles to transfer structural loads to stronger soil layers deep below the initial layers. H-piles are commonly available in 8", 10", 12", and 14" lengths. However, 16” and 18” piles can also be found.

In regards to weight bearing capacity, individual piles can support as much as 1,000 tons. These piles are more efficient in dense soils that offer pile resistance at the tip for point bearing capacity. When constructing a pile system on rock, steel H-piles are considered the best and most reliable option.

BUY AND SELL WITH EIFFEL TRADING

Eiffel Trading is now offering brand new steel H-Pile beams at a low cost! Coast-to-coast shipping is available for both stock options and custom rollings. Contact 800-541-7998 or email sales@eiffeltrading.com for more information.