Performance of pre-stressed concrete sheet pile after long-term exposure in the marine splash environments

Abstract

Pre-stressed concrete (PC) sheet piles are commonly used for river revetment, retaining wall, etc. However, it has not been used in port and harbor structure due to corrosive environmental conditions, which is severe for steel corrosion in concrete structure. Performances of PC sheet piles were evaluated after 12 years exposure in the marine splash environment. An evaluation of mechanical properties, carbonation depth, porosity, chloride content and PC steel condition were carried out. Overall, all specimens showed satisfactory performance: only a few concrete corner and edge chips, low chloride content and low rate of corrosion were observed. Investigation results indicated that BS5 (B = GGBFS, S = steam curing, and cover thickness of 5 cm) showed the best performance (more durable), even though its strength was lower than the other.