www.ruukki.

com/infra

Large diameter
steel pipe piles in
foundation contruction
RUUKKI LARGE DIAMETER PILES
Expertise in steel and
foundation construction
Ruukki is one of the foremost suppliers of steel foundation solutions in Europe. Our
home market covers the Baltic Sea region, but our efficient logistics have enabled us
to supply solutions also for demanding projects in many other parts of Europe.

2 Ruukki large diameter piles


Ruukki is your expert partner. The solutions we offer are
commercially competitive and of the highest technical
standards. They are based on our versatile expertise and
sustainable policy. For us, partnership with the cus-
tomer means commitment not only to high quality and
reliable delivery, but also to providing expert consulta-
tion throughout the design and implementation stages.
Ruukki manufactures spiral-welded pipes with an outer
diameter of 4061,220 mm and wall thicknesses of 820
mm. We also specialise in using high-strength steels in
Ruukki delivers metal-based components, systems,
and overall deliveries for the construction and me-
chanical engineering industry. The company offers a
broad range of metal products and services and has
operations in 27 countries. Its turnover in 2009 was
over 1,95 billion euros.
piling products. We can manufacture the piles with pile
shoes, reinforcement rings, interlocking sections, and
any specific coatings required for the project. Ruukkis
broad range of steel grades and products can be com-
bined to offer the most economic pile type and retain-
ing wall structure for all foundation and load condi-
tions. When you choose a comprehensive delivery from
Ruukki, you will receive all steel components, systems,
and the solution for foundation construction easily from
a single supplier.
Ruukki large diameter piles 3
Application areas

Vuosaari harbour is the new cargo harbour in Helsinki and the overseas trade centre of Finland. Ruukki delivered, in
total, 23 km of steel pipe piles equipped with rock shoes for the harbour piers. Ruukkis ability to provide accurate
batch deliveries and flexibility in changing the originally specified pile lengths to those corresponding to the true
ground conditions encountered in the project brought cost savings to the customer.

Harbour construction

One of the largest and most traditional applications for
large diameter steel pipe piles is harbour construction.
The wharves and piers of the most prominent har-
bours in Europe are constructed on steel piles because
of their high load-bearing capacity, bending stiffness,
and bending resistance. Combi-walls comprising steel
piles and sheet piles have become the most common
structural solutions for wharves, since their flexibility
allows easy optimisation of the capacity and shape of
the structure. Harbour structures typically incorporate
long piles of which Ruukki has comprehensive exper-
tise in the logistics management and delivery of such
long piles. This expertise brings both cost efficiency and
peace of mind to your project.

4 Ruukki large diameter piles

Ruukkis large diameter steel pipe piles have been used in foundations of more than 500 bridges in Finland,
Sweden, and Norway since 1987.
Bridge and Transport Infrastructure Construction
In bridge construction, the steel pipe pile foundations
are an essential part of the overall final structure and
functioning. With small bridges, the need for extra
intermediate structures can be eliminated when the
piles are connected directly to the bridge deck with-
out bearings. The resulting shorter construction time
and efficient structural solutions can be utilised in,
for instance, railway underpass bridges. Use of steel
pipe piles has also strongly increased with pile slabs,
where the soil displaced by the rammed piles can be
reduced to about a quarter of that of traditional piling
solutions. In transport infrastructure construction, the
large diameter steel pipes are used as casing pipes and
undershoot pipes as well.
Ruukki large diameter piles 5
Rigid large diameter steel pipe piles with high bend-
ing strength are reliable in foundations of buildings in,
for example, conditions where the movement of subsoil
causes tranverse loads and bending in the piles. Using
steel pipe piles with a high load-bearing capacity allows
significant reduction in the number of piles in compari-
son to solutions based on traditional driven piles. This
speeds up completion of the foundation structures.

Housing, commercial premises, and industrial construction

Use of steel piles has rapidly increased in residential as
well as commercial and industrial construction segments;
in particular where there are difficult ground conditions
and structures are subject to heavy, point loads. Thanks
to high load-bearing capacity and a wide range of
dimensions, the number of piles can be optimised with
Ruukki solutions. Constructing the foundations of new
buildings close to existing buildings with drilled steel
piles reduces risk, as the vibration caused by installa-
tion is less than with driven piles. The increased speed of
installation of steel piles also allows for rapid foundation
construction for large projects on a tight schedule, imple-
mented in a reliable, safe and efficient manner. These
are key requirements for all projects and in particularly
in industrial and commercial construction. In demanding
conditions, the RD drilled pile wall creates new possibili-
ties for foundations of buildings and construction of the
underground levels providing savings in space and time.

6 Ruukki large diameter piles

 In 2004, the Kuljunlahti wind power
park, in Raahe (5 x 2.3 MW), was the first
project in the world to use a foundation
solution based on large-diameter drilled
RD piles anchored to the rock.

Energy construction

Ruukkis large diameter steel piles are ideally suited to
foundations for, among other structures, wind energy
turbines, because high overturning moment is trans-
ferred to the foundations in these structures. With steel
piles offering high bearing capacity, the number of piles
can be significantly reduced from that of traditional
piles. Using large diameter RD drilled piles anchored
into the rock allows the size of the footing structure and
the amount of ground work construction to be de-
creased considerably. RD drilled pile foundation is a cost
efficient solution for all foundation conditions where
the surface of the rock is between 3 and 20 metres be-
low the surface of the ground.

Ruukki large diameter piles 7

Ruukkis large diameter steel pipe piles

Standard steel grades of Ruukkis steel pipe piles

Steel Carbon Chemical composition, max. Mechanical properties

grade equivalent
fy fu A5 Impact strength
CEV
max C Mn P S min min T*) KV min
[%] [%] [%] [%] [%] [MPa] [MPa] [%] [C] [J]
S355J2H 0,45 0,22 1,60 0,030 0,030 355 470-630 20 -20 27

S440J2H 0,45 0,16 1,60 0,020 0,018 440 490-630 17 -20 27

S550J2H 0,47 0,12 1,90 0,020 0,015 550 605-760 14 -20 27

*) Testing temperature may also be -40 C. Demanded impact energy remains the same.

8 Ruukki large diameter piles

Standard dimensions and availability with the various steel grades

Weight [kg/m]

Diameter Wall thickness

mm 8,0 10,0 12,5 14,2 16,0 18,0 20,0
inches 0,31 0,39 0,49 0,56 0,63 0,71 0,79

406 16 78,6 97,8 121,4

508 20 98,6 122,8 152,7 172,9

559 22 108,7 135,4 168,5 190,8 214,3

610 24 118,8 148,0 184,2 208,6 234,4 262,8

711 28 138,7 172,9 215,3 244,0 274,2 307,6 340,8

762 30 148,8 185,5 231,0 261,9 294,4 330,3 366,0

813 32 158,8 198,0 246,8 279,7 314,5 352,9 391,1

914 36 178,7 222,9 277,9 315,1 354,3 397,7 440,9

1016 40 198,9 248,1 309,3 350,8 394,6 443,0 491,3

1220 48 239,1 298,4 372,2 422,3 475,1 533,6 591,9

Available with steel grades S355J2H, S440J2H and S550J2H.

Available with steel grades S355J2H and S440J2H.

Our manufacturing technology enables 34-metre-long

steel pipes can be manufactured without any splice
welds. The longest steel piles with splice welds which
Ruukki can deliver are up to 45 metres. Cut-to-size piles
made to the customers order minimise on-site splice
welding, which decreases the turnaround time and re-
duces construction costs. In addition to ready-made steel Storable steel pipe piles (L=12 m)
piles, Ruukki has stocks of hot-rolled steel coils, so the
manufacture of custom cut-to-size piles can be started Dimensions Steel grade
diameter x wall thickness [mm]
very quickly and the products can be delivered to the cus-
tomer on a tight schedule. In addition to sizes presented 406 x 12,5 S440J2H (S355J2H)
in the table of standard dimensions and availability of
steel grades, the steel pipes can be manufactured with 508 x 12,5 S440J2H (S355J2H)
customer-specific diameters and wall thicknesses. Wall
thickness can be specified to an accuracy of 0.1 mm. Ru- 610 x 12,5 S355J2H
ukki flexibility means structures can be optimised through
careful selection of the wall thickness and steel grade. For 711 x 12,5 S355J2H
example, in large harbour projects, optimising the retain-
ing wall structures brings significant savings in materials 813 x 12,5 S355J2H
and therefore overall costs of a project.

Ruukki large diameter piles 9

Manufacture and quality control of spiral-welded steel pipes
Ruukki follows the ISO 9001:2008 standard in qual-
ity management, systems and ISO 14001:2004 for the
environmental management system. These systems are
used to ensure the smooth operation of the process
all the way from the raw material procurement to
the delivery of the end product to the customer. The
large-diameter steel piles made by Ruukki utilise the
high-quality steel manufactured at the steelworks in
Raahe. The steel pipe piles are made through spiral
welding. See the adjacent image for a diagram of the
pipe-manufacturing process.
10 Ruukki large diameter piles
After the spiral welding, the following procedures are
conducted for the steel pipe:
visual inspection
dimension control
bevelling of ends as necessary and making of distance
measurements
ultrasonic testing of weld joints
X-ray examination per the standard for terms of
delivery
final inspection and approval
coating as necessary
In the final inspection and approval of the steel pipes,
each pipe is marked with the manufacturers code,
manufacturing standard, pipe diameter and wall thick-
ness, steel grade, and pipe number. Other markings are
agreed upon separately at the time of ordering.
The technical terms of delivery for steel pipes manufac-
tured by Ruukki are in accordance with the EN 10219-1 or
DIN 17120 standard. The dimensions and tolerances are
as defined in EN 10219-2. Against special order, the piles
may also be delivered in MH steel grades according to
standard EN10219 or X grades according to API5L.
Ruukki have CE marking, based on European Technical
Approval (ETA-12/0526), which is the most comprehen-
sive CE marking to be granted to pile structures made
of structural steel. It covers the entire pile structure,
Manufacture of spiral-welded steel pipe piles
Forming unit
Welding
Feed roller
Inspection of
weld
manifests the requirements and conformity of the me-
chanical splices, and establishes that the product has
been manufactured specifically for piling. Ruukki is the
only steel pile manufacturer whose pile products are CE
marked, inclusive of all the components.
The approval covers the steel pipes of the piles, the steel
grades developed for the piles, pile accessories and engi-
neering work. Ruukki steel piles have received European
Technical Approval ETA-12/0526. The approval is based
on detailed load tests, especially on splices, continuous
quality control during the various phases of production,
and traceability of materials. Use of Ruukki CE marked
piles in a construction project ensures the durability and
performance of foundations. Tested products guarantee
problem-free site installation.
A material certificate per the SFS-EN 10204, type 2.2,
standard at minimum will be provided for the steel pipe
material. Also a material certificate as defined in SFS-EN
10204 for type 3.1 is possible.
Slit coil
Roller levelling
Welding unit to
Milling tool extend the band
Ruukki large diameter piles 11
RR and RD large diameter piles
Spiral-welded steel piles can be used in different ways
for various piling applications where the steel pipe
functions as a bearing structure or casing pipe for the
pipe. The RR large diameter piles are driven type steel
pipe piles. In the Nordic countries, RR large diameter
piles are usually installed with a hydraulic hammer
but the installation can also be performed with a drop
hammer moving inside the pile pipe or with a diesel
hammer. In certain ground conditions, the open-end
RR large diameter piles can be effectively installed with
a vibrator. RD large diameter drilled piles with high
bearing capacity can be installed with down-the-hole
hammer equipment using a concentric drilling method;
RD large diameter drilled piles can be installed through
12 Ruukki large diameter piles
all soil layers inside the rock. Deviations from the loca-
tion and angle of gradient remain low. The tip contact
of the RD large diameter drilled piles in the rock is
reliable, and the structural load-bearing capacity of the
pile can be utilised effectively. Both RR and RD large di-
ameter piles are reinforced and concreted, usually after
the installation. Then the piles can be dimensioned as
a composite structure of steel and concrete. The piles
can be left open as well or filled with sand or other
soil. In addition to piling solutions, the large diameter
steel pipes can be used in casing or undershoot pipes
of a wide range of structures. In this application, the
steel pipes are installed in a ready-made excavation or
drilled, jacked, rammed, or vibrated to the ground.
Pile shoes

The rock shoes used in Ruukkis RR driven large diameter piles are manufactured and attached to the piles at the
Oulainen factory. The traceability of the rock shoes is ensured through numbering of the shoes.

Rock shoe with Rock shoe with Rock shoe with Shoe
structural-steel dowel hardened-steel dowel hollow dowel reinforcement

In the Nordic countries, end-bearing RR large diameter
piles are usually equipped with RR rock shoes approved
by the Finnish Transport Agency (556/090/2010). The
rock shoes are used to shield the bottom end of the
pile against loads created during the installation, to
distribute the loads directed to the pile end as evenly
as possible over the cross-section of the pile pipe, and
to prevent lateral sliding of the pile end. Three types of
RR rock shoes are used. The most common shoe type is
rock shoes equipped with a structural-steel dowel or a
hardened-steel dowel. For example, a dowel bar can
be injected to the rock by drilling through the hollow
dowel filled with concrete. The pile end can also be
shielded with bottom plates of a variety of types in con-
ditions where a rock shoe is not required. If the pile is
to be installed as an open-bottom-end pile, a rein-
forcement ring can be installed on the bottom end of
the pile already in the factory to shield the pile during
installation.

Ruukki large diameter piles 13

Retaining wall structures

Steel-pipe-pile-based retaining wall structures are used

in harbours for both wharves and piers. Another rela- Retaining wall structures based on Ruukkis
tively common application is permanent underground RR piles
retaining wall structures. Retaining wall structures
can be built into a continuous combi-wall connected by
based on steel pipe piles can often replace the tradi-
welded interlocking sections, or complete sheet piles welded
tional, labour-intensive excavation-based implementa-
to the sides of the piles. In a combi-wall, the pipe piles serve
tions of retaining wall structures. Combi-walls and pipe
as the load-bearing structure, and the intermediate sheet
pile walls have clearly better resistance against vertical
piles make the wall continuous. In a pipe pile wall only, the
loads than regular sheet-pile walls. Combi-walls and
piles are joined by interlocking sections welded to them.
pipe pile walls also have excellent bending stiffness in
relation to overall material usage.

14 Ruukki large diameter piles

 An RD pile wall allows a technically risk-free retaining
wall solution in difficult ground conditions. The RD pile
wall can be used in, for example, trough-structures,
a combined foundation structure for buildings, and a
retaining wall.

The pipe piles of retaining walls are generally installed

open-ended, but they can be equipped with pile shoes.
The retaining wall structures delivered by Ruukki include
RR and RD pipe piles, pipe accessories, and welding of
interlocking sections or entire sheet piles to pipe piles.
Also, application of various types of corrosion protection
is possible.
Retaining wall structures based on Ruukkis
RD piles installed by drilling
are special piles installed by drilling in difficult ground
conditions. The RD pile wall usually consists of RD piles that
are installed into rock and joined with interlocking sections.
The RD pile wall works best in retaining wall structures that
are under not only horizontal loads but vertical loads too.

Ruukki large diameter piles 15

Manufacture and quality control of pile accessories
The components attached to the steel pipe piles are
manufactured via modern automated robotic welding
techniques to ensure consistent high quality welding
and excellent cost-efficiency. Manufacturing the rock
shoes and welding them to the pile pipe in workshop
conditions with the aid of accurate preheating of com-
ponents and robotic welding machinery ensure high
strength of the welded joints and high and consistent
quality for the end product. Moreover, each rock shoe is
16 Ruukki large diameter piles
inspected in accordance with Ruukkis quality assurance
programme. Welding of the interlocking sections to the
spiral-welded steel pipe is performed in the automated
manufacturing line on both sides of the pipe simulta-
neously, to ensure efficient production. Special effort
has been made to manage the deformations caused
by welding the interlocking sections in the steel pipe.
Thanks to the automated production and accurate
monitoring, the end product is of very high quality.
Coatings
The foundation structures are generally designed to External pile paint coating
correspond to the service life required of the build-
ing or structure. Where steel foundation structures are Steel
designed and protected from the ambient conditions, Base coat
the result is a long-lasting and safe solution. Determin- Top coat
ing the service life of the steel structures is subject to
soil corrosion rates, and application of various coatings
which have now been largely mastered.

In the design of piles installed in soil and water, corro-

sion is taken into consideration through dimensioning
of the wall thickness and protective coatings. Recom-
mended corrosion allowances for different soil and wa-
ter conditions are presented in the standard EN 1993-5
Eurocode 3, Design of steel structures, Part 5: Piling.

In harbour structures and for other aggressive condi-

tions, it may be beneficial to protect entire piles or parts External triple-layer pile coating
of them with an external coatings. Ruukki delivers exter-
nally anti-corrosion-coated steel pipes with protective
Steel
painting or triple HDPE coating. Epoxy
Adhesive film
The protective painting will be performed with protective Polyethylene
paint combinations in accordance with the EN ISO 12944-
5 standard. Preliminary treatment, implementation and
control of the painting, and coating testing are per-
formed as described in EN ISO 12944. Also, interlocking
sections and steel sheet piles can be corrosion-protected
with protective coating.

The implementation and quality assurance of the triple-

layer coating are performed as defined in the standard
DIN 30 670. In this solution, an epoxy film protects the pile
from corrosion while a polyethylene film shields the epoxy
film against damage. The triple-layer coating can be ap-
plied to 1018.1-metre-long pipes. Longer pipes are splice-
welded, and the joint is protected with joint coating.

Customer-specific special equipment

Ruukki takes customer-specific needs into consideration

by delivering foundation construction products based on
steel pipes according to the customers individual plans.
Ruukkis services also include more extensive deliveries
that cover not only steel piles and solutions based on
them but also other steel structures.
Below: a specially equipped pedestrian bridge structure
based on steel pipe whose diameter is 1,220 mm, at
Kokkolas deep-water harbour.

Ruukki large diameter piles 17

Logistics

Via regular marine traffic lines,

the steel pipe products can be
transported cost-efficiently and
reliably from the Raahe harbour
to the target harbours according
to the customers needs.

Transport by road amidst other

traffic requires careful planning.
Ruukki has the solid expertise
required for safe and reliable
transport of long steel pipes.

18 Ruukki large diameter piles

Ruukki has several decades of experience in handling
and transporting steel products. The products are deliv-
ered to the customer in co-operation with Ruukkis long
established logistics partners. These established part-
nerships continue to facilitiate fast, cost efficient and
accurate deliveries, giving Ruukki and its customers a
competitive edge Ruukkis large-diameter steel pipes
are manufactured at Oulainen, which is approximately
70 kilometres from Ruukkis steelworks in Raahe and
the Raahe harbour. A significant proportion of custom-
ers product deliveries are made by efficient sea trans-
portation, which is supplemented by road and railway
transport. Delivering the products from the Raahe
harbour to harbour construction projects in the Baltic
Sea and North Sea region is particularly fast and cost-
effective because no road or railway transportation is
required. Ruukki has delivered spiral-welded steel pipe
piles and retaining wall structures not only to Finland
but to Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania,
Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, UK, and France.

Raahe
Oulainen

Sweden

Finland

Norway

Russia
Estonia

Latvia

Denmark
Lithuania

Belarus
Ireland
The Netherlands
Poland
UK
Germany

Belgium
Czech Republic Ukraine
Luxembourg
Slovakia

Liechtenstein Austria Hungary

France
Switzerland Romania
Slovenia
Italia Serbia
Kroatia

Ruukki large diameter piles 19

 CFI03/019EN/04.2014/PR
Energy-efficient steel solutions
for better living,
working and moving.

Ruukki Construction Oy, Harvialantie 420, 13300 Hmeenlinna, Finland

Tel. +358 20 5911, Fax +358 20 592 5656, www.ruukki.com
Copyright 2014 Rautaruukki Corporation. All rights reserved. Ruukki, Rautaruukki, Living. Working. Moving.
and Ruukkis product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of Rautaruukki Corporation