One of our international seawall projects brought us all the way to Cherkasy, Ukraine, about 3-4 hours outside of Kiev.
The Dneiper River (4th largest in Europe) already eroded over 30 ft of river bank in just a few years, and the problem was rapidly progressing to the critical stage.
Finding the Best Solution
Desperate for a solution, The Minister’s of Water and Agriculture personally visited ESP’s U.S. office and engaged our engineers to provide a solution to their problem. Speed of implementation being crucial, the process from initial meeting, design, manufacture, shipping, and installation took only 2 months. Traditional materials would never have been implemented as fast.
The last few sheets being installed became a demonstration to the local community — mayors, legislators, engineers, contractors, and news crews — and part of the erosion seminar. ESP’s engineers were personally invited by the Ministers to present ESP sheet piling erosion solutions as the main focus for their erosion seminar, as the Ukrainian Water Minister, known as the “Hero of Chernobyl,” translated the ESP seminar himself.
The Right Sheets for the Job
ESP was able to incorporate a relatively short sheet pile, 2-2.5 meter sheets for the project. Although ESP recommended a thicker product for the unforeseen abuses of the Dneiper River, ESP 2.1 proved tough enough to meet the challenge and was selected by the Ministers. This also allowed the agency to stabilize more riverbank with their existing budget.
Collin’s Hammer
The sheets were driven into the ground using a light weight 150 lb air hammer, known as “The Collin’s hammer”. Invented by John Collins, the hammer was specifically developed for the quick and easy installation of vinyl sheet piling.
The hammer runs on a standard compressor, is easy to use, inexpensive to operate, works in variety of soil conditions, and is quick. Once set up, the hammer can drive a wall 6 ft into the ground in only two minutes. The hammer’s ram impacts hundreds of cycles per minute into the top of the sheet thus shearing the soil with the tip of the sheet pile.
An example you can see in action here:
Global Leadership
Everlast continues to lead the seawall industry with innovative products, global partnerships, and creative solutions. Wherever you are in the world, we can help!
Feel free to Contact Us with any questions, or for a free estimate!