For marine piles, there are several options available for selection, namely H-piles, circular pipes and box piles. However, only circular piles and box piles are suitable for marine application... why?
Circular section perform well when the piles are subjected to wave and current effects, the other section may have wave. H sections or other section may have high turbulence effects that can transfer vibration to the deck structures
(i) Circular piles and box piles possess high column buckling strength. For marine structures like jetties, piles are well above seabed level and therefore the column buckling effect is significant when compared with other structures. Therefore, it is essential to use pile sections which have relatively high buckling strength in piers.
(ii) Circular piles and box piles display high energy absorbing capability. For marine structures like dolphins and fenders, which require substantial amount of berthing energy to be absorbed, these piles sections are inevitably good choices.