Steel Piles

High strength of steel makes it a good material for piles. Steel piles can be in the form of rolled steel H-sections or seamless/welded steel pipes. They can be directly driven into the ground for use as piles. The tubes can be open ended or close ended. In the case of open ended pipes, after the piles are driven, the earth inside is cleared out by water jetting and filled with concrete. The closed ended pipes are provided with a shoe to facilitate driving and these are also normally filled with concrete. 

Because of its inherent strength, a steel pile can withstand the large impact of the pile driving hammers  and can penetrate through relatively hard strata and boulders. The total length of pile can easily be extended by welding additional piece(s) or shortened by cutting. Steel piles cause little ground displacement and hence, can be driven at close intervals, or near existing buildings. They require less storage space and can be handled easily as compared to precast RCC piles. 

The disadvantages are the possibility of corrosion and lesser frictional resistance with reference to transfer of load. These piles are more expensive than other types of piles and hence, they are not used very widely. They can be used for very heavy loads and for foundations of bridges, trestles etc.