What Are Piling Pipes?

Quick Answer

Piling pipes are thick-walled steel tubes driven or drilled into the ground to transfer structural loads to deeper, more stable soil or rock layers. The primary specification is ASTM A252, with grades 1, 2, and 3 offering minimum yield strengths from 207 to 310 MPa.

Steel pipe piles are a critical foundation element for bridges, marine structures, offshore platforms, high-rise buildings, and industrial facilities. Their circular cross-section provides equal resistance to lateral loads from any direction, and the hollow core can be filled with concrete for additional capacity.

Specifications

Specification	Type	Grades	Yield Strength (min)	Application
ASTM A252	Welded and seamless	Gr. 1, 2, 3	207, 241, 310 MPa	General foundation piling
API 5L	Welded and seamless	Gr. B to X70	241-483 MPa	Offshore piling, dual-purpose
ASTM A500	Cold-formed welded	Gr. B, C, D	290-317 MPa	Light structural piling
EN 10219	Cold-formed welded	S235-S460	235-460 MPa	European foundation piling
EN 10210	Hot-finished	S235-S460	235-460 MPa	Heavy structural piling

Typical Sizes

Piling pipes range from 219 mm (8 inches) OD for light building foundations to over 2000 mm (80 inches) OD for major offshore or bridge projects.

Application	OD Range	Wall Thickness	Typical Length
Building foundations	219-610 mm	6-16 mm	6-15 m
Bridge piers	610-1524 mm	12-25 mm	15-40 m
Marine and port structures	610-2134 mm	12-50 mm	20-60 m
Offshore platform jackets	914-2134 mm	20-75 mm	30-100+ m

Manufacturing

Most piling pipes are manufactured by:

• LSAW/DSAW: Large diameters (NPS 24+), heavy wall, controlled chemistry
• SSAW (spiral): Cost-effective for large diameters, moderate loads
• ERW: Smaller diameters (up to NPS 24), lighter walls

ASTM A252 permits both welded and seamless pipe. For offshore piling, API 5L PSL2 with supplementary requirements for fracture toughness (Charpy impact testing) is often specified.

Installation Methods

• Impact driving: Diesel or hydraulic hammer drives the pile to refusal or target depth
• Vibratory driving: Vibrating clamp shakes the pile into granular soils
• Drilled shafts: Pile placed into a pre-drilled hole, then grouted
• Jetting: Water jets loosen soil ahead of the pile tip

Pro Tip

Specify minimum Charpy impact energy at the design temperature for piles subject to dynamic loading (wave action, seismic). ASTM A252 does not mandate impact testing, so this must be added as a supplementary requirement.

Pile wall thickness is determined by structural load calculations, driveability analysis (pile must withstand hammer impact without buckling), and corrosion allowance, especially in marine environments where 1-3 mm per side is typical.

Read the full guide to pipe types