Design, Resin & Fiber

In order to achieve maximum performance in the field, a composite sheet pile must balance three important aspects of composite design:

1. Geometry.  The shape, including wall thickness, depth of section, angle of corrugation, interlock design, and panel width are important in designing the ideal composite sheet pile.
2. Resin System.  The resin system is the “glue” that will hold the part together over time.  Polyester resins are not an option as they tend to break down over time when exposed to salt water and high pH soils.  The ideal resin is a marine-grade resin, which possesses high resiliency in impact strength, low absorbability, and weatherability.
3. Fiber Architecture.  The fiber reinforcements are part of an overall architectural design of rovings and mats that work together, balancing the structural integrity of the composite material.   Rovings provide strength in one direction (0) while mats provide strength in the other (90).  Our goal was to create a balanced part that is predictable when it comes to performance.

The Polaris SL 1580 Composite Sheet Pile represents the Pinnacle of Performance in today’s composite industry. This first ever infrastructure-grade marine composite is patented.  Its one-of-a-kind design  places Polaris in a class of its own.

Polaris SL 1580 was designed over a two year period in which various resin systems were tested with various fiber combinations.  After hundreds of test runs, the best overall performing composite was chosen for use.  This composite was then submitted for Finite Element Modeling, sometimes called FEA, to determine the best geometry or shape for the part.

After years of development, Polaris SL 1580 is a tremendous success. It is the only composite sheet pile to be used by the US Navy at its largest port facility.  It is used by the US Army Corp of  Engineers and a host of other Federal, State, and private agencies.

Polaris Consistently Receives the Ultimate Compliment.

After seeing Polaris SL 1580 perform, our competitors have developed a product that they want to compare to Polaris SL 1580.   To prove this, simply place a sample of their part over a Polaris SL 1580 sample and notice the similarity.   But also notice the differences.  The fact that they have knocked off the Polaris SL 1580 design in every way but those that are patented,  lets us know that we’re on the right track.

Polaris is the choice of professional engineers Worldwide!

However, since it’s somewhat easy to create a product that “appears” to be similar, specifiers should be wary of products that compare themselves to Polaris SL 1580. Testing of actual physical parts by an independent ISO 9002 or A2LA laboratory is the only credible method of determining the suitability of a product for a given application.

If competitors can’t provide comprehensive test data at your request, then you should expect your project to be their proving ground.  The ultimate proof is in the track record.  Polaris SL 1580 leads the industry in number of applications and notability of its clientele.