PileMedic® is a patented technology developed following 25 years of research and development (U.S. Patents #8,650,831 and #9,376,782). PileMedic is a truly structural strengthening system for piles. The laminates contain fibers in two directions (longitudinal and transverse). When wrapped around a pile or column, the jacket creates a seamless shell around the column with tremendous confining pressure on the column. It is well known that the axial capacity of a column is proportional to the degree of confinement. So, the more layers of PileMedic are wrapped around the pile, the higher the axial capacity of the pile. The annular space between the jacket and the pile is filled with grout or resin and optional FRP or steel reinforcing bars.
THE POWERFUL BENEFITS OF PILEMEDIC
THE STRONGEST PILE JACKET ON THE MARKET
Tensile strengths of PileMedic laminates range between 62,000 to 155,000 psi. These strengths
are anywhere from 3 to 10 times higher than other pile jacket systems used to date.
are anywhere from 3 to 10 times higher than other pile jacket systems used to date.
EASE OF INSTALLATION
PileMedic jackets require little training and equipment for installation. The fact that the jackets can be wrapped around the pile above water and then pushed into water results in significantly less need for divers during the installation.
CONFINEMENT PRESSURE
The lack of a vertical seam means that the PileMedic jacket has the same tensile strength 360 degrees around the pile. This high confining pressure significantly increases the strength of the pile for the same enlargement size. All other pile jackets have a bolted or glued seam which becomes the weak point under loading.
ONE SIZE FITS ALLS
There is no need to order the jackets for the right shape and size in advance. A roll of laminate can be cut in the field to fit any shape or size pile. The thin, 4-foot-wide laminate can be cut in the field to wrap any shape or size of pile.
SEAMLESS SHELL
PileMedic jackets are coated with a special epoxy paste and wrapped two or more times around
the pile to create a multi-ply impervious shell. This process results in a seamless shell around
the pile that will keep all moisture and oxygen out. Along the height of the pile, the jacket segments are overlapped a minimum of 4 inches and epoxied together for a watertight joint. Since
water and oxygen are the primary source of deterioration in timber piles and corrosion in steel piles, the seamless construction of PileMedic brings the corrosion rate to a near halt.
the pile to create a multi-ply impervious shell. This process results in a seamless shell around
the pile that will keep all moisture and oxygen out. Along the height of the pile, the jacket segments are overlapped a minimum of 4 inches and epoxied together for a watertight joint. Since
water and oxygen are the primary source of deterioration in timber piles and corrosion in steel piles, the seamless construction of PileMedic brings the corrosion rate to a near halt.
AXIAL & FLEXURAL STRENGTH
PileMedic laminates are reinforcing sheets, like a steel plate that can be deigned to provide any level of axial, shear or flexural strength for the pile.
QUICK REPAIR
Conventional jackets must be ordered in advance, manufactured to size and shipped to the job site; this causes considerable delay in repair of the damaged pile. The problem is even more severe following an event such as earthquake or explosion where the size and shape of the piles that get damaged are not known in advance. In such emergency repairs, PileMedic is the only product where a single flat sheet can be used immediately to repair piles of any shape or size. This is one of the reasons why the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Search and Rescue Program has listed PileMedic in its Field Operations Guide as the best and fastest solution to restore the strength of a damaged column or pile.
FULL RESTORATION OF PILE CAPACITY
Within 24 hours of completed installation, the
full capacity of the pile is reached or surpassed.
This has been demonstrated in a study
conducted by CalTrans and NSF to restore the
strength of a concrete bridge pier that was
severely damaged in an earthquake.
full capacity of the pile is reached or surpassed.
This has been demonstrated in a study
conducted by CalTrans and NSF to restore the
strength of a concrete bridge pier that was
severely damaged in an earthquake.