Composite materials have been around for thousands of years! The first man made composite materials have been traced back as far as Ancient Mesopotamia, where they created plywood as early as 3400 BC by layering wooden strips across each other at varying angles and sealing with glue. Composite materials are those that are created by combining two or more different materials together, to create a new material with the best properties from each! There are many different material properties that may be attained from mixing the multiple materials together, such as fire resistance, tensile strength, or strong insulation.
Composite piles are a little different than traditional composite materials. Rather than being made from a blend of two different materials, composite piles are two separate piles of different materials driven one on top of the other in order to function as a singular pile! One typical example of this is a timber pile with a precast concrete pile driven on top, allowing the pile to reach greater depths than cast in-situ concrete allows for while also keeping the timber pile away from the erosive elements near the surface.
However, recent years have seen the rise of piles made entirely from composite materials. Fibre reinforced polymers (FRP) and structurally reinforced plastics (SRP) are common composites that have recently been trailed for use in traditional piling. FRPs and SRPs have many benefits. They are water and corrosion resistance, have a very high tensile strength, and allow for the recycling of materials. Although some downsides do exist for these materials, like the carcinogenic chemicals they can produce during manufacturing, and less attractive aesthetics. For construction, these issues do not pose a serious obstacle to the use of these materials.
For some other industries, like composite cladding or fencing, a slightly different composition for their composite materials is used, known as wooden plastic composite (WPC), which is a more environmentally friendly option and boasts nicer aesthetics. There are a number of different varieties of wood fibre and polymer composites, each with its own specific advantages and disadvantages, but the practice of using composite materials can result in a greener project and piles of spectacular strength and longevity for cheaper than traditional steel piles!
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