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Flash floods in urban areas are becoming an increasingly frequent and severe phenomenon. The rise in the frequency and intensity of rainfall, combined with the sealing of soil in cities, leads to a rapid water run-off and flooding.

In some cases, urban flash floods occur even dozens of times more often than just 15-20 years ago. What should be done to be better prepared for such situations?

Climate changes have been progressing at an increased pace. Climate changes have been progressing at an increased pace. According to the data gathered by the UE Copernicus Climate Change Service, 2023 has witnessed an unparalleled surge in global temperatures, setting a new record with an average annual value of 14.98°C, surpassing the previous high in 2016 by 0.17°C [1]. When taking measures to deal with such intensifying phenomena which take on a global character, it is necessary not only to effectively mitigate the consequences of climate change, but also to select tools and methods that will minimize the negative impact of the remedial activities carried out on the environment. In light of the above, vinyl sheet piling used in civil engineering and hydrotechnical investments seem to be of the solutions worth considering because of their low carbon footprint and the fact that they are manufactured from recycled material.

Vinyl sheet piles have been used in the broadly understood infrastructure construction, covering many industries, both on land and in water. Owing to their low weight, ease and speed of installation and exceptional durability, structures made of PVC profiles are becoming more and more popular also in projects previously dominated by traditional technologies. In the case of investments aimed at securing and reinforcement of embankments of watercourses and reservoirs, can vinyl sheet piles be a better choice than technologies such as willow hurdles?

Grodzice winylowe na przestrzeni ostatnich lat zdobywają coraz większe zainteresowanie inżynierów lądowych jako alternatywa dla grodzic stalowych. Technologia grodzic winylowych, kojarzona głównie z „lekką” inżynierią lądową, została już zastosowana wiele razy w dużych i skomplikowanych projektach. W niniejszym artykule przedstawiamy case study z tego typu przedsięwzięć, które pokazują, jak dzięki odpowiedniemu przygotowaniu, zarówno na etapie planowania, projektowania, jak i montażu, firmom wykonawczym udało się pokonać wyzwania związane z  montażem grodzic winylowych w trudnych warunkach gruntowych.

The number of challenges facing geotechnical engineers in their daily work is constantly growing, and these are not only technical problems, but also those arising from time pressure and budget constraints. Fortunately, modern geotechnical engineers have access to up-to-date knowledge and skills, and they can use modern tools in their work, including specialized programs for performing simple but also more complex geotechnical analyses.

One such program used by our geotechnical team at the Pietrucha Group in their daily work, related to the design of vinyl sheeting structures, is the Sheeting Check module which is part of the GEO-5 software, provided by Fine Software.

Vinyl sheet piles have been used in the broadly understood infrastructure construction, covering many industries, both on land and in water. Owing to their low weight, ease and speed of installation and exceptional durability, structures made of PVC profiles are becoming more and more popular also in projects previously dominated by traditional technologies. In the case of investments aimed at securing and reinforcement of embankments of watercourses and reservoirs, vinyl sheet piles are an alternative worth considering in comparison with technologies such as willow hurdles, stone riprap or concrete slabs.

As the impact of extreme weather triggered by the ongoing climate change becomes more and more destructive, it is essential to maintain flood protection infrastructure in good working order. Flood embankments which constitute the first line of defense against flooding, must be especially taken care of since their infallible operation is particularly important where water resources, e.g. rivers are part of the urban landscape.

Flood embankments and retention reservoirs and other strategic elements of flood protection infrastructure, due to their function, require reliable design and implementation. The rising prices of construction materials and costs of transport have drawn the attention of investors to solutions alternative to steel and concrete for the construction of such infrastructure. This resulted in their increased interest in the technology of vinyl sheet piles and its competitive advantages over traditional solutions.

As in the case of any infrastructure investment, when it comes to civil engineering projects involving the application of a sheet pile technology, one of the most important components of the project documentation is the costs analysis, taking into account various available solutions. When estimating the total project budget, it is critical to comprehensively consider the full range of cost drivers and the pros and cons of each technology. Only then is it possible to make conscious and responsible decisions and make choices which will affect our planet and the well-being of future generations for many years to come.

When planning new developments within cities, one of the biggest challenges is fitting such investments and their accompanying infrastructure into the existing urban fabric, so that the development does not impact the existing balance. The Złocień residential estate in Cracow is one example of where unthoughtful planning has led to serious consequences, with floods on the estate being the result. However, thanks to the implementation of modern technologies and materials, the situation was successfully addressed. In this article, we analyze how the application of the EcoLock vinyl sheet pile technology by Pietrucha protected the residents of Złocień and helped generate considerable savings on the remedy works.

Carrying our maintenance works at dam reservoirs is always a challenge, from the very beginning of the entire project i.e. the design phase. When choosing the most suitable technology, the designer must take into consideration technical conditions in which the maintenance will be carried out, the ground and water conditions, terrain constraints as well as the budget available.

In this comparative assessment of the carbon footprint of retaining walls made of pvc and steel, we analyzed a 50-year life cycle of a 1 km retention wall constructed along an embankment, made of 5 metre long profiles.

Vinyl sheet piling in river bank protection and regulation

PVC piling may be used to protect and regulate rivers, ditches or channels. Thanks to their structure, EcoLock piling systems easily adjust to the natural curvatures of the terrain.

A case study involving the use of the EcoLock vinyl sheet piling structure designed and manufactured by the Pietrucha Group in the project of reconstruction and modernisation of flood protection structures in the area of Częstochowa, which began in 2015.

In January 2018, the Pietrucha Group delivered a IBS temporary separation wall. with the height of approximately 5 metres, it is one of the highest temporary separation walls installed in Poland.