Buckling
initiation and post buckling behaviour of pultruded FRP sheet pilings subject
to uniform earth pressure
were studied using a finite element method in an
attempt to predict the load-carrying
capacities of the pilings. The FE
predictions were compared with full scale sheet pile tests. It was found that,
shell connection model was sufficient to assess the performance of single panel
in a connected sheet pile wall. The bifurcation, buckling
initiation and
post-buckling failure occurred in a close range of loading, suggesting that
there existed no postbuckling capacity for the typical installation. With 10%
additional materials added either to increase the thickness of the compressive
flanges or to create the junction stiffeners between flanges and webs, the
buckling resistance of the same profile design could be doubled.