A revolutionary development in marine piling technology

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THE MOST ECONOMICAL AND ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY COMPOSITE PILING ON THE MARKET​

THE Ecopile – the first Piling engineered for marine applications

never replace your piling again

The Ecopile is a patent-pending vinyl-fiberglass composite marine piling engineered and designed by and for the marine contracting industry.

Shoreline Plastics, the manufacturer of the Ecopile, recognizes the growing environmental resistance to pressure treated timber in our waterways as well as the shortening lifespan of newer timber pilings in the marine environment due to marine boring organisms.

 Shoreline Plastics, with a lifetime of experience in the marine contracting industry, developed the Ecopile. It is designed to outlast all other pilings, and to meet all the rigors of harsh marine construction and is engineered for the exacting needs of walkways, boat lifts and boathouses.

 The Ecopile is 100% free from any leaching pollutants, 100% recyclable, 100% impervious to wood boring organisms and meets all the sustainability standards of exacting environmental requirements.

Engineered Features

The hexagram design is extruded as an internal webbing to enhance the structual properties of the EcoPile. All the triangles work together to make the piling stronger and stiffer, while also helping reduce weight and costs. It also keeps the pipe from collapsing on itself when bolting onto it. A profile like this can only be made with our specialized extrusion production process. The hollow insides also allow you to run wires and plumbing throught the piling, giving the dock a more finished look.
The bottom section of the piling that is driven into the ground has a spiral groove cut into it. These grooves allow the sand to settle into the piling, locking it into the ground and making it significantly harder to be pulled out during a large storm. These grooves paired with the internal webs create a huge surface area for skin friction which allows the piling to bear more weight without settling deeper.
Our propriety process allows us to incorporate glass fibers in our base PVC compound. By mixing the two, we are able to utilize the benefits of both. The Fiberglass greatly enhances the rigidity and strength of the compound, while the PVC keeps everything completely weatherproof and bonded together. The extrusion process greatly reduces manufacturing costs, and allows for the incorporation of the internal profiles, something standard fiberglass piling cannot offer.
The strong fiberglass substrate is protected by a specially formulated outer layer. This surface is Infrared and UV reflective, keeping the piling cooler to the touch, and resistant to fading or weathering. The cap also greatly enhances the piling's impact qualities. By absorbing blows in the outside layer, the piling can take a beating whether it be from a drop hammer during installation, or boats continuously bumping into it.

Designed With The Environment In Mind

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Everything about the EcoPile makes it the most environmentally friendly choice when choosing a piling.  For every single EcoPile you choose to use, you are saving several trees over the lifespan of the piling.  Every wooden pole that is driven into the ground is coated in chemical preservatives that hurt the marine ecosystems.  The webbed substrate of the EcoPile is also made up of recycled PVC, so for every foot of piling up to 10 pounds of plastic are being reused in a sustainable way.  When the piling is no longer needed, it is 100% recyclable. 

Several states across the US have already banned the use of any kind of treated lumber that contacts the water.  Many other states are following suit, by slowly drawing back the allowed amount of treatment in the wood.  Although it helps to clean up the water, the wood is less protected, thus reducing its useful life.  Homeowners used to see 20 to 30+ years of life out of a wooden piling, but now it is not uncommon for a wood piling to fail in less than half that time.

Save Money, and Future Headaches

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The EcoPile is the first composite piling to be budget friendly.  At less than half the price of comparable 100% fiberglass piling, choosing your composite piling should be a no-brainer. By the time you purchase a wooden piling and have it coated with a protective layer, the price of the piling is not far off from the EcoPile.  When you take the amount of times a wooden piling will need to be replaced over the life of the dock into consideration, the EcoPile becomes the more economical solution. The piling are the foundation of the dock, and that is the first place you should look when choosing composites.  You can easily replace a deck 10 years down the road, but if your pilings fail, the whole dock needs to be replaced.  Switching all of your piling to the EcoPile will result in a small increase in overall job costs, but you will never have to worry about your foundation again. 

Cosmetically Pleasing

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The EcoPile will survive the harsh marine environment much longer than any other piling option, and it will look better while doing it.  The outer cap layer on the EcoPile is filled with UV inhibitors which keep the piling from fading in the sun.  Featured in the video on the left is a cleaning ring that is available with the EcoPile.  The ring floats up and down the piling with each tide change, gently scrubbing it.  This subtle but constant action cleans off mud and grime while knocking off barnacles and snails before they attach themselves to the piling.  Your piling will be free of growth in the tidal area, insuring your dock will be the best looking along the river no matter how old it gets!  

Beyond Marine Construction

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Although intended for the harsh marine environment, a composite structural piling has several other uses where aging and biological attack are imminent. Foundation pilings on a house can be very expensive to replace.  You wouldn’t use a wood foundation on house built in a termite field, would you?  The EcoPile allows you a composite option that will last a lifetime, with little to maintenance or unexpected costs down the road.  Built it right the first time and you can rest easy knowing your investment will appreciate over time, not depreciate as it wears down. The EcoPile can be used in place of timber in any application a pole or piling would be used.

Sizing Guide

The 8” EcoPile is available up to 20′ lengths. It is perfect for walkway pilings and shallower water platforms.  It is not recommended for lift applications.

The 10” EcoPile is available in lengths up to 30′.  It can be used for the deeper water platforms and walkways.  The 10” can also be used for some smaller shallow lifts.

The 12” is available in lengths up to 45 feet.  It is ideal for support boathouses and larger lifts.  In deeper waters, the 12” is recommended for a more rigid structure that doesn’t need cross bracing.

The 16” is the newest addition to the EcoPile lineup.  Thanks to the EcoPile’s growing popularity in the commercial markets, the 16” is designed for deep-water/heavy load applications and commercial use.

Concrete Fill

The EcoPile was designed to be structural without the need to fill it with concrete.  Concrete adds extra complications and costs to a project.  However, if needed, concrete can be added to a piling to make it even stronger.  Concrete is recommended in certain situations, primarily pilings that have heavy side loads.  Applications like this could include jet ski lift that have a large load cantilevered out over the side of the piling.  “Beamless” boatlifts with the motors mounted to the side of the piling can also result in heavy side loads.  If your project calls for one of these applications, be prepared to fill the pilings with cement for the extra strength. We also recommend that you fill freestanding pilings with cement if you are in an area with high currents.  These piles would include lift pilings that are on the far side of the dock, and not attached to anything.  Without the support of the rest of the structure, the pilings will move slightly more than a timber piling due to the light weight.  Concrete will add some weight and stiffness to keep the piling rock solid in all conditions.

Design Suggestions

A dock can be designed for the EcoPile the same way that a traditional wood piling dock would.  When choosing a piling diameter, just refer to our sizing guide above.  An 8’’ pole is great for walkway piles and shallower depths around 6 feet.  The 10’’ is ideal for platforms at the end of the dock in slightly deeper water.  The 12’’ is our recommendation for any lifts or boathouse structures with roofs.  Following these recommendations will give you a rock-solid dock that doesn’t need to be filled with concrete or need excessive external cross bracing. For contractors new to the EcoPile, it is safe to assume you should size up one piling from wood.  For example, if you would normally use an 8-9’’ butt wood piling, the 10’’ would be very comparable.

 

If you have any questions about picking the right pole for your project, please call into the office at 904-696-2981, or e-mail ap@ecopile.com.

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To request more information about the EcoPile, fill out our contact form, or call 904-696-2981

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