King Sheet Piling (KSP®)

The award-winning King Sheet Piling (KSP®) retaining wall system typically saves 35% to 40% of the steel used in a standard wall, whilst delivering marked productivity, environmental and sustainability benefits. It can be up to 4 times faster to install.

What Does KSP Offer?

KSP is a simple, radical innovation that revolutionises 120 years of sheet piling practice. It uses sheet piles more efficiently to yield typical steel savings of 35% to 40% in standard cantilever walls, whilst guaranteeing dramatic productivity, environmental and sustainability benefits.

How Does KSP Work?

Many sheet pile walls are sized for driveability, using heavier sections than required structurally for the wall. KSP harnesses the surplus structural capacity by 'thinking laterally' to use pairs of Z section piles as "kings" with lighter, shorter Z piles or "intermediates" spanning horizontally between them. For further details, including options for water cut-offs, see the Technical page.

What is KSP’s Track Record?

To date KSP has delivered:

  • Multi-million pound savings for Contractor and Client
  • De-risked critical programmes on two major projects worth a combined £1.2 billion
  • Substantial sustainability, constructability and environmental benefits
After 25 km of KSP on the M25 motorway DBFO initial widening, KSP has since been used on over 23 schemes across the National Highways (formerly Highways England) network. KSP walls are now the solution of choice where sheet pile walls are considered and are a familiar sight across the nation’s roads. KSP walls have also yielded substantial savings on Network Rail projects.

See Case Studies.

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Contact Us

To use KSP on your project, see Guidance to Users updated 15 July 2021 & new Permit to Use.

Latest News

May 2023: KSP walls are due to start shortly for slope stabilisation on both rail and highway applications, taking advantage of the important benefit that KSP facilitates groundwater flow.

2022: Saw completion of further KSP walls on the M1, M45 and M56 motorways.

31 August 2021: Correct Link to Technical Guidance Download reinstated (inadvertently re-directed in website upgrade of 28 July 2021).

July 2021: Installation of the last KSP wall on M4 Junctions 3 – 12 Smart Motorway marked completion of many kilometres of Smart Motorway KSP walls across the Highways England network. KSP walls are currently being designed for further schemes under the Smart Motorway Alliance programme.

2020 saw completion of substantial anchored and cantilever KSP walls for Langport Embankment for Network Rail, following on from those on Bridgewater rail embankment in 2019. KSP walls completed or in progress for Highways England include M23 J8-10, M1 J13-16, M4 J3-12, M25 EAs 01 & 06 and A19 Norton to Wynyard. Further KSP walls are envisaged on Highways England SMA schemes currently in the design phase.

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