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.


10 November 2020: The United States IPO issued Patent 10,829,902 covering the intellectual property rights behind KSP.


12 April 2019: The Indian IPO issued Patent 311168 covering the intellectual property rights behind KSP.


19 December 2018: The European Patent Office today issued Patent No 2326773 covering the intellectual property behind King Sheet Piling (KSP). The patent is effective in Belgium, France, Germany, The Netherlands and the UK.


18 April 2018: February saw the start of KSP installation on the A14 Ellington to Fen Ditton highway project. Planned other UK Smart Motorway work this year using KSP walls includes the M1 Jnct 23A-25, M6 Jnct 2-4, M4, Jnct 3-12, M1, J13-16 and M23 Jnct 8-10. Last summer saw completion of KSP walls on M1 Jnct 19-16, M25 Jnct 30 Improvement and M5 Jnct 4A-6.


31st January 2018: The Canadian IPO granted patent 2 732 905 covering the intellectual property rights behind KSP.


21 December 2017: The Australian IPO issued Patent AU-B-2016203186 covering the intellectual property rights behind KSP.


8 June 2016: Up to 60% steel saved! 1.3 km of KSP walls on the A1 Coalhouse to MetroCentre Improvement achieved a new milestone, saving 44% steel on average, up to 60% steel on individual walls and 902 tonnes overall. The Arup design for Balfour Beatty included the first permanent works use of KSP walls with two pairs of intermediate piles.


15 September 2015: David Baker presented a paper entitled “King Sheet Piling (KSP) – a fundamental and innovative advance on past sheet piling practice” at the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering’s XVIth European Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering in Edinburgh in September, 2015. This prestigious conference attracted over 1,150 delegates made up largely of leading practitioners from 65 countries.


27 July 2015: This summer KSP installations commenced on the following Highways England projects: M3 Junctions 2 to 4A Smart Motorway, Manchester Smart Motorway, M25 Junction 30/A13 Corridor Relieving Congestion Scheme, and A1 Coalhouse to MetroCentre Improvement. In addition, Highways England awarded the M1 Junctions 19 to 16 Smart Motorway project utilising a KSP reference design.


31st March 2015: The Malaysian IPO granted patent MY – 153800 – A covering the intellectual property rights behind KSP.


17 July 2014: KSP wins Commercial Innovation of the Year Award at the Construction News Awards Ceremony in London. The judges recognised that King Sheet Piling was ‘exceptional’ and ‘more than just innovative’ and that it ‘could revolutionise a practice largely unchanged for 120 years.’ They concluded that it ‘could truly make an impact on a global scale.’ Click here to read more.


June 2014: Rail Infrastructure Magazine publishes article on KSP use on Network Rail embankment stabilisation at Westbury. Click here to read more (with kind permission of Rail Infrastructure)


23 May 2014: The Hong Kong patent office issued patent HK1160672 covering the IPR behind KSP.


31 March 2014: Balfour Beatty Rail completed installation of sheet piles for a KSP wall to stabilise an unstable Network Rail embankment at Westbury in Wiltshire.


27 March 2014: KSP short-listed for Construction News Company Innovation of the Year award.


20 March 2014: Two-page spread on KSP innovation published in New Civil Engineer.


25 November 2013: The use of King Sheet Piling (KSP) on the M25 DBFO widening project is cited as one of four exemplar projects in the Infrastructure Carbon Review published by H M Treasury and Infrastructure UK. Click here to see the announcement and access the report. Information on KSP's success can be found on page 13 of the report.


20 November 2013: The State Intellectual Property Office of the People’s Republic of China today issued Patent No ZL102144065 for King Sheet Piling.


8 November 2013: The design of King Sheet Pile walls for Network Rail on the South East Spur of Crossrail is now at Grip 4. The KSP walls will provide combined temporary and permanent support to a reinforced concrete culvert in soft ground, eliminating the need to pile the culvert. Culvert construction is planned for mid to late 2014.


3 September 2013: King Sheet Pile walls have been used in temporary works on the A11 Fiveways to Thetford improvements. Used in cantilever walls up to 7.5 metres high in chalk, KSP walls have proven their worth with a 30% average steel saving, increased productivity and negligible deflection.


26 August 2013: To read the August 2013 Ground Engineering article on King Sheet Piling use on M4/M5 click here.


22 August 2013: The Chinese patent authority has advised that the King Sheet Piling patent application in China has been approved to proceed to grant.


15 June 2013: The team on Skanska Balfour Beatty JV’s Later Upgraded Sections of the M25 DBFO have maximised efficiency by using surplus stocks of Z and U section piles in KSP walls. Whilst less efficient than Z piles, use of surplus U piles was a more sustainable solution than purchase of new Z piles.


24 April 2013: Presentation by KSP Inventor, David Baker, on King Sheet Piling (KSP) at Piling and Foundations 2013 conference in London www.pilingevent.co.uk


18 April 2013: Publication date for Construction News Supplement with article on King Sheet Piling (KSP). Click here to download the article.


20 February 2013: Publication of grant of UK Patent GB2463079 for King Sheet Piling (KSP), 4.5 years after filing the patent application – a typical timescale for the patenting process.


19 June 2012: Official opening of the M25 major improvement scheme to increase capacity between junctions 16 to 23 and junctions 27 to 30 and refurbish the Hatfield Tunnel. Both widened sections were opened ahead of programme and in plenty of time for the Olympic Games. King Sheet Piling (KSP) played a crucial role in de-risking the critical fast-track programme. Click here for more information.


30 November 2012: KSP wins the Constructing Excellence National Innovation Award. The judges said KSP was a ‘genuine Innovation, challenging the status quo and delivering a faster, safer more sustainable solution’.


10 October 2012: KSP was Highly Commended in the Product Innovation Category at the 25th British Construction Industry Awards ceremony in London.


27 September 2012: KSP wins the Constructing Excellence London and South East Innovation Award.


14 June 2012: King Sheet Piling (KSP) won the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation Ringway Innovation Award. Inventor David Baker accepted the award from CIHT Patron, Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal, at a gala dinner in London. The judges enthused over this innovative yet simple idea. Following value engineering, this design modification resulted in large cost savings and greatly increased productivity for this fast-track project. In addition, the reduction in materials used of 30 to 40% has resulted in economic, sustainable and environmental benefits. This novel construction technique significantly reduced the construction time and minimised disruption on a long section of the M25. Judges were also impressed by the communication and consultation between all parties involved which resulted in the use of an untried system on such a major project. Click here to down-load the citation.


4 May 2012: KSP was Highly Commended for Technical Excellence at the 2012 Ground Engineering Awards in London. According to the judges, the use of King Sheet Pile (KSP) retaining walls on the M25”was a fantastically simple solution to a common problem, which will inevitably roll out across the industry.”


11 July 2011: Following a successful trial of installing a short section of KSP wall in weak rock on the M4/M5 Managed Motorway scheme, the system was adopted in the design of a number of Emergency Relief Refuges (ERA).


20 May 2010: Presentation by KSP Inventor, David Baker, on King Sheet Piling (KSP) at Transport for London’s Supplier Innovation day Seminar. TfL invited fifteen of its major suppliers to submit their top two innovations and make the case for how each could benefit TfL’s Business Plan. KSP won one of three places to present at the seminar.


11 March 2010: Publication of PCT (International) patent application No PCT/GB2009/051040 for King Sheet Piling (KSP).


2 September 2008: Publication of UK patent application No GB0815961.8 (GB 2463079 A ) for King Sheet Piling (KSP).


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