What are Displacement Piles?

Generally, displacement piles are load-bearing columns designed to be installed without spoil material (soil that’s removed from the ground). Instead, special equipment is used to displace soil laterally, compacting it into the surrounding terrain. While not ideal for every situation, displacement piles can sometimes support higher capacities than alternative helical piles or bored piles, as more of the load is placed on the grout and dissipated evenly into the earth.

Over the years, commercial construction engineers have created dozens of displacement pile styles, all of which are either pre-cast or cast-in-place, and most are either driven, drilled or screwed into the ground.

The most common and generally accepted types of displacement piles fall into the following 4 categories:

Precast Driven Displacement Piles

Preformed concrete piles have wide application in a variety of soil conditions. Concrete pillars are hammered into the ground until enough friction or an end-bearing point can support the required capacity. Because of the enormous force and violent vibration on the pile during installation, pre-cast driven concrete piles are almost always pre-stressed or reinforced in some way.

Pre-cast driven displacement pile

Cast-in-place Driven Displacement Piles

Another form of driven pile requires large, hollow steel tubes to be driven into the ground, creating a void to be filled on-site with concrete. These tubes are capped on the nose to force the soil outwards in the same way a nail is driven into wood. For uncased piles, the tube is removed while the concrete is being poured, and reused to form each new grout column. In other situations, the tube is left underground, as a permanent casing for the pile.

Cast-in-situ driven displacement pile

Cast-in-place Drilled Displacement Piles

Drilled displacement piles are similar to fully bored piles, except without the spoils. Specially designed displacement tools are drilled into the ground and force soil outward, creating a more compact and stable column for the concrete. Once the drill has reached the appropriate depth, grout is pumped in continuously as the drill is extracted. This ensures the column stays intact and the grout has a chance to fill every available crevice. A rebar cage is also typically used to reinforce the remaining concrete column.

 

Cast-in-place Screw Displacement Piles

As the name suggests, these piles are installed similarly to the very popular screw pile. Permanent steel pipes are twisted into the ground with specially designed screw flight attachments which also displace the soil laterally. As the pile spirals its way down, concrete is continuously gravity fed into the voided column. Once the piles has achieved its required depth, it is left there as reinforcement to the concrete column. This method is particularly useful in areas with limited accessibility, as only small machinery is needed to install screw piles.

 

Need advice on the right types of piles for your job?

Displacement piles are a valuable tool in an engineer’s toolbox when devising structurally sound foundations. Which style of displacement pile will depend on the project, soil conditions, load bearing requirements and accessibility for installation.

Talk to Conte Company Today

5 Innovative New Ways to Use Helical Piles

Using screw piles for a playground's foundation and other ways to use helical piles

Many contractors already know about the tremendous advantages offered by using helical piles (or screw piles) as foundations for homes and buildings. But there are many more ways to use helical piles than just securing large structures in a variety of soil conditions. Some of these innovative applications are beginning to find favor with knowledgeable construction professionals and general contractors around the country.

Benefits of Using Helical Piles

It has long been known that helical piles are an ideal system to use in locations where the type of soil makes a traditional foundation more risky. Many residents of New Jersey discovered after Hurricane Sandy that helical piles could be used to great advantage for elevating their homes above storm surge levels, providing a level of safety and peace of mind.

Since installation of helical piles is generally much quicker than other deep foundation solutions, many builders appreciate using them when time constraints are involved with their construction projects. In neighborhoods of existing housing, where there is little room between buildings for equipment to operate, helical piles can be a much easier install than a conventional foundation.  The same is true for foundation repair work – helical piles can be installed much more easily in confined spaces.

Helicals are an ideal solution when building on water or wetlands. For typical construction, when building on good, dry soil, traditional concrete foundations are a cost-effective choice, but in certain situations, where the ground will be less accepting of concrete, screw piles are the perfect alternative.

Unlike most other foundation methods, helical piles can also be removed and recycled with very little effort. Since, in many cases, they were only screwed into the ground in the first place, it is only necessary to ‘un-screw’ them, and use them again somewhere else. The versatility provided by helical piles is unmatched in building circles, since they can be easily configured to adapt to removable structures, and provide tremendous value however they’re being used.

Finding New Ways to Use Helical Piles

The truth is, there are endless ways to use helical piles whenever any kind of anchoring or foundation is needed for structures large or small. In fact, they are fast changing the way that foundations are installed for many structures. It may be a cliché, but the only real limitation is a builder’s imagination and creativity. Here are some non-traditional ways we use helical piles…

Fencing Posts 

When fencing posts or deck foundations are attached to helical piles – they aren’t going anywhere. Even when fencing has to be setup in some marshy or soft soils, the fence posts can be attached to the mounting brackets on helical piles secured deep in the ground, where a stable layer of soil exists. Not only is there stability for the posts, but maximum support is also delivered.

Solar Farms 

As the demand for clean energy increases, so does the need for expansive solar farms around the country. There are a few fast, reliable, and cost-effective methods to anchor free-standing solar arrays,  including h-piles and helical piles. Both are capable of withstanding tremendous stresses applied by tensile, compressive, and lateral forces. With no real need for concrete, they can be installed very quickly, allowing more time for the other aspects of solar array construction.

When expanding an existing solar farm, it may be difficult to navigate big, pile-driving equipment around existing solar arrays. In cases like this, the small, agile machinery required to drive helical piles may be the only option. A mini-excavator is usually all that’s necessary.

Playgrounds

Of all the potential ways to use helical piles, you might not immediately think of a playground. However, anchoring a modern playground couldn’t be simpler than using helical piles. Mounting bracket can connect to the installed piles before securing the recreational equipment. With a totally reliable anchoring system, a playground can be made safe from all manner of forces which might act on it, and when children’s safety is an issue, total reliability is always the first priority.

Party Tents 

When you setup party tents in the same location time and time again for a recurring event, or series of events, it makes sense to provide a more permanent anchoring system for those party tents. The perfect solution to the problem is to install however many helical piles are needed to accommodate the number of tents which get erected, and simply attach the tents to the semi-permanent helical piles. Not only will there be great stability for the tents, but it won’t be necessary to re-invent the wheel for each year’s setup. As an added bonus, by using semi-permanent piles, certain styles of tents may allow you to eliminate or reduce the number of wires for patrons to trip over.

Boardwalks

Boardwalks are generally located in close proximity to some body of water, usually an ocean, and that makes securing them a bit of a challenge. Not a problem for an experienced helical pile installer. The boardwalk structure itself can be safely installed well above the normal water line, and can be attached with brackets to the piles. Flood-prone areas may even be zoned to mandate helical pile usage in the future, because they are so effective at anchoring structures on or around water. Also important to note is the eco-friendliness of helical piles for wetland boardwalks. It’s unmatched by other foundation methods, as there’s no grout necessary, no spoils from drilling and only the piles are left behind. As a result, the project has a very low environmental impact and poses no threat to surrounding wildlife.

Innovating Foundations Everywhere

Granted, not all projects are appropriate ways to use helical piles. But they are an incredibly useful and effective solution when construction needed to start yesterday. This is especially true for above-grade structures, when building on sites near water, and on projects with access limitations which can hinder larger machinery.

Conte Company has a line of Shallow Helical Piles, which cost less to produce and install than their larger counterpart. These shorter piles work in exactly the same way and are a great solution for all sorts of light-structure foundations. Our subsidiary company, Innovative Foundation Systems, specializes in pile foundations for fencing and solar, as well as other applications where concrete has traditionally been used. Contact us for more information.

Do you have a creative way to use helical piles?

Let’s talk! We can help you think it through…

Driving Piles Next to Jets: Behind the Scenes at Logan International Airport

Building Pile Foundationsat Logan International Airport

At Conte Company, we do construction work in all sorts of places, driving piles and building foundations for boardwalks, schools, houses, shopping malls, industrial plants and some other really cool sites. Once in a while we land a job that’s loaded with logistical obstacles which could easily lead to delays and complications.

We’re always up for a good challenge, and the trick is to make sure our customers are happy and relaxed from beginning to end. We do this with meticulous planning and foresight. Not only for the work that needs to get done, but to anticipate all those little things that can add up to big headaches if preparations and contingencies are not in place. We bend over backward for our clients!

When the Airport Authority is the Client

A traveler running to catch a flight will rarely have time to notice the complicated infrastructure of departure airports. But, if he did take a good look around, he might notice that the tarmacs, runways, hangers, passenger gates and terminals are in a perpetual state of upgrade or repair.

Recently, Conte Company was awarded a construction contract from Logan International Airport, a very busy hub just outside metropolitan Boston, MA. Logan covers 2,384 acres, has six runways and four passenger terminals. It employs an estimated 16,000 people and is the largest airport in the New England with 36 million total passengers passing through the terminals annually.

From a general contractor’s perspective, driving piles for this job might not seem particularly challenging. Conte was hired to simply install helical piles for an airport expansion; specifically to enlarge gated terminals and add a few new gangways, used for boarding passengers.

As it turned out, this job was extremely challenging from a logistical, and a customer service point of view. Why? Precisely because of where the job was located; at an international airport with reams of security and safety regulations! Not to mention the timing and precision requirements of an airport open for business 24/7, with activity both on the ground and in the air. It’s a busy place!

Security and Safety

Before we were even allowed to step foot onto the tarmac, each and every one of our crew had to clear thorough background checks and fingerprinting to satisfy Massport (The Massachusetts Port Authority) and MA State Troopers. Then we all had to go through a rigorous safety training program, anti-terrorism certification and a personal screening process just to be allowed to work on the premises. It took a full month before the certifications and checks were completed, and no work could begin until everyone had been cleared.

“Every time we entered the gates, everything had to be checked. Every toolbox had to be opened, engines, undercarriage, materials and people were scanned. Once inside, we could not leave the airport at will because we had to be searched each and every time. But, we are a company that enjoys a good challenge — and being flexible and adhering to our customer’s requirements is one of the things we do better than everyone else.”

Equipment Transport

When our guys were finally cleared to work, it was time for Conte Company to transport all of the necessary equipment for driving piles: trucks, trailers, excavators and pile materials onto the site. Imagine driving oddly shaped equipment out onto tarmacs while huge commercial jets are taxiing back and forth between gates and runways. Fortunately, as Conte Company specializes in helical pile technology, the transport was relatively seamless. Only small trucks were necessary to move all the installation equipment into place.

An unexpected problem did arise when Conte Company learned we would not be allowed to transport pre-mixed concrete to the site. The airport authority did not want concrete trucks coming in-and-out, or idling near the terminal, for security and logistical reasons. As a result, we had to mix all of the concrete on-site, by hand.

Work Space Limitations

On an airport tarmac, wing lines are drawn on the pavement to show where planes with various wing spans are allowed to taxi. As contractors, we could not place any equipment within these lines because it would block planes from taxiing to-and-from the gates to the runways. The very limited space between these wing lines is the only path allotted for all other types of tarmac traffic and construction equipment.

Again, as we were employing a helical pile system for the foundation of the terminal expansion, we only needed small installation equipment. We employed a 4-ton excavator, a 14-ton ex and a 15 ton rubber tire ex in order to meet certain access limitations for different parts of the project. Each of these have the ability to rotate within its own footprint without hitting or blocking any jets.

“We were working in such a tight space that the arm of our excavator could have swung around and hit the plane behind us! Needless to say, we were EXTREMELY careful… And no, we never hit anything.”

Working in such close quarters could have been catastrophic with larger equipment. If another piling method was used for the building foundations, the Airport Authority would have likely needed to shut down the nearby gates, creating delays for passengers around the world.

Safety of Passengers and Workers

Installing piles for the terminals, gates and gangways of a working airport means that people are everywhere! Imagine the responsibility of drilling very close to where passengers are boarding planes. But, because our team is trained to put the safety of people first, there was never a problem. The passengers barely noticed we were there and the Airport Authority was delighted with the seamless process.

The Soil Conditions

As geotechnical contractors, the soil conditions influencing this job were fascinating to us. Boston is a city basically built on marshland. To complicate things, Logan Airport itself, sits atop a man-made landfill and 15 feet of dense compacted gravel. Below that was anywhere from 60-140 feet of infamous Boston Clay. And below that was a layer very dense till… oh, and by the way, it’s all capped off by 2 feet of solid asphalt!

It was a serious challenge, to say the least. It was determined that we needed to drill our piles somewhere between 70-140 feet deep to assure stability and anchor into the till far below the asphalt. It was up to us to figure out how to do that.

The top 10-15 feet of the gravel was incredibly hard and much too dense for standard helical equipment to get through. Ultimately, we decided to pre-drill to break up the gravel which prevented the piles from buckling or breaking. Once we hit the clay the helical piles could screw in easily and take it from there. We built custom, reinforced digger-plates which we used to pull grout down through the gravel to encase the entire piles in a concrete column.

In the end, it all worked out nicely. We hit a couple obstructions and had to re-drill once or twice, but ultimately, the plan succeeded! At Conte Company, creativity runs deep and everything we customized for this project worked just as we designed it.

In case you’re curious about driving piles, we installed CHANCE® SS225 Helical Piles with 7″ grout shafts, load tested for 140 kips (or 70 tons).

Complicated logistics and damage control

As a contractor that specializes in foundation work, Conte Co always performs our work with precision. Even so, a minimum $10M insurance umbrella was mandatory to win the contract (obviously, it’s very expensive to repair a damaged jet).

With Conte’s helical pile technology, there is no pounding and little chance of debris shooting away and hitting planes, terminal windows, passengers or workers. Alternate methods of foundation work could have made a real mess of the surroundings and an injury hazard for the airport’s customers.

The Logan Airport job was completed in just a few weeks over the course of a full year. It was a great experience for us, and a successful install, because Conte Company knows how to plan for contingencies. And even when we don’t anticipate something strange, we bend over backwards to meet our clients’ needs.

Wetland Boardwalk Construction: Solutions for a Fragile Eco-System

The Quequechan River Rail-Trail Project is a beautiful example of wetland boardwalk construction

Building a boardwalk over wetlands is a great way to add value to a community. Wetland boardwalks give the public a way to enjoy the beauty of nature, in place that would otherwise be off-limits. But building a walkway in such a fragile environment brings many challenges. Especially in environmentally protected areas, there are a number of factors that need to be considered in wetland boardwalk construction.

One of our recent boardwalk construction jobs in Fall River, Massachusetts is a perfect example of how a great site plan, combined with a little creativity and lots of experience can result in a breathtaking natural sanctuary for the public to explore.

The Quequechan River Rail-Trail

For over 30 years the Rails to Trails Conservancy® has been helping to transform unused railroad corridors into vibrant public places to be enjoyed by the community. The initiative has been so successful that public and private funds have poured into new, local projects all over the country. 

Conte Company had a great opportunity to work on just such a project last year in Fall River, Massachusetts. The beautiful landscape, full of wildlife in a robust wetland sanctuary challenged us to complete a highly-sensitive, environmental project using our highly adaptable, helical pile expertise.

Now completed, we are extremely proud of this project and happy to bring the story of its construction to our readers. Like us, most of you love being outdoors, enjoying what nature has to offer while maintaining its pristine beauty. Fall River wanted the same for their residents and decided to complete part of a hiking and biking trail that followed the old Fall River Rail Line. The rail bed was being recycled with help from the Rails to Trails folks, who sponsor these kinds of projects all over the USA.

During the wetland boardwalk construction on the Quequechan River

A Boardwalk Foundation Supported by Mud

In a nutshell, we were asked to connect a trail that ran down the center of a few tiny islands while making the island trails accessible from each river bank. The islands were separated by stretches of the flowing water, swampy wetlands and various grades of soft wet soil. Our mission was to develop a support system for four bridges which would seamlessly connect the trails running through these islands.

Using helical piles to build or repair a boardwalk is not uncommon. In fact, for building on wetlands, helical piers are the most effective solution to support paths, bridges and walkways. So when we first heard about this boardwalk construction project in Fall River, we knew it had our name all over it. We had the expertise, the experience and the attention to detail to do the job right.

We live to find new and better ways to build stronger foundations, which is why we are the #1 installer of Chance® Helical Piles in New England! After a few references from previous projects, the general contractor knew that our construction footprint would be nowhere to be found once the pathway was complete. And so, the job was ours.

Working in a Protected Eco-System

To dig right in, this project pitted a variety of environmental challenges against the special requirements of the boardwalk. First and foremost, protection of the wetland plants and animals inhabiting the river and surrounding marshes topped the priority list. A tricky work environment, unpredictable soil conditions and a litany of environmental regulations would be enough to scare off most contractors, but not Conte Company.

“Conte Company’s experience with environmentally sensitive areas, and the regulations protecting them, was invaluable to the success of this project.”

Strong Enough for Semis

The boardwalk requirements were challenging in-and-of itself. In short, a total of 4 bridges were needed, which had to be H20 loaded. That means they had to be strong enough to support 18 wheeler trucks! In our experience, the best way to accomplish this type of necessary support was to space the piles more closely together and use batter piles (angled supports) to resist lateral loads.

The need for this added structural strength is unusual. Most boardwalks we build are pedestrian rated and we can bring in our smaller equipment to install the piles. In this case, however, it was mandatory that the popular walking, running and biking path had access for emergency vehicles. The Quequechan River Boardwalk was designed for pedestrians, but also needed to be able to support ambulances and other first responders, which would require much bigger helical piles sizes than we would normally install. Ultimately, this job required us to bring in the big excavator in order to drive the large diameter piles into the soil beneath the water.

With all of these ingredients and the big equipment necessary to install a heavy-duty boardwalk, the project had all the ingredients for disaster… that is if a less experienced company had been hired for the job. But Fall River hired Conte Company and we’re proud to take on the most complicated wetland boardwalk construction projects.

Barges are the Answer

Given the nature of the delicate eco-system in which we need to work, the first major question that came up was:

“How do you get the big equipment where it needs to go, to do what it needs to do, without compromising the eco-system or the safety of the workers?”

The solution was barges! We’ve used barges in helical pile installations before, and they’ve worked really well. We decided that floating pontoon barges to transport equipment and materials was the way to go. The big excavators could reach over the side of the barge, lower the helical piles into the water and screw them into the ground. Our guys, on free-floating docks, would guide the helical piles into position and bolt on the extensions so they could be driven deep into the soil. Our experienced crew could focus on this intricate task because we’ve done it before. We have a lot of experience around water and didn’t forget the bug spray). At Conte Company, safety is always first!

Installing helical piles underwater for a wetland boardwalk construction project

Boardwalk Bridges, Made To Order

Two of the longer bridges were to stem from opposite shores and meet on the biggest island, allowing pedestrians to cross from one side of the river to the other. The two shorter bridges were to span a few smaller gaps over the water. The longest bridge was to be 500 feet, the shortest 100 feet, and we would have to use a grand total of 600 helical piles to make everything hook up — and stay up.

A Google satellite view of the River Rail Trail boardwalk in Fall River, MA
An aerial view of the two boardwalk bridges spanning The Quequechan River

View this project on Google Maps

The boardwalk’s roadbed was to be lined with 10-inch wide timber sections. Each section would require us to fabricate custom, galvanized beam saddles to secure the boardwalk to its helical pile system.

The general contractor fabricated each timber boardwalk section based on measurements of the piles as we installed them. And each boardwalk section was attached to the foundation as it was completed. You can think of it like a custom boardwalk assembly line. As we go, so go the boards. This requires meticulous care to ensure that each and every pile was plum, secure and properly aligned with each of the other piles.

“Helicals were really the only option on an environmentally delicate job like this.”

Batter piles and beam saddles are used with helical piles to offer aditional support
An intricate helical pile system complete with batter piles and beam saddles support the wetland boardwalk

Using Helical Piles for Boardwalks

There are three reasons why helical piles are the perfect solution for wetland boardwalk construction: Logistics, Structural Stability and Environmental Impact…

Logistically and structurally, using helical piles in wetland boardwalk construction makes a ton of sense

Simplified Logistics

Compared to other types of pile foundations, helical pile systems are easy to install and require less maneuvering room to do it. The arm of the pile driving excavator can reach out away from the machine, whereas other types of piles systems need to be drilled or driven straight down.

One-path-in and one-path-out means there’s not a lot of room for extra machinery. Fortunately, to install helical piers, you really only need the one excavator. No other pile system could be installed faster or more efficiently than helical.

High Structural Stability

As we mentioned, construction of the boardwalk itself was being measured, fit and installed right in our footsteps. This meant the foundation needed to be secure and able to hold capacity immediately. That’s sort of a trademark of screw pile systems, as they do not require concrete.

Screw piles are also incredibly stable in soft soils, like mud and riverbed. In this case we used round shaft helical piles to accommodate the potential trailer truck loads. Even if another pile system were easier to install (which it wasn’t), a helical foundation was the correct choice for the project.

Low Environmental Impact

As we mentioned, protecting the eco-system in which we were working was one of the most important aspects of this job. And helical pile systems have very little impact on their environment, even feet from where they’re being installed.

  • No Grout Necessary – No contamination to the water or the habitat.
  • No Spoils from Drilling – No dirt or mud was pulled up from screwing the piles into the ground.
  • Only Piles Remain – Nothing goes into the water except for shiny, galvanized, steel piles.
  • No Danger to Wildlife – Piles are screwed deep underground, posing no threat to living things.
  • Finished Fast – Completed in just a few months, the environment was to back to normal before Springtime!

“All of this had to be done in real time, while working on a barge, floating in 6 feet of water, in an environmentally protected area, alongside birds, fish and turtles. This job was interesting, to say the least.”

Building a boardwalk in the wetlands means working alongside birds, fish and turtles

All-in-all we couldn’t be happier with how this project tuned out. If you’ve got a boardwalk project and need some expert advice, give us a call. Our experience with wetland boardwalk construction and pile foundation systems makes us one of the most qualified contractors in the country.

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Quequechan River Boardwalk in Winter
Even in Winter, the Quequechan River Boardwalk can be enjoyed by all

What is a Helical Pile?

What is a helical pile? and other questions about helical pier foundation solutions

If you’re in commercial construction, you probably know a lot about what happens above ground as you watch structures rise from the earth. What happens below ground, at the foundational level, might be more of a mystery to some. Helical piles are an important piece of underground construction technology which invisibly hold buildings and bridges in place. So what is a helical pile?

Helical piles literally do all the heavy lifting.

Below are some basic facts about helical piles. Once you understand what they do, what they’re made of and how they work, you’ll gain a whole new appreciation for these invisible, deep-foundation champions.

What Do Helical piles Do?

The purpose of a helical pile is to provide foundational support for structures of all types and sizes. Just like old-fashioned pile-foundations, helical piles (also referred to as screw piles, helical piers, helical anchors, etc.) are embedded deep underground in order to disperse the enormous weight which sits atop them. Multiple piles are installed to create a platform, on which a building, a bridge or any number of other large structures can rest.

You may also be wondering what is a helical pile for? Learn more about what helical piles do and how they’re used on our deep foundations page.

What are Helical Piles Made of?

Most helical piles are round hollow shafts or square solid shafts, extruded from steel and come in a wide variety of diameters and gauges, to serve different types of projects.

One or more steel screw threads (or helical bearing plates) welded onto the shaft, in order to supply ample downforce to the soil as it’s being screwed into the earth. Technically, this is what makes it a helical pile. The plane (or angle) of the screw is standard, although the size and shape can vary based on the application and soil specifications.

At the head of the pile is a shear lug, which fits machine-driven, rotary hydraulic attachments. These, in turn, are powered by small or large excavators, depending on the size of the pile.

For grouted pile applications, a lead displacement plate is fitted onto shaft extensions. This small disc pushes soil out of the way as it’s being screwed, leaving room for concrete to follow.*

 

What is a helical pile? a line diagram of a round shaft helical pile

How do Helical Piles Work?

Helical piles are installed by twisting them into the soil, just like a corkscrew is twisted into a bottle of wine. As the shaft of each pile disappears below the surface, additional extension segments are connected with bolted couplers and screwed into the soil as well—ultimately resulting in a single pile which can extend 100s of feet below ground.

In many cases, the steel pile itself is enough to meet the load requirements of the project. However, for more robust deep foundation systems, concrete (also known as grout) can be incorporated. In a grouted column, concrete is continuously poured down the sides of the column, following the displacement plate and encasing the steel shaft. This technique produces a reinforced pillar that will withstand the most extreme compressive, uplift, and lateral forces.

*Conte Company also helped develop the DRIVECAST™ Grouted Soil Displacement Pile (manufactured by HUBBELL-CHANCE®), which incorporates displacement functionality directly into the screw bearing plate.

 

So, what is a helical pile? We’re happy to answer any other questions you have…

Set up a phone call or a meeting with the helical pile experts at Conte Company today

The Best Deep Foundation Types: Helical Piles

Helical piles are the best deep foundation types

Helical Piles Create Instant Foundations

Construction project managers constantly worry that finding the best deep foundation types for their project is going to be a hassle, let alone the challenge of having it installed. The answer is CHANCE® helical piles installed by Conte Company.

Instant Support Means Fast Installation

Helical piles result in instant foundations. This means there is no wait time between the building of the foundation and the continued progress on the project. It takes far less time (than traditional methods) to screw a helical pile in place so construction can get started quickly. Combined with concrete, helical piles are one of the best deep foundation types, because they provide the security and benefits of a traditional concrete foundation, without the liabilities of driven piles. This immediate installation is fast, simple, and can be installed with lightweight construction equipment, rather than the bulky machinery usually required. This means instant torque-to-capacity feedback for production control. Helical piles are fast, simple, and effective.

Helical Piles can be Installed Year-Round in any Weather

These screw piles can be installed in any weather because instant support is available while the grout column hardens. This means no delays because of unfortunate weather conditions. Rather than worrying about possible rain delays while pouring concrete, helical piles allow for an easy and fast solution. Your project foundation will be finished much faster and more efficiently with a helical pile foundation.

No Big Machinery, Less Harm to Buildings

There is no vibration during installation because screw piles act like screws going into wood. This does not disrupt the surrounding area and is very safe to install. Soil disturbance during installation is minimized as well because of the smooth, continuous action. This is perfect for delicate or older homes, buildings and other fragile structures because the foundation won’t easily crack the way it could with violent hammering or pile-driving foundation methods. This is clearly a convenient solution that doesn’t damage the surrounding structures. For all these reasons helical piles are considered more advanced than traditional foundation methods making them highly trusted by construction professionals.

Environmentally Friendly Foundations

Helical piles are also environmentally friendly. They require less gas-guzzling machinery and less preparation than pile driven or augured foundations. Also, due to the machinery required to dig and move dirt away from the site, traditional foundations can leave a larger carbon footprint than helicals. Helical piles are frequently made from recycled metals and can be removed and reused again. The best deep foundation types allow you to be mindful of the environment and build something great at the same time; it is a win-win situation for everyone.

A Real Life Helical Pile Case Study

Helical piles can be seen in action at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut. A helical foundation was used and the project was simplified significantly due to the immediate load capacity, limited accessibility, fragile nature of the building and the reliable nature of the helical pile foundation. Fairfield University is an older school which has some buildings that needed special care during renovation due to fragile stone materials. These buildings are now built on one of the best deep foundation types, that will last for many years to come. Helical piles are much more resistant to possible changes that may occur in surface soil conditions, so there is less of a risk of the foundation weakening over time.

In many cases, helical piles can act as an instant foundation that construction managers and renovators are looking for. Helical piles are the trusted and simple foundation solution for a wide variety of projects. Just look at the fabulous job done at Fairfield University!

Contact us to see how a helical pile foundation would work for your project…

How to Choose a Helical Pile Installer: 10 Questions to Ask

 

Choosing a Reputable Helical Pile Contractor

Hiring a helical pile installer can be complicated when you don’t know what to look for. We’ve put together this list of questions to help project managers better screen their contractors, and determine if they are capable, experienced, reliable and trustworthy potential partners.

Ask your potential contractor:

1. “Are you certified, insured and bonded?”

Making sure vendors are qualified and covered is the best way to safeguard your project from major delays and accidents. Removing liability is important for every contractor, but maintaining a high standard for safety is the best way to keep your project on-schedule and running smoothly. Your contractors’ first priority should be the wellbeing of job-site workers, so make sure they have all the right paperwork, before signing a contract.

2. “Do you guarantee your foundation with a warranty?”

If a helical pile foundation doesn’t measure-up to industry standards, at some point it will need to be repaired or replaced. A reputable, helical pile installer will always stand by their work, so if the warranty that comes with it seems suspect, walk away. If they do offer a guarantee, as do most CHANCE Certified Installers, read the fine print to avoid costly surprises down the road.

3. “Can you provide 3-4 client references we can talk to?”

Few things are as valuable to the vetting process as talking to recent, real-life customers. They’ll be able to give you unique perspective on contractor’s knowledge, expertise, communication and customer service. Obviously, be considerate of their time by having some questions ready, but listening carefully to their answers will often tell you all you need to know about your potential vendor.

4. “Do you have a helical pile project portfolio we can look at?”

A good list of successful projects will help you understand the depth of a contractor’s experience and the scope of their capabilities. Looking through photos of helical pile projects to find examples of jobs similar to yours can confirm that they’re able to do what they claim. You can also get a feel for their level of professionalism, their attention to detail and their ability to address unexpected challenges that inevitably come up.

5. “Do you have experience working on projects similar to ours?”

Each helical pile installation project is different, so it’s important to know that your contractor is capable of solving the issues unique to your project. If your helical pile installer is working with unfamiliar soil conditions or structure types and sizes they haven’t worked with before, chances are they are going to run into problems and that means scheduling delays. Avoid the stress and choose a helical pile installer whose track record includes projects like yours.

6. “Do you provide design-build services?”

Keeping the design and installation aspects of a job under one roof is a great way to streamline planning, execution, overall communication, and keep costs down. When unanticipated challenges come up, as they often do, a design-build firm can move much more quickly to resolve the problem and get the project back on track.

If your contractor is not a design-build firm, you’ll want to know who is designing the project, and go through this checklist with them as well. It’s also nice to know if the two companies have worked together before, and have successful joint-projects under their belts.

7. “What’s your safety track record and what on-site, safety procedures do you practice?”

Nothing grinds a job to-a-halt like accidents and injuries. Avoiding mishaps should be a primary concern for both you and your contractors. Definitely ask the contractor about relevant safety and training certifications. But it’s also essential to ask about the specific, on-site safety procedures they use to protect their crew and yours.

8. “Who manufactures your piles and who supplies them?”

The difference between high-grade and low-grade steel and concrete may not be obvious when the project is first completed, but good-quality materials can add decades to the life of a foundation and it’s superstructure. If a contractor’s bid is lower than the rest, they may be cutting corners by getting cheap, second grade steel from various parts of the world. Material quality is not the place to cut costs, so make sure you know exactly where your helical piles come from.

9. “Who will be our on-site supervisor and what is their experience with helical pile installation?”

Knowing that you have a full-time supervisor on-site and available at all times is mandatory for any major construction project. Beyond managing the day-to-day of a project, an experienced supervisor is critical to making good decisions, if and when things go wrong. During a helical pile installation, a capable manager needs to be in charge of communications, scheduling, materials, equipment malfunctions and everything that keeps the project running safely and smoothly.

10. “What information do you need from us to provide an accurate proposal for this project?”

Your contractor should be willing to have an open conversation about the details of your project and collect the information required to provide an accurate and responsible estimate for your work. If you don’t have specific information on hand, a good contractor will tell you and explain how to get it. A not-so-good contractor will provide a quote anyway and hit you with change orders later on.

How well are you vetting your contractors? Get Conte Company's 2017 Guide to Evaluating Geotechnical Contractors: 22 Mandatory Questions to Ask Before Getting a Bid.