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

Don’t Delay Construction Until Spring: Helical Pile Foundations can be Installed in the Dead of Winter

civil engineers at construction site plan on installing pile foundations in Winter

These days, there’s really no reason to wait through the entire frozen season before starting that major construction project you’ve been thinking about. The deep freeze which has held much of the U.S. in its grip this January might be a deterrent to building in some respects, but it certainly should not prevent you from installing pile foundations in winter, especially if you intend to use helical piles. When helical piles are being used, there’s simply no need to wait for the ground to thaw out – they can be installed in most frozen ground.

Installing Pile Foundations in Winter

Admittedly, there can be an added expense to winter installation of foundations, particularly if really frozen conditions prevail. Like almost every other outdoor pursuit in the dead of winter, there are special considerations necessary, which translate to a slightly higher cost for helical piles. For instance, in those cases where the ground is frozen solid, a more powerful pile might be needed to penetrate the frozen soil, after which it would be replaced with a ‘production pile’ for the actual foundation.

In really cold weather, it may also be necessary to keep concrete grout mixture warm for a period of time, after mixing and before it is placed in the ground. For this process, heaters have to be setup at the mixing site, and the concrete mixture must be entirely contained within this area prior to having it poured into the pile. While there would be some added expense associated with these measures, you can literally save months of construction time by installing pile foundations in winter, and not having to wait for favorable weather.

Pouring Concrete Foundations in Winter

It’s certainly possible to install concrete foundations in the winter, but some extra consideration is necessary for the whole process. For instance, the concrete supplier would have to mix the concrete with hot water, so it could survive the temperature drop when it comes in contact with the outdoor air.

Since it usually takes twice as long or longer for concrete to set in cold air, it might be necessary to use an accelerant in the mixture to speed up the setting process. It may also be necessary to install windbreaks or temporary enclosures, along with heating systems, to prevent the concrete from drying out too quickly, and to prevent sudden temperature drops from cracking the concrete before it has a chance to set.

Extra Installation Costs vs. Waiting Until Spring

If you really need to keep your building project on schedule, and don’t want to wait until a springtime thaw provides you with ideal conditions, you can definitely get your foundation in place during even the harshest winter conditions. And you can install a concrete foundation if you don’t mind all the added expense of winter excavation, warm concrete delivery, treatment with accelerants for fast setting, and all the protective measures that will be needed to maintain sufficient warmth for an extended period of curing.

The truth is, from almost every angle you look at it, employing helical piles offer significant advantages, especially in the winter. Even if you have your piles encased in grout, the concrete mixture settles below the frost line, where it can cure naturally without any artificial heat. And although larger structures typically require concrete slabs to be poured to complete the foundation, most of the foundational support lies well below surface, where temperatures are stable year round.

As always, there is far less disturbance to the surrounding area with helical piles, since they do not require any major excavation, and can be installed with much smaller equipment—this also allows for better accessibility for hard to reach areas. Installing pile foundations in winter can be done rapidly, and if there is ever a need to remove or replace them, that can be easily done.

Construction Doesn’t Need to be Seasonal

What would the financial cost be if you had to wait several months for warmer weather, before proceeding with your construction project? That doesn’t have to happen when you opt for installing helical piles during the winter months. With a cost that is only slightly higher, all the same terrific advantages can be realized by installing pile foundations in winter – with fewer worries about massive snow removal, properly curing concrete, or moving major pieces of equipment around on a construction site.

While everyone else is watching the snow fly and the ground freeze, you can be getting a foundation in place, and planning for all the other steps which follow afterward.

Ready to Start Thinking About Your Next Construction Project?

Talk to Conte Company. We can help you choose a stable, cost effective foundation for your next job.

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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?

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Determining the Cost of Helical Piles

engineers costing helical piles at an industrial facility

There are a number of factors which go into determining the cost of helical piles. Some are more obvious than others, but in the end, the chances of getting an accurate estimate will be much more likely when an experienced installer weighs the following criteria.

Geographical location of the job site

One cost factor which you might find a bit surprising is the element of geographic location. In a cost survey conducted by Helical Pile World in 2016, it became apparent that costs for the same kind of helical pile project would have a significant variance based on which part of the country work was done. Generally speaking, the more expensive pricing was in the Northwest and Mid-Atlantic states, while the least expensive cost of helical piles was quoted by companies in the Midwest and Plains states. So, if you have a project where helical piles will be used, the first cost factor will depend on which region of the country your project will be located.

Repair or new construction

The second most important cost factor in this survey is the type of project to be built. Participating companies universally quoted higher prices for remedial projects involving helical piles, as opposed to new construction projects with pile work. In many cases, the new construction was only about half the cost of the repair work.

After these two top factors, the cost elements tend to be closely related to the actual foundation installation work, which involves the piles themselves. We have broken these factors down as follows.

Number of piles

The number of piles needed on a given project is only partially determined by the size and footprint of the structure to be supported. The amount of piles necessary is also greatly influenced by the loading requirements, support requirements, structure type, and building codes applied to the project.

More importantly, because helical piles come in different sizes at different price points, one hundred piles of one size can cost less than fifty of another. The estimating contractor and the project engineers must be highly experienced in being able to determine how many of each size helical pile will need to be used.

Type of piles

The type of helical piles being used can also vary in diameter, shape and style, as well as whether they are being installed with or without grout.

The shape of the piles is either a square shaft or round shafts. Common square piles come in 1.5”, 1.75”, 2”, 2.25” and up. The common pipe piles come in  2 7/8”, 3.5”, 4.5”, 5.5”, 6.5”, 8”, 10”, etc. Typically, the bigger the diameter of the pile shaft, the more costly they will be.

Grouted shafts are a relatively new development in helical piles. As an anchor is being screwed into the soil, a grout column is gravity fed all around the shaft to reduce the likelihood of buckling under high stress. Such a technique is commonly used in soft soils, and has the effect of making the whole column much more rigid, while increasing the load capacity of the foundation itself. Grouted piles do not cost significantly more than un-grouted shaft installations, but can significantly improve performance. In many cases, small grouted square shaft piles actually cost less than un-grouted pipe shaft piles with similar loading capacities.

Once again, the type of pile used is very project specific and the best pricing will be determined by an experience estimator.

Depth of pile installation

The depth of the pile installation will influence the cost of helical piles simply because it takes more time and material to install deeper, more secure foundations. In many cases, anchoring will need to be drilled deep enough to a point where a more competent layer of soil resides. The load-bearing requirements of the project will also affect how deep piles need to be anchored.

For example, a pile going 40′ deep will add more to the material cost of a job than one going only 20′ deep. More pile extensions need to be added to the main shaft in order to achieve the greater depth. Installing longer piles also increases the time that drill crews need to be on-site.

Soil conditions

The design and selection of the piles being used for a specific project is directly affected by the encountered soil conditions. Buckling, liquefaction, density of the bearing layer to be penetrated, and density of the upper fill layers, all play a factor in which pile is chosen and the overall cost of the job.

In short, the soil conditions for a project will play a large part in determining the number, type, size and depth of piles to be used. As explained above, the choice of helical pile has a significant affect on the cost of helical piles material, needed for the project.

Cost of helical piles – The bottom line

Like all construction, estimated bids are subject to unforeseen developments. However, when an experienced contractor/installer/estimator work up an estimate for a specific installation of helical piles, and take into account ALL of the above considerations, you can be confident that the estimate you receive is realistic and accurate. Location, type of job (new construction or repair), the number, type, and depth of pile installations and the type of soil are all important factors. They, in combination, will determine your price and why only an experienced helical pile installer will be able to deliver a reasonably accurate figure for your project.

Need a quote on a helical pile job?

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How a Helical Pile Foundation Can Speed Up Your Construction Project

A helical pile foundation can lead to faster construction and less down-time

Not many construction projects have the luxury of an open-ended time frame for completion, and in fact most projects have an understandably tight schedule which has to be observed. In construction, as in virtually all businesses, time is money, and this is especially true when all other tradesmen and contractors are waiting for the foundation of a structure to be installed. In many cases, a helical pile foundation can greatly reduce the time-to-build.

At most times in the past, there was literally no choice but to wait for a concrete foundation to be excavated, poured, and to dry before all other tasks associated with building construction could get underway. However, that model is changing more and more these days, as the advantages of a helical pile foundation become more universally known and understood.

When are Helical Piers Faster?

First and foremost, helical foundations are almost always installed more quickly than other piling methods such as caissons or driven piles.  While some common applications include support for bridges, boardwalks and industrial piping, engineers are constantly coming up with new ways to use helical piles as a time-saving alternative. Particularly useful for construction in wetland or flood-prone area, replacing a concrete foundation with helical piles can shave weeks and even months off a project.

One of the biggest advantages, especially for light industrial, temporary or above-ground structures, is the speed at which a foundation can be installed using helical piles.

How do Helical Piles Save Time?

Right from the very first step, helical piles save valuable time in the implementation of a foundation. No large excavating equipment is needed for the installation of the piles themselves, so as soon as engineers have tested the soil to determine the degree of anchoring which will be needed. A helical pile foundation can be screwed directly into the ground with machine-mounted hydraulics or machinery fitted with electrical drilling equipment. Almost any type of soil or ground is suitable for helical piles, other than bedrock itself, so virtually all locations are acceptable.

An aspect of helical pile installation which shouldn’t be overlooked is the actual installation itself. As piles are being augured into the ground, the rotation rate ranges anywhere from 6 to 10 rpm, which allows progress to proceed at roughly 2 feet per minute. That means that an anchoring requirement going 50 feet deep could be completed in less than an hour. Once all piles are in place, they can be used for load-bearing immediately, as opposed to having to wait up to a month for concrete to be cured, or grout to become dry.

At the end of installation, there’s also no major cleanup to be done, as there might be with any other kind of foundation installation. Installing helical piles is a very clean operation, which minimally impacts the surrounding environment, and does not require that excess soil be carted away in trucks to some other location. This itself saves an entire step which would be necessary in a major excavation, which in turn reduces the overall time needed to complete the foundation.

How do Helical Piles Keep Costs Down?

The bottom line is that when helical piers are used to anchor a new structure, there is no waiting for other construction processes to begin. Unless concrete footings or grade beams need to be poured, other aspects of construction can begin on the same day that piers have been secured. It would be hard to over-estimate the impact this can have on any kind of new construction project, since so much time is saved by the speed of installation, and the immediate readiness for subsequent contracting tasks.

Keeping costs down on a construction project can be the difference-maker on how profitable it is, and one of the most important ways that costs can be effectively managed is by reducing the overall time frame necessary for completion. There are several other very important advantages to adopting the installation of a helical piers over some other process for foundation installation, but when you’re thinking about your project’s bottom line, speed is one of the most compelling reasons.

 

Ready to speed up your next project? Talk to Conte

 

4 Types of Helical Pile Design: Advantages & Disadvantages

Every commercial construction project is unique. Each type of structure will require a foundation specifically engineered to account for the size of the job and the ground on which it’s built. For the same reason, helical pile designs span a variety of shapes and sizes to accommodate a wide range of applications and variables such as soil type, soil profile depths, pile loading type, pile capacity requirements, the type of structure to be supported, etc. There are dozens of sizes, shaft type, and helix configurations available to make sure the proper helical pile is used for the job.

When engineered correctly, a deep foundation anchored with the correct helical pile design will last for many years. Choosing an improper helical pile design can lead to devastating results.

Make sure you choose the proper pile configuration… Call Conte Company Today!

In this brief guide, we’ve outlined the 4 major categories of helical pile designs, including their typical implementations, advantages and disadvantages of each.

Solid Square Shaft

The square shaft is typically solid and capable of large axial compressive loads. The solid shaft is continuous at each extension and carries the load down through to the end of the pile. Square shaft extensions can also used in a variety of tension applications.

Typical Sizes: 1.5”, 1.75”, 2”, 2.25”

Advantages: In rocky and hard soils, square shaft leads are better at advancing without damage.

Disadvantages: Slender shafts do not resist lateral loads well and buckling can occur in soft soils due to the narrower width.

Round Shaft Pipe

The round shaft pipe helical pile provides a much wider diameter than most square shaft piles. The wider cross section provides better structural capacity where large moments, lateral loading, or buckling can be present.

Typical Sizes: 2.875”, 3.5”, 4.5”, 6”, 8”, 10″+

Advantages: Round shaft piles are ideal for softer soils and when there is potential for high lateral loads. The pipe shafts can be grout filled for added structural capacity.

Disadvantages: Larger shafts can be more difficult to penetrate very dense or rocky soils.

Square & Round Shaft Combo Pile

Typically a combo pile has a square shaft lead, followed by round shaft extensions. These types of helical piles are used primarily in compression applications where layers of hard soil are located deep under a softer surface soil. Square/round combo piles are often chosen for high water tables, grout restricted sites or for sites with soils that make them a more economic choice than a grouted pile configuration.

Typical Sizes: 1.5”/2.875”, 1.75”/3.5”, 2.25”/4.5″

Advantages: This combines the better penetrating characteristics of the square shaft with the large diameter round shaft extension to resist buckling and lateral loading.

Disadvantages: Extra material costs can make combo pile solutions a less economical solution than alternative helical piers. It is only necessary under specific circumstances.

Grouted Square Shaft

All square shaft piles can be fitted with accessories to add a grouted casing. This casing is typically 5” to 8” in diameter and can be cased in PVC or steel pipe, or just grout. The grout also creates skin friction with the soil that can help the compression and tension capacity of the pile. The larger cross section improves lateral capacities, bending moment, and buckling resistance strength when compared to the slender square shaft pile on its own.

Advantages: In some soil conditions, square shafts with grout casing are more economical than larger diameter round shaft pipe piles.

Disadvantages: In some cases, grout plates can have difficulty advancing into very dense or rocky soils. Grout may also be prohibited from certain projects, for example in wetland applications or a site which cannot properly accommodate grout-mixing on site.

Choosing the right type of helical pile design needs to be done by an expert!

These basic explanations offer guidelines for which types of helical piles are appropriate for various projects, but there are many variables that go into making an educated decision.

Contact us for a free consultation about your upcoming project

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…

Why Helical Piles?

During these modern times of engineering and construction, there are many different ways to do just about anything. This includes the selection of a helical pile foundation. Pile foundations have been used for years to support structures that bear on unsuitable soils. As equipment and methods progressed, so did the applications and installation of each type of pile. All of these options still exist because each site and project requirement is different. We have to weigh our options to decide what the safest, most cost effective approach to providing a pile foundation is going to be.

Helical Piles have been around for many years, even though most people still haven’t heard of them. They are screwed into the soil using a motorized auger torque driver, which is attached to a piece of construction equipment. The screwing method eliminates the need for vibration and aggressive impact to advance the pile into the soil. The Helical Pile simply screws into the ground. With the torque motor creating the force needed to install the pile, relatively small equipment can be used for helical pile installation.

The benefits of using small equipment can change the project in many ways. Some projects would otherwise be impossible, if not for the use of small equipment. Going inside buildings, basements, through landscaping, beneath lifted houses, high voltage, tight locations, etc. are all possible because helical piles require such small equipment to install. The reduced vibration and noise allow for businesses and daily activities to continue during installation, and the low emissions of smaller equipment help minimize any environmental impacts. Some older structures are so unstable, that any vibration will compromise their state. Helical piles can be used to underpin these structures without harming the current conditions.