New Rowing Club a Model for Advanced Pile Foundation Technology

We recently spoke with Matthew Conte, of Conte Company, about a foundation project they completed for a 2-story rowing club in Norwalk Harbor. Rowing clubs often prove especially difficult to build due to their proximity to the water, and the ground on which they are built. Building near or above water brings its own set of challenges for pile foundation technology, along with strict guidelines to which builders have to adhere.

In the case of this building, the ground floor of the rowing club is to be used for storage of the boats and equipment, while the upper floors are used for meetings, offices and social areas. Crew has always been a mainstay in the Connecticut area and rowing clubs are an important piece in the community, serving as both an athletic and social gathering place. Matt and his team were eager to finished this project quickly and efficiently, in order to get the general construction started on the 6,000 sqft, pre-fab, metal butler building, so it will be ready for the upcoming season.

In order to build this rowing club, Conte Company installed 56 27′ Drivecast piles. They tied those piles to a grade beam grid, on which a heavy slab of concrete was poured. The soil conditions, which were waterlogged every time the tide came in and composed of organics, fill and silty material, were not suitable for traditional building. The engineering team ultimately determined that there were only a few cost-effective pile foundation technology options for a site plan like this. The only other alternatives to Drivecast were helical piles, or H-Piles.

According to calculations and field tests, utilizing helicals would have maxed out at around 40-50 kips (1 kip = 1,000 pounds of force), whereas each Drivecast pile supported a staggering 120 kips! Matt explained to me that the other alternative, using H-Piles, would require pile lengths of up to 75ft in length, and would’ve taken significantly longer to install. For starters, H-Piles typically come in 50 foot lengths, so each pile would need to be spiced together to produce the full 75′. What’s more, when you’re talking about driving piles of this enormous length, you need some enormous equipment to do the job. In this case? A massive crane would be needed to drive each of the H-Piles deep, deep into the earth. By contrast, Conte Company’s Drivecast piles only required a 14 ton excavator to get the job done. Matt explains it best:

“A 14-ton Ex looks like a toy, sitting next to a crane like that. We pulled up our machine on a trailer and were in-and-out of the job site quickly.”

Matt and his team installed all of their Drivecast piles within 5 days; start to finish, and had no issues installing them. The grouted columns were allowed to dry for 5 days before testing, and again had no issues, even in the salty, waterlogged silt. As an added bonus, the site was located on property owned by a chemical plant, regulations for which are far more stringent than other environmentally regulated industries. Again, no worries, Conte Company sailed through all requirements with ease. The entire project went off without a hitch.

The building Matt and his team recently built is located on Norwalk Harbor, and will be a great addition to the community. Matt and his team, along with the revolutionary pile foundation technology called Drivecast from Hubbell-Chance, allowed this project to be done faster and cheaper with less work, and smaller equipment than H-piles or helical piles.

What more do you need? Download the official Drivecast brochure below:

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Why is Structural Load Testing Important for Foundations?

Load testing services by Conte Company

Load testing, when performed professionally, can help a contractor meet complex code requirements. By confirming certain calculations and providing additional information about the deep foundation plan, a well-performed load test is essential to ensure that the foundation is strong enough to pass all structural requirements and inspections.

Load Testing 101

A load test is performed by applying pressure to a specific pile in predetermined directions; either by compression (push), tension (pull), or laterally. The load is generally applied via a hydraulic jack to make sure the pressure is equal to the final load requirement. A reaction frame is then applied against the hydraulic jack. Once activated, any movement of the pile or the test apparatus is monitored and logged, and the results are used to determine the capacity of the pile being tested.

Load testing in a confined space

Load Testing Accessibility

One of the main challenges to safe load testing is having enough space for the reaction beam and other equipment. Whether it’s inside a building, twenty feet below grade or someplace with limited access to utilities, Conte Company can perform challenging load tests accurately and safely. With our custom-designed reaction beam, we’ll get everything in place with no surprises and test to over 200 kips.

As you can see in the job below, load testing was pretty tight at this natural gas substation, where caution, safety and accurate load test results were an absolute MUST, which is why they hired Conte Company.

Load Testing Services from Conte Company

Conte Company has the engineering experience and the required tools to perform geotechnical load tests on a variety of deep foundation systems. We’ve done hundreds of load tests on everything from micropiles and helical piles, to augercast, vibro stone columns and aggregate pier systems. While we do provide deep foundation installation services as well, many of our load testing clients come to us for accurate, unbiased, 3rd party data.

Our tests are performed following ASTM, D1143, D36889 and D3966.

need Reliable load testing?

Call Conte Company for a quick evaluation.

 

Load testing at a natural gas substation

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

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?

Request a Bid from Conte Company

or contact us

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

 

Growing a Small Construction Company with a Quality Product and Valuable Partners

Ask Conte Company how they grew their small construction company into one of the leading installers of helical piles in the Northeast, and you’ll always get the same answer. Deep roots in the community, powerful innovation… and their incredible team.

A big part of Conte’s great team are the valued strategic partnerships they’ve built over the years. In particular, Hubbell-Chance®, Caterpillar®, Earth Anchoring Suppliers and H.O. Penn top the list. These legendary companies have formed a team that supports Conte with timely innovation, fantastic customer service and loyal friendship.

Hubbell-Chance: The strongest, longest-lasting piles on earth

Since 2007, Conte has grown its helical pile work steadily from a small construction company, and is now the foremost installer of Chance helical piers in New England. This newer type of business specializes in design-build installation of helical pile foundations, which are steel screw-in ground anchored systems used for building and repairing deep foundations. This geotechnical/structural work is led by third-generation, Matt Conte, who received an engineering degree from Syracuse University.

“With the type of industrial work that we do, a driven pile or a vibratory pile is not allowed. The helical pile system is not as cumbersome on a site that’s more sensitive because it’s just screwed into the ground with very small equipment. And the soils in the northeast actually work pretty well with the helical pile system.”

Conte is often the first choice of general contractors in need of helical piles for deep foundations, because few have the expertise and partnership support of a great company like Chance.

Caterpillar: Equipment that gets the job done… day-after-day

Many foundation jobs require equipment that must fit into very small spaces. And, while Chance helical piles are the best in the industry, they might never get drilled into the ground if it weren’t for Caterpillar machines.

Caterpillar has a tremendous selection of small equipment that keeps Conte Company working in places that other small construction companies dare not go! For example, Conte uses the versatile Cat®314C Small Excavator to bore into the soil and drive the helical piles deep underground.

“We own nothing but Cat equipment in all different shapes and sizes. All our machines are equipped with quick couplers, which make switching attachments easy. Each machine is able to operate with the various attachments, which is one thing we’ve always liked about Caterpillar—with our backhoe and wheel loader the attachments work on all the machines. And all three of our mini excavators can use the same attachments.”

Today, Matt’s brother Anthony Conte, who heads up many of the specialty site work projects, says that the interchangeability of Cat attachments increases versatility for his entire fleet. They can now do more with less and that’s huge when it comes to foundation work.

“We’re always working in rock or poor soil conditions. So having equipment with versatile attachments—whether it be a hammer, a pile driver, an auger, or a different style bucket—it helps us perform our work that much faster and more effectively.”

Matt and Anthony also admire the sheer power of their Cat machines, which are really handy for lifting heavy equipment and boring large diameter piles.

“The smaller equipment is stronger and it can lift a bigger pile driver. We can now use a three-ton, where maybe with another brand we would have to use a four-ton pile driver—and there’s a big difference between those two size-wise when you’re going underneath a building or going inside a garage or a basement. This makes it a lot easier for mobilization, and it’s a much smaller piece of equipment to bring on the job site, and that’s why Caterpillar has been great for us.”

Earth Anchoring Suppliers: Always there for anything we need

Conte Company has been working with EAS for years. As exclusive distributors for Chance Helical Pile in the Northeast, their team has an extensive knowledge and understanding of deep foundations and helical pier products, that goes well beyond their competitors.

“They really do have some of the best prices in the industry, and they’re always willing to work with us on the cost. Of course we’re one of their best customers, but they always treat us like the only one they have.”

When your business consists of installing helical piles, it’s really important to have a good relationship with your pile supplier. EAS always gets back to us fast with material quotes, they almost always have exactly what we need in-stock.

“EAS brings the piles where and when we need it… We barely even have to think about delivery anymore.”

It’s no coincidence that Conte Company shares a similar service area with Earth Anchoring Suppliers. We have a common interest in developing long term relationships with our customers and we both understand that providing a superior product, at a great price, is the best way to do that. Once you can provide that consistently, everything else… the mutual respect and the loyalty fall in line. EAS has been an incredibly valuable partner over the years, and we expect many more to come.

H.O. Penn: Conte Company’s exclusive distributor for Caterpillar machinery

Patriarch, Jim Conte, made his first purchase of Cat equipment for his small construction company in 1990 when he was starting a new project that required more powerful machinery. “At that point, it seemed like a good idea to start fresh with new equipment and we gave it a shot,” he says. “And we haven’t left since.”

“Whether it’s a rental we have from H.O. Penn or a piece of equipment that we own, we never have a problem with Cat machines.”

It’s true that if you take care of ’em, Cat machines will last a long, long time. But none of that matters without sheer power. By renting a Cat machine as opposed to another brand, Conte is able to lift a 400-pound pile driver with a two-ton machine, with plenty of power left over to drive the piles. “To have that ability with a smaller machine is a real advantage for us.”

H.O. Penn has been an incredible partner over the years. Even when a small construction company like Conte isn’t quite ready to purchase, they will always offer a temporary solution.

“They’ve always worked with us to come up with a solution, and 99 percent of the time, we end up purchasing the equipment anyway.”

Adds Anthony, “You’re not going to beat the relationship that we have with H.O. Penn. They really stay on an even keel, whether it involves purchasing equipment, service, parts—there’s never an issue, and they are always there for us no matter what we need.”

From a Small Construction COmpany, To all of our Valued partners

Conte Company wouldn’t be where it is today without our strategic partners like Chance, Caterpillar, H.O. Penn, and the dozens of other companies we work with every single day. Every single one helps us create a better product, which leads to happy customers.

“So to all of our incredible partners, Thank You!”

– The Conte Family


In case you missed it, Conte Company was featured in Caterpillar’s Industry Magazine…


Read the Article


Want to join the Conte Company Team? We’re always looking for great new strategic partners.

Contact us today!

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.

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’s New with Conte Company in 2017

Conte Company Helical Pile Foundation Services 2017

As Conte Company has grown over the years, we’ve been fortunate to work on a variety of jobs for an ever-increasing list of great clients. We’ve honed our craft to become leaders in the deep foundation industry and treat every project with the personal attention you’d expect from a family owned company.

Here’s what’s going on with Conte Company in 2017…

We Have a New Website

Today, we’re excited to announce that we (finally) have a new website! Our goal is to not only showcase our expertise as geotechnical contractors, but to educate industry professionals on the value, viability and wide-ranging application of helical pile technologies.

Over the coming months and years, we’ll be producing a variety of materials, to address some of the major questions and challenges that our colleagues and clients may have.

So, please check out our brand-new website and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to stay up to date on our latest publications.

Visit ConteCompany.com

We Are the #1 Installer of CHANCE® Helical Piles in New England

As an exclusive partner of HUBBELL-CHANCE®, we have access to the highest-quality helical piles in the world. Through this partnership and our vast experience installing helical pile foundations, we’re able to provide the most competitive bids on the best products around.

From standard, commercial and industrial projects to custom fabrication and design-build services, we can provide helical pile foundation solutions for just about any job.

Learn about our helical piles and their endless applications

We’re Expanding

We’re always taking on different types of projects, from the biggest geotechnical foundation jobs to small, residential foundation repairs. In the last year, we’ve done all sorts of projects around New England and throughout the country. We’re experts in safely constructing support for elevated structures, underpinnings and marine/wetland construction. Experience matters!

Check out all the types of foundations we build

We Continue to Provide Great Service

For projects big, small, residential or commercial, our only goal is to provide a hands-on approach to every one of our clients. We take great pride in our high level of service, our unmatched safety record, and our commitment to providing successful projects on time and under budget.

Learn more about Conte Company

We’ve Done a Lot of Projects

Take a look at what we’ve accomplished in our helical pile project photo gallery. Schools, bridges, airports, hospitals, industrial plants, infrastructure and so much more are on display. See our expert crews on-the-job and hard at work. Get an idea of how helical piles are installed and see the attention-to-detail that goes into every foundation we build. Our extensive experience results in the longest-lasting foundations in the industry.

View the photos