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.

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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

 

Building in a Flood Zone: 5 Tips for Hurricane Construction

Building in a Flood Zone - Tips for Hurricane Construction

When the weather turns downright dangerous, like it did with recent Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, saving lives is the number one priority. But when the wind finally calms, the rain finally stops and the skies turn blue, we look at property damage to evaluate how bad a storm really was. Victims of lost homes and other property damage need to know how to repair the devastation left behind and how to prepare for building in a flood zone in the future.

You’ll find our list of tips for hurricane construction below, but first, we want to show you why we feel so passionately about preparing for hurricanes and flooding through proper construction techniques.

We talked to Matt Conte, our 3rd generation owner of Conte Company, who understands that storm repairs are about more than just fixing houses. It’s about coming together as a community to help put people’s lives back together and get things back to normal. As we keep those in Houston and Florida in our hearts and minds during the devastating aftermath of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma; and as we prepare ourselves for a less ferocious Hurricane Jose in the Northeast, we can’t help but think back to two storms that ravaged our own community, just a few years ago…

The two storms that changed the way we think about coastal construction in New England…

Hurricane Irene was the storm that hit the East Coast of the United States during late August 2011 and ranks as the eighth-costliest hurricane in United States history. Here in CT, Irene dropped a devastating amount of rainfall, washing away roads, bridges and anything else in the flooding rivers’ path. Some major highways were closed for days and more than half the state lost power. But Irene couldn’t compare to Sandy, which arrived a year later. 

Hurricane Sandy (a.k.a. “Superstorm Sandy“) was the second-costliest hurricane in U.S. history, affecting 24 states, including the entire eastern seaboard from Florida to Maine. New Jersey, New York and Connecticut were hit particularly hard. All said and done, damage in the United States amounted to $71.4 billion.

Sandy completely destroyed thousands of Northeastern shoreline homes, and in some cases leveled entire neighborhoods. In cities that were completely unprepared for such an event, streets, tunnels and subway lines were flooded and made transportation impossible in one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world.

“At Conte Company, we remember all too well the damage that these two storms inflicted. We were there in the days that followed, surveying the damage and helping people figure out what to do next. As one of the premier pile construction companies in the area, we had a unique perspective and a service that was suddenly in high demand.”

Helical pile foundations can help prevent hurricane damage

There were lucky ones too… But even many of homes with little damage needed to be raised to comply with new flood zone regulations and insurance requirements. In some areas, the flood line was raised by as much as two feet, which may not seem like a lot, but when it comes to flood-prone construction, every inch can make a difference.

Some were extra-un-lucky… Many houses were built on deep pile foundations and survived both storms, but many did not learn their lesson after the first one. Only one year after Irene’s massive clean-up effort began, Sandy barreled through and again destroyed some of the homes that were just rebuilt. In most cases though, those homes were built on the same types of foundations that failed the first time around.

“We felt just awful for people that had to rebuild and lift their homes twice in one year, but these homeowners went through even more hell when FEMA ran out of money after Sandy.”

Financing from FEMA decided whose houses were fixed and whose were not…

Immediately after Irene, FEMA money arrived quickly and homeowners poured all available funds into new construction. Conte Company helped many dig out and lift their homes quickly with new pile installations and the region recovered relatively quickly.

But the story was very different with Hurricane Sandy which pounded the East Coast just a year later. At first, FEMA was very responsive to Sandy. As long as a homeowner’s claim seemed legitimate, the money came through and people could hire contractors to rebuild and lift their homes. But soon, Sandy projects started taking an unusually long time to get financed… FEMA was simply running out of money. After two back-to-back, very deadly, very destructive hurricanes, they could not meet their financial commitments to ill-fated homeowners who were building in a flood zone.

For some, there was a government program called the Superstorm Sandy Relief Fund, which tried to help a few homeowners in the direst of straights. But today, many who did not qualify for this program have homes which still remain condemned, with “NO OCCUPANCY” stickers plastered to the front door.

Rebuilding homes that are literally and figuratively “underwater”…

When homeowners in this region did not receive the funds they expected, Conte Company knew they had to play a big part in the recovery process, for the sake of the community.

“In many of Connecticut’s beachfront areas, many homeowners were first wiped out by Irene, then by Sandy and then by FEMA’s dried up funding.”

Homeowners were holding onto properties with negative equity, and banks generally don’t refinance a home in that type of financial situation. Conte Company knew up front there wasn’t going to be a lot of money for repair, but felt duty-bound to help a community that has supported their business since the 1940s.

Conte Company took it upon themselves to work with a number of general contractors. Ones they knew could do the job the right way, make honest recommendations to homeowners and wanted to give a little back to a hurting community. They were able to lower their own subcontractor rates in order to assist these hand-picked GCs, who working hard for Sandy victims, to rebuild some homes, and help some people put their lives back together.

“In some cases, we lowered our pricing more than we should have, but if we didn’t, the competition would come in and do an inferior job. We couldn’t have that. We wanted them to be happy again. With the repair and with us. But mostly with their lives.”

Many people are back in their homes today because Conte Company was able to help them with costs after FEMA’s coffers were empty. Unfortunately, Conte couldn’t help everyone — there was just too much damage. Thousands of homeowners who were building in a flood zone had to abandon their properties completely, as the cost to rebuild was just too high.

Building in a Flood Zone: How to construct a home that will survive the storm…

To this day, Conte Company is often asked to check homes that were repaired after Sandy by less-than-qualified builders. Many of the issues they find are (or will cause) significant problems when the next hurricane comes roaring through. Some of these homes’ problems were simply never addressed, not necessarily because those builders were dishonest, but more likely because someone didn’t understand, or care, what the real problems actually were.

In the wake of the most recent superstorms to slam the U.S., there is no better time to discuss these issues which apply to both new and existing construction. As experts in the industry, we thought it makes sense to give people our best advice and recommendations for hurricane-proofing your new home, or repairing your old one.

The 5 Most Important Tips for Hurricane-Proof Home Construction

1. Hire a Reputable Structural Engineer

No project is ever the same and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Trust your project engineer to make appropriate recommendations about your home’s foundation. Don’t have one you can trust? We work with plenty and are happy to refer you.

2. Lift Your Home Above the Floodline

Building in a flood zone can be somewhat nerve-racking for a homeowner, but you can greatly limit your potential for damage simply by making sure it’s out of the floodwater’s way. Most of the real damage is done by high waters and the pounding surf of wave action, not by high winds.

3. Use Helical Piles for Deep Foundation Support

As some of the most versatile pile types around, helical piles can be installed in just about any environment. When properly designed, helical piles can also provide:

  • excellent lateral load to resist winds in high-velocity zones
  • substantial uplift capacities to keep your house from floating away
  • exceptional scour support incase of soil erosion below your house
  • and here’s some more info on helical piles

4. Use Piles to Support Every Structure on the Property

Grade beams are a great way to connect all the piles for each structure to support the load with an interconnected system of foundations. Grade beams are installed below grade to create a solid foundation spanning from pile to pile. Every external structure should be connected, including the deck, garage, pool, stairs, patio, etc.

5. Don’t Cut Corners, Don’t Use Band-Aids

If you are building in a flood zone, remember one thing…

“Doing it once the right way, means you don’t have to do it twice later. Even if you do it cheap twice, it will end up being more expensive than doing it right the first time.”

Hurricane Damage?

Conte Company performs structural and site repairs like as underpinning, supports and responsible replacement of scoured material. Make sure the job is done right, so you don’t have to do it twice.

Call Conte Company 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.

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

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…