Helical piles are a very efficient alternative to traditional concrete deck footings. Concrete has been used for hundreds of years and take excavating below frostline, sliding in a sonotube, backfilling the form, then pouring concrete. As a general rule of thumb, the wider the diameter or width of the deck pier, the stronger it will be. A helical pier is a foundation pin made of steel that contains helices just like screws. There is no leftover soil from this process, as the helical pile embeds itself in the earth. Advancements in helical pile technologies ensure that these foundation systems are effective in a variety of soils, even soil that is loose or of poor quality. Helical Piles VS Concrete Piers. Imagine a giant screw being drilled into the ground. You are here: Home / Micropiles / Helical Piles VS Concrete Piers. Once piers have been driven to their design depths (or to bedrock), the tops of the piers are cut to make them level with each other and with the footing or slab. On the beaten PATH: More IDEAL Helical Piles In The NY/NJ Subway Stations, NYC – Stelcor® in the Manhattanville Factory District for the Malt House Building, Helical Pile Foundations for COVID-19 Field Hospitals in New York. In response to an increasing global demand for new construction, engineers and contractors are always looking for newer, faster ways of laying down a foundation. Rename the giant screw a helical pier, and you’ll understand how this system works. There is no leftover soil from this process, as the helical pile embeds itself in the earth. Helical Piers Pros and Cons. EZ Post helical piers are designed to accept standard steel support brackets for 4x4 or 6x6 posts, and these specialized piers do away with weather delays because they can be installed regardless of temperature and precipitation conditions. A foundation made of concrete piers is a typical installation that many people use for their home sunroom. This adds cost, time, and labor to an already expensive process. Then brick +foundation +house=2025 HPW Archive. One alternative is a helical pier or screw pile which is an engineered metal post that has a helical blade welded to it that allows the post to be literally screwed into the ground. In fact, these piers were used in the mid 1800s on lighthouses. Yep, we can do it in the winter. Our Partners. concrete needs time to cure, cannot install posts same day; The Benefits of Helical Piers for Decks and Sunrooms. lbs/lineal ft of supported by piers. But this method has caused a number of different frustrations over the years. Structural Support for Decks, Sunrooms and... EZ Post is Foundation Supportworks’ solution to provide long-term stabilization and reinforce the... Best Foundation for Decks or Bump-out Additions, sliding in a form of some kind (sonotube), backfilling the form and then pouring in the concrete, can be prone to frost heaves if not placed deep enough, requires excavation or digging, can be messy (displaced soil needs to be removed or dumped), can settle over time in shrinking or unstable soils, very labor instensive, man hours adding to the overall expense, concrete needs time to cure, cannot install posts same day, installed well beneath frost line depths, will never be impacted by frost heaves, will never settle, so considered a permanent foundation, easy, clean installation (unless there are large rocks/boulders in the soil), can build on the helical pier same day, no waiting, less labor intensive, can be less expensive than concrete, requires machinery, can do slight damage to landscaping, As with all home repair or home addition projects, the work put into the home is an investment. The idea of helical piles or piers has been around for quite some time, though use of them for supporting decks or similar structures in the New Hampshire area is relatively recent. When it comes to choosing a foundation for your deck or bump-out addition, there are really only a few options which are accepted by regional building codes. Change your concrete piers to screw piers and save! We will teach you how to determine the code compliant size of your footings based on the soil type and tributary loads. Deck piers are usually inserted into the concrete footing while the concrete is still wet. Helical piers are a foundation technology and can be considered for use in any application requiring a foundational support. Rather than relying on harmful concrete and related products, the STELCOR system has a very, If you’re undertaking a large construction project and need a stable and strong foundation system, reach out to IDEAL Foundation System to inquire into our STELCOR system. Helical piles have been proven to support larger, heavier loads than other foundation systems, and use fewer materials to do so. The idea of helical piles or piers has been around for quite some time, though use of them for supporting decks or similar structures in the New Hampshire area is relatively recent. Rather than relying on harmful concrete and related products, the STELCOR system has a very mild environmental impact and can be removed easily if need be. While these systems often result in a very sturdy foundation, this is only true if the soil it is located in is already of high-quality and not near a water table. Watch our video to see why we would choose helical piers footings. They provide more protection from frost and the freeze/thaw cycle than typical concrete foundations. Helical piers are not cheap, and it can be tempting to “kick the can down the road,” instead of picking it up right away. Diamond Pier is a time-saving and low environmental impact substitute for deck footings. Please contact us if you want to know more! Posted November 15th, 2017. These concrete piles have to be cast on site and require the use of specialty equipment to first remove the soil from the site of the pile, and then to pour concrete into the freshly drilled shaft. Since I began building with helical piers, I’ve … Concrete pier foundations were once the standard practice for home sunrooms, porches, decks, and other similar structures. For a 200 ft perimeter, the load = 405,000 lbs. In these cases, if the soil is too loose, or the water table too high, the shaft has to be dug deeper, and the hole may have to be reinforced with steel cages or stabilizing materials. It is driven into the soil, to depths below the frost line by use of a hydraulic system. For an upcoming Passive build, referencing Mr. Maine's excellent article on minimizing concrete in a slab on grade foundation vs optionally a foam-encapsulated raft slab foundation a la Warmeform. In response to an increasing global demand for new construction, engineers and contractors are always looking for newer, faster ways of laying down a foundation. We utilize helical piers to repair a variety of foundation issues. Deck footings, fence post bases, pier footings, metal post foundations for a porch or solarium, ground screw anchors to support an addition to a home are some of the more common residential applications. The deeper your foundations have to go the greater the savings you will achieve over bored concrete piers. This must be divided among the piers. Reinforced concrete has been used in construction since the 1800s, and today is still widely used for most home foundations in New Hampshire. Helical piering uses steel posts that are driven through unstable soil as hydraulic jacks raise or stabilize sinking concrete slabs. They are installed with minimal turf damage because of the small equipment needed for installation. Generally, these foundations are used to support large buildings or heavy loads. The best method for foundation repairs has been, and probably always will be, a driven steel pier to bedrock or load bearing strata. In structural underpinning, the failed footings are exposed and helical piers are placed underneath the failed footings, which are raised to the desired elevation. Usually two types of pier foundation are used. If the helical pile needs to be forced deeper into the soil, the installation team can add extensions until the desired carrying capacity is achieved. However, as time has gone on Helicals have become more popular for these types of projects. Open Concept Construction can keep your building crews working all winter with helical pile footings. In the past, engineers often turned to bored concrete piers, but thanks to recent innovations, many are now turning to helical pile systems instead. Bored concrete piles are a type of reinforced foundation system. Piers and footings are terms used to describe parts of the concrete foundation built under a structure to support the weight of the building. Footings, building and piers are secured together using a bracket and the foundation is covered. Concrete pillars, or piers, are very common for supporting decks, sunrooms or small structures. However, if you're looking for a long term, permanent, cost effective solution, then, Sunroom Supported with EZ Posts in Derry, NH. However, because the deck was to be built over uncompacted fill, those footings needed to be 14 ft. deep to reach bearing soil. The only difference is that a hydraulic gear motor is used in addition to the hydraulic jack to screw the piers into the ground. Helical piles are a foundation technology and can be considered for use in any application requiring a foundational support. While bump-outs can involve the forming of poured concrete walls or slabs, for the most part the traditional way to go is poured concrete piers. Te… More and more we see building contractors and local authorities recommending piled foundations, as the more cost effective and environmentally friendly foundation solution. PierTech Systems presents a concrete free deck foundation using helical piers and innovative adjustable bracket system. Our specialists can provide you a. and give you the insight you need into your project. Even greater savings for problem sites. Learn everything you need to know about installing concrete footings to support your deck. The process by which bored concrete piles are made requires the use of a variety of machines, specialized equipment, and is time and resource-intensive. Or call us at The pressed concrete piling repair method uses concrete cylinders that are pressed at high pressure. Once a home begins to settle, the structure of your home has shifted. Using Helical Piles for Alternative Energy; Top 10 Questions Asked in 2020 Answered; How to Properly Install a PierTech Helical Pile; Can Helical Piles be Installed in the Winter? Concrete Piers. Helical piers have been around for almost as long as push piers. Tiebacks. Filed Under: Micropiles Tagged With: Helical Foundation, Helical Piles, Helical Screw Piles, Ideal Foundation, Screw Pile Foundations, Screw Piles, STELCOR, © 2021 IDEAL Foundation Systems™. Using Helix for footings and foundations eliminates the need for hundreds of individual rebar cages for pad foundations and/or pilasters, saving a ton of time in the process. ft of brick veneer and 900 lb/lineal ft of concrete[5] foundation wall. Our specialists can provide you a quote for your project and give you the insight you need into your project. Footings. Contact us today. December 7, 2019 by Bruce Stroyer. If you’re undertaking a large construction project and need a stable and strong foundation system, reach out to IDEAL Foundation System to inquire into our STELCOR system. All Rights Reserved. With these elements in mind, IDEAL Foundation Systems produced the STELCOR® system that utilizes the best of both systems. Piers are located directly beneath the planned location of footings or slabs. In other words, concrete piers don’t solve the problem. Helical piles have been proven to support larger, heavier loads than other foundation systems, and use fewer materials to do so. The owner almost abandoned the project after finding that concrete footings would cost $20,000. Helical Piers vs. Offering repair of leaning concrete retaining walls along with preventative anchors in newly installed walls. A special new construction bracket is welded onto the top of each pier to embed the top of the pier securely in the concrete. Helical piers can help prevent uneven settling. Both systems have their merits and provide a practical way to put down a foundation for a building. Pier Foundation Caisson Pile Foundation; Pier foundation is a type of deep foundation, which consists of a cylindrical column of large diameter to support and transfer large superimposed loads to firm strata below.