Screw Pile Installations in the UK

Screw pile or helical pile foundations have a number of benefits compared to traditional concrete foundations – not least of which is the reduced time it takes to install the foundations themselves. This includes less time digging out the foundations as well as installing the steel. Here is a brief guide to helical pile foundation installations for anybody who is new to the process.

Planning the Installation

The steel plates used in a screw pile foundation are unique to every project and created bespoke to meet the needs of the structure and conditions that the foundations will be subjected to. This means that their size, pitch, and thickness will be different for every install.

The factors considered when designing and building the steel plates are the load required by the project, the geotechnical parameters, the corrosive conditions (including proximity to the sea, type of soil, and water table), and how long the foundations are expected to last as well as the demands of the structure itself.

All of this must be decided based on a professional site survey and in-depth discussion of the final structure. Planning the foundations properly is an essential part of the process, and at Screwfast we pride ourselves on considering every detail to create long-lasting foundations that are perfectly designed for their purpose.

The Installation

The installation itself is relatively simple once everything has been designed and built; screw piles are literally screwed into the ground the way that you would secure a screw in a DIY project. There may be more than one helix involved, depending on the project, and machinery is used to install each screw pile securely and accurately.

Some ground may need to be dug out, but nowhere near as much as a traditional concrete foundation would require. This means that you have less costs associated with both digging out the foundations, the amount of time it takes, and the cost of dumping the results of the dig out.

Once the foundation has been installed, there is no waiting time for materials to dry or set – the rest of the structure can be added straight away, which is another reason builds including screw pile foundations are completed so quickly.

If you would like to speed up your builds and reduce a number of costs associated with them, get in touch to find out if helical pile foundations are suitable for your project.

Categorised in: helical piles