Helical piling or Screw Piling is long-standing and established foundation method, and has been used on projects for over 150 years. The first recorded use of helical piles was in 1836 for moorings, and then in 1838 for Maplin Sands Lighthouse in the Thames estuary. The system consisted of 30 piles to a depth of 23 metres.
The helical pile was invented in 1833 by Thomas Mitchell, a blind civil engineer from Ireland. He won the Telford Medal for his creation. Later, in 1863, Brighton Pier was built upon helical piles and stood on the same foundations for 138 years.
The technique was then used intermittently for projects in the UK, the majority of which were marine-based. Then in 2000 ScrewFast Foundations began to reintroduce the technique for telecommunication towers as a fast solution in locations where concrete foundations were not viable. The speed, ease of install and other benefits were soon recognised by the Highways Agency and Network Rail, and has now become the preferred choice for most projects in the the transportation sector.
