Helical Piles

Helical Piles for deep foundations are actually a relatively old system that was originally developed for the electrical industry for tie-downs or guide wires. It was a simple mechanical system that utilized a steel shaft with a helix at the end of the lead piece.  With a gear box or torque motor you could simply screw the helical into the ground and it wouldn’t pull out. Today, however the helical pier is a state of the art, complex system with many different manufacturers, types, sizes, strengths, capacities, and installers. Buyers should really be aware, just because they look the same doesn’t mean they are.

Helical piles are still screwed into the ground with a torque motor but that is about the only common with the old systems. For Helical Pile applications, load capacities are determined from the torque measurements of the installation equipment. Once the helical pile is installed it is cut off at the pre-determined elevation and a pile cap is installed to the specification that will connect to the foundation.  Extreme Technology uses helicals for many different processes from pre construction foundations to the repair of settled structures. These piles can be installed successfully with low headroom situations and are very versatile for there is no digging or drilling that create spoils and are installed with low noise and no hammering or vibrations.