Helical Piles Explained: A Smart Solution for Foundations

This article, Helical Piles Explained, is your comprehensive guide to understanding everything about helical piles. We’ll explore the essentials—from what they are and how they’re used, to the customisation options available—answering all your key questions along the way.

Helical piles (also known as screw piles, or screw anchors) are used as a ground anchoring system used for building deep foundations to support structures—they excel in areas where soil conditions are not strong enough to support more traditional foundations.

Helical piles are long, steel tubes with helix-shaped plates (like a screw) welded to the tube shaft. They are screwed into the ground using hydraulic machinery that is lighter and more nimble than other piling equipment. Correct installation techniques are the key to meeting engineered design load and settlement outcomes.

They are used extensively in the construction industry, and their applications continue to grow. Common usage includes anything from roads to rail, to utilities and renewables.

Screw pile installations have also extended to residential applications, with many homeowners choosing a screw anchor over other options – particularly where failing foundations need repairing or underpinning.

They are also suitable for both tensile and compression loads, which means that they can also be used for signs, masts and retaining structures.

If fast installation is necessary or room to install is tight, then screw piles could be the perfect solution for your project. If you need advice talk to our team of experts.

Some common advantages of Helical Piles include, reduced noise/ vibration during install. Thanks to the installation technique they can be installed in limited access areas. Furthermore, they can not only be used in weak or expansive soils, “Screwing” the foundations into the ground means that there is minimal soil displacement so excess soil does not need to be transported from the site, saving on transportation costs and reducing the carbon footprint of the project.

Finally, once installed Helical Piles are immediately load-bearing – there is no concrete curing time which makes them an efficient alternative to other piling solutions.

Are there any disadvantages to using Helical Piles?

Helical Piles are not as competitive for extremely hard or rocky soils. Engineering design will be required to ensure the load capacity, required depth and installation torque are correctly calculated. Specialised equipment and skilled labour is required for installation.

In summary the main benefits of helical piles include:

John Lawrie Tubulars can supply Helical pile products. Our Helical Piles are manufactured in our purpose-built machine shop and are made from high-grade sustainably sourced steel.

We offer a wide variety of sizes, from 88.9mm to 219mm OD, helical flights are fabricated in-house and welded to the steel tubulars by our expert certified welders.

Are Helical Piles expensive?

Helical Piles might have a higher initial material cost compared to some traditional foundation methods; however, they can sometimes be more cost-effective overall due to their faster installation and typically less depth is required in weaker soils compared top other deep foundation technologies. Factors like project size, soil conditions, and labour costs will influence the final price.

Often the driver for using helical piles is not cost – it’s location, access or the size of the site. So how can you choose a supplier which will minimise your costs?

We aim to support our customers by offering a simple, yet reliable and high-quality turnkey manufacturing service – you provide the design, and we fabricate to your exact requirements.

The steel tube has a helix near the bottom that screws into the ground.

One or more helical plates can be added, depending on your requirements. Similarly, if you require custom fabrication, for example pile shoes, surface protection or a specific shaft length we can work with you to provide the perfect solution for your project.

We are proud to have built a trusted team of coded welders, and we maintain our BS EN 1090 & RISQS accreditations which allows our customers peace of mind that our Helical Piles are high quality.

We are excited to let you know that we can also exclusively provide Endformed extensions for Helical Piles, this is a patented connection system which enables you to extend the helical pile where deeper than normal foundations are required.

John Lawrie Tubulars introduces the next generation of connection solution for extending helical piles for deep foundations. The new Endformed Helical Pile Extension has been developed through a rigorous Four-step design and testing approach using laboratory testing, structural engineering analysis, field testing, and proprietary manufacturing processes. The EndFormed Extension is a more cost-effective connection technology compared to currently available systems. The extension and coupler are Endformed using a single piece of pipe.

What are the benefits of Endformed extensions for Helical Piles?

Using Endformed Helical Piles on site is guaranteed to save you money and time.

How can we be sure?

We can be confident of this because with our next generation Endformed products there is no need to buy additional thick-walled material for couplings and no additional welding costs.

Plus, these products are greener and safer to use onsite – find out more!

Endformed^TM Helical Pile Extensions

Author:
Iain Bell
General Manager UK & Europe – John Lawrie Tubulars

Whether you’re new to construction or looking to deepen your understanding of helical piles, thanks for reading! Our aim is to enable you to make more informed decisions and communicate more effectively with contractors, engineers, and project stakeholders. If you are looking for an affordable, high-quality helical pile manufacturer to support your next project get in touch, one of our expert team will be happy to help you.