During the 1830s Alexander Mitchell, who was an Irish engineer, invented the helical steel screw pile. This piling innovation was used as supports on lighthouses. The original technology almost 200 years ago was fast and easy to use, fairly inexpensive and versatile. These same benefits are still offered to today's current projects using helical screw piles. It is a cost-effective, environmentally friendly and versatile technology that is widely used across many different industries, including civil engineering, communications and transport.
What Is A Helical Steel Screw Pile?
Helical Screw Piles have a galvanised steel shaft with a series of circular, low-pitched steel plates welded onto it. The diameter of the Screw Piles can vary from tens of millimetres to hundreds of millimetres. Machine-mounted or hand-held electrical or hydraulic powered drilling equipment is used for screwing them into the ground. We have a wide selection of torque motors available, including the biggest in the UK, that can be used for installing the foundation system. Screw Piles support structures in terms of both compression and tension. Applications range from support to underpinning of railside or roadside structures like gantries and signs.
Our engineers design the piles individually to suit each specific site's ground conditions. During installation the torques get recorded in order to confirm that we have achieved adequate capacity. If required, testing can be performed.
Where Can You Use Helical Steel Screw Piles?
Helical screw piles are more efficient and faster than a majority of other foundation solutions. They can be used on various types of projects, including Retaining Walls, Portal Gantries and Met Masts. A broad range of markets are covered with these products, from civil engineering to Railways and Highways. There is an increasing number of limitations being placed on engineers, including minimal times for working on sites, environmental constraints and restricted sites. That's why the speed that helical screw pile technology provides is so critical.
Screw Pile Benefits
- Installs quickly- which saves money and time.
- No spoil or excavations need to be carted away- this saves money, especially if contaminated ground is involved.
- No curing time or concrete- allows for sites to be commissioned much faster.
- Small footprint- makes it possible to use a smaller base in a restricted area.
- Flexible design- possible to design frames to bridge services, which enables areas that have congested services in them to still be built upon.
- Provides a sustainable solution- they are re-usable and removable.
- Can be installed in low temperature conditions- unlike concrete, there is no down time.
- Cost effective solution for soft ground- concrete is unsuitable technically and traditional piling costs more.
- Minimal amount of noise- depends upon the excavation, however most installs are under 80db.
- Minimal Vibration- is isn't an issue to work next to an existing building. Peak vibrations are rarely in excess of 5mm/s when there are ground obstructions, and our average vibration is under 1mm/s during normal operations.
