What are helical pile foundations & how do they work?

Meet the nearly two-century old foundation technology that's taking construction by storm as it unlocks speed, strength, and durability, that isn't possible with other solutions

Illustration

Components Of A Helical Pile

It may not look like it at first glance, but helical piles deliver incredible load capacities in a streamlined package that outperforms other foundations

  • 1

    Pile Cap

    The pile cap connects a helical pile to your structure. They come in a variety of designs to suit any project.

  • 2

    Pile Shaft

    A sturdy steel pipe forms the body of a helical pile and transfers loads down to the helix plates

  • 3

    Helix Plates

    These specially-formed plates are the magic behind a helical pile. Their shape helps turn the pile into the ground and anchor in firm soil

  • 4

    Pilot Point

    In order to accurately and cleanly penetrate dense ground, a slant-cut pilot point gives us power and precision

How A Helical Pile Works

Unlike concrete foundations which require ground disturbance to install or driven piles that create dangerous vibrations, a helical pile is installed silently and without digging

  • Pile Is Turned Into The Ground

    Much like a giant screw turning into wood, a helical pile is rotated into the ground using a special hydraulic drive. This eliminates excavation, ground disturbance, and noise

  • Torque Brings Accuracy

    Because we're rotating the piles into the ground, we can read the torque required to advance the pile. This torque can actually tell us how much weight the pile will hold, increasing the safety and accuracy of your foundation

  • Going Deeper Is Easy

    We can easily extend the length of a helical pile and turn it deeper into the ground by attaching no-weld extensions during installation. This allows us to reach supportive soil layers even in areas with muddy conditions and high water tables

Illustration
Illustration

How is a helical pile foundation installed?

Unlike the typical digging, setting rebar, and pouring concrete, that "traditional" foundations require, here's how we install a helical pile solution...

  • 1

    Pile locations are carefully marked on your site

  • 2

    Using a compact excavator, we smoothly rotate each pile into the ground (no soil disturbance)

  • 3

    Special monitors tell us when every pile reaches the right load capacity

  • 4

    Caps secure to the pile tops for an easy transition to your home addition - it's now ready to use!

Benefits To A Helical Pile Foundation

Why would you want to use helical piles instead of concrete or driven foundations in Central New York? There's a bundle of good reasons, here's some of the big ones

Fast And Efficient

Because helical piles smoothly turn into the ground at a constant rate with minimal equipment, they can be installed significantly faster than concrete

63

No Ground Disturbance

A typical concrete foundation demands a lot of excavation and disturbance to install. A helical pile needs no excavations and creates zero soil displacement, a clean solution

Built For New York Soils

We see a huge variety of soil conditions in Central New York, from loose shifting sand to hard-packed clay. Helical piles provide consistent support in virtually any soil condition

Replaces Concrete

You can completely eliminate your need for a deep concrete foundation by switching to helical piles. They replace concrete and offer the same support in a much smaller package

Environmentally Friendly

Helical piles are made from 100% steel and require vastly less raw material than concrete. They emit fewer emissions, create zero site disturbance, and can be easily removed in the future.

Engineer-Approved

First invented in the 1830's, helical piles are widely-used and approved by engineers for residential and commercial projects. In fact, there's a high-rise in New York City built on helical piles!