Helical Piles

A helical piling is a circular, hollow, steel pipe section (shaft) with one or more tapered steel plates (helixes) welded to the shaft. The plates are shaped as a helix with a carefully controlled pitch, which allows the pile to be inserted into the ground with minimal soil disruption. The central shaft is used to transmit torque during installation and to transfer axial loads to the helical plates upon foundation loading. The central shaft also provides a major component of the resistance to lateral loading. The pile is directed toward the soil and mechanically rotated with constant downward pressure, advancing the pile into the soil. Once installed, the pile has bearing capacity in both tension and compression in the subsurface by transferring the structures load to the bearing stratum.