Masonry or concrete pier 2. We utilize helical piers to repair a variety of foundation issues. Diamond Pier is a time-saving and low environmental impact substitute for deck footings. Difference Between Concrete Lifting and Helical Piering. As a general rule of thumb, the wider the diameter or width of the deck pier, the stronger it will be. Music cred: Lindsey Stirling. Using Helical Piles for Alternative Energy; Top 10 Questions Asked in 2020 Answered; How to Properly Install a PierTech Helical Pile; Can Helical Piles be Installed in the Winter? Offering repair of leaning concrete retaining walls along with preventative anchors in newly installed walls. Since I began building with helical piers, I’ve … There is no leftover soil from this process, as the helical pile embeds itself in the earth. EZ Post helical piers are designed to accept standard steel support brackets for 4x4 or 6x6 posts, and these specialized piers do away with weather delays because they can be installed regardless of temperature and precipitation conditions. Helical piles have been proven to support larger, heavier loads than other foundation systems, and use fewer materials to do so. See more about how helical piers can help your home here. That’s a lot of footings, especially when you hate digging footing holes and mixing up concrete as much as I do. Rename the giant screw a helical pier, and you’ll understand how this system works. Call CNT Foundations in Augusta at 864-210-5155 for a complimentary installation assessment for helical piers. The idea of helical piles or piers has been around for quite some time, though use of them for supporting decks or similar structures in the New Hampshire area is relatively recent. Why use Helicals instead of Concrete Footings? I was able to save him $8000 with helical piles. Once a home begins to settle, the structure of your home has shifted. Deck footings, fence post bases, pier footings, metal post foundations for a porch or solarium, ground screw anchors to support an addition to a home are some of the more common residential applications. Rather than relying on harmful concrete and related products, the STELCOR system has a very, If you’re undertaking a large construction project and need a stable and strong foundation system, reach out to IDEAL Foundation System to inquire into our STELCOR system. Helical piles are a very efficient alternative to traditional concrete deck footings. They do not require any curing time. The terms pile and pier are very similar in that they both refer to deep foundation elements that resist or transfer vertical and/or horizontal loads, whether compression or tension. In structural underpinning, the failed footings are exposed and helical piers are placed underneath the failed footings, which are raised to the desired elevation. Using Helix for footings and foundations eliminates the need for hundreds of individual rebar cages for pad foundations and/or pilasters, saving a ton of time in the process. They provide more protection from frost and the freeze/thaw cycle than typical concrete foundations. Generally, these foundations are used to support large buildings or heavy loads. When deciding on whether or not to go with helical piers or standard concrete piers, consider the pros and cons of each application and decide which is best for your project. If time is not a factor, and you are able to save some money by digging the holes for concrete pillars yourself, concrete piers may be the best option. Bored concrete piles are a type of reinforced foundation system. Recognizing a need or stable foundations in areas with shallow or poor quality soil, the STELCOR system makes use of a helical pile system, and then further affixes the pile in place by pouring grout into the helical pile. Helical piers are not cheap, and it can be tempting to “kick the can down the road,” instead of picking it up right away. Or call us at Email. Even greater savings for problem sites. Concrete Piers. Utilizing common construction equipment, or in some cases, even hand tools, a helical pile can be drilled and stabilized into the soil. Then, deck piers are attached to the underside of the deck and bolted to floor joists anchor or lag bolts. Helical piers can help prevent uneven settling. Piers are located directly beneath the planned location of footings or slabs. Also, you can never be sure how much weight an installed concrete pier will support. Concrete pier foundations were once the standard practice for home sunrooms, porches, decks, and other similar structures. Deck piers are usually inserted into the concrete footing while the concrete is still wet. But this is not a good plan, and it can have significant repercussions. Now for option two: Helical piers. Usually two types of pier foundation are used. We manufacture and distribute deep foundation systems. While bump-outs can involve the forming of poured concrete walls or slabs, for the most part the traditional way to go is poured concrete piers. Tiebacks. Recognizing a need or stable foundations in areas with shallow or poor quality soil, the STELCOR system makes use of a helical pile system, and then further affixes the pile in place by pouring grout into the helical pile. The goal is to get the loading on each pier down below 12,000 psf/pier, the maximum the soil can carry according to Table 1. Savings start from 1.5m deep! Concrete pillars have been the norm for contractors and homeowners, but as the benefits of helical piers and helical screw piles become known, more and more people are opting to use them. These are: 1. The load-bearing soil is displaced, and the grout ensures that greater loads can be put on the foundation at lesser depths. Change your concrete piers to screw piers and save! The concrete piers are prepared by; Standard acceptable depths for this process are generally 4' in New England. The removed soil has to be removed from the work site, and in many cases, there is leftover concrete once the pile has been poured. Have you noticed cracking walls or a tilted chimney around your home? Helical pier system installation is quite similar. However, if you're looking for a long term, permanent, cost effective solution, then EZ Posts helical piers should be your go to option. This must be divided among the piers. Foundation Underpinning. In response to an increasing global demand for new construction, engineers and contractors are always looking for newer, faster ways of laying down a foundation. For an upcoming Passive build, referencing Mr. Maine's excellent article on minimizing concrete in a slab on grade foundation vs optionally a foam-encapsulated raft slab foundation a la Warmeform. They are installed with minimal turf damage because of the small equipment needed for installation. If time is not a factor, and you are able to save some money by digging the holes for concrete pillars yourself, concrete piers may be the best option. There is no leftover soil from this process, as the helical pile embeds itself in the earth. Advancements in helical pile technologies ensure that these foundation systems are effective in a variety of soils, even soil that is loose or of poor quality. The only difference is that a hydraulic gear motor is used in addition to the hydraulic jack to screw the piers into the ground. Rather than relying on harmful concrete and related products, the STELCOR system has a very mild environmental impact and can be removed easily if need be. In addition to speed, they also need a foundation system that is stable, durable, and long-lasting. This is to avoid heaving as the soils freeze and unfreeze, making the ground unstable. We think Diamond Pier is worth considering! Footings, building and piers are secured together using a bracket and the foundation is covered. Please contact us if you want to know more! When deciding on whether or not to go with helical piers or standard concrete piers, consider the pros and cons of each application and decide which is best for your project. The process by which bored concrete piles are made requires the use of a variety of machines, specialized equipment, and is time and resource-intensive. Another growing trend in the New England area, and around North America, is the use of helical piers. Reinforced concrete has been used in construction since the 1800s, and today is still widely used for most home foundations in New Hampshire. But this method has caused a number of different frustrations over the years. Then brick +foundation +house=2025 HPW Archive. If you’re undertaking a large construction project and need a stable and strong foundation system, reach out to IDEAL Foundation System to inquire into our STELCOR system. In these cases, if the soil is too loose, or the water table too high, the shaft has to be dug deeper, and the hole may have to be reinforced with steel cages or stabilizing materials. The original design called for concrete footings. Concrete pillars have been the norm for contractors and homeowners, but as the benefits of helical piers and helical … The deeper your foundations have to go the greater the savings you will achieve over bored concrete piers. Web Design By: SEO Bounty, Using a prefabricated screw pier, installing a. makes creating a foundation quick and precise. Helical Piers Pros and Cons. Helical Piles VS Concrete Piers. Helical piles have been proven to support larger, heavier loads than other foundation systems, and use fewer materials to do so. For contractors and engineers looking to weigh the merits of both systems, we’ve assembled a brief overview of the two foundation systems. All Rights Reserved. While concrete pillars are relatively effective and are widely accepted by building departments, they do have the following drawbacks; The Benefits of Helical Piers for Decks and Sunrooms. In response to an increasing global demand for new construction, engineers and contractors are always looking for newer, faster ways of laying down a foundation. While these systems often result in a very sturdy foundation, this is only true if the soil it is located in is already of high-quality and not near a water table. As with all home repair or home addition projects, the work put into the home is an investment. The best method for foundation repairs has been, and probably always will be, a driven steel pier to bedrock or load bearing strata. 1-603-878-5552, © 2021 Erickson Foundation Supportworks14 Clement RdHudson, NH 03051. Installing helical piers for all residential applications including new construction, porches, additions, decks, and detached structures. Whereas, anchor refers to a pile or pier only in uplift/tension applications such as retaining wall tiebacks or vertical ground anchors designed to resist overturning forces. One alternative is a helical pier or screw pile which is an engineered metal post that has a helical blade welded to it that allows the post to be literally screwed into the ground. If the helical pile needs to be forced deeper into the soil, the installation team can add extensions until the desired carrying capacity is achieved. Mike Donohue presented the attributes of Diamond Pier, pre-engineered foundation systems, to a full house on Thursday, January 16th at the Shepley Showcase. Deck footings, fence post bases, pier footings, metal post foundations for a porch or solarium, ground screw anchors to support an addition to a home are some of the more common residential applications. The load-bearing soil is displaced, and the grout ensures that greater loads can be put on the foundation at lesser depths. Footings. Piers and footings are terms used to describe parts of the concrete foundation built under a structure to support the weight of the building. Helical piers are a foundation technology and can be considered for use in any application requiring a foundational support. A helical pier is a foundation pin made of steel that contains helices just like screws. Our Partners. Concrete pillars, or piers, are very common for supporting decks, sunrooms or small structures. Cracked dry wall, drawers that don’t close properly, and crooked decks or patios are all consequences of a foundation settling unevenly due to unsteady footings. The owner almost abandoned the project after finding that concrete footings would cost $20,000. PierTech Systems presents a concrete free deck foundation using helical piers and innovative adjustable bracket system. The further north you go though, as temperatures drop and the frost line gets deeper, more depth is required for the piers. lbs/lineal ft of supported by piers. Repair methods such as hand-dug or drilled concrete piers may do an adequate job, however, they are very messy, time consuming, expensive, and labor intensive. Serving Southern New Hampshire, Amherst, Windham, Bedford, Wednesday, June 28th, 2017 by Niles Erickson, Common Foundation Types for Decks in New Hampshire. Helix eliminates the time-consuming process of rebar-detailing and installing footings and foundations, replacing them with a simple dig-and-fill-with-concrete approach. Yep, we can do it in the winter. It is driven into the soil, to depths below the frost line by use of a hydraulic system. On some decks, deck piers may even be made out of iron or steel to provide greater stability. Using a prefabricated screw pier, installing a helical pile makes creating a foundation quick and precise. In other words, concrete piers don’t solve the problem. Structural Support for Decks, Sunrooms and... EZ Post is Foundation Supportworks’ solution to provide long-term stabilization and reinforce the... Best Foundation for Decks or Bump-out Additions, sliding in a form of some kind (sonotube), backfilling the form and then pouring in the concrete, can be prone to frost heaves if not placed deep enough, requires excavation or digging, can be messy (displaced soil needs to be removed or dumped), can settle over time in shrinking or unstable soils, very labor instensive, man hours adding to the overall expense, concrete needs time to cure, cannot install posts same day, installed well beneath frost line depths, will never be impacted by frost heaves, will never settle, so considered a permanent foundation, easy, clean installation (unless there are large rocks/boulders in the soil), can build on the helical pier same day, no waiting, less labor intensive, can be less expensive than concrete, requires machinery, can do slight damage to landscaping, As with all home repair or home addition projects, the work put into the home is an investment. 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