Helical Piers

“Techno Metal Post has revolutionized deck building for me. The ability to set the steel piles and build in the same day greatly increases production. Add in the fact that I’m saving huge bucks in labour by not having to remove displaced earth, haul concrete, and clean up the mess makes Techno Metal Post the only way to begin a deck project.”

Paul Lafrance (Disaster Decks and Decked Out on HGTV)

SCREW PILES AND HELICAL ANCHORS ARE UNIQUE AMONG MOST OTHER TYPES OF FOUNDATIONS OR ANCHORING SYSTEMS, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE SONOTUBES. THEY CAN BE LOADED IMMEDIATELY AFTER INSTALLATION. THERE IS NO NEED TO WAIT FOR CONCRETE OR GROUT TO HARDEN.

 

 

HISTORY OF HELICAL PIERS

Helical piers also known as helical piles, screw cylinder anchors and helical foundations started to be used in 1836. This revolutionary engineering technology was discovered and developed by Alexander Mitchell and became utilized as a successful foundation for lighthouses, bridges and piers.

After over 170 years of development and use, these helical foundations are successfully used throughout the world to support anything from small residential applications to supporting a variety of large-scale civil engineering structures. 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. Helical piers are a foundation technology and can be considered for use in any application requiring a foundational support.

According to The Newcomen Society for the Study of the History of Engineering & Technology, helical and screw pile foundations are considered perhaps the single most important development in geotechnical engineering foundation construction of the mid to late nineteenth century. They made the construction of lighthouses possible in locations where there would otherwise undoubtedly have been a great loss of life and property; they made the construction of bridges possible in locations where they might not have been constructed for another 40 years; they made the construction of oceanfront pleasure piers an industry that would irreversibly change the leisure time of an entire nation.

TODAY TECHNO METAL POST WITH OVER 150 DEALERS AROUND THE WORLD IS A WORLDWIDE LEADER IN HELICAL PIERS INSTALLATION.

 

ADVANTAGES OF USING TECHNO METAL POST HELICAL PIERS

Recognizing the application and use of these steel metal posts, Techno Metal Post’s helical pier is screwed into the ground using proprietary machinery until the bearing capacity required for your structure is achieved. The advantages to using Techno Metal Post’s helical piers are the following:

  • Rapid installation
  • Ready to build on immediately
  • No excavation
  • No concrete required
  • Removable
  • Minimal environmental impact
  • Low footprint on the job site
  • Immediate load carrying capability
  • Installation at remote locations or at sites with limited access
  • Installation monitoring and verification of load capacity during installation
  • Installation in high groundwater conditions
  • Wide range of soil and load applications
  • Modular construction, screw piles and helical anchors are fabricated in sections giving a modular type of construction meaning that it is easy to extend or reduce the length of the installation as needed to suit the site conditions and the design requirements
  • Installation is not weather dependent, most installations can proceed even in marginal conditions
  • On tight construction schedule’s where the rest of the project depends on the installation of the foundations or anchors such as emergency response
  • Cathodic Protection System can be added to increase life expectancy of helical piers
  • Low noise level associated with installation
  • Installation produces minimal vibrations and ground disturbance
  • ABC Deck Application
  • Tight Access
  • Proprietary equipment that allows installation of helical piers indoors due to our equipment having an electric motor option
  • Our specifically designed heavy-duty polyethylene sleeve encases the post and prevents it from being affected by ground movement.

WORRIED ABOUT FROST-HEAVING? WE HAVE SOLVED THAT PROBLEM WITH A HEAVY-DUTY POLYETHYLENE SLEEVE SPECIALLY DESIGNED TO PREVENT OUR POSTS FROM BEING AFFECTED BY GROUND MOVEMENT.

One of the major challenges a helical pier foundation must face is resisting ground movements. When the ground moves, it tends to pull or push on the shaft of the pile. Techno Metal Post designed and developed this proprietary green-coloured sleeve that reduces the grip of ground movements on the pier. The sleeve size is adapted to that of the pile and is installed around the pier when it is screwed into the soil. Once in place, the sleeve slides up and down the pile with natural ground movements. It allows the pile to remain perfectly stable during freezing, thawing or drought periods.

OUR HELICAL PILES ARE CHARACTERIZED BY ITS HIGH-QUALITY STEEL.

In an era where many companies choose to source their raw materials from Asia, the Techno Metal Post team is committed to purchasing North American steel for manufacturing its piles. Our piles are manufactured using structural steel according to ASTM A500 grade C, CAN/CSA-G40.21-98 and CSA W47.1 standards. Their design allows for maximum use of soil capacity. They have been load tested according to ASTM-D1143 and ASTM-D3689 standards in several types of soils around the world.

WE PROVIDE ENGINEERED REPORTS FOR PERMITTING

Several pier and helix sizes have been designed to ensure every project benefits from maximum support. Our engineering department is at your service to help you determine the helical pier best suited to your project. The piers can be galvanized to provide protection against corrosion according to ASTM A123/123M-13 standard (minimum of 610 g/m²) or be installed with a cathodic protection system to prevent steel corrosion in the ground.

CONNECTION BRACKETS THAT ARE APPROPRIATE AND TAILORED TO THE STRUCTURE TO BE SUPPORTED.

For patios and decks, height-adjustable, standard pile-to-structure connectors are available. Techno Metal Post has also developed support systems with reinforcing rods when using piles with concrete foundations for underpinning work. For any given project, our production team can quickly manufacture a custom support system.

INSTALLATION MONITORING AND VERIFICATION OF LOAD CAPACITY DURING INSTALLATION IS WHAT MAKES TECHNO METAL POST UNIQUE FROM ALL OTHER HELICAL PIER COMPANIES.

With Techno Metal Post, there is no need to mobilize special equipment, such as a crane with a pile hammer or a large drilled shaft rig. This makes for fast and inexpensive mobilization; Contractors can respond and be on site quickly. Typically only an operator and one laborer are needed. Large load capacities can be obtained using relatively small installation equipment. Because our installation equipment is manufactured by us, innovations, improvements and modifications are constantly being made. For our clients this means greater productivity and cost efficiency.

WITH OUR TECHNO METAL POST YOUR PROJECTS AND/OR STRUCTURES ARE COMPLETELY SUPPORTED IN A COST-EFFECTIVE, EASY TO INSTALL MANNER.

 

“A solarium needs a foundation […] having a concrete slab on grade with posts driven through the slab to lock it in place, so it won’t shift or move over time. But the kinds of posts your contractor uses will make all the difference. We used Techno Metal Post’s helical pier — three at the back of the solarium (the part that’s away from the house). They’re like giant metal screws, so the frost can’t grab them and pull them up. Only a certified technician can install these posts because specialized hydraulic machinery that measures soil conditions has to be used.”

Mike Holmes (HGTV)