Screw pile foundation
To build or not to build a house on a foundation with screw piles? It is impossible to unequivocally answer this question. It is necessary to consider all the pros and cons of this technology. In Russia, the construction of foundations on screw piles arose no more than 10 years ago. Today, pile foundations due to certain characteristics are very popular.
Advantages of the foundation on screw piles:
- saving, pile foundation will cost less than reinforced concrete;
- shorter installation times (compared with reinforced concrete);
- the almost complete absence of earthwork, and, accordingly, construction debris;
- the optimal solution for complex soils (swampy, peaty);
- ideal for areas with significant elevation differences; no surface leveling is required.
What is the foundation on screw piles?
As supports, steel pipes of various diameters are used: from 57 to 133 mm., The end of the pipe is pointed and blades are welded to it, the diameter of which varies from 200 to 35 mm. The length of the pile can be from 2 to 7.5 m. Due to the blades, the pile is screwed into the ground to the desired depth. Piles can be twisted using special equipment or manually. For individual construction use manual labor. If a decision is made in favor of a pile-screw foundation, it is first necessary to decide who will perform these works. You can contact a company specializing in this type of construction, or you can do it yourself. Having a couple - three assistants and knowing all the nuances, the foundation can be built without intermediaries.
Decided to do on their own! Where to begin?
- It is necessary to carry out exploratory work, preferably with the help of a specialist. It is necessary to find out the type of soil on the site, the depth of freezing, the level of groundwater.
- Next, you need to calculate the number of piles, the distance between the supports (piles), the load on them. Depending on the load, the diameter of the support is also determined. So, the calculations are made, the blueprints are done, we need piles.
How to choose and screw piles?
The quality of screw piles should be taken very seriously. Otherwise, you can buy some old, rusty repainted pipe, with crooked holes made. The most important thing in the pile is the blades. In most cases, piles with welded blades are found. Therefore, welds should be performed in compliance with all technologies. Otherwise, in the process of screwing piles, the blades can easily fall off. The screw pile must be treated with a protective coating of appropriate quality. Otherwise, during installation, the material may simply not withstand the pressure and fall to pieces. To prevent this from happening, you should definitely check the protective composition: having scratched the coating with a sharp edge of the stone, it is natural to scratch it with effort. If drawn to metal - the pile does not have high-quality protection.
So, the piles are selected, it remains only to screw them. It is very important not to simplify the screwing technology by any leader - holes, and even more so by digging holes. The screw pile should be screwed in at a right angle, from scratch. Its stability and strictly vertical position depend on this. The depth should be below the depth of the soil freezing layer. One person must constantly monitor the position of the pile during installation. In no case should you screw and unscrew the pile in order to further change its position. When the installation is completed, the piles are cut at one level, poured with concrete, set heads on each support. Then the piles are tied in order to evenly distribute the load on the foundation.
If you can’t build a foundation on your own
In this case, you have to resort to the services of companies that specialize in this field. But then again, you should not rely on them completely.You should definitely find out more information about this service provider, look for reviews on the Internet. Go to the company itself and it is advisable to see the conditions in which people work. Carefully inspect the piles used by this company. It is worthwhile to carefully monitor the installation process of piles. Many builders are trying to make the amount of work faster and more. And this, as a rule, leads to a violation of technology. First of all, the quality of the foundation under construction suffers from this.
Very often, builders make it easier for themselves by digging pits or leader holes, proving that this does not affect the quality of screwed piles. In the future, this will affect the very foundation - the foundation of the structure. Therefore, if you had to use the services of a construction company, you must carefully monitor that the workers comply with the technology. And even better - before signing the contract with the company, make sure that the point: compliance with the technology is present in the contract. By the way, about other types of foundation read here.
