Construction & Contractors Blog
When building, you need to get everything right starting from the foundation. A good foundation should be able to support the load from the other parts of the building that are above the ground. In some cases, getting a good foundation can be difficult because of weather and soil conditions. For instance, weak soil may be unable to stand up to the weight of fresh concrete laid for your foundation. This is where screw piles come in handy. Screw piles (also referred to as helical piles) are a system of large screws drilled into the ground for anchoring buildings firmly. Here are some commonly asked questions about screw piles so you can gain a better understanding:
When Is the Foundation Ready for a Load?
A key benefit of screw piles is that they can hold the building's load once they have been drilled into place. This makes them unique from a host of other alternatives that you would use for your building's foundation. Screw piles are made using large, hollow cylindrical steel stems with protrusions (helices) on different sections of the stem. These protrusions guarantee a firm foundation by dispersing the load of the building. During installation, the hollow part of the screw pile is filled with concrete. By dispersing the weight of the building through the helices, screw piles enable you to continue with the construction project immediately after they have been screwed in place. This is better than a foundation made using concrete alone because it needs time to cure, prolonging the duration of your project.
Does Cold Weather Affect Installation?
Cold weather and frozen soil conditions do not hinder the installation of screw piles. They can be drilled to reach the desired depths regardless of cold winter conditions. This is unlike concrete beams and pillars that may take longer to cure when winter temperatures hit extremes. To add on that, rain does not affect the process of installing the screw piles. With the concrete alternative, too much rain pouring onto the concrete slabs interferes with their curing process by washing away some material such as sand.
What Makes Screw Piles Ideal for Sustainable Construction?
Screw piles promote sustainable construction because there is minimal noise and vibration when you are installing them. Since screw piles are wound into the ground, there is no need for excavation. On the other hand, a foundation made using other methods like concrete pillars and blocks alone may need a lot of excavation. The excavation weakens the soil structure and makes the soil susceptible to erosion by wind and water.
Share11 July 2016
Welcome! My name is Frances, and this is my first blog. Whether you found me through a Google search or were passed my link by a friend, I am so glad you found my blog. I plan to fill it with a range of commentary on the world of contracting and construction work, and I hope that you find my ideas compelling and creative. I am a dog trainer, but I have always loved the world of construction. I tend to work a lot on the weekends and evenings, when my clients are off work. As a result, I have a lot of time to write during the day, and I decided to create this blog. Thank you for reading.
