Plain answers on helical piles and new foundations in Colorado, from frost depth and swelling clay to codes, costs and what an engineer puts on the drawings. Looking for our earlier posts? They are on Our Articles.
You can pour footings in a Colorado winter, but only with thawed ground, warm concrete and days of protection. Here is what ACI 306 asks for, and when steel helical piles let you skip winter footings altogether.
Read More »What machines install helical piles, what the drive head and torque indicator actually do, and how equipment choice affects your yard, your schedule and your inspection.
Read More »What actually happens when a new house, addition or commercial building goes on helical piers, from the soils report to the torque log to the concrete cap, and who is responsible for each step.
Read More »There are four ways to support a deck without digging holes. Only some of them meet code for an attached deck in Denver. Here's how blocks, pin piers, ground screws and engineered helical piles compare.
Read More »Colorado doesn't have one frost line. Denver and Jefferson County use 36 inches, Boulder, Larimer and El Paso counties use 30, and Summit County uses 40. Here is the table, what the code actually requires, and how deep foundations meet it.
Read More »Helical pile ratings already assume 50 years of corrosion, and galvanized steel lasts well past that in most soils. The real question is your soil and the top few feet of the pile. Here's how service life is calculated and what to check on your project.
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