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.
A helical anchor and a helical pile can be the same piece of steel. What changes is the load direction, and that changes the depth, the bracket and the test. Here's how to tell which one your project needs.
Read More »A helical pile's capacity is set by the weakest of the soil, the shaft, the couplings and the helix plates, then cut in half for safety. Here is how torque, load tests and the install log fit together.
Read More »Helical piles hold up houses, decks and boardwalks, hold down towers and canopies, and resist sideways loads on signs and solar racks. Here are 14 new-construction uses, sorted by the kind of load each one carries.
Read More »The number of helical piers on a project comes from the load path: how much area each pile supports and how much each pile can carry. Here's the arithmetic for a deck, and why additions and homes get an engineered layout.
Read More »There's no single depth for a helical pier. It goes until it hits the engineer's torque target in good soil, and never shallower than the minimums set by frost, swelling clay and the pile's own geometry. Here's how those rules stack up on a Colorado lot.
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 »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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