Advantages of pile foundation include affordable price and opportunity to get effective results in very short time.
Screw pile resembles a pipe with blades. Inserting such pipe in soil leads to better stability of structures and buildings. Using piles provides the foundation with great resistance, it is not affected by surface water and it does not sink. In terms of quality and financial gain, pile foundation is often considered better than technically complicated foundation replacement. Moreover, foundation strengthened with piles creates an opportunity to build additional storeys above the foundation.
When does it become necessary to use screw piles?
Foundation can be strengthened with screw piles under any conditions, regardless of the location of the building. Foundation with screw piles allows erecting metal and concrete structures, whereas it involves nearly no earthworks. Strengthening of foundations located on complex subsoil often exceeds all expectations, because works are performed rather quickly and at low cost.
Currently, using screw piles for supporting foundation is considered the most optimal and universal way to increase load-bearing capacity of structures quickly and with high quality, so that they would endure any external factors for a long time.
What are the problems solved by using screw piles?
Main function of screw piles is to support structures in problem areas and unstable soil. Due to wide blades at the bottom of piles, it is possible to further increase the bearing surface in soil. Screw piles ensure resistance to pressure exerted by force exceeding 20 tons.
Usually, piles are used for achieving the following goals:
- Increased load-bearing capacity of multi-storey building. Piles can be used to support a building, foundation of which cannot be fully replaced.
- Strengthening of old foundation to allow building more floors in the future.
- Stabilisation of sunken soil under the structure: pile is screwed in soil, thus remarkably increasing its stability.
Are there any more contemporary methods for strengthening foundation?
Screw piles represent unquestionably popular method for strengthening the load-bearing capacity of a foundation, but there are new technologies that allow different approach. URETEK’s new Deep Injection method ensures strengthening of foundation by stabilising the soil on which the structure stands.
For that purpose, special geopolymer mixture is inserted in soil. As it expands, it forces water out of the soil and fills all voids. Problem soil is levelled, subsoil is stabilised. Method allows remarkably quicker completion of repair works, it excludes earthworks, even in case of repairs performed in unsafe buildings.
