Is this the BEST FOUNDATION for your new home? Helical Piles Explained.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ต.ค. 2019
- Jordan is installing the foundation for a new modern farmhouse build in Bellville Texas. The design of this house calls for an authentic raised floor foundation. However, a simple pier and beam foundation would be inadequate for a Smith House build. Instead, they are utilizing helical piles to create a deep foundation that will be stable for decades to come. The gulf coast is renowned for foundation issues and there are a myriad of foundation repair companies who stay busy repairing slab on grade foundations. With this deep foundation, the future homeowners can rest easy knowing they won't have to worry about sticking doors, cracked drywall, or worse: a cracked slab. As an added benefit, the home will be very easy to remodel and service in the future through the crawlspace beneath the home. And IF the house does settle in the future, it will be easy to adjust through jacks and shims with no interior demolition necessary.
Helical Piles by Bee Right There Anchor Service - beerighttherecs.com/
Great video, I’ve just started to research helical piles for my project and your video couldn’t of dropped at a better time 👍
cant tell you how long ive been looking for a video like this. THANK YOU!!!
Jordan that was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!! you clearly are passionate about piling as I am. What a great video describing in plain English what is going on. Thank you again.
Great alternative foundation approach!
Best video I have seen so far regarding how helical piles, their use, how to determine loads etc. KLM
Thanks for the video Jordan don’t be afraid of making it longer more information on these would’ve been great...
Thanks for adding the information on the Helical pitch verses rock size.
Love love love this. Thanks for sharing
Never heard of these before, pretty interesting!
Well, I learned a great deal and I thank you. Comes the day I can build my own home it will be on a raised foundation because I loathe concrete slabs. This is valuable info for me.
Glad we could help. Good luck on your build!
Game changer! Thanks for sharing!
Your welcome. Thanks for watching!
Nice overview. Thanks!
Best explanation, simple and easy to understand!, thanks for sharing
This is a very good solution for nordic climates like we have here in Quebec, Canada.
The code forces us to make foundation as deep as 6 ft to prevent freeze/thaw cycles to move the foundation.
The only hassle is that many municipal inspectors don't want us to use that type of foundation because it reduces the price of the house and, consequently, reduces the taxes that the municipality can collect.
that is crazy, myyyy gosh. someone just trying to build a house and the local govt are concerned with themselves
@@elephantear7659 what? You thought they cared about the people?
@@elephantear7659 it's time to E N D G O V T.
Really nice video. Great information. Thank you.
Just called them and Jack was a very helpful!
Best explanation of this tech thank you!
Another advantage of raised foundation is flood damage prevention and ease of repairs to underground utilities. Venice Italy actually built on ancient wood piles. No oxygen equals no deterioration.
Unless there are marine borers eating away at the wood, or if concrete then the salt is attacking it and the steel reinforcement. They would be wise to just jack up the city and slip floating foundations underneath and just float the city with the tide like how Holland, Netherland does it.
@@Joshua79C have to check into that..floating foundations? Have another house in NC in a flood zone.
I think it would be worth contrasting these to driven timber piles, which is what everyone frames off of here in New Orleans. Some drive them to at/below grade and pour concrete footings over pile caps, but most leave them sticking up ~3ft above grade and just frame off the piles.
Yep, I’d imagine that for Louisiana soils…. Placing helical piles along and at base of perimeter footings would be a perfect solution for construction on our narrow lots when you can’t get a pile driver in the backyards. Just perfect.
We used them to temporarily anchor a portable office trailer on the side of a mountain and it worked great
Awesome video!!!
comprehensive explanation, thx
Mr Smith. Your delivery is superb. The explanation was concise and the depth (pun intended) appropriate. Better luck next time hijacking the cab ;-)
Helical piles is my trade. We weld couplings though. Cool to see another process in a different place.
loved this
I'm not sure what I liked most about this video. The solid info or the good ol' boy atmosphere!
Great idea!
these are not new, we have been installing them for 25 years now
Excellent 👍🏼
So how do they determine aggregate size and amount? Really interested in how all this works and I appreciate you taking the time to make the video.
What's the earthquale resistance of helical piles compare to other fondation (slab on grade, basement, etc.)? What if we mix slab on grade + helical piles for a high earthquake resistant home. What does it take to have a house that can withstand 10 on the Ritcher scale for example? Great video as always Jordan and thank you for sharing!
Interesting idea, to me it makes sense.
I’d like to see the framing crew build off of those piles, will you be doing a video on that?
Same here
I would love to see the build off the Helical Piles!
These would be cool with ICF walls with them running all the way up and the concrete poured around it
Go see techno pieux who actually invented this product
Same here. I like this.
It's fascinating to see how things are done in other parts of the country. I live in Wisconsin, where most single-family homes are built on a full basement. However we do have some that are built on slabs, and it's not at all unusual for multifamily units to be built on slabs, too. But if I approached a builder up here and asked if I could have this system used, they'd look at me like I was from Mars!
Thinking of trying it in Wyoming, but I'll want to understand the behaviour in this soil+climate first.
We've had to do something similar several time , But with #8 rebar and 12" Pier foundations ,,, We've even had to Dig down and Blast for a massive 4' x4' and then run a series of 1" cables into the Slab & foundations on Ski Slopes !
Wish you were here in coal country, I've done Geotechnical Study and it's been hard to get a concrete engineer to design a three story 36'x56' slab building. Thanks for explaining.
Good explanation as usual. What areas do you cover? It seems you were up in NW Texas previously and perhaps now doing work near the Gulf Coast.
Have you looked in Foundation Frame systems at all? It's a a pin pile system from that Diamond Pier company you guys covered on the build show last year
Jordan thx for this video- Im contracting my home and want to do this, however Im not sure how to build a raised floor (3-4') foundation without concrete. Would like pure pier and beam. Cant you show or talk about a how to? Thanks again
amazing 👍👍
Interesting timing, my helical piles were finished yesterday. Soil borings showed 35ft. My actual average depth was 65ft the deepest went 77ft! Very swampy land! A few questions, first after the first 2 piles went 77 they switched to a square shank first helix piece the extensions were still round They said "They bite better". Why would that make any difference? Also they eyeballed mine for plumb. I noticed your guys had levels what might be the tolerance for plumb on these things?
Great video! Can you do this and move and old house onto the piles? We have property in Carmine that we’d like to move a house onto. Thanks!
Will there be an adjustable threaded sleeve installed between the pier and floor joists? That would allow foundation level adjustments down the road. Also, I have seen some piers with sleeves that allow soil to expand and contract around the pier without causing it to move. The Dallas area with clay soil would be an example where you need that.
ty!
What is the Cost for this system?
What kind of shear value do these allow for . Uplift during high winds or Tornadoes could possibly cause some type of failure if you have a roof system with eaves., or saturated ground from lots of rain, coupled with high winds . Roofs with no eaves / minimal eaves might alleviate a huge portion of uplift and put minimal pressure on the metal screw thingys.
Hey Jordan, how would you use those with a combination of a Seacan above it? Is there a simple weld in place and done solution for it? What would you and a civil engineer say... it's for Florida Sandy soil condition with a raised 5-6' floor for a good easy access crawlspace.
When will the video be uploaded wherein which you demonstrate how to best insulate the sub-floor supported by these piles?
Very nice
Should these piles be put inside sonatubes, and/or should they be cemented in? I thought these type footing were slightly adjustable.
Neat system. I wonder what the longevity would be like in coastal soil with relatively high salt chewing the zinc off.
Great question. I'm not the expert, but I would guess it would perform well underground without much oxygen to complete the oxidizing reaction. At the transition between the ground and air in the "splash zone" would get hit the hardest. I'm sure the manufacturers will have an answer as they install these for bridge foundations all the time in the gulf. I'll see if I can get some data from them.
@@JordanSmithBuilds Cool - that was also my first question. We get forty inches a year which can be hard on fencing - but replacing a fence post is a lot easier than replacing a foundation pier.
@@JordanSmithBuilds Good answer, and therefore the real answer is, depends on the thickness of the hot dip process zinc coating as with any other part in the same scenario. Cheers :-)
There are plenty of coatings out there that do excellently at the ground air transition. 20 mils of a 100% epoxy coating should last many decades in this service. I would trust a good coating more than a few mils of sacrificial zinc.
i'm a welder that works for a company installing chance helical piers in south FL and they warranty them for 30 years
Are you going to leave it an open crawl space or enclosed? And video on the finished foundation / look?
Kyle from RR sent me!
Cheers from Tokyo!
Cheers! Thanks for coming over to check out what we're doing!
Same-...good stuff
I work for a helical pile company in Plantersville TX, and I will say helical pile are under utilized, just due to the lack of education they exist.... but they are one of the most effective / effective tools in deep foundations!!
what is the tonnage on the piles?
did you do a load test?
I saw this used recently in the dfw area. They were installed in a grade beam for a new car wash
Who is the DFW Area contact?
He's not operating "this machine" he's being a customer, and the customer is allways right 😊
Jordan.....liking the new channel & style. Know might be a pain & take some time....but; wondering if gonna change channel name to: “Smith House”? Would be kinda cool if did, along w/ some Branded Merch😉
If ya don’t, that’s okay, cuz I’ll still watch the wonderful new content👍🏻
See ya on the next journey✌🏼
*wondering if seen or used the “kinda” new Bell pier auger? It’s pretty cool as it opens up towards bottom to create the bell shape etc....just curious if ever used or seen (also like these technical vids & the “Dynamics” of creating foundations & building👍🏻
Good job Jordan. I am in Woodlands, north of Houston, and the soil here is sandy. We did geo with 3 borings down to 20 ft and all three had unconsolidated sand with water and cave-in down to 10 feet. Engineer on project - I am an engineer too but not civil - advise mono slab with compacted soil. Unfortunately, the foundation engineer will be long gone when my slab settles 5 to 15 years and I wont be able to go after him for liability. The best insurance anyone can have is build the slab as if no piles then add them as insurance ... this method will ensure NO settlement and no headaches later when it settles. If anyone can dispute this statement then please advise.
Ty for sharing. I really need this! What model is the tractor and the screws? Are you an engineer? Ty
Nice video. Here's my two cents as a helical contractor (not being critical because they do a good job in this video and there is truly a lot to know...I'm still learning.) Contrary to popular belief, using torque alone is not a particularly good way to engineer these piles. In fact, you need a competent Geotechnical Report to design the piles. The Geotechnical Report will give you some information that is required the most important of which is sheer capacity. The torque generally follows shear capacity but it's not perfect. In making an estimate for your pricing, a geotech (Soils) report will yield a far more accurate design which translates into a more accurate price. We use a software called Heli-Cap that we input loads, shear capacities, etc... to come up with our designs. Also, the axial load absorbed by the shaft of the pile is negligible. In calculating the helical design it's not even a variable considered in the design. The other incorrect statement is the size of rock that the piles can go through. The piles will push much larger rock out of the way than 70% of helix separation. Rocks do, however slow down the installation process and given the chance we stay away from them. The last thing to keep in mind is that lateral loads are not handled in a vertical Helical Pile. Think of the different force required to push over a pencil stuck in the sand as opposed to a baseball bat. There are relatively simple ways to handle that lateral loads (battered piles, augured and grouted tops). This comes into play generally only if the pile top is greater than a foot or so off the ground. In concrete foundations it is not so much a factor. Hope this helps!
Would like to talk to you about lateral movement. I would like my top plate set at 32” above grade. Have you ever calculated 80 mph wind loading on the side of a house?
Very interesting option! I’m curious if you can use with a slab or to stabilize other construction such as ICF on a combination soil?
absolutely, we have a multitude of options to either repair existing structures or on new builds.
I've been wondering why all this sounds familiar and why I am finding it so interesting. I just remembered I had a "high -tech" company come to my house to quote using the pier system on my sagging outside chimney years ago. I didn't wind up using them, because they could only stop the sinking, and I would still have to rebuild the aesthetic looks; basically doubling the price. Cool process though. DD
Buildings on piles sometimes look like a house on stilts. How do you protect the perimeter of the base to protect it from intrusion by animals or debris? Do people ever build concrete support around the perimeter so you can have a true crawl space under the home?
Can you use it on an addition when the existing foundation is concrete blocks on clay soil.
I'm curious how the torque of installation translates to carrying capacity. The torque seems like it's dependent mostly on the thin screw edge cutting through the soil, whereas carrying capacity depends on the face of the screw pressing down. What assumptions might I be missing? Is a separate downward load test necessary?
I'm looking at a garage project - my current (detached) garage foundation has failed and we need to replace it. Our soil is very peaty, and there may be an underground creek, so we seem to be looking at going down around 60 feet with helical piles to support it. :-/ Our current garage is on footings, and there's about a foot of daylight under the slab that's appeared as the peaty soil has receded.
Legend has it that our next door neighbor (before we lived here, maybe 15 years ago) pulled into her (attached) garage, the floor failed, and the car fell down about 5 feet. She had to climb out through the sunroof. Would love to avoid that. =)
Can you do a video on the cost estimation process for a project?
I heard about helical piles about a year ago… Apparently they are very popular in Some parts of Canada, Very cool system… My only question is, how does one condition the space under the house ? Possibly some sort of cementitious material used on the perimeter? With a vapor barrier?.... can a pole barn be built or helical piles?
just plastic wrap pressure treated lumber on the underside, cement perimeters store just as much moisture as on the outside
what I hope to do for my little house in the northeast :)
These were used for my deck in MA built back in 2012. They are extremely rigid with no signs corrosion after 7 years. However, when I replaced my deck with a larger one, I opted for digging my own 4-foot footings fearing that I would never be able to get the new set of helical piles exactly where I wanted them due to the myriad rocks we have in the ground up here. It turned out I had boulders in 4 of the 5 holes I dug--each weighing between 45 and 60 lbs. There is no way the pile would have gone through those and would have had to be positioned left or right of the ideal post locations. This is something to keep in mind if planning to use these up here in New England.
@@nicholash8021 I may run into rock(s) as well but I have designed the beam structure to provide spacing tolerance. If we run into ledge we will anchor into it. the great thing about helical piles is that bearing and uplift are precise. Tx, Rich
this saves you a tone of money compare to concrete piles. I wish we could use it here in the hillside area in SoCal
Reza Tashakori
Why not?
@@BrianBriCurInTheOC seismic requirements
Reza Tashakori
Do a little research because there are other components which are used with this type of system which include steel sleeves and adding concrete grout. The system shown in Jordon’s video is a basic system. Consequently, added components increase cause but as you are aware seismic requirements yes bring added costs.
@@BrianBriCurInTheOC Perfect Brian. I'm an architect so I could definitely work with a structural engineer who knows this system well. Using this system could save us millions of dollars.
wonder how this would work in earthquake fault line places. think any foundation is unknown though. they have a system holding up the wellington museum and you can see it. pretty much just floats on cylinders with the rubber bits to allow movement to not destroy the building.watching these urban developments they spend a whole lot of time leveling out the terrain and get something course down and compacted with cement slabs and go from there. neat video, wasnt real clear as a total noob what this was for until the end and reading the description, would be neat to see that first lot of framing and the floor being laid down next
Man thank you that’s a good idea. You eliminate all the digging. Can this work on land that’s mile from bay area
I'm a builder in the Austin Brenham area. I'm wondering if he's going to clear some that vegetation under the house.
Seems like concrete columns are still a better option. Especially in my area.
Interesting bit of info on screw piles aka helical piles, "first described by the Irish civil engineer Alexander Mitchell in a paper in _Civil Engineer's and Architects Journal_ in 1848" ('Screw piles' in Wikipedia, under _Development_ section)
What about using ground sonar to tell you more about what type of material is below ground and get a more accurate price? Or is the price of the screws small enough not to make the ground sonar test not worth doing?
any special considerations for using the helical piles on a moderate slope (11 degrees-ish)?
Interesting topic Jordan. Do you get any lateral capacity (sideways wind resistance) out of these piles, and if not how are you addressing those loads? What type of beam system do you use to span between the piles?
I've been watching this kind of video lately and that is rarely directly addressed. However when they use smaller helical piles for mobile home tie down purposes it is enough of an issue that the soil for a few feet below the surface is excavated next to the pile and filled with cement, presumably to resist side loads.
In this case, he sort of addressed the issue by saying if they go higher that they need stronger piles, but does that mean the limiting factor is bending of the piles above ground or the limiting factor is how much lateral resistance there is for the pile just below near the surface?
I suspect side load is not an issue at all if the piles are used with a cement slab. And side load is probably not an issue with the design in this video since the pile strength seems to be much larger than might normally be required. It would have been interesting if he had addressed how the pile sizing was determined.
Hi there that is very interesting I live in the panhandle area in Florida I was wondering if you deliver those in Florida and how much they would cost average can I put them in myself or do I need a special Skid-Steer
Jordan, have you created a way to attach a garage to a pier and beam foundation? I do have a design but need to verify with another builder on legitimacy of design. In Hill Country Texas
Slab on grade for my garage, 8foot deep concrete footing and wall , compaction to grade , 6 inch poured floor,
Hello Jordan. Would something like this work in a cold northern climate (Canada) with a clay foundation/base?
Yeah, I want to see the framing details for this. Disappointed it was not shown here!
Use your grey matter between your ears. Once post are in and level, saddles are installed and the rest is normal.
@@lpc5152 look, I’m not in this profession so what the heck is a saddle?
@@jacksprat7087 The saddle sits on top of metal post to accept wood beam or post. The term is used in the video. The framing sits on perimeter beams.
@@lpc5152 still like to see the sill plate and rim joists installed. From the “Saddle” they used they must have used 4”x12” sill plate. No center support between the piers? What is the pier spacing there? 20’?? The limit on 2x12’s is 16’.
So, if they took a video of that build I’d like to see it. Can your “grey matter” dig that?
does this work well with modular and prefab homes too?
Sounds pretty cool. Are there any concerns with rust being that it is in soil. Could say in 50 years the piles rust 2 point of failure and cause issues for the house?
Would say the upper three or so feet would be affected over time, the deeper you do the less likely it would get damaged over time. Have yet to use this system myself and basing on how concrete foundation and wood survive in such use. Also depends how well coated in zinc it is to prolong useful life.
Can't speak for 50 years, but after 7 years, the portion of the piles sticking out of the ground of my MA home show absolutely zero signs of corrosion.
I live in the Chicago area. I dislike concrete foundations and slabs -- they're expensive, difficult to insulate and keep dry. I've never liked being in a basement -- even when it is insulated and finished. Slabs make my knees hurt. I would rather have more living space above ground. The challenges I see with pier and beam are how do you keep your water and sewer lines from freezing when it's -20F and how do you reliably keep critters out of the floor?
Jordan, why didn't you remove the vegetation prior to starting ?
How do they fare in uplift conditions relative to traditional piles, sonotubes, etc.?
How much did the 29 piles plus installation cost? I am in Arkansas and considering something similar.
i wonder about the durability with clay soils. over here they are currently advertising a slightly different system that has a finer screw on the end instead of the helical plates which can handle rocky soils, plus if the soil is core drilled it can be screwed into rock etc.
do you guys put moisture barrier down before the framers start?
one thing i often see is builders not putting moisture barrier down until after the house is done. makes it difficult to install, need to clean the ground etc. would be so much easier to install it early on and it makes life so much easier for the plumbers and electrician.
i personally would have sprayed the grass out and smoothed out the ground surface first. make sure the drainage slope is right and make a good clean surface for the moisture barrier to go onto.
Correct. Helical piles perform well in finer grained soil strata. If you live in an area with expansive clay, and/or mixed rocky layers, helicals become problematic. Grouted Micropiles may be a better option. And they are much cheaper to install than the manufactured systems shown in the video. In the mountains you may need rock anchors to drill into solid rock to achieve the desired capacities.
What does a system like this cost
Colorado? Water pipe protection from freezing?
I think the best foundation system depends on the soil environment your dealing with. Consult with a Geotechnical engineer
Can a slab on grade foundation be built on these piles.
can they drill through a large rock?
What if you hit a very large bolder?
I do like the Helical Piles as part of an engineered foundation. In parts of Texas solid rock can be a few inches down. In other parts of Texas we have expansive clay soils and the Helical Piles could work well but required depth may need to load bearing soil below where the constant moisture zone starts. The soil survey done by a Registered Engineer, that does soils engineering, should alert you to those conditions.
You did not mention the uplift capacity of these piles.
You're right! We didn't pull test these, but we expect an uplift resistance in excess of 40,000 lbs based off past testing.
@@JordanSmithBuilds how many wood or concrete pile systems are pull tested? lol It's amazing what we think we know because we've always done things a certain way and then a system that is engineered and tested comes along and we doubt it will work. I'll go with building science myself. Rich
at 4 minutes, how do we know that the torque is at 5900? is there a sensor that shows what the current torque is as the pile is driven into the ground?
Seems like a great system. I live in Phoenix and the vast majority of our homes are slab on grade. Well, when it comes to our track home building there is often less than adequate site preparation and final grade completion. Add to that, most of our homes don't have gutters so what little rainfall we get is deposited right next to the foundation. Case in point. I pulled up all the carpet in our bedrooms only to find cracks galore in our slab. Now I need to call out a foundation company to check and stabilize both the foundation and the slab, then I will need to pour a floor leveler to create a level plane again. I just hope after that I don't run into room transition problems.
How well will they work in an environment like new orleans . And how long will these steel pipes last in wet soil like N.O.
We routinely design them for costal areas. If we know what your service life is we can do a corrosion study to determine what secondary coatings are required or if sacrificial steel loss is required.
How about steel corrosion and loss of pier load capacity in the long term?
Interesting that the piles require a specific bearing capacity while a post or pier would be installed without knowing each and every bearing capacity. How are extensions. attached?
Double bolted with 3/4 bolts.
@@JordanSmithBuilds -hmm maybe a weld would be better long term?