How screw piles are installed

Screw piles are wound into the ground, much like a wood screw. The helices cut into
the soil following a constant
pitch, as opposed to auguring through it. The helical flights and shafts are
specifically shaped and designed to suit
the ground conditions.
Hydraulic powerheads are used to apply the large torque that is required to screw a
screw pile into the ground.
The powerheads are fastened onto handling machines that range in size from ? tonne
Bobcats, 20 tonne Excavators,
and up to 100 tonne mast mounted crane rigs. The combination of hydraulic powerhead
and handling machine
required is determined by:
? Installation torque requirements
? Torsional capacity of the shaft
? Site access limitations (height/width/clearance to obstructions)
? Soil profile and site ground conditions
? Positional tolerances.
For permanent applications once the pile has reached the target depth the shaft is
typically filled with concrete.
In some cases this can increase the capacity of the pile. Embedded and protruding
reinforcing, or using a top plate,
provides a connection to the building structure above.
Because screw piles can be easily installed and removed they are often used in
temporary situations.