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Foundation Engineering: How Are Helical Piles Designed

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23 views2 pages

Foundation Engineering: How Are Helical Piles Designed

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e4redesign
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How are Helical Piles Designed

In designing any foundation, it is a best practice to engineer to the weakest link which is predominantly
the soil, and therefore it is highly recommend to start with a geotechnical investigation and analysis.
Armed with soil data, a geotechnical engineer, using empirical methods outlined in the DFI and Perko
manuals as well as foundation engineering manuals in various countries, can reliably design helical piles
to satisfy design criteria.

A benefit to helical piles is increased predictability of performance due to an empirical relationship


between installation torque and soil capacity. The relationship between installation torque and capacity
is very reliable but, when liability is high, it is not a replacement to a geotechnical investigation. A good
comparison would be a driven pile is installed to resist a certain amount of force which makes them a
reliable pile in terms of performance – again, the installation force is not a replacement for geotechnical
investigation. When capacities and liabilities are low, such as a residential deck, it would be uncommon
to justify the cost of a geotechnical investigation and in this situation an engineer might design helical
piles according to installation torque.

Most pile options are simple in design when you compare them to helical piles. Imagine you have a
board with dials in front of you which you can turn up or down. Your dials for designing a
precast concrete pile are simply pile diameter and length; it’s pretty straightforward. For a helical pile
the board has several dials, shaft diameter, shaft thickness, shaft length, number of helices, diameter of
helices, thickness of helices as well. Therefore, helical piles are quite customizable and the experience of
a design engineer with the technology will really play a factor in getting the most efficient pile possible
to site that will satisfy the final design and the forces which will be encountered during installation.

How are Helical Piles Installed

Today, helical piles are installed with a wide range of hydraulic equipment. Light capacity helical piles
are installed with portable hydraulic torsion bars or towers, mini-skid steers, skid steers, mini
excavators, midi excavators, and utility sector style auger trucks (Digger Derricks). High capacity helical
piles are installed primarily with 15 tonne or larger excavators but sometimes with modified drill rigs or
custom equipment.

The machine chosen should be appropriate for the anchor drive which will turn the pile in the ground.
The swing resistance, auxiliary hydraulic flow and pressure, reach, break-out force and downward axial
force will all play a role in ensuring a helical pile is properly installed. High capacity helical piles are
generally installed to refusal, a machine like a skid steer will not have the downward axial force for the
helical pile to bite into hard layers like till – soft till is particularly difficult to penetrate without a proper
machine.

A popular image is of a mid capacity helical pile being installed with a machine as small as a skid steer or
tracked loader. It is cool that a pile can be installed with such small equipment but it’s not necessarily
the right equipment. A skid steer, by design is made for lifting, they lack the swing resistance and force
required to accurately and correctly install helical piles in many situations and could result in piles that
are out of plumb and that auger the soil during install. Ideally a helical pile is within 2 degrees of plumb
and installed in a manner that the pile advances in direct proportion to the pitch of the helical blade(s)
disturbing the least amount of soil possible. Excavators are made to dig in and are much more capable
of applying downward force to achieve a professional installation. Hoyt and Clemence tested helical
piles installed in an unprofessional manner to those installed by proper equipment in a professional
manner, the same soil and same depth, however there was a 50% difference in performance in tension!

When liabilities are high, the addition of on-site confirmatory load tests will further increase the
confidence in the design and installation. A site where piles are being load tested can result in leaner
design based on the actual performance of the piles.

An additional step we might also see on higher liability project sites is the presence of a third party
engineer to supervise the installation. If you are working with a helical pile contractor who you do not
have a well-established relationship, it is a very good idea to supervise the installation and verify that
the piles are not auguring the soil and the installation torques required are being achieved.

A piling report with achieved depths, torques and any observations which might relate to performance,
should always be completed by a helical pile contractor regardless of the type of project.

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