Helical Piers

 

 

 

 

What are Helical Piers and how are they installed?

Since the early 1800’s Helical Piers have been in use for the stabilization of structures. The original Helical Pier was a wooden shaft with an iron helix for use in lighthouse foundations. Technology has come a long way since the wooden shaft design and today a Helical Pier is a steel pipe piling with multiple twisted helix plates welded to the lead section of the piling. A typical helical can have one to three helix plates ranging from 8″ to 16″ inches in diameter.

Helical Piers are commonly recommended by engineers to stabilize the perimeter of homes or businesses. For most foundation problems Helical Piers are an excellent choice.  They can be used to correct damage caused by organic soils, clays, poor compaction, improper footer embedment, erosion or stabilizing houses affected by sinkholes or sinkhole activity.

 The helical piers main function is to support and stabilize the structure’s load bearing walls by transferring the weight of the structure off the weaker soils and onto the piers. One of the key benefits of helical piers, is that they can permanently lift a sunken foundation back to its original level. Champion has successfully lifted buildings up to 9 inches.

Installing helical piers starts with a Geotechnical Engineer’s repair design. The design is reviewed and installation points are located around the property. Holes are dug by hand at each point to about the size of a doormat. This enables Champions access to the footer of the structure’s foundation wall. The dirt from each  hole is placed on tarps as to not kill the grass during the repair process.

The next step is to set Champion’s ULTrA bracket in place with it being squared to the bottom of the foundation. Then the hydraulic torque drive assembly is connected to the helical lead sections and advanced with up to 8,500ft-lbs of torque pressure. Additional pier sections are double bolted together one after another as the pier is advanced deeper and deeper to load bearing strata. Champion’s lifting assembly is then connected to the top of the helical pier and the structure lifted back into its original state. To make sure the pier is seated securely and the weight of the is structure fully transferred, the bracket is load tested for 15 minutes. Then the bracket is tightened up and bolted to the foundation.

The dirt is removed from the tarps and placed back in the excavation hole and compacted. At this time new sod is laid over the installation points and fresh landscaping replaces old.

Helical piers are one of the two most common types of structural pilling for residential foundation and sinkhole repair in use today.

Key Benefits of using Champion’s Helical Piers

• Strength – Champion Foundation Repair  uses the strongest system in the industry. The Fasteel Titan Helical Pier system can achieve forces of over 8,500ft-lbs. Each bracket is tested prior to use to make sure it can handle 120,000lbs. All helical pier’s installed are driven to at least double of the required service load.
• Made in the USA– The Fasteel line is manufactured in St Louis MO, not imported from other countries, ensuring a solid steel every time.
• Independence – Your home is not used as a counterweight! Using a Mini-Excavator to install the Helical Piers means the piers are fully driven to their final depth before they even touch your house, causing no more damage to your home!
• Instant Confirmation– We know within 15 minutes whether or not the pier is seated in good stable material or in a temporary resistance zone, which may lose strength later on. Meaning your house is repaired correctly the first time.
• Reliability – Provides assurances the pier has been properly seated into a sufficient bearing strata through the use of sophisticated installation torque measurements.
• Training– All of Champions personnel receive state of the art training on installation and trouble shooting. Since every house is built different, your home may have special circumstances, which require extra attention. We never sub-contract, only our professionals will be on your project.
• Landscaping– Champion replaces sod, mulch, rocks, and plants as need if they are disrupted during the repair process.
• Engineers– The engineers Champion works with take great care in the planning of your repair. We will never ask you to move your A/C, pool pump, or water softener. We always work around these items.
• Security – All of Champion Foundation Repair’s  helical piers includes an exclusive  limited lifetime warranty for its material and workmanship. Some companies choose one or the other, your repair is a package deal. These piers are easy to install and easy to maintain if needed in the future.

Cities We Serve

Jacksonville Sinkhole Repair

Miami Sinkhole Repair

Tampa Sinkhole Repair

St. Petersburg Sinkhole Repair

Orlando Sinkhole Repair

Spring Hill Sinkhole Repair

New Port Richey Sinkhole Repair

Port Richey Sinkhole Repair

Hudson Sinkhole Repair

Holiday Sinkhole Repair

Tarpon Springs Sinkhole Repair

Palm Harbor Sinkhole Repair

Dunedin Sinkhole Repair

Clearwater Sinkhole Repair

Largo Sinkhole Repair

Pinellas Park Sinkhole Repair

Seminole Sinkhole Repair

Land O Lakes Sinkhole Repair

Wesley Chapel Sinkhole Repair

Zephyrhills Sinkhole Repair

Dade City Sinkhole Repair

Brooksville Sinkhole Repair

Brandon Sinkhole Repair

Valrico Sinkhole Repair

Seffner Sinkhole Repair

Apollo Beach Sinkhole Repair

Ocala Sinkhole Repair

Gainesville Sinkhole Repair

Bartow Sinkhole Repair

Winter Haven Sinkhole Repair

Lakeland Sinkhole Repair

Kissimmee Sinkhole Repair

Windermere Sinkhole Repair

Sanford Sinkhole Repair

Maitland Sinkhole Repair

Apopka Sinkhole Repair

Altamonte Springs Sinkhole Repair

Orange City Sinkhole Repair

Deltona Sinkhole Repair

Deland Sinkhole Repair

Daytona Beach Sinkhole Repair

Bradenton Sinkhole Repair

Sarasota Sinkhole Repair

Naples Sinkhole Repair

Fort Myers Sinkhole Repair

Since 2011, Champion Foundation Repair Inc honors all warranties we’ve provided to the homeowners who’ve trusted us with their home.  Our warranties are transferable by signing over a transfer of warranty before the closing of your property. Every foundation & sinkhole repair company utilizes their own custom repair systems for their repairs; it  is because of this that we cannot warranty any other companies repairs or adjust any other repairs done by companies currently in business or for companies that have gone out of business. If the repair on your home was done by another repair company please call them first to honor the warranty they gave you.  If you are still experiencing problems with your home or your original repair company has gone out of business we can help by doing additional repairs to your home if needed.