HC Matcon Inc. offers Pier Tech Helical Piles to general contractors, in addition to mini piles.

A Helical Pile is installed with the aid of torque measuring equipment to arrive at proven capacities based on empirical design principles and theoretical design principles. The Helical product is round shafted with a superior connection detail compared to square shaft competitors as it involves less tendency for shaft buckling.

Helical disks vary and are project specific in their design. The soil stratification boring will reveal a soil capable of torque refusal prior to specifying of this solution. Please call HC Matcon Inc.during your design phase to confirm that this solution will be practical and economic for the soils being encountered.

Helical piles can be installed as tiebacks and/or tie downs. The speed to install and the reduced size of equipment makes them the ideal solution to add support to structures after they are built, should original design assumptions be flawed. The product can be installed at the side of a footing and a special bracket used to catch the load, including pre loading of the pile to reduce future movements.

Mini Piles have gained wide acceptance. Diameters from 3-12 inches are common. The reinforcing element in typically a single bar. Corrosion protection is applied to the bar when soil corrosiveness requires it, into a small diameter hole. Self drilling bars, or cased hole technology is used to advance a hole in water bearing situations.

The capacity of a helical pile can be equivalent to the yield of the reinforcement column, as slenderness is nominal in all but the loosest of soils. Typically Mini piles can be installed in low headroom applications.

Please call HC Matcon Inc. for a competitively priced solution to your next foundation problem or challenge. We are committed to innovation and to offering low cost products and services to General Contractors.

Advantages of Helical Pier System

Helical Pier System small round shaft has higher torque capabilities than small square shaft. The round shaft can withstand 8,000 to 11,000 ft-lbs (Heavy Ends) of torque, where the square shaft helical pile can be torqued to a maximum of 5,500 ft-lbs.

Therefore, Helical Pier System's round shaft helical can bear larger capacities, for the same price point. Helical Pier Systems does up to 24 inch round shafts so the Helical Pier product line is capable of much higher capacities due to the limits of square shaft sizing available. The round shaft of Helical Pier System's Helical Pier has a larger section modulus for the same cross section of steel. Square shaft piers are more likely to fail in very soft soils due to eccentric loading.

Helical Pier System's Helical Piers employ a 2 bolt connection which is 1.5 times the length of the square shaft one bolt connection alternative. This leads to less lateral deflection for the same length of piers.

Helical Pier Systems has ISO registration and is CWB approved, with many years of successful installations involving a broad range of capacities and soil types.

Our Helical designs for projects with multiple helixes which will render the capacities most require without the need for grouting. Grouting removes the 'torque to capacity relationship' during installation unless grouting can be done in a very consistent manner.

Gravity Fed Piles can be inconsistent in capacity resulting in the need for more load tests. Note: Wet caving soils will not allow grout to follow the helix itself, and it is this helix are which is the real load bearing element a designer wants upgraded by grouting.

When very high capacities are needed in softer soils, Helical Piers offers a pressure grouted pile that places the grout through the hollow stem, to holes located at and around the Helix itself, which renders a more consistent capacity and a higher capacity in the helix area.