Building on Sloped Terrain Made Easy with Helical Piles

Starting a building project? Your first step is having a solid and durable foundation, ensuring structural integrity over time. When building on a slope, everything becomes exponentially more difficult to complete.  For this reason, helical piles have made the process of designing and building foundations simpler and more manageable, even on challenging terrain.  

Foundation Blueprint 

When building on a sloped terrain, lateral stability is always a concern, and whether or not a slope is present, a helical pile foundation is designed to account for this additional force. Helical piles can also be made with a second helix.  A battered pile (which means installed at an angle into the slope) can be connected next to the vertical pile shaft and welded into the main bracket system.  If the structure has a portion above the ground, then the beams and posts for the main structure can be further strengthened directly using angled bracing, as shown in the photo above. 

Techno Metal Post’s helical piles can be customized for the specific needs of a given project.  Our in-house engineers look at the components required for the design and consider the following: compression, tension, and lateral forces that will be placed on the pile once it is installed.  After this is reviewed, they can select the pile diameter, quantity needed, and helix diameter for the soil in which they will be installed.  Our engineering team ensures a professional, code-approved, and safe foundation solution for every project. 

Once each pile is successfully installed, it functions as part of a complete structural system, with each pile independently taking its share of the load.  A custom bracket system connects the piles to the base of the structure—whether it’s made of steel, concrete, or wood—securing everything in place to ensure long-term stability. No digging or compacting work is required with helical piles. 

Construction Process 

The design of any foundation looks great in drawings, but eventually it needs to be built on-site.  Traditional footings and foundations require excavation, forming work, setting rebar, and pouring/curing concrete.  Aside from planning and executing, the concrete must also harden before any load can be placed on it.  All this extra work can be eliminated using a helical pile foundation.  A single, compact machine makes project completion quick and simple for our certified installers. When building on a slope, a small platform with adjustable posts is used to create a flat surface for them to safely complete their job.  

How deep do the helical piles need to go? 

Helical piles are screwed into the ground until they have reached the appropriate load-bearing capacity, ensuring a secure installation.  Once the desired load capacity is reached, the pile receives a final spin, ensuring long-lasting security.  

For your next project, consider Techno Metal Post’s helical piles as your alternative foundation solution!  We have an extensive network of certified installers, so reach out to your local installer for more information.