Modular construction involves manufacturing the building modules in a factory, within a controlled environment, before assembling them directly on site.
This modern method, increasingly popular, offers major advantages over traditional techniques: time savings, cost reduction, consistent quality, and flexibility.

It can be adapted to a wide range of projects, from tiny homes and secondary houses to office buildings, classrooms, hospitals, and even emergency shelters.

Why choose Techno Metal Post for your modular projects?

Modular buildings are designed for quick installation. They therefore require strong, reliable foundations that can be installed quickly.
Techno Metal Post helical piles provide exactly this combination of speed, strength, and durability, with several key advantages:

• Quick installation: Depending on the project type, Techno Metal Post can be installed in less than a day. The building assembly can start immediately, with no waiting time.

• Removable and reusable: Fully reversible, our piles can be removed if the modular structure needs to be relocated or dismantled, without damaging the ground.

• Compact and quiet equipment: Our specialised machines are designed for urban, sensitive, or hard-to-reach areas, while minimising disturbance to the surroundings.

• No excavation or heavy concrete work: This reduces site constraints and significantly lowers environmental impact.

• Precision installation: Our remote-controlled equipment allows for exact positioning of the piles. This ensures perfect alignment and guarantees a stable and durable modular structure.

• Suitable for all types of soil: Whether on sloped, soft, or complex ground, our piles can be installed even in the most challenging conditions.

• Certified and compliant: Techno Metal Post helical piles are tested according to international building standards and meet local regulations in many countries.

• Engineering support: Each project is reviewed by our engineers to ensure compliance and the correct load-bearing capacity.

• Guaranteed stability: Designed to resist soil movement and frost, our piles provide long-term strength and stability.

Techno Metal Post offers a new approach to modular building foundations.

These ready-to-install structures require foundations that are fast to install, strong, and long-lasting, exactly what Techno Metal Post helical piles deliver: simple, precise, and immediate installation, perfectly suited for all modular projects.

Find out more or contact your local installer: Click to find your local installer here.

Many older cottages require attention, especially when it comes to their foundations. In the past, materials such as concrete blocks or wooden beams were often used, but these did not always provide lasting strength or durability.

Today, these cottages have real value, whether as primary residences or holiday homes. They deserve strong, durable foundations to ensure they remain safe for years to come.

This is where Techno Metal Post provides a reliable solution, strengthening existing foundations without the need to rebuild.

When rebuilding isn’t possible, renovate with Techno Metal Post

In some areas, planning rules restrict the demolition or reconstruction of cottages. However, this does not mean nothing can be done. With Techno Metal Post helical piles, you can reinforce your cottage’s foundations while preserving the existing structure and staying within local regulations.

Why choose Techno Metal Post piles?

· Minimal ground disturbance

The piles are screwed directly into the soil, with no need for major excavation or heavy concrete work. This approach protects the environment and is ideal for cottages located in natural settings.

· Adaptable to all grounds

Our specialised equipment is designed to install Techno Metal Post piles on all soil types, even in difficult or hard-to-reach locations. Whether your cottage is built on a slope or on complex ground, we can provide the right solution.

· Effective on wet or unstable ground

The piles can be installed on many types of soils, including wet or unstable conditions where traditional foundations are unsuitable.

There is no drying time and no heavy excavation, as installation is done using a dry process. This ensures both immediate stability and long-term reliability. The piles are engineered to resist soil movement, settlement, and freeze cycles, while keeping the impact on the land to a minimum.

· Renovation without demolition

With underpinning technology, piles can be installed beneath or beside an existing structure, avoiding demolition or damage. This transfers the load from the old foundations to the piles, providing deep and stable support.

Preserve your cottage with lasting foundations

Your cottage deserves safe and durable foundations. With Techno Metal Post, you can give it a second life through an innovative, fast, and eco-friendly solution.

What You Need to Know Before Installing Techno Metal Posts

Planning a construction or renovation project with Techno Metal Post? Before installing helical piles, it is very important to check for the presence of any underground pipes or cables on your land.

Any excavation work requires a prior check to make sure that no services (water, sewage, electricity, gas, internet, etc.) are located where the piles will be installed.

Who is responsible?

The responsibility lies with the property owner or the contractor in charge of the work.

This check must be done before the Techno Metal Post team arrives on site.

In general, you should ensure that no infrastructure is located within 1.2 metres of the area where the piles will be installed.

Getting started-

First, you must find and contact a local authority or utility locator that can provide you with the “locates” or necessary information. Here is a website that can guide you, free of charge, for the public area of your property (between the street and your property line) - https://lsbud.co.uk/

As for the property’s private area (between your property line and your house), you are responsible for checking that everything is safe. If you are unsure where the utilities run, you can call on specialists who offer underground infrastructure location services.

Why is this important?

Damaging a pipe or cable can have serious consequences, both in terms of repair costs and potential property damage.

That is why it is essential to properly prepare your site and ensure no underground services are present before installation begins.

Building on challenging ground: your foundations in areas with a high-water table.

Some regions naturally have a shallow or high-water table, especially in coastal areas, near rivers or on poorly drained land. These conditions can create serious challenges for construction, particularly when it comes to foundation stability.

Due to climate change and increasing urbanization, areas that were once unaffected are now facing flooding risks. This makes choosing the right type of foundation more important than ever.

What are your foundation options?

Digging in water-saturated ground leads to water ingress, delays and extra costs. Concrete foundations require drying time, ground stabilization, and often inspections. In winter, freeze cycles can further weaken this type of foundation.

Helical piles offer a reliable alternative to traditional concrete foundations, especially in wet ground. Their main advantage: they can be installed without major excavation, avoiding problems caused by excess water in the soil.

With specialized equipment, the piles are directly screwed into the ground, whether it's dry or wet. The installation is quick and doesn’t require pumping or drainage. Once in place, the structure can be built immediately.

Techno Metal Post foundations are designed to perform in wet environments. They are protected by a green polyethylene sleeve that prevents direct contact with water. This reduces movement between the pile and the soil, ensuring long-term stability, even in flood-prone areas.

Whether your site is near a river, in a flood zone, or simply subject to humidity, Techno Metal Post helical piles offer a strong, reliable and eco-friendly foundation solution.

Do you dream of additional living space for your family, extra income from your land, or simply a quiet place to work? Secondary dwellings are an excellent solution. They've become increasingly popular in recent years.

These structures, also known as granny flats, or garden studios, are typically situated in a property’s backyard, separate from the primary residence. They provide many benefits and offset the issues of housing shortages, increased land and rent prices. As you make use of your available space, you’re also contributing to a more sustainable living environment.

As with any structure, you’ll need to build a solid foundation, and Techno Metal Post’s helical piles offer the solution for your construction. There are countless advantages of using Techno Metal Post’s helical piles, so let’s review a few below…

1. Engineering support: We offer in-house technical support and provide you with regulatory-compliant documents. This facilitates the approval process and meets all the necessary requirements for your construction.
2. Access in restricted areas: Our specialized equipment can access confined areas with minimal impact. This preserves the surrounding environment, and the integrity of your property.
3. Low noise impact: The installation process is quiet, making it ideal for urban areas.
4. No excavation required: Installing our piles requires no excavation. This saves time and money and reduces the disturbance to your property.
5. Respect for the environment: Techno Metal Post’s helical piles can be installed close to trees and vegetation without disturbing the existing ecosystem.
6. Cost-effective construction: Whether for prefabricated houses, modular units or containers, installing on helical piles is simple, fast and efficient. What's more, these applications are generally inexpensive, allowing you to maximize your investment.

Many towns and cities are adopting this solution as a practical, sustainable alternative adapted to the current economic situation. For a reliable, sustainable project, consider Techno Metal Post's helical piles the ideal foundation solution for your secondary dwelling.

If you have any questions, please contact your local dealer, who will be happy to help you!

We’d like to touch base on some important points to follow after a helical pile installation. Proper care is essential to ensure the longevity of any structure, whether you're building a deck, modular home, shed, or any other type of structure. To help you avoid common issues, we’ve listed key guidelines and recommendations to follow.

Here’s what you need to know:

Construction & Maintenance Phase

It’s imperative to maintain a minimum clearance of 6 inches between the ground and all structures, keeping in mind that the top plate bracket should never be buried. This provides proper spacing between building elements and the ground, while also allowing for ground expansion during different weather conditions.
Ex: frozen ground and/or soil moisture

Note:

• A minimum clearance of 6 inches between the ground and all construction features, such as skirting, beams, joists, or columns, is also necessary.
• Once the structure is in place, refrain from backfilling the area and burying the piles and space with objects, pavers, earth, or other materials. The 6” clearance must be maintained at all times.

Staircase Installation

If a staircase is connected to your structure, we also highly recommend installing TMP’s helical piles under the last step, again keeping a minimum clearance of 6 inches (to the ground) to ensure proper stability and support. If that option isn’t feasible, consider using a hinge system directly on the staircase to provide a mobile joint. Either of these methods will accommodate potential movement and prevent any shifting or uneven settling.

Storage

When storing items underneath your structure, it’s also important to reserve a minimum of 6 inches of space between your stored items and the structure itself. The reason is, that in regions where you have freeze/thaw cycles or swelling clay, ground movement can potentially push the objects upwards against the structure. Important to note: the piles themselves won’t be displaced, but the structure itself might be affected if the space distance isn’t respected.

The most important takeaway from this article is your attention to detail and taking the precautionary steps from the guidelines above. These key suggestions will contribute to the longevity of your project, avoid common issues, and provide adequate storage space without causing overall damage.

Let’s look at one feature that makes Techno Metal Post stand out from our competitors: Our high-density polyethylene green sleeve. It offers a unique benefit because of its design to reduce friction between the surrounding soil and the helical pile.

For over 30 years now, Techno Metal Post has promoted the use of their green sleeve in helical pile installations, particularly for those installed through a layer of soil subject to freeze/thaw cycles. When the ground freezes, it causes the soil to expand and push the ground surface upwards, resulting in frost heave. Expansive soil can also alternate between shrinking and swelling with seasonal changes in its moisture content.

Over time, we observed that using the green sleeve reduces the risk of piles lifting/heaving in winter and thus promotes their stability throughout the seasons.

During 2020, TMP undertook a process to characterize and quantify the positive effects related to the use of the green sleeve. A field load test campaign was completed in March 2022 by TMP and witnessed by a third-party laboratory. The objective was to validate the effectiveness of the green sleeve on our helical piles, models P1 to P5, for two different types of soil (granular and cohesive).

The test consisted of conducting pull-out load testing on pile shafts installed with and without a green sleeve. Based on the analysis of different results, the conclusion showed that friction can be reduced on average by 67% between the pile with a green sleeve and the frozen ground.

Important to note: Normally, helical piles are designed to be anchored in a stable layer of soil and installed below the frost line or zone of potentially swelling soil. Helices in a deeper soil layer resist uplift forces caused by frost or expansive soil. Adding insulation, especially when piles are installed under a concrete foundation, can also provide protection. That explains why some structures built with Techno Metal Posts have no sleeve.

However, for shallow applications of light loads, such as deck foundations, patios, or other residential structures, we recommend our high-density polyethylene green sleeve to reduce the effects of soil friction and expansive soil.

For those familiar with the installation of helical piles, the helix goes into the ground with ease until the minimum torque is reached. However, in some cases, the installer has to contend with some obstacles, making for a more challenging installation requiring some soil disturbance around the helix and pile itself.

Often observed with rocky soils, this shuffling, however minimal, can create a water infiltration point which reduces the helix's ability to regain vertical uplift force resistance. By winter, accumulated water has frozen, causing potential soil movement which increases the vertical friction force along the pile.

For such situations, Techno Metal Post's green sleeve plays an essential role: it acts as a barrier between the soil and the pile. The sleeve slides along the pile without compromising the stability of the pile.

The soil eventually and naturally reconsolidates with the seasons. This reduces infiltration while increasing the pile's capacity to withstand the vertical forces caused by the freeze. The need for a green sleeve is therefore essential for the first 2 to 3 years following installation.

Eventually over the years, the sleeve might gradually move upwards. Cutting off the excess with a utility knife will prevent excessive build-up on top of the pile as well as improve the aesthetic appearance.

In some cases, after several years, the sleeve may completely come off. By then, it won't be necessary. The soil will have completely reconsolidated around the pile, allowing it to absorb the vertical forces of the freezing conditions without it shifting.

Overall, adding the polyethylene green sleeve during a pile installation greatly reduces the risk of piles lifting/heaving in winter and allows the stability of your structure on a long-term basis.

Call your local dealer if you have questions, they will be happy to chat with you and take the time to explain the benefits of our technology. Click here to contact a dealer.

When it comes to starting any construction project, a solid and durable foundation is essential for ensuring long-lasting stability. In this article, you’ll discover how Techno Metal Post's helical piles are the perfect foundation solution for a wide variety of undertakings. Thanks to their exceptional versatility and adaptability, helical piles are ideal for various construction projects, including unique and innovative applications.

Unique & Original Applications

As a result of their versatility, they’ve become increasingly popular as a foundation solution for ‘out of the ordinary’ structures and unique art pieces. These somewhat rare designs require a simple yet solid foundation without the obstacles that traditional concrete foundations bring. Another advantage they bring to the table is that they can be unscrewed and uninstalled if your project calls for a temporary foundation.

To help you better understand their versatility and practicality, further down we've showcased various projects demonstrating how helical piles adapt to different terrain types and support a variety of structures.

Realized Projects…

• Basketball hoop installations
• Municipal park structures
• Mosaiculture sculptures
• Tiny home or cabin restoration
• Clotheslines
• Fencing
• Helical piles under a concrete foundation
• Metal frame artwork
• Modular homes
• Signs

…and the list goes on. If you would like more of an in-depth look, you can also visit our Types of Projects & Achievements page.

What’s more, this foundation system allows you to install in…

• Different soil types (including rocky soil or waterlogged areas)
• Sloped terrain or hillsides
• Winter conditions
• Difficult to access areas
• Environmentally sensitive areas

One of the best things about using Techno Metal Post's helical piles is their efficiency and cost-benefit. With our foundation system, there's no need for excavation, concrete pouring, cure time, or site inspection. What this means for the customer is significant savings in time, resources, and costs, making our piles an optimal choice for builders and contractors alike.

Whatever your project, remember, it is only as strong and durable as the foundation it is built on. If you’re not sure where to begin, reach out to your local installer with your project ideas, and they will be happy to answer your questions.

In this informative article, we've compiled our most frequently asked questions and provided summarized answers to better assist you. We feel these concise Q&A’s will help to clarify and address your key questions, while offering some insight into Techno Metal Post's services. Essentially, before starting any project, it’s important to consult your local installer in order to discuss your needs and obtain more information.

Let’s dive in…

Q1. Why use a helical pile foundation instead of concrete?

Using helical piles will save you time and money, since they don’t require any excavation, concrete pouring and curing time or site repairs. Also, ensuring the stability of your project will help prevent future expenses that may result from probable soil movement.

More details can be found in the following article: Helical Piles vs. Concrete Piers

Q2. Is it possible to install helical piles in rocky soil conditions?

Our installation equipment can screw piles through soil containing small to moderate sized rocks. In the case of shallow bedrock, the installer will propose a specialized anchoring system.

The following article provides the details: Solutions for Dealing with Rocks During Installation.

Q3. How much do helical piles cost?

It is important to know the type of project the piles will be used for. For example, the cost of piles for a deck foundation will be different from those used in a house extension or for supporting the structure of a cottage.

Several criteria determine the cost, and we have listed a few below:

• Types of loads needing support
• Length of the piles
• Helix dimensions

Q4. How many helical piles are required for a deck?

This depends on the size of the deck- the rule of thumb in any project is to maintain a spacing of 8 to 10 feet (2.4 to 3 meters) between the piles.

Also, if the deck were attached to a house, it would require fewer piles since the existing structure would take on a portion of the load.

We hope these brief explanations provided you with a good starting point and clearer understanding of our products. For more in-depth information, we invite you to explore our complete FAQ and Articles page.