Limited access · Micropiles
Red Rocks Stage Roof
35 six-inch micropiles drilled on a tight amphitheater site, load tested to 180 kips.
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Engineering guide
When to use helical piles and micropiles
Caissons and driven piles are the right answer on many jobs. Here's where helical piles and micropiles do the job better, faster or where nothing else fits.
Choosing a deep foundation
The right system depends on the site, the structure and the soil
Drilled caissons and driven piles carry heavy loads well when there's open ground and room for large equipment. But many Colorado projects don't look like that. The work is inside an existing building, next to a neighbor's foundation, on a steep slope or creek bank, or in ground full of boulders and groundwater.
That's where helical piles and micropiles earn their place. Both are small-diameter, high-capacity deep foundation elements installed with compact equipment, and both carry compression and tension loads to competent soil or bedrock.
At a glance
- Helical piles: steel shafts with helical plates, screwed into the ground and verified by installation torque
- Micropiles: drilled, grouted and reinforced piles, typically under 8 inches in diameter, that can drill through rock and obstructions
- Both are installed by our own certified crews
Where they outperform
Scenarios where helical piles and micropiles are the better fit
01
Low headroom & limited access
Basements, crawl spaces, tight backyards and sites hemmed in by buildings. Our compact rigs and hand-held equipment fit where the large drill rigs and cranes needed for caissons and driven piles can't.
02
Underpinning existing structures
Piers and micropiles install right next to or through existing footings and transfer the load to competent soil or bedrock while the building stays in use.
03
Vibration-sensitive sites
Hospitals, historic buildings, labs and close neighbors. Helical piles screw in and micropiles are drilled, so there's no pile-hammer vibration or noise.
04
High groundwater & caving soils
Helical piles don't leave an open hole, so there's no casing, slurry or dewatering, which caissons often need in wet or sandy ground.
05
Little or no spoils
Helical piles produce virtually no excavated soil, which matters on contaminated sites and anywhere haul-off is expensive.
06
Boulders & bedrock
Micropiles drill through obstructions, old foundations and rock and socket into bedrock, conditions that can stop a driven pile or deflect it off line.
07
Uplift & tension loads
Both systems resist tension as well as compression, which makes them a fit for substations, towers, retaining walls, tiebacks and buoyant structures.
08
Fast schedules & immediate loading
Helical piles can be loaded as soon as they're installed, with installation torque verifying the capacity of every pier. There's no concrete to cure, and work continues through Colorado winters.
09
Remote, steep or sensitive sites
A small footprint means less clearing, grading and site disturbance on mountain, creekside and environmentally sensitive work.
Helical pile or micropile?
Choosing between the two
Choose helical piles when
- Soils are clays, silts, sands or fill without large obstructions
- You need to load the foundation right away
- Every pile's capacity should be verified as it goes in
- Spoils, vibration or groundwater are a concern
- Temporary support may need to be removed later
- There is a concern about contaminated soils or asbestos, since installation produces virtually no spoils
- The job requires battered (angled) piles: tiebacks or soil nails
Choose micropiles when
- The ground has boulders, old foundations or rock
- Loads need to be socketed into bedrock
- High capacity is needed from each element
- Piles must be battered (installed at an angle)
- Piles have to drill through existing concrete
Battered piles: both helical piles and micropiles can be installed at an angle. Battered helical piles are called tiebacks or soil nails. See Tiebacks, Soil Nails & Shoring.
An honest answer
When another system may make more sense
Large-diameter caissons are often the better choice for very heavy column loads or large lateral and overturning loads on an open site. Driven piles can be the most economical option for long piles in deep, soft soils where access, noise and vibration aren't an issue.
If your project falls into one of those categories, we'll tell you. If it doesn't, our estimators will help you and your engineer compare options and price the system that fits.
Send us your project
A geotechnical report, plans or even a few photos are enough to start. We provide engineered stamped submittals and load testing on commercial work.
Talk to an estimatorIn the field
Where we've put this to work
Occupied building · Helical piles
Denver Health
Helical piles installed inside an operating hospital with compact equipment.
Creek bank · Micropiles
Crawford Gulch MSE Wall
200 micropiles, including battered piles, installed along the creek for Jefferson County Road & Bridge.
Read the case study →Not sure which system fits?
Send your plans or geotechnical report and our estimators will recommend the right foundation.