Jim Watts, a principal at Sun Pile Foundations, said they perform a variety of work in residential, commercial and government sectors. He cited some recent helical work on several projects on Wallops Island in Virginia for NASA and a really challenging walkway project, Shad Landing. Both are examples of why helicals are so much in demand in his area. “They’re great where access is limited or when working around or near existing structures,” stated Jim.
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He also mentioned that although they had bid the walkway project, initially they didn’t get it. Then something happened and it came back around, but the GC had already bought the material, so they had to use a competing product on the job instead of IDEAL. There were some issues with misaligned bolt holes and holes clogged with galvanization that had to be re-drilled. “We like the IDEAL product much better,” said Jim. “Better quality control, more attention to detail,” he concluded.
Sun Piling Foundations has been installing helicals for several years now in the company’s long history (50+ years) in the foundation business. For most of that history, steel, timber, and concrete piles dominated their work and are still a significant part. But lately, helical piles have become an important, reliable, go-to in their work on the Delmarva Peninsula and elsewhere. A recent project in Salisbury, MD illustrates the reasons for this surge.
Poultry producer, Perdue Farms, has a grain storage facility in Salisbury, MD. The truck receiving storage bin at the facility was experiencing settlement and needed additional structural support. Bruce Ennis, the other principal in Sun Pile Foundations, was the project supervisor and installed the 4 1/2” IDEAL pipe piles. Helical piles were selected as this is a busy site with traffic coming and going and several obstacles to be avoided. Usually, access-challenged sites require smaller equipment. The reason the 315 excavator was used at this site was because it had to reach over a grain conveyor belt to install the piles and allow truck traffic to continue to access the area. In addition to traffic and multiple existing storage bins, an 85’ high diagonal cable needed to be avoided as well. The load, 225 kips, was high, and the piles were going deep (58’ – 64’), so a bigger machine (315 excavator) and Digga 30k ft lb drive head were employed. Due to the frequency with which Sun Pile has been utilizing helicals in last few years, they have become adept at figuring things out and making the technology work for them and their customers.
“I love helical piers,” Jim stated. “They have started to dominate our pile business. Our area is a mature market,” he continued. “Most of the low-hanging fruit has already been picked. What’s left is less desirable development sites or existing ones in difficult, tight quarters. Helicals give us an advantage and are the way to go in these environments.”
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