Between the sand dunes, where the view is impressive and the atmosphere is relaxing, it is a beautiful place to build or buy your home. Unfortunately, without cohesion in the soil, sand is not a good support for a stable foundation site. In fact, soft, grainy soil can cause serious problems for homeowners.
If a problem arises, it can be difficult to get the proper permits and build on the sand. It can also be difficult to find equipment that can access the area and work well with sand, and that can also accurately penetrate deep into firm subsurface strata.
Fortunately, there is a great solution: a coil spring. A helical pier is a steel tube or shaft with auger-like plates that, when rotated, threads deep through the ground until it sits in the firm strata far below the surface. The torque may define the appropriate depth.
Helicals come in many sizes, and helical plates are engineered to precisely match and deliver the support capacity required for each situation. These piers can be installed with hand power tools or small mobile units, which is much more practical in the dunes.
For a typical new construction site, helicals can be used to support the load vertically as a deep foundation support. After the pillar is installed, it is cut to the correct height and poured into the concrete foundation of the house.
If the site is a renovation of an existing poorly supported house, an appropriate bracket is used to support the load on the installed pillar. These are long-term repairs with minimal risk of corrosion.
If the structure is too close to the edge of the dune, that can also be a problem. The building could literally slide down the hill! This type of movement usually occurs incrementally and very slowly. In this circumstance, a helical column can be screwed in at a downward angle and can create a lashing force to hold the structure in place, stopping slippage. Moorings are a powerful tool in this application.
It’s great to be able to enjoy the view and atmosphere of your beautiful dune home, knowing that in the event of foundation settlement or displacement, there is a simple and reliable solution in the installation of helical piers.
