Brisbane Screw Piers Builders
Screw piers, often referred to as ‘Screw Piles’, are an alternative to traditional stumps. They are long steel tubes with a large helix screw on the ground-facing end and are made from high tensile steel, as this has proven to be the preferred and structurally sound medium.
As part of a house raising job, the piers are screwed into the ground with an excavator at the stump locations and then the new steel stumps are installed above. However, they are used in conjunction with traditional stumps. The result is a house that will never move, even on the worst and wettest soil types.
Screw pier design varies minimally from one manufacturer to the other, but the overall design does not change. Installation of the screw piers are consistent across manufacturers and there is no change to the equipment used. They do not require pre-dug holes and the house frame can be set immediately upon capping. However, as part of a house raising job, they are installed into a pre-dug hole and then the new steel column is attached to that once the hole is filled with concrete. Sometimes engineers designing screw piers may not provide this engineering detail. But a quick phone call from Raise My House® and an explanation of the best way to approach the job will see an approval of this process.
As screw piers differ from traditional methods, they require a different skill set and knowledge. At Raise My House®, we have experience with both. While we currently do no manufacture screw piers, we have a network of trusted industry professionals that we correspond with.
Screw Piers vs. Traditional Mediums
Screw piers, like everything, come with a balance of benefits and limitations. They offer quick installation, minimal site disturbance, and low carbon foot.
However, they also require experienced and technically sounds builders to install, there are certain soil limitations and equipment limitations. One particular limitation is the height of a house above the machine that is installing the screw piers. For examples, it’s impossible to install a 7 meter pier under a house 3 meters off the ground. Raise My House® has solutions to this problem, so it’s no issue in achieving the required depth. The answer to this problem is not raising the house 7 meters above the ground. Instead, the answer revolves around installing the screw piers in sections. For this reason, we’re able to keep the house at the required height or just a little higher, before lowering into position and installing the tradition house stumps.
If you are undertaking a new project and would like to understand more about screw piers and how Raise My House® can assist you please contact us today.