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Helical piles, also called helical piers or screw piles, are engineered steel foundations that are screwed into the ground instead of driven or poured. US Helical Piers designs, manufactures and installs helical piles for energy, data center, oil & gas and industrial projects nationwide — every design PE-stamped, every pile torque-verified.
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Helical Pile Guide
A helical pile is a steel shaft with one or more helix-shaped bearing plates welded near the tip. A hydraulic drive head mounted on an excavator or skid steer rotates the pile into the soil, and the helix plates pull it down much like a screw advancing into wood. Once the pile reaches load-bearing soil, it carries the structure’s weight through end bearing on the helix plates.
Helical piles, helical piers, screw piles and helical anchors all describe the same technology. The name usually depends on region and application: engineers tend to say “pile” for new construction, “pier” for foundation repair and underpinning, and “anchor” when the primary load is tension, such as tiebacks and guy anchors.
Helical piles are a deep foundation. They transfer loads past weak, expansive or saturated surface soils to competent soil below — without excavation, concrete or spoils. That makes them a strong fit for remote sites, compressed schedules, high groundwater, and projects where vibration or soil disturbance isn’t acceptable.
The biggest engineering advantage of helical piles is that every pile is verified as it is installed. As the pile advances, installation torque is measured continuously, and installation torque correlates directly with the pile’s axial capacity:
Qu = Kt × T
where Qu is ultimate capacity, T is final installation torque and Kt is an empirical factor based on shaft size. This relationship is recognized in ICC-ES AC358, the acceptance criteria for helical foundation systems. Under ICC-ES AC358, commonly used torque-correlation factors include Kₜ = 9 ft⁻¹ for 2-7/8″ round shafts and Kₜ = 7 ft⁻¹ for 3-1/2″ round shafts. Larger round shafts generally use lower Kₜ values; for example, many 4-1/2″ systems use approximately 6 ft⁻¹. Final Kₜ values are based on the specific pile system, shaft size and verified test data.
Round shaft piles are hollow steel pipe. They are stiffer in bending, resist lateral loads and buckling in soft soil better, and are the usual choice for heavy compression and for BESS enclosures, solar arrays and equipment pads. Square shaft piles are solid steel bar that transmit torque efficiently through dense soil and are common for tension and anchor applications. We specify shaft type and diameter from your loads and geotechnical report. Common round-shaft sizes include 2-7/8″, 3-1/2″ and 4-1/2″ outside diameter, with 5-1/2″ and larger shafts available for higher-capacity applications. Common square-shaft systems range from approximately 1-1/2″ through 2-1/4″, depending on required torque and capacity.
Helix plates are sized and spaced to match the soil and the load. Multiple helices are typically spaced about three helix diameters apart so each plate bears on undisturbed soil. Common helix diameters include 8″, 10″, 12″ and 14″, with larger 16″ and 18″ helices used on some high-capacity systems. Helix plates are commonly manufactured in approximately 3/8″ or 1/2″ thicknesses, depending on shaft size, loading and soil conditions.
The lead section carries the helix plates. Extensions bolt on to reach the required depth, so final pile length is set in the field by soil conditions and torque — not guessed in advance.
The top of the pile is fitted to the structure with a new-construction cap, threaded rod, weld plate or custom bracket for steel framing, racking, skids or equipment. We fabricate terminations to match the attachment details on your drawings.
Helical piles resist compression, tension (uplift) and lateral loads, which is why they suit structures that must resist both settlement and wind or seismic uplift — solar racking, BESS enclosures, transmission structures and canopies.
| Shaft size | Typical working compression | Typical working tension | Typical lateral |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-7/8″ round | 25-35 kips | 25-35 kips | 1-2 kips |
| 3-1/2″ round | 40-50 kips | 40-50 kips | 2-3 kips |
| 4-1/2″ round | 60-75 kips | 60-75 kips | 3-5 kips |
| Larger / multi-helix | 75-150+ kips | 75-150+ kips | Project specific |
Representative working-load ranges only. Actual pile capacity is project-specific and depends on shaft specification, soil conditions, embedment depth, helix configuration, installation torque and applicable safety factors. Final capacities are determined by the project engineer.
US Helical Piers is a commercial and industrial helical pile contractor. Our core markets:
| Criteria | Helical piles | Driven piles | Drilled shafts | Spread footings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Install time | Fast | Moderate | Slow | Moderate |
| Ready for load | Immediately | Immediately | After cure | After cure |
| Vibration & noise | Minimal | High | Low | Low |
| Spoils & concrete | None | None | Spoils, drilling fluid, concrete | Excavation, concrete |
| Load verification | Every pile, real-time torque | Driving logs / dynamic tests | Post-installation testing | None in the field |
| Uplift capacity | High | Moderate | High | Low |
| Weather dependency | Minimal | High | Very high | High |
| Mobilization cost | Low | High | Very high | Low |
Helical piles aren’t always the answer. Very large column loads, or sites with shallow bedrock or dense cobbles, may favor drilled shafts or micropiles — and our engineers will tell you when another foundation type is the better fit.
Learn more about helical pile engineering and load testing for helical piles.
Helical piles can be designed for most soils — soft and expansive clays, loose sands, fill, high groundwater and frost-susceptible ground. Dense gravel, cobbles, boulders and shallow rock require special attention to helix configuration and shaft size, and geotechnical input determines whether adequate bearing can be reached.
Piles can be hot-dip galvanized and designed with a sacrificial steel allowance based on site-specific corrosion potential, including soil resistivity, pH, sulfate content, organic content and other environmental conditions. ICC-ES AC358 provides criteria for evaluating helical pile systems in non-aggressive soils; more corrosive environments require project-specific evaluation and additional corrosion protection as needed. Properly designed galvanized helical pile systems are commonly evaluated for a 50-year design service life, with longer service lives possible depending on soil conditions, coating thickness and corrosion allowance.
Commercial helical pile cost depends on the number of piles and their loads, installed depth to competent soil, shaft size and helix configuration, soil conditions and obstructions, site access and mobilization distance, and testing requirements. Because helical piles require no excavation, spoils hauling, concrete or cure time, total installed cost and schedule are often lower than drilled shafts or poured footings — especially on remote or large sites. Send us your geotechnical report and loads for a firm quote.
US Helicals supports commercial and industrial projects nationwide, including utility-scale solar, battery energy storage systems (BESS), data centers, infrastructure and other high-load applications. Explore recent projects to see where our helical pile systems have been designed, manufactured and installed in the field.
RED ADAIR
Find answers to common questions below
Helical piles support new structures and stabilize existing ones. Commercial uses include foundations for battery storage enclosures, solar arrays, data centers, oil & gas equipment, transmission structures, warehouses and canopies. They can carry compression, tension (uplift) and lateral loads, and they install with little vibration or site disturbance.
A hydraulic drive head screws the steel shaft into the ground, and the helix plates pull it down to load-bearing soil. Installation torque is monitored for every pile and correlates with the pile’s capacity. So each pile is verified as it goes in and can carry load immediately, with no concrete to cure.
Yes. Helical piles, helical piers, screw piles and helical anchors all describe the same foundation technology: a steel shaft with helix-shaped bearing plates. “Pier” is common in foundation repair, “pile” in new construction, and “anchor” when the main load is tension.
Cost depends on the number of piles, loads, installed depth, shaft size, soil conditions, site access and testing. Because helical piles need no excavation, concrete or cure time, the total installed cost is often lower than drilled shafts or poured footings on commercial projects. Send us your loads and geotechnical report for a firm quote.
Hot-dip galvanized helical piles designed with a corrosion allowance for the site’s soil conditions are commonly designed for a 50-year service life or longer. Soil resistivity, pH, chloride content and other environmental factors are reviewed during design to determine the level of corrosion protection required.
It depends on the structure’s loads, the soil’s capacity and the required spacing. Our engineers calculate pile count, size and layout for each project and issue a PE-stamped pile schedule. As a rule, piles are spaced so their bearing zones don’t overlap.
Helical piles are installed until they reach competent bearing soil and the required installation torque, rather than to a fixed depth. Many commercial installations fall in the 15- to 50-foot range, although piles may be shallower or extend 75 feet or more depending on soil conditions and project loads. Extensions are added in the field until the specified depth and torque requirements are achieved.
Helical piles work well in clays, sands, fill and high groundwater, because there is no hole to keep open and no concrete to place. Dense cobbles, boulders and shallow bedrock need site-specific evaluation. In those conditions we may recommend a different helix configuration, pre-drilling or another foundation type.
Both. US Helical Piers engineers and manufactures helical piles and installs them with our own ICC-certified crews.
