This is an excerpt from “The Durable Dozen: Exterior Building Products That Battle The Elements,” written by Martin Zibauer for our June/July 2016 issue.
Helical piles, also known as ground screws and screw piles, look like oversized wood screws or ice-fishing augers. As a replacement for conventional concrete footings, especially sonotube-style footings, helical piles have one standout advantage: they’re faster. In most applications, hydraulic equipment screws them into the ground in minutes. Once in place, there’s no waiting for concrete to set or cure; the screws are ready to support structures as small as fence posts and mailboxes to decks and outbuildings and structures as large as multi-unit buildings.