Benefits of Steel Piling
/ By Chase Gohl / Structural Support/ / 0 Comments

Why Use Steel Piers for Your Foundation?

It goes without saying that a foundation needs to be exceptionally sturdy. After all, it needs to bear the entire weight of a building and do so for decades and amidst everchanging outdoor elements. Over time, the concrete will slowly but surely show signs of damage. Steel foundation piers are one form of repair recommended by Align Foundation Repair and for good reason. Steel piers have become a mainstay for both residences and commercial structures due to their proven reliability and ease of installation.

Why Steel Piers?

Steel piers provide a stable base for a foundation and re-elevate the concrete that has settled or sloped at an uneven angle. Steel piers also support extremely heavy structures, such as public bridges and multi-floor apartment complexes.

Steel piers mainly fall into one of two categories: push steel piers and helical steel piers.

  • Push Steel Piers – Consists of a set of hollow steel pipes driven into the soil using a hydraulic ram. The piers are driven way below to the depth of the load-bearing soil. Commonly used for supporting heavier loads.
  • Helical Steel Piers – This variant involves steel pipes with plates attached at the end. You can think of them as giant screws; unlike push piers, they are screwed in as opposed to being hydraulically driven into the soil.

The Steel Pier Advantage

Align Foundation Repair often recommends steel piers as a long-term solution for existing foundations. The reason becomes clear when you learn of its many advantages.

For one, steel piers are able to remain stable over time. The stability and sturdiness also make the piers suitable for most soil types. The soil conditions in and around the Dallas-Fort Worth region are heavily clay-based. Clay soil is often a problem for foundations because of their susceptibility to contraction and expansion from moisture absorption.

Long-Term Solution That Doesn’t Cost an Arm and a Leg

Despite the insertion of heavy steel piers, modern technology allows the process to be done without heavy digging or exhumation around your property. Costs are also affordable. Steel piers are the most recommended solution in the construction industry. The long-term results also minimize the odds of future foundation repair costs.

Entrust Foundation Repairs to Align Foundation Repair

Foundation damage is often gradual. You can and should take action before the damage gets worse. Action on your end should include a call to Align Foundation Repair. We will send a technician to assess the degree of damage and outline a solution. Contact us today to learn more about the many uses of steel piers and to reverse the impacts of a settling or sloping foundation.

Steel Piling Uses
/ By Chase Gohl / Structural Support/ 0 Comments

Common Uses for Steel Piling

Any building, from a residential home to a skyscraper, is only as durable as its foundation. A piling provides stability and is often the go-to remedy for structures showing early signs of foundation failure. For homes and smaller buildings, a foundation expert from Align Foundation Repair can evaluate your structural damage and recommend whether concrete piling or steel piling is the best solution. However, for larger structures, such as towers, bridges, and apartment complexes, steel piling solutions are common.

What Are Steel Pilings?

Pipe dimensions are a dual walled interlocking 2 7/8 and 2 5/8 inch pipes. The steel piles are inserted below the foundation for structural support. Steel piles are versatile and can support most foundation types regardless of the soil type. Most can also be inserted into rocky or swampy ground.

While piling installation may seem like a massive undertaking, modern equipment and technology enables quick and speedy installation with minimal invasive procedures to the surrounding property. In most instances, minimal digging is required. Installers implement an impact driving method using a hydraulic press to drive the piling into place.

Other Special Considerations for Steel Pile Use

What makes steel piles more applicable over other pile types? Installers may recommend steel piling over these construction scenarios:

  • Accommodating buildings with a heavy load (e.g. skyscraper, highway bridge)
  • Poor soil conditions or shallow depths, which is common in the Garland, TX, area due to the waxy, alkaline, and calciferous soil prone to shifting and expansion.
  • Other piles may not be possible due to property line restrictions.

Steel piling is commonly used in:

  • Bridge/dock construction
  • Marine/Offshore construction
  • Road and highway construction
  • Rail road construction
  • Oil field construction
  • Communication tower construction

Steel Piles Are Durable, Expedient, and Long-Lasting

With its ease of installation and quality, steel piles provide long-term solutions for a very integral part of any structure. We advise property owners to contact Align Foundation Repair if you notice any symptoms of a compromised foundation. Steel piling solutions are an investment that may last for the life of the structure.

 

Steel Piling Facts
/ By Chase Gohl / Structural Support/ 0 Comments

Facts About Steel Pilings

Concrete is the most common type of pile we drive because it’s strong enough for most residential and commercial applications and also affordable. Yet, steel pilings have long been used to support foundations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area too. Here are a few steel piling facts you may not know.

Steel Pile Driving Equipment Has Been Around Since 1740.

Swedish inventor Christopher Polhem developed the first pile driving system, used in the creation of a harbor in Stockholm. The industrial revolution brought even more advances to the system, as steam and diesel-driven machines appeared. Today, the increase in heavy, multi-story buildings drives the need for steel piles.

Steel Pile Foundations Make The Impossible Possible.

As civilizations grew, so did the demand for housing and construction. Steel piles make it possible to build on expansive clay soils, create offshore structures, and produce everything from piers to bridge abutments over moving water. The steel piles reach down to stronger, sturdier soil and bedrock beneath the ground.

Piles Can Be Made of Multiple Materials.

In olden times, we relied on thick, straight tree trunks to use as piles where the ground was too weak to support our building structures. We still use wood today — in the construction of jetties. More often, we use steel or concrete piles. Concrete is particularly advantageous where there is abrasive soil. Steel is ideal for saving time and construction involving exceptionally heavy loads. Sometimes we use hollow steel piles filled with concrete to reinforce the strength of the structure.

Installing Steel-Pressed Piles Is Quick and Easy.

Though it sounds like a big production to press steel piles down into the ground using a large hydraulic ram, a professional can successfully complete a steel pile foundation job in as little as 1-2 days.

Contact Align Foundation Repair for your free estimate.

If you’re located in North Texas, contact the family-owned-and-operated Align Foundation Repair for a free consultation. Our service area includes the greater Dallas Fort-Worth TX area, . We’re A+ rated by the Better Business Bureau, with nearly a decade of five-star service in the area. We offer a wide range of foundation materials and types of installations to keep you in budget. We get the job right the first time – and, as added peace of mind, we offer a Limited Lifetime Warranty on our workmanship as well.

 

Benefits of Steel Piling
/ By Chase Gohl / Structural Support/ / 0 Comments

The Benefits of Using Steel Piling

Whether you’re holding up a house, a high rise building, a bridge, or a water tank, long cylindrical pile supports can lend enough strength to support the weight of the building. In Texas, our soil tends to be clay-based and weak, which is why steel piling is so helpful. By connecting to the stronger soil or bedrock below, you won’t have to worry about heavier loads sinking into the ground. Piles can be made out of timber, composite, concrete, or steel, but steel piling is among our favorite materials to work with.

Benefits of Steel Piling

For most Dallas Fort Worth homes, the virtual indestructibility of steel makes it a common option.

Other advantages of steel piling include:

  • Resistance: Coated steel is resistant to moisture, rust corrosion, and deterioration. We find that steel piling succeeds where past foundations and repair efforts have failed.
  • Deeper point of refusal: Concrete can be built 12-40 feet down into the soil, while steel can be used at 22-75 feet into the soil. Because the steel piles are driven so deep, they shift around less with soil movement.
  • Time-tested solution: Because steel piles connect with the underlying bedrock or more compacted soils further below ground, they are not as influenced by the soil movement as other foundation piers.
  • Environmentally friendly: The process of hydraulically driving steel piers into the ground requires minimal excavation, so there is less disturbance to the surrounding landscape.
  • Can overcome site inadequacies: Sites with heavier-than-normal loads, excess moisture, or horizontal underground forces can still be built upon with a steel pile foundation.
  • Speed: New advances in steel piling get the job done 4x faster. Even large-scale commercial steel piling projects can be done with a crew of three people in just five days. Most jobs are completed even quicker.
  • Easy to warranty: Steel piling comes with some of the best industry warranties, like 150+ years of rust warranty coverage. Often, you will receive a transferable lifetime warranty, which increases the value of your structure.

Are there any drawbacks to steel piling?

The only potential downside of steel piling is that the cost is higher. The manufacturing and installation equipment cost more, which trickles down the food chain to the consumer. For large commercial projects, that can be a real deal-breaker. If your soil isn’t very deep or you’re not staying in your house much longer, you may not want to invest in steel piling. Concrete supports can still provide a good deal of strength for more shallow repairs.

Align Foundation Repair offers steel piling and more.

Here at Align Foundation Repair, we understand that foundation repair can cost a sizable chunk of money that everyone doesn’t have just laying around. With our financing program, you can enjoy 0% / same-as-cash for up to a year, with no down-payment and monthly bills as low as $125/month. Contact us for a free assessment of your residential or commercial structure. We do both concrete and steel piling, pier and beam and drilled pier, so we can offer a custom foundation solution that best meets your needs. Our expert installation team can have a steel pile foundation installed on your job site in days.