Engineered Helical Pile System Gets Industry Attention
Over the last 15 years, GoliathTech Corporation, a manufacturer of helical piles for the commercial and residential construction industry, has quietly introduced a foundation system for manufactured homes that is beginning to have a significant impact on the industry.
Unlike its counterpart, the concrete pier and cinder block, helical piles are engineered and installed with measurable torque to provide the compression, tension, and lateral load support needed for every size manufactured home.
It is an emerging technology in the industry and ensures homes are anchored securely to the ground.
Helical piles, also known as screw piles, have a long history dating back to the 19th century — first being used for the footings of lighthouses in difficult soil conditions where traditional footings were not feasible — and they continue to expand into new areas of business, including manufactured housing.
Although somewhat disruptive to the industry, the intention and practical use of a highly engineered solution like helical piles is not to displace all other solutions but to provide a much-needed improvement to how manufactured homes are secured. There have been some improvements to anchorage and lateral support systems over the years, of course. The difference with GoliathTech is a completely new foundation system, backed by measurable installation data.
“GoliathTech is a highly innovative company always in search of markets where helical piles can provide a solution, and the manufactured home industry was a perfect fit,” GoliathTech Vice President of OEM Relations Michael Coyle said. “We work well in frost climates where depths of 40 feet and deeper are common… Going south, we can provide an improved solution in areas that have expansive soil conditions where concrete runners are the norm.
Basically, anytime a concrete footing or runner is required, the GoliathTech system competes well cost-wise and is superior in every other way, Coyle said.
A typical system is installed to a depth of five to 10 feet with the use of a mini excavator or skid steer outfitted with a designated hydraulic motor, ensuring the pile is properly inserted into the ground.
“With our piles, there is no concrete involved,” Coyle said. “As we achieve acceptance in the marketplace we’re seeing that we compete well in areas of the country like the Midwest and Northeast where frost is present and in states like Texas, Nevada, and Colorado where expansive soils are a problem.”
The process follows a specified foundation plan where torque and depth are determined for each footing. The operator monitors these factors in unison during installation, Coyle said. Once the installer hits the numbers, the team moves onto the next footing. The speed of installation also is a benefit. A foundation and a home are installed in a single day.
“There is no waiting for concrete to cure,” Coyle said. “And it can be installed in any weather condition.”
Coyle said he believes GoliathTech is the first company to provide this type of industrial-strength anchorage with the engineered foundation system for homes.
Seven years ago, Clayton took notice and realized the system provided an improved foundation and improved ease of installation.
Working Piles Into the Code
GoliathTech is already working with some of the largest builders in the manufactured housing industry to identify areas where its technology can be most beneficial. Companies like Clayton, Cavco, and Champion have added the GoliathTech Foundation system to their DAPIA certifications and installation manuals. The company also has had meetings with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, discussing how the system is improving the foundation of a manufactured home.
“While our customers realize that this system provides a massive improvement over existing systems, it continues to be implemented through CFR-3280 as an alternate foundation,” Coyle said.
Coyle said GoliathTech would like to see a helical pile foundation system approved within HUD’s Permanent Foundation Guide for Manufactured Housing.
“The hold down capability is why the system is approved for use in all wind zones and flood zones under FEMA’s P-85 definition,” Coyle said. “We’re going to do it in pieces. The first step is anchorage. The second step would be for them to approve the entire system.
“It will perform as well or better than a permanent foundation wall,” he said. “Once the specified depth and torque are reached, screw piles do not move. In many soil conditions, the same cannot be said for concrete footings. They are reliant on the solidity of the underlying soil and those foundation walls are relying on that soil.”
One of the key benefits of the helical pile system is its versatility. For use in flood plains, for example, the system is designed to work at any height above grade. One of GoliathTech’s clients, a community owner in Montana with several lots in flood plains, were faced with very costly soil removal, engineered fill, and re-compaction costs. Using helical piles, those excavation costs were no longer required.
Helical piles are driven deep into the ground, getting through the layers of problematic soil.
Once the piles reach the good soil and the specified depth and torque are reached, the foundation is secure.
Illinois-based HUD inspector Dan Mailin is a big proponent for the use of the system in flood plains because it removes a lot of the complexities synonymous with setting homes in these types of environments.
Coyle said installers and community owners appreciate how solid the system is and the speed at which it can be installed. At the highest level of efficiency three crews can install 100 homes in a month.
“This is huge for community owners where time to occupancy and revenue is greatly reduced,” he said. “They are getting used to the idea of change once they see the benefits.”
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