More and more cities are recognizing the benefits of helical piles. Years ago when building a deck there was concern if the building inspector would allow helical pier for deck for the foundation and if they did what would they need for their inspection but in today’s market this isn’t the case. Nearly all cities have recognized helical piles as a superior foundation option for decks, 3 season porches and additions.

Like any shallow foundation in the Northern regions of the US frost is the main concern. Frost heaving on a deck can not only cause cosmetic damage to your deck it can also be a safety hazard. The way a helical pile works is the installer needs to make sure the top flight of the pile is a good 3’ below the frost line in the area. If the frost line is 4’ the top flight in the pile should be 7’ below the ground.

This ensures when the frozen ground grabs the pile that the flight holds down the pile. It is the same concept of needing to bell out a concrete column. That is required to hold down the concrete as the ice grabs the concrete cylinder.
In the same way, helical piles for deck are a great option for boardwalks and small bridges. The same rules apply here as they do for decks. We’ve all walked across a boardwalk that looks like a roller coaster. That is because the foundation has heaved and it is pushing the platforms around. In addition to the resistance of frost heave, helical piles are great for boardwalks because they can be done easily over wetlands.

As contractor continues to install a stead platform for the machinery to operate the machinery is able to slowly advance along the desired path. With a small footprint, quick installation time and frost heave prevention helical piles are a good option for all decks and boardwalks.