Many believe that installing screw piles is a rather complicated process. It requires special knowledge, and sometimes special equipment. Many amateurs in the field of construction believe that it is almost impossible to cope with such work on their own. However, this is not entirely true.
Before starting the process, you need to familiarize yourself with the technology. It involves several stages. At the first stage, the foundation is calculated, then the field is marked. The third step will be the installation of piles, and the final step is cutting the pillars one level at a time.
Preparation before installation
If you are faced with the question of how to screw the screw pile yourself, then first you must prepare for work. To do this, foreign objects and debris are removed from the construction site. If you are planning installation in the winter, then there is no need to get rid of snow. This is due to the fact that the piling should be carried out in soft, and not deeply frozen soil. Snow is usually removed on the daymounting.
If you plan to use a special installation for twisting piles, then it is important to take care of the presence of an entrance. For a concrete mixer, you need to take care of the presence of an outlet. You will also need process water.
About the depth of screw piles
Before starting work, it is necessary to determine the depth of the pile, taking into account the following factors:
- composition of the soil;
- design parameters of soil resistance;
- depth of soil freezing;
- bearing capacity requirements.
The base on screw piles is usually used for light structures. Therefore, when determining the depth of laying, the freezing point is the key point.
The minimum immersion depth of the support corresponds to the soil freezing line. The corresponding indicator can be taken in SNiP 23-01-99. Before driving screw piles in the southern region, for example, in Voronezh or Belgorod, you must emphasize to yourself that in these areas the freezing depth is 1000 mm. But in the northern regions, this parameter exceeds 2400 mm.
Possible obstacles
Before driving screw piles by hand, you should inspect the site. Sometimes conditions are created on it that impede the work. This happens when there are trees nearby or there is buried construction debris in the ground, as well as stone inclusions. The process canslow down if there are poles or a fence near the support point.
Piles cannot be installed if there is a building nearby. Buildings must be removed by 30 cm or more. If the supports are supposed to be screwed in near an unuprooted stump or large trees, then the roots will diverge underground, this should be taken into account. During the installation of products, it may turn out that there are stones in the depths. If their diameter is up to 5 cm, then they will not have any effect. Large stones in the way of the pile will make it impossible to screw in.
If the diameter of the elements is increased to 10 cm, then they can interfere with the twist and cause the tip to move, causing the axis to deviate from the vertical. If you are wondering how to properly tighten screw piles, then you should know that sometimes products have to be taken back out. In this case, the installation site should be excavated with a shovel, and then stones should be removed from the soil. You can then continue editing.
Excavated soil is poured back into the pit and compacted around the post. If there are concrete slabs or blocks in the soil, large obstacles or construction debris, then the installation of a screw pile will not be possible. When a large stone is in the path of the structure on a line below the freezing of the soil, the support can be left as is. The stone below will carry the load and distribute it throughout the thickness of the soil.
An obligatory stage when installing piles is the application of an anti-corrosion coating
Among private builders in recenttime the question arises of how to manually screw the screw piles. This process is divided into several stages. One of them is the application of an anti-corrosion coating. In order for the foundation to serve as long as possible, the part of the structure that will be located on the border of air and earth should be protected from corrosion.
Such protection is necessary, regardless of ground conditions. You should not be afraid that the front covers and the tip of the pile will wear out when screwing in. These parts of the product will be in the ground at an impressive depth, where corrosion is difficult. When erecting simple and low-responsibility structures such as sheds and gazebos, you can use cold galvanizing or bituminous mastic.
If you have to work with slightly abrasive soil, then you can use a combined coating of double action. This applies to the case when there is peat or wet plastic clay on the territory. Protection will consist of a layer of cold galvanizing and bituminous mastic, which is applied on top. This coating protects the foundation for many years.
If you are faced with the question of how to screw the screw piles with your own hands, then it is important to carry out geological research. In the presence of abrasive soil in the area with inclusions of sand and gravel, as well as small stones, a layer of heat-shrinkable film must be applied over the anti-corrosion coating. It will fit the pile and give the product high strength. Such an anti-corrosion coating will protect the support from abrasion.
Pile driving
Screw piles are installed without drilling fixtures. On their lower part there are screw blades, which allow installation in the soil. The disadvantage of this method is that twisting may involve inaccurate installation, which distinguishes this technology from the one when the products are buried or poured with concrete.
Manual pile installation is carried out when the mechanized method cannot be used, or mechanized pile installation is not economically feasible. If the installation is carried out in a place where there is no access for equipment, then the manual method is the only true one. It is used in the construction of foundations for small buildings that are located on sites outside the city. These could be:
- outbuildings;
- arbors;
- baths;
- wooden houses;
- fences.
When manual method is used
Usually, the manual method of installing piles is used when arranging fences at the border of two sections. There are also cases when it is required to install a support near the cottage, which is much cheaper than using additional equipment. Before driving screw piles, you should enlist the help of several people.
Work methodology
In the point marked in advance, it is necessary to mount the product in a verticalposition. A steel bar or scrap is inserted into the technological hole in the support. After that, the resulting lever can be extended with a pipe. Its length should be 2500 mm or more.
If you are faced with the task of how to twist screw piles, then you should know that one person in the process will direct the shaft so that it sinks in a strictly vertical position. Two other people, grabbing the lever, will move around the barrel, screwing the structure. The speed of immersion of the support is approximately equal to 192 mm per revolution. If the conditions are favorable, then from 5 to 15 minutes will be spent on one pile. The rate of sinking will depend on the type of ground.
What to do when an obstacle occurs
If the screw-in blades have reached dense soil, and several people are not able to turn the pile, then you should not try to plunge the support deeper. This indicates that the product has reached the ground, which has a high bearing capacity. On such grounds, the foundation will be very reliable. In the process, you will have a question about how deep to screw the screw piles. Experts emphasize that it is necessary to deepen the support below the soil freezing line in your area. For a more accurate installation, holes are pre-made. After that, it will be easier to fit the pile.
In closing
If you are going to build a house, you should know how to screw piles. They are suitable for light buildings, as well as for fences, arbors and baths. One of the key points in this case is the depth of freezing,which in the case of sandstone is higher than that of clay soils. But if you have to work with a peat bog, then the depth of immersion should be such that the support reaches solid soil.
