A former warehouse was being retrofitted to convert it into the businesses corporate headquarters. An additional floor was being added for more office space. Due to the newly added dead and live loads, a deep foundation was required. H-piles had been specified for the foundation throughout the building, but restricted interior headroom and vibration concerns ruled out conventional driven piles. Helical piles were the perfect solution for this phase of the renovation.
Project Summary:
- Helical Pile Type: 5.5″ Round Shaft Helical Pile
- # of Helical Piles: 140
- Location: Freeport, ME
- Installation Depth: 55′-60′
- Ultimate Pile Capacity: 80 Kips
- Equipment Used: Pengo 30,000 FT LB Drive head, Link Belt Excavator
- Challenge/Unique Aspect: A unique aspect of this project was that the helical material had cutting teeth (J Teeth) specially designed by the the manufacturer, IDEAL Foundation Products. The J Teeth were welded to the bottom of the lead section to assist with cutting through any dense fill. This also helped the piles to bite into the rock/till layer where the piles were ultimately terminated.
