Screw piles
All pile types and their advantages.
Clay
Clay carries well when it is stiff, but shrinks in drought and swells when wet. The old, highly plastic clays such as Boom Clay and Ypres Clay move with the seasons down to about 1.5 m. That is why we screw below that zone in clay.
Sand
Dense sand is often a good bearing layer: it does not shrink and carries a lot. Loose sand can still compact under vibrations or water. A helical pile in dense sand gives a high capacity.
Loam
Loam sits between sand and clay. It carries reasonably, but turns soft when wet and is sensitive to frost.
Peat and made ground
Peat is very compressible and can keep settling for years. Made ground and backfill are often poorly compacted. We go through them with screw piles down to a bearing layer, with extensions if needed.
How do you find out what lies there?
- The DOV database in Flanders or Geoportail in Wallonia for soil maps and existing soundings
- A CPT sounding on site for certainty with homes and larger projects
- The installation torque of every pile during installation
Soiltek is a specialist contractor, not an engineering firm. We provide the manufacturer's product data and align the pile proposal with your structural engineer.