Get an Accurate Helical Pile & Micropile Price

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Get an Accurate Helical Pile & Micropile Price

23 May 2018

Written by: Tayler Cook, Project Manager

A large part of my job is accurately pricing helical piles and micropiles for deep foundation solutions. I'm often faced with challenging questions regarding a price per pile or a ballpark cost for ten piles without being provided enough information to give an accurate estimate. Deep foundation pricing is multifaceted and EBS does not take a one price fits all approach in an attempt to prevent unexpected extras to our clients. To break down the pricing, I've created the following list that can help provide a better understanding of the top 4 factors that can affect pile prices and why they are important pieces of information when looking for estimates:

Loads: We're often asked for a per pile price without knowing what capacity is required for the pile. Helical pile loads can range from as low as 25kN to 1200kN or higher and micropile loads can range from 50kN up to over 4000kN. The load required plays an important factor in how much the piles cost.

Depth: One of the biggest cost factors in any deep foundation system is how deep it has to be installed in order to achieve the required capacity. This could be a depth to bedrock, a depth beyond a fill layer, a depth to competent soil, or even sometimes a depth we’re not allowed to exceed due to weaker soils beneath a competent bearing layer or a confined aquifer. A 5-metre pile is going to have a substantially different cost than a 50-metre pile. While anyone in the geotechnical field knows there are almost always some variations in the soil conditions, having a geotechnical report can help us understand and better prepare for how deep the piles will need to go beforehand. This information will always help minimize extras on projects.

Soil Conditions: Soil conditions can play a huge factor in determining costs for any deep foundation system. Some key things are soil type (cobbles and boulders can interfere with installation if they are not expected), water table elevation, obstructions or rubble infill layers, artesian conditions, as well as many others. The more we know about the soil we are installing in, the better we can prepare and the more the estimate will reflect what is actually required to install the piles.

Project Location/Access: Knowing the project location is a large part in getting an accurate estimate. Some sites are wide open flat sites where we can use the largest installation equipment we have, whereas other sites are very complicated with restrictions or challenges including limited overhead, limited site access, steep slopes, underground services or other factors that make installation more challenging. This isn’t to say that deep foundations cannot be used in those situations, simply that to get an accurate price these are things we need to know about the site.

The more information about the project you can provide us, the more accurate your price will be. If you’re looking for an estimate on a project, give us a call or send us an email.

A graduate of University of Waterloo’s Environmental Engineering program, Tayler’s unique background is a tremendous asset to the EBS project management team. He brings with him experience in environmental remediation and overseeing helical pile and micropile installation and load testing. Tayler always brings a positive energy to the workforce and is one to point out unique solutions to challenges. Whenever he has the opportunity, he devotes his spare time to hunting and fishing.

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FAQ - How Water Table Affects the Installation of Helical Piles & Micropiles

23 August 2018

We’re happy to share that our FAQ video series is currently on its third video!

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