Screw piles (Solar Power Plant)

Screw piles are a type of deep foundation that can be installed quickly with minimal noise and vibration. Screw piles are wound into the ground; much like a screw is wound into the wood. This is an efficient means of installation and coupled with their mechanism of dispersing load, provides effective in-ground performance in a range of soils, including earthquake zones with liquefaction potential. The piles are made of circular hollow steel sections with one or more helices attached to them. Screw piles cut into the soil following a constant pitch, as opposed to auguring through it. The helical flights and shafts are specifically designed to suit the ground conditions. Once the pile has reached the target depth it remains permanently in place and is typically filled with concrete. The protruding reinforcing provides the connection to the building structure above, and can in some cases increase the capacity of the pile.