Benefits of AB CHANCE® Screw Piles
- High capacity solid steel piles with small compact equipment
- Safe to use around trees and roots
- No spoils removed during piling
- Every pile is tested during installation using torque correlation method invented by AB CHANCE over 70 years ago
- SCI certified
SCREW PILES INSTALLATION SERVICES
The team at Ground Sun work closely with our clients, building inspectors, and local councils to ensure every project runs smoothly and meets all necessary regulations. Our expert team of piling contractors provide a seamless service from design to installation, ensuring the best foundation solution for your build. As the UK’s sole importer and distributor of AB CHANCE® screw piles, we offer high-quality piling systems that are trusted for their strength, reliability, and minimal environmental impact. Whether you’re working on a new build, a restricted access site, or a subsidence repair, we’re here to help deliver a successful outcome.
Need expert advice on planning and foundation solutions?
Our friendly team is here to help—get in touch today for guidance and a hassle-free consultation!
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AB CHANCE® helical solid steel shaft screw piles can be used in a variety of sectors
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Inexpensive and straightforward to install
- Available in a range of sizes and dimensions
- Screwed straight into the ground making them the ideal choice instead of concrete foundations.
- Reusable
- Removable
- Low level of noise produced
- No concrete is necessary – reducing time and costs
- Cost-effective
- A conventional piece of equipment such as the mini excavator or the track excavator is used to install these piles
- Use a low-speed high-torque hydraulic motor at an appropriate speed. This is an inexpensive and fast way to mobilise
- No need to use a crane or a large drilled shaft rig, no piling mat required
- Can operate in restricted access and be carried through a standard door opening and used as a hand-held rig,
- Ease of Installation of Piles
HPM Micropile Install
Why Use AB CHANCE?
No deep trenches required
Excavating deep trenches in the ground can be a risky and time-consuming job unless you use piles.
For example, if you have trees within 10 metres of your property and the ground conditions are clay, you should consider AB Chance screw pile or micropile foundations as your engineer and building control are likely to require you to dig between 2.5 to 3 metres deep for traditional foundations.
The process
The process is simple: Apply torque to the shaft to place the screw pile into the soil. The helical shape of the bearing plates generates a pulling force, propelling the helical screw pile forward. The helical system screws into the ground with minimal soil disturbance, distinguishing it from an augur.
Once the lead section penetrates the soil, attach a lead extension plate to the solid square shaft.
Progress continues until reaching the desired bearing capacity of the pile.
Throughout the installation, measure the capacity continuously using the torque correlation method, as the torque applied to the shaft indicates the pile’s capacity.
True composite micropile
The innovative AB CHANCE® screw piles have the option to also function as both an end bearing and a friction pile resulting in a true composite micropile. This is achieved by a grout column (cement and water) being pulled down with the pile by use of a displacement plate attachment for increased bearing capacity (skin friction). This means fewer piles on your installation and ultimate protection in all soil conditions.
Attachments
The AB CHANCE helical screw piles come with a number of attachments to terminate the pile. For example, new construction brackets for apartment blocks, bridges, houses or walkway construction, underpinning brackets for the lifting of existing buildings in cases of cracks and subsidence, tie back or retaining wall soil screw attachments.
AB CHANCE helical screw piles are constructed of a solid steel square shaft and galvanised for added protection.
Great for ease of access to remote sites
Screw piles are ideally suited for projects that are located in restricted access areas where mobilisation costs would be particularly high. As our screw piles consist of lead sections and extensions, they are perfect for any situations with low or limited access.
Helical screw piles are ideal for soft ground
These foundations typically do not need an excavation when installing. If however they are being used to underpin an existing structure a shallow one is used to expose existing foundations. The use of these piles will help eliminate the need for any pumps and will also reduce costs.
Screw piles can be installed at all angles
Typically ground screws are installed vertically but in fact, they can be installed at any angle to suit the requirements of the project. Installing on a batter will provide additional resistance if needed.
It’s that simple!
A highly versatile system
As they are specifically designed to be used within grounds where there may be varying application requirements (such as various lengths and thicknesses) they are a highly versatile option which is utilised across a plethora of applications, including new builds, house extensions, transport and communications.
This method of construction offers the following advantages:
- Faster construction
- No excavation spoils to remove
- Can be installed in any weather and tree-friendly
- Permits building on weak soil conditions
- No heavy equipment required, restricted access handheld installation
- Installs in limited access situations
- May be installed close to tree roots or existing foundations
- Can be used to underpin foundations to stop subsidence
- High capacity applications up to 1000kn
Ground Sun screw piles installations
AB CHANCE Helical Pulldown Micropile® is a screw piling system for constructing a grout column around the shaft of a standard AB CHANCE Helical Screw Pile foundation system.
How our piles are installed
A handheld or machine mounted hydraulic drive head is used to install the screw pile into the ground. Additional displacement plates and extension shafts are bolted onto the shaft and the helical screw piles are pulled downwards. Torque is applied until the necessary load capacity has been achieved. A flowable grout fills the void, surrounding and encapsulating the shaft. The helical screw pile shaft is then cut off and new construction pile plate is attached ready for ring beams to be installed.
Installation of helical screw piles using handheld equipment
Customer Review
“The team at Ground Sun is truly exceptional. From the outset, they provided invaluable guidance and assistance. Furthermore, they worked closely with the council on our behalf to ensure the project progressed smoothly. Brian’s expertise in ground conditions and site levels is remarkable. The crew on site was outstanding—they simply got on with the task at hand. In under a day, the entire Helical screw pile system was installed without any mess or complications.
The project posed some challenges due to the site’s varying ground conditions. Additionally there were large oak trees, a sloping landscape, and diverse soil types to consider. Minimising the environmental impact on the trees was a key concern. However, despite this, they managed to install a durable, non-invasive screw pile system with minimal disruption to the surrounding area. We now have 11 Helical screw piles in place, ready for our office conversion and elevated decking at the rear. Because of this, I would not hesitate to recommend Ground Sun for any innovative project requiring screw pile foundations”.
C Mackim – Essex