How to screw the screw piles yourself with your own hands. Tightening screw piles with a meat grinder
At the initial stage of construction of pile-screw foundations, piles are screwed into the ground until the bearing layers located below the freezing boundary are reached. Installation possible screw piles do it yourself, in which a specialized tool is not required, as well as a mechanized installation through various kinds of equipment for. Consider the common methods for the initial construction of the NEF in more detail.
Manual installation
Tightening screw piles manually is a simple and fairly effective installation method. You can save on special equipment and achieve comparable quality results. The manual technique allows you to control the angle of inclination of the rod and the magnitude of the torque indicating the density of the soil layer into which the screw piles are wedged.
A traditional device for twisting a screw pile with one's own hands is an assembly head placed on the upper end. To fix the head, pins passing through the technological hole are used. Two clamps are welded to the head, in which the workers directly engaged in screwing in, insert levers (trimming of a thick-walled pipe is suitable). Basically, this is all the required tool. A vertical level can also be used to more accurately measure the angle of inclination.
Manual Installation Sequence:
- Pre-drilling wells to a depth of 50 sentiments. Its diameter should be 10 centimeters less than that of blades welded onto screw piles;
- Vertical positioning, installation of levers;
- Directly twisting the rod. Two workers transmit torque through levers, a third monitors the angle of inclination.
The manual method has its limitations: the rods can be twisted to a depth of 3 meters. In addition, a lot of space is required to complete the work, so that the workers could use long levers.
Methods of mechanization of the twisting process
If screw piles have a large length and diameter, mechanized devices will be required to tighten the screw piles. Since with their help the work is much faster, the manual screwing method is gradually abandoned. Now available on sale is a specialized device designed exclusively for working with SHS. However, due to the rather high cost of this equipment, for a start we will consider home-made devices that perform the same tasks.
For the manufacture of devices for screwing screw piles, the following nodes will be required:
- Powerful drill (can be replaced with a motor drill);
- Reduction gear;
- Two adapters, sequentially connecting the power plant, pile and output gear;
- Lever for support.
In the role of a power plant, you can use any electric tool with a powerful engine (minimum 2 kW). And also the drive must have a reverse function. The role of the gearbox can be performed by a wrench with a built-in torque amplification mechanism. Similar devices are used when sorting wheels on trucks. The main parameter that you should pay attention to when choosing a gearbox is the maximum torque. As practice has shown, to tighten a rod of any diameter, a 4.7 kNm gearbox is enough.
The adapter between the gearbox and the power plant can be created from the head and bolt of the appropriate size. The bolt is installed in the drill chuck, and the head is fixed on the gearbox. As a pile adapter, an assembly head suitable for putting on a pile and equipped with a tip compatible with the shape and size of the gear shaft is suitable.
During screwing, the tip may stumble on a stone or other obstruction. With manual tightening, the obstacle that appears immediately makes itself felt and it will be possible to take actions to eliminate it. If the screw piles are screwed in with an electric drill, an obvious sign of an obstacle will be the increased noise of the drive. In this case, it is necessary to immediately turn off the power plant so that there are no overloads.
Use of special equipment
The first specialized screw pile screwing machines were made on a truck crane platform equipped with an overhead rotator. Such installations possessed high power and made it possible to quickly perform installation work. However, they were not equipped with a vertical position control mechanism; the angle of entry had to be tracked manually.
In modern technology for the automatic twisting of screw piles, mechanisms are used that fix the slightest deviation from the vertical direction. To keep the piles in the correct position, clamping and lifting jacks are used.
Automatic swovers are equipped with a four-wheel drive chassis or are installed in a truck body. A generator can be used to power the unit’s electric motor, or it can be connected to a 380 V network. The characteristics of sververts vary significantly depending on the manufacturer. If a machine for tightening screw piles is leased, you must pay attention to the following parameters:
- Electric drive power. It depends on this characteristic which screw piles can be serviced by the installation;
- Manufacturer's recommendations on the maximum length and diameter of the rod.
- Before drilling, you should study the characteristics of the soil, in particular the depth of the dense formations. Possessing this information, you can plan further work, pick up a tool;
- The mounting locations of the rods must be marked in advance. The load from the building should be distributed evenly;
- Just before screwing in, a well is drilled at the installation site, which acts as a guide;
- The height of the installed piles should be left with a small margin. Extra centimeters during alignment can later be cut off.
Conclusion
Should I use special equipment to screw in screw piles or use the manual method? It all depends on the budget allocated for the construction. And also the choice of technology is influenced by: foundation device, soil characteristics, pile sizes. Regardless of the installation method chosen, the general principles remain similar and everyone can master this technology.
Installation of screw piles allows you to build a massive and solid foundation in a fairly quick time. It is better not to make piles for the foundation for the house yourself, but to get it in specialized firms. Since the highest load is imposed on these elements, the life of the house directly depends on their quality. Piles for a small outbuilding or for a fence is quite realistic to make on your own. Learn how to do this later.
DIY screw piles: features and benefits
Screw piles are a steel pipe, on the end of which a blade is welded. That is, this element is somewhat similar to a drill. The main functional element of the pile is a screw-type tip, the blade of which on the one hand performs a supporting function, and on the other hand transfers the load. In addition, the screw part serves as an anchor that holds the pile in the ground.
In the process of building light wooden structures, quite often there is a problem of soil heaving, due to which the foundation is destroyed. To prevent this unpleasant phenomenon, piles are installed below the freezing depth of the soil. Thus, it is possible to prevent the effect of the heaving force on the foundation.
Screw piles allow you to build a fast, high-quality, economical version of the foundation. There are several sizes of piles, which are selected based on the size and material of the construction of structures.
Among the advantages of using screw piles in private housing construction, we highlight:
- the pile foundation is being built both in winter and in summer or in autumn or spring;
- the speed of construction, the foundation is installed in a few days, work on the construction of the building continues immediately after the manufacture of the foundation;
- lack of need to level the land for building a house;
- the pile foundation is suitable for any kind of soil with a complex relief structure.
However, the foundation on screw piles has certain disadvantages. First of all, piles are corroded, as a result of which they are destroyed. The service life of such a foundation is lower than that of concrete. In addition, poor-quality processing of the material, improper manufacturing technology of piles also adversely affects the duration of their operation. It is recommended to use piles when building a house only if the material is certified and has a number of documents confirming its quality.
Reducing the duration of operation of screw piles are such factors:
- the presence of power plants near the house;
- use of piles as grounding;
- prolonged heaving of soil and the presence of groundwater near the pile;
- the presence of a railway track near the house.
Thus, if you want to choose a pile type of foundation for building a house, consider all the advantages and disadvantages of piles in operation.
DIY screw piles videos and varieties
In relation to the composition of screw piles, they are welded and cast. The first option is more economical in the form of a pipe on which a pointed tip is welded. These piles are not able to withstand heavy loads and are used for the construction of arbors, outbuildings. Welded seams on piles are susceptible to rapid corrosion, and their poor performance leads to complete destruction of the piles. With inaccurate welding of the blade, the pile is unevenly installed in the ground in the screwing process. In addition, problems arise when screwing piles into stone soil or into large roots.
This leads to further uneven subsidence of the house and its emergency situation. Therefore, choosing piles for the foundation, special attention should be paid to the quality of welded joints on piles.
A pile, the tip of which has a cast shape, is more reliable, but also more expensive. For the manufacture of such piles, the casting method and the vacuum sphere are used. Such tips are highly accurate installation. The cost of such piles is a quarter higher than piles with welded joints. Cast tips are also amenable to high-quality anti-corrosion treatment and are recommended for use in the construction of massive buildings.
DIY pile piles for the foundation video:
The lifetime of a cast-on-foundation foundation is about one hundred years. However, when buying such piles, you should also be especially careful not to fall for a fake. The quality of the tip is determined by the accuracy of the factory technology. For example, after the construction of the pile, it is mandatory to heat treatment.
DIY screw piles for the foundation - manufacturing technology
A screw pile has the form of a hollow pipe, one part of which in the form of a sharp tip has a cutting part. During the installation of piles in the ground, the cutting part allows the pile to move inland. Thus, it is possible to reliably fix the pile in the ground.
The structural structure of the piles allows you to install them yourself, without involving additional special equipment. However, the period of use of the foundation directly depends on the quality of the material from which the piles are built.
Before starting the manufacture of screw piles, determine their structure, which includes three main parts:
- supporting element - has the shape of a pipe, a minimum diameter of 9 cm;
- screw part - provides screwing in piles;
- the upper part on which the beam is fixed.
For the manufacture of piles, a pipe with a certain diameter is used. In the presence of an unbroken tip, for the manufacture of a pipe, it is necessary to use several sectors interconnected by a welding machine. To eliminate the seams, the material is straightened.
Using machined discs, the screw part is manufactured. The size of the screw part depends on the depth of the pile. Further, using a vice, the workpiece is clamped in a certain position and stretched to the desired size. After fixing it on the surface of the pile, the element is coated with an anti-corrosion solution or paint.
A part in the form of a head is mounted on the top of the pile. It is on it that the channel or beam will be fixed. The width of the pile blades is greater than the diameter of the pipe by at least 3 cm.
DIY pile mounting video:
Features of installing do-it-yourself screw piles
In the process of installing screw piles, you will need:
- reinforcement with which marking is performed;
- grinders;
- leverage;
- welding machine;
- regular level;
- concrete mortar.
Initially, a number of preparatory work for the installation of the foundation part should be performed. At this stage, drawings are made, calculations are performed, and lengths and sizes of piles are determined. For this, it is necessary to study the geological features of the soil, in relation to them, the depth of piling, the number of piles for a particular building, etc. are determined.
For ease of use, the plan should be divided into several parts, which facilitate the control of the installation location of each pile. It is necessary to produce a pile field from the installation of piles, which are installed at the corners of the rectangle. On the corner parts of the site is installed reinforcement. Consider the width over which the binding is performed. At the same time, the installation of piles is necessarily carried out in the central part.
To connect reinforcement or pegs, a tightly stretched rope is used. At the intersection of the rope, the installation points of the piles are determined. Installation of fittings is carried out in relation to the drilling points. Measure the diagonal sections that result from the intersection. piles should be installed at the same distance from each other.
The use of a budra for work is possible, but its diameter should be several centimeters larger than the diameter of the pipe. Begin installation work from the corner sections. The interval between piles should be the same. A magnetic type level is mounted on the pile, which prevents its departure in an upright position. The quality of the foundation made directly depends on the density of the pile field.
Installation work - how to tighten screw piles with your own hands
To screw the piles, pipes are used that act as levers. Scrap is installed inside the pipe and the pipe is screwed with it. Please note that this process requires special physical efforts, therefore, it will require at least two people to complete it.
There are two ways to install screw piles with your own hands. The first involves the use of a drill, and the second is based on the installation of piles without a drilling rig. In the process of self-screwing piles without a drill, the soil is compacted under it and the pile is firmly fixed in a certain position.
Thus, moisture does not penetrate through the compacted soil and it holds the pile well. To level the piles, they also use improvised means in the form of spacers or scrap. To eliminate small deviations, a screw jack is used.
Next, a common frame is mounted. For these purposes, a laser level is required. In relation to this measuring device, piles are cut and a concrete solution is prepared for pouring into the pipes. Next, the installation of the headband, cleaning the seams. An element for mounting a common ligament is mounted on the headband, which increases the rigidity and durability of the structural elements.
It is quite difficult to build a house of screw piles with your own hands. However, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the general recommendations that will greatly simplify this process:
- for the manufacture of steel lugs, use metal grade 25, while using cold welding;
- as the diameter of the screws increases, the complexity of manufacturing the blades increases, since in order to straighten the steel disks, it is necessary to apply certain physical efforts;
- if the pile is installed unevenly in the soil and sideways, then to correct the situation, it is enough to cut off its upper part and install another pile next to it, you do not need to remove the pile, since previously loosened soil will not reliably hold it;
- make sure that the solution completely fills the pipes, this process must be performed with extreme care;
- if there are two blades on the surface of the pile, they should be set below the value of freezing of the soil, otherwise, the pile will be subject to heaving forces;
- all welding components must be coated with an anti-corrosion compound.
The process of installing piles is simple, however, high-quality installed piles are obtained only if the installation technology is carefully performed.
Among the main structural elements of the pile, we note the stem part, the cutting element and the conical tip. If the construction is made of wood, then another part of the pile is the tip.
Self-production of piles is a rather complicated process, on the quality of which the life of the building directly depends on which the piles are laid. The resulting piles are determined by the quality of steel and welds, with which the elements were interconnected.
A well-made pile is easily screwed into the soil, has a high resistance to mechanical stress and easily copes with the functions assigned to it.
For self-construction of screw-type piles, the presence of:
- pipes made of quality steel with a diameter that is calculated in advance and depends on the pressure on the foundation;
- steel sheets for the manufacture of blades, screw section, etc.
The main technical indicators of a screw pile are the length of the pipe and the size of the blade. In order to build the stem part of the pile, it is necessary to cut triangles at the end of the previously prepared pipe with a grinder, and with the help of a sledgehammer, it is necessary to form cones on them. For the manufacture of the screw part use special blanks having a cast tip. With the help of a mount, the workpiece is stretched in the form of a spiral, then connected to the pipe by a welding machine. Monitor the quality of welded joints, after the construction of piles, they are processed with a special solution.
Home-made piles are used for the construction of small outbuildings, garages, gazebos and other buildings. For the construction of a house on a screw-pile foundation, it is recommended to use purchased options for piles.
DIY screw pile installation video:
At the initial stage of construction of pile-screw foundations, piles are screwed into the ground until the bearing layers located below the freezing boundary are reached. Do-it-yourself installation of screw piles is possible, in which a specialized tool is not required, as well as mechanized installation by means of various kinds of equipment for twisting screw piles. Consider the common methods for the initial construction of the NEF in more detail.
Tightening screw piles manually is a simple and fairly effective installation method. You can save on special equipment and achieve comparable quality results. The manual technique allows you to control the angle of inclination of the rod and the magnitude of the torque indicating the density of the soil layer into which the screw piles are wedged.
A traditional device for twisting a screw pile with one's own hands is an assembly head placed on the upper end. To fix the head, pins passing through the technological hole are used. Two clamps are welded to the head, in which the workers directly engaged in screwing in, insert levers (trimming of a thick-walled pipe is suitable). Basically, this is all the required tool. A vertical level can also be used to more accurately measure the angle of inclination.
Manual Installation Sequence:
- Pre-drilling wells to a depth of 50 sentiments. Its diameter should be 10 centimeters less than that of blades welded onto screw piles;
- Vertical positioning, installation of levers;
- Directly twisting the rod. Two workers transmit torque through levers, a third monitors the angle of inclination.
The manual method has its limitations: the rods can be twisted to a depth of 3 meters. In addition, a lot of space is required to complete the work so that the workers could use long levers.
Methods of mechanization of the twisting process
If screw piles have a large length and diameter, mechanized devices will be required to tighten the screw piles. Since with their help the work is much faster, the manual screwing method is gradually abandoned. Now available on sale is a specialized device designed exclusively for working with SHS. However, due to the rather high cost of this equipment, for a start we will consider home-made devices that perform the same tasks.
For the manufacture of devices for screwing screw piles, the following nodes will be required:
- Powerful drill (can be replaced with a motor drill);
- Reduction gear;
- Two adapters, sequentially connecting the power plant, pile and output gear;
- Lever for support.
In the role of a power plant, you can use any electric tool with a powerful engine (minimum 2 kW). And also the drive must have a reverse function. The role of the gearbox can be performed by a wrench with a built-in torque amplification mechanism. Similar devices are used when sorting wheels on trucks. The main parameter that you should pay attention to when choosing a gearbox is the maximum torque. As practice has shown, to tighten a rod of any diameter, a 4.7 kNm gearbox is enough.
The adapter between the gearbox and the power plant can be created from the head and bolt of the appropriate size. The bolt is installed in the drill chuck, and the head is fixed on the gearbox. As a pile adapter, an assembly head suitable for putting on a pile and equipped with a tip compatible with the shape and size of the gear shaft is suitable.
During screwing, the tip may stumble on a stone or other obstruction. With manual tightening, the obstacle that appears immediately makes itself felt and it will be possible to take actions to eliminate it. If the screw piles are screwed in with an electric drill, an obvious sign of an obstacle will be the increased noise of the drive. In this case, it is necessary to immediately turn off the power plant so that there are no overloads.
Use of special equipment
The first specialized screw pile screwing machines were made on a truck crane platform equipped with an overhead rotator. Such installations possessed high power and made it possible to quickly perform installation work. However, they were not equipped with a vertical position control mechanism; the angle of entry had to be tracked manually.
In modern technology for the automatic twisting of screw piles, mechanisms are used that fix the slightest deviation from the vertical direction. To keep the piles in the correct position, clamping and lifting jacks are used.
Automatic swovers are equipped with a four-wheel drive chassis or are installed in a truck body. A generator can be used to power the unit’s electric motor, or it can be connected to a 380 V network. The characteristics of sververts vary significantly depending on the manufacturer. If a machine for tightening screw piles is leased, you must pay attention to the following parameters:
- Electric drive power. It depends on this characteristic which screw piles can be serviced by the installation;
- Manufacturer's recommendations on the maximum length and diameter of the rod.
- Before drilling, you should study the characteristics of the soil, in particular the depth of the dense formations. Possessing this information, you can plan further work, pick up a tool;
- The mounting locations of the rods must be marked in advance. The load from the building should be distributed evenly;
- Just before screwing in, a well is drilled at the installation site, which acts as a guide;
- The height of the installed piles should be left with a small margin. Extra centimeters during alignment can later be cut off.
Conclusion
Should I use special equipment to screw in screw piles or use the manual method? It all depends on the budget allocated for the construction. And also the choice of technology is influenced by: foundation device, soil characteristics, pile sizes. Regardless of the installation method chosen, the general principles remain similar and everyone can master this technology.
Do-it-yourself installation of screw piles for the foundation: methods, technologies, recommendations and practical developments of FORUMHOUSE users.
The installation of a screw foundation is a decision that is made by the developer on the basis of accurate calculations and logical justifications. There is still a lot of work ahead of him, and most importantly, what should be taken care of in the first place - in order to prevent mistakes in arranging the base for future construction. The cost of installing piles and the desire to complete the basic processes of building a house are forcing yourself to set serious goals.
Correctly mounting the screw foundation means observing all the given parameters: horizontal and vertical levels, distances between piles, permissible deviations from linear dimensions, etc. And if the problem of ensuring the horizontal level is solved by trimming or building, then how to ensure compliance with the given distances, we will talk in this article.
Installing a pile screw foundation with your own hands is a laborious task. It requires error-free calculations, the availability of special devices and the participation of at least two people - the price of an error here may be too high.
Screw piles: installation in two ways
Installation of piles without involving specialized construction equipment is carried out in two ways: manual (for screwing, long metal levers are used) and mechanized (involves the use of mechanical devices driven by a compact engine).
Screw piles: manual installation
The simplest screwdriving device is a mounting head that is worn on the product barrel and fixed there with a pin inserted into the process holes.
Screw foundation: installation.
Clamps are welded to the head, into which levers are inserted to transmit torque to the pile. In principle, you can screw the pile by inserting the crowbar with levers directly into the technological holes of the support.
But in this case, a high price can be paid for uneven load distribution: this will lead to the tip being deformed even before the screw reaches hard soil layers.
As levers for screwing, you can use 2 pieces of metal thick-walled pipe (wall thickness should be at least 5 mm). The leverage is 2-3 meters.
A half-shaft from a Mercedes truck was inserted into the technological holes, two two-meter pipes were put on it and puffed up “ONCE”. After each revolution, the levels were checked. One turn - 10 cm down.
Installation of piles: sequence
If you do not want to make mistakes during self-tightening, then the correct location of the supports guarantees you 90% success.
Installation of a pile-screw foundation is distinguished in that it is more correct to mark the location of future supports not before the start of work, but in the process of their implementation. This will allow them to be placed in strict accordance with the dimensions of the future home, bathhouse or any other construction.
The fact is that preliminary marking of the foundation does not always allow the piles to be set in exact accordance with each other. Therefore, marking must be done, starting with the location of any corner point of a future building.
For clarity, we present a diagram of a pile foundation with dimensions of 6 * 6 meters.
The order of installation of piles in the diagram is numbered. The first one will be screwed in, located in the upper right corner of the circuit.
Under No. 1, in a fixed place, using a shovel or a drill, we dig a pit, the diameter of which is approximately equal to the diameter of the pile blade. The depth of the pit should be 20-30 cm. Some do more, but there is no special need for this. On the contrary, too deep a pit prevents it from maintaining the correct distance between piles.
First, deepenings were made with a garden drill (50-80 cm), then piles were installed. I made money, a friend controlled the level. Then screwed together.
The first is the easiest to screw in. During operation, it is enough to control the vertical level of the pile (for this it is best to use the magnetic level). If you are working together, then one person controls the position of the piles in space using a level, and the other two - screw the support into the ground.
Twisting together is very difficult. Therefore, it is better to attract 4 people to the hardest work. The pile is screwed into the soil to a depth exceeding the freezing depth. Its tip should enter into hard layers of soil a few turns.
The pile must be screwed into the ground until it stops. Only such an approach can guarantee that it will not be pushed out of the ground under the action of frost heaving forces.
4 people spin the pile using levers of 2.5 meters. They twist to the stop, until their legs burrow into the ground. Understanding this point comes with experience. The blade should be twisted below the freezing level. It makes sense to follow the vertical level at the initial stage. After the pile enters about 80 cm, it will be very difficult to level it.
After the installation of the first pile is completed, you can start marking the support No. 2. The reference points in this case will be the dimensions of the wall and the distance between the axes of the piles. Suppose that the distance between the axes is 5850 cm (it can be calculated by knowing the length of the wall and the dimensions of the heads on the piles). The plane of the wall runs parallel to some other object (parallel to the fence, etc.). In this plane we draw a straight line and mark the indicated distance. This will be the location of the axis of the second pile.
Here we also dig a shallow pit, insert a pile, check its vertical level and measure the distance between the axes of the two supports. If there are no deviations, then start screwing. Otherwise, the pile will have to be aligned. If No. 2 needs to be moved a few centimeters to No. 1, then its top should be rejected in the direction opposite to No. 1. After this, No. 2 must be screwed into the ground by 2-3 turns. Then, having placed the support vertically, the center distance should be checked again. If all sizes match, No. 2 can be screwed in as far as it will go. If not, then repeat the above operations until a satisfactory result is obtained.
The pile always tilts in the direction opposite to that in which it is necessary to move the screw-in support.
Twisted by 2-3 turns (one twists, the second holds vertically), then looked at the tape measure, figured out where to move. Then, twisting at an angle, brought the bottom to a point. They placed it vertically (during rotation) and looked at the roulette wheel again.
The location of piles No. 3 is determined based on two linear dimensions: the diagonal of the box of the future home (8273.15 cm) and the distance between the corner piles (5850 cm). Marking is performed using two tape measures (No. 3 will be installed at the intersection of the set values \u200b\u200bon their measuring strips).
No. 3 and No. 4 are set by analogy with No. 2. After the corner supports are screwed into the ground, a construction rope should be pulled along their outer perimeter. The rope will simplify the marking and installation of the remaining piles that need to be screwed into following order: At first, supports located on the outer perimeter of the walls are mounted, and then internal.
After all piles are screwed in, they should be trimmed. Trimming is done by the grinder according to the marked horizontal level.
Laser pruning is a sweet thing. It turned out to be convenient to hang the clamp for marking on top of the cut, then outline it carefully with a grinder, then shift the clamp above and cut off the pile.
Incomplete screwing in order to align all the supports to a horizontal level (without subsequent trimming) is an unacceptable violation of construction technology.
Cut piles are filled with cement-sand mortar. After that, you can weld the heads to them and proceed with the installation of the harness.
The pile should be filled with cement mortar, but not concrete. Crushed stone is poorly compacted, therefore, after pouring concrete, cavities with air can form inside.
Cement mortar does not make the construction of a screw pile more durable. The main purpose of filling the support with a solution is to block the access of oxygen to its internal cavity.
Screw pile tool
As we already said, the manual screwing method requires a lot of physical effort, which not everyone can withstand. If you are not a miracle hero, ready to pay the high price of your health for the foundation, think about mechanization. Mechanization is also necessary if the screwed-in pile is located near any ground object (near a fence, etc.). In this case, screwing it in with the help of long levers is much more difficult.
Today you can buy a ready-made device (albeit at a rather high price) designed to mechanize this process (pile screw).
But such an installation for screwing piles is expensive, and it is advisable to acquire it only by providing services for the construction of pile foundations. The cost of installing screw piles over time will pay for the purchase of this device. And to work on your own site, you can build a home-made device that has a drive from a powerful drill or gas drill (motor drill).
If you are not ready to make the device yourself and want to order the installation of screw piles, the price and quality should be proportionate. We advise you to look for an artist on our exchange, not only to residents of Moscow, but also to many other regions.
Do-it-yourself equipment consists of several components:
- Power unit (drill, motor drill, etc.);
- Lowering mechanical gear;
- Adapters: from the power unit to the gearbox and from the gearbox to the pile:
- Support arm.
Here's a screwdriver that looks complete.
Consider all the components in more detail.
Powertrain
As a power unit, you can use an electric motor, a gas drill or a powerful electric drill. The use of an electric drill is the most affordable option of all of the above, but it must meet certain characteristics:
A speed adjustment should be provided;
Minimum drive power - 2000 W;
The presence of reverse.
Device - Rib (brand of electric drill) with a capacity of 2 kW. The speed when working through a reduction gearbox is 300 rpm.
Motor drills or electric motors used for spinning must also have the indicated power.
Gearbox
The most common type of gearbox used to screw piles is an ordinary wrench - a cylinder wrench with a torque amplifier (with UKM). It is designed to tighten wheels on heavy trucks. In everyday life, this device is called a "meat grinder."
There is much debate about the reliability of these devices. But, based on the experience of FORUMHOUSE users, we can say that a correctly selected wrench, with regular lubrication and in the absence of overloads, will help you screw a dozen piles.
Select a gearbox in several ways. The key role is played by the torque that the device is able to create on the output shaft. Manual machines for screwing piles are made in such a way that the working torque is not less than 4700 Nm. Therefore, the performance of the wrench must match this parameter.
The moment must be more than 4500 Nm. There are reinforced meat grinders that last longer and cost a little more.
The larger the gear ratio, the easier it will be to work with such a gearbox. When choosing a device, you should focus on the gear ratio - 1:60 or more.
Characteristics of the used wrench: gear ratio - 1:64, maximum torque - 5500 Nm, gear hardness - 58-62 HRC.
When buying a key with UKM, you should choose a device with bearings (bearings are not provided in the design of some gearboxes). Wrenches with bearings are recognized as more durable.
So that the stop of the wrench does not come into contact with the pile during operation, its end can be cut off, leaving the factory holes. We will need holes in order to subsequently screw the telescopic stop to the gearbox.
Special attention should be paid to the operation process of the gearbox. The presence of lubricant in its internal cavity should be taken care of in advance. If the device is regularly lubricated and ensure that it does not overheat (in order to avoid overheating, it is necessary to take breaks in operation), then a screwdriver without breakage will help twist several dozen products.
Remember to lubricate the gearbox. The gears in it do not break, but, as it were, wear out, decreasing in thickness and in height. Therefore, the more lubrication, the longer it works. In the store, they are dry and can be erased in one pile.
The user of singer777, for example, changes the lubricant in the gearbox every 20 screwings. So draw your own conclusions. As for the grease itself, users of our portal with practical experience working with wrenches recommend using plastic types of greases (SHRUS-4, etc.).
Adapters
The design of a homemade device provides two adapters (adapters).
The first adapter provides torque transmission from the drill to the gearbox. It can be made quite simply: put the head on the gearbox (16 mm, etc.), and insert the corresponding bolt into the drill chuck.
The second adapter is an assembly head for piles having a tip for the output square shaft of the gearbox.
Going to use the described device, a person necessarily thinks how to protect the drill and gear from mechanical overloads. There are two ways to solve this problem.
You can find out about the upcoming overload by the sound of a working drill. Timely shutdown of the device will help to avoid breakdowns.
Installing a metal pin between the drill and the gearbox will help not only to avoid breakdowns, but also protect you from injuries. A correctly selected pin will be cut off as soon as the torque reaches critical values.
A Morse taper is inserted into a Rebir drill that connects to the next part using a 3mm diameter wire. This wire works for cutting and serves as protection against overload and burnout of the drill.
As soon as the load reaches critical values, the gearbox with the drill should be disconnected from the pile. After this, it is necessary to tighten the support manually.
We twist until the bolt breaks. If you later put on levers of 3 m from two sides and harness four together, it turns out to turn the pile by 1/4 turn or a little more. Today, the bolt did not break off (they spared the gearbox and screwed it by hand).
By screwing the pile with the help of a reduction gear (as in the case of manual screwing), it is necessary to constantly monitor the vertical level of the support.
Support arm
It is advisable to make the support lever from two pipes of different diameters (a telescopic structure with an adjustable lever length is obtained).
In order to prevent the pipe from creasing at the joint with the fixing bolt, it can be reinforced with a small section of a channel, strip or corner.
The piling screwdrivers below are not widely used, but they have certain advantages. And if it is with their help that you screw the screw piles, the installation cost will ultimately be lower and you will save the ruble - another for the equally important sections of the construction estimate.
Installation with a hydraulic drive - its reliability is slightly higher than that of a mechanical gearbox.
Installation on the frame - allows you to align the pile as accurately as possible and reduce the complexity of the process.
Installation with a drive from a gas drill - easy to use and reliable.
What to do if the pile rested against an obstacle
Installation of the pile foundation is fraught with the fact that during screwing the pile often rests against a stone or other foreign object located in the ground. And if the barrier has sufficient strength, then this turns into a real problem. There are two ways to solve it.
If the pile did not have time to go deep, then you can unscrew it and try to remove the obstacle. This is not easy to do, so a positive result can not always be achieved.
If the pile rested against an obstacle, but managed to go deeper by more than 1.5 m, then it can be left in this position, subsequently cutting off the top at a horizontal level. But it is preferable in this case to unscrew the pile and screw it next to it (on the same line with the adjacent supports). This method is suitable for all piles (except those that are located at the corners of a future building).
Corner piles should be screwed to a sufficient depth, and their location should correspond to the design layout of the foundation.
s: remove the stone (if the depth is shallow) either crush it or twist the pile aside.
You can familiarize yourself with technical solutions allowing screwing piles without the use of expensive construction equipment in the corresponding section of our portal. You can find out how to make a wooden binding for piles during the construction of a frame house by familiarizing yourself with the practical experience of FORUMHOUSE users. If you have the right materials, if you want to independently make screw piles for the foundation for your own home, then you will find a description of the process in the corresponding article. And how to combine the three various foundation when building a single house, you will learn from our video.
Examples of pile driving, which you will learn about later in the article.
The type of foundation and the choice of its design should be justified from the economic and technical sides. Recently, the most profitable is pile. By design, piles are divided into smooth (as an example - reinforced concrete poles) and screw (resembling a large screw). Smooth ones get clogged or pressed in, according to the second technology, screw piles are twisted into the ground.
Pile foundations, their advantages and disadvantages
One of the drawbacks of pile foundations is the need to use special equipment with which the screw piles are twisted or pillars are driven.
The advantage is the construction of a foundation on soils that are weak in structure, which makes it possible to use this technology without studying the structure of the soil; deep seaming of the pile foundation gives sufficient transfer of force to the soil from the load of the structure.
Another indisputable plus is the lack of the need for site planning. The size of the grillage (the ground part of the foundation) can vary in height up to one and a half meters, and if extension cords are used, by any necessary value for alignment to the frame assembly. (see fig. 1)
Fig. 1. Pile foundation
The main advantages and disadvantages of screw pile foundations
- Disadvantages:
- equipment is needed for twisting screw piles;
- insufficient installation accuracy (the possibility of tilting or shifting by a few centimeters);
- limited use in the presence of rock;
- Advantages:
- possibility of use on soft soils;
- the ability to install piles without laborious earthworks (the complete absence of earthworks allows you to save earth layers in a natural state);
- low financial costs compared to concrete, less laborious, significant time gain;
- high installation accuracy in height;
- the possibility of using anchor fasteners (see Fig. 3);
- application in marshy and watery places (see fig. 2)
Constructive Varieties
Having appreciated the advantages of erecting such foundations, the industry launched the production of two types of screw piles: with a sharp tip and a crown.
The first type is used for soft and ordinary soils, the second for heavy loams and permafrost. (see fig. 4).
As can be seen from the figure, the main difference is the width of the blades that hold the rod in the ground. For heavy soils and permafrost, this value is less relevant, therefore, the width of the blade is less, but the tip is made with a crown to facilitate incorporation into the soil. For soft soils, the larger the width of the blade, the greater the transfer of load into the soil is greater, the reliability of the foundation design is higher.
Assortment of piles
If we talk about the construction of the foundation on soils with low bearing density, then they can include:
- one blade with a screw diameter of up to 500 mm, the thickness of the blade metal up to 6 mm, the pipe wall up to 4.5 mm.
- with several blades with a diameter of up to 300 mm, a metal thickness of 5 mm, a pipe wall of 3.5 mm or more.
This assortment is used in the construction of not heavy living quarters and industrial facilities (warehouses, technical booths, checkpoints).
When using products for heavier buildings, it is necessary to use piles with thicker metal or increase their installation amount.
Piles for loads greater than average, the following:
- having one blade with a diameter of more than half a meter, a metal thickness of 6 millimeters or more. The wall of the pipe is 4.5 mm thick or more.
- two or more blades with a diameter of 300 mm, a metal thickness of 5 or more millimeters, a pipe wall thickness of 4 mm or more.
As for structures that are used in heavy and freezing soils, for them, the thickness of the metal of the rods and blades is of great importance, which serves as an additional criterion for qualification. This is due to sharp and large seasonal changes in ambient temperatures. The main dimensions of industrial piles can be found in tables 1 and 2.
Tab. 1. The main dimensions of industrial piles
Tab. 2. Shell diameters
Making piles yourself
The amazing ability of craftsmen to overcome circumstances, inventing and making the missing technological links with their own hands, manifested itself in the case of screw piles. The industry does not produce piles less than 40 cm. - We will do it ourselves, we need an installation for twisting screw piles, we will do this, or we will twist the piles with one hand, as people do on video.
Fig. 4. Construction of piles
Before starting the manufacture of a screw pile, it is necessary to recall its design:
- central trunk (hollow thick-walled pipe);
- a tip representing a pointed cone or serrated edge (crown) at the end of the drill;
- screw blades attached to the tip;
- the upper part of the pipe can be equipped with a head or anchor for the subsequent installation of the frame elements of the foundation;
- at the pipe end, two holes with a diameter of 24 - 26 mm are drilled at right angles at a distance of 10-15 cm from each other (see Fig. 4).
Beginning of work on self-manufacturing
Before you begin, you need to determine what the load on the piles will be to determine their number. The load is approximately calculated as follows: knowing the weight of the structural element (log house - means logs, cinder block or brick), we multiply by the number of elements, and divide by the permissible load. The load on one rod should not exceed 500 kg. Based on this, you can determine the number of piles, and then determine the size of the blades and draw a sketch in scale.
“Advice: If a stove or fireplace is planned in the house, we make an additional calculation for this design separately”
But back to the drawing, because from a visual image, it will be easier to determine the amount of necessary material and its rational cutting.
First of all, the drawing should indicate:
- pipe diameter and length (better to scale);
- rod length taking into account the tip and anchor;
- the length and angle of the cone (or simple bevel);
- distance from tip to blade.
Having finished the drawing, you can begin to manufacture a helical blade.
Tools and material required for this:
- plasmoresis;
- workbench with a vise;
- metal lever or crowbar to straighten the cut out propeller blades;
- caliper for the manufacture of the template.
The template is best made of tin. Why cut the diameter of a large circle equal to the diameter of the rotor blades and a small circle equal to the diameter of the rod, as well as the cut line. Having cut out the template, you can proceed to the layout of the sheet.
Cutting a sheet of metal
In order to properly cut a sheet of metal, it is necessary to measure several times with a template the correctness of filling the sheet. In the event of a shortage of the number of blanks or irrational expenditure of iron, it is allowed to redo the template in the direction of increasing or decreasing the diameter of the outer side of the blade.
It should not be forgotten that the number of blanks should correspond to the number of rods. For the rational operation of the plasma torch, the marking of sections of adjacent circles should be carried out along one line as a whole.
It will also be rational to place the layout of two adjacent rows with a diameter offset by a distance equal to the radius from each other. In this case, the top of the circle of the lower row will be between the circles of the upper row, this marking will correspond to the minimum metal waste. (see fig. 5)
Blade cutting
Once again, we check the correspondence of the marked number of future blades to the number of rods and proceed to cutting the workpiece according to the marking. First of all, the hole for the rod is cut, then the circle is cut along the radius. The end will be a cut along the outer contour. Below you can watch a video of how the blades are cut using plasma cutting:
Layout of the cut edges of the blade
In order to part the edges of the cut rings, the ring is clamped in a vice and with a metal lever at least one meter long the edges are bent from each other. It should be borne in mind that the larger the gap, the greater the grip of the soil and the resistance to rotation when screwing.
The optimal gap is 10 - 20 cm. It is also necessary to ensure that the plane that will be located to the tip is bent less than the opposite.
We make a cone
For the manufacture of the cone, we use the remaining acute-angled parts of the sheet iron from the cutting of the blades. Having cut the triangular corners, it is necessary to weld them together, carefully fitting along the diameter of the pipe. In the process of welding tips, it is necessary to ensure that the seam is tight, this eliminates the ingress of water into the internal cavity.
Carefully check the quality of welding by removing the scale by striking a metal hammer along the seam in the direction away from you.
Finishing the manufacture of screw piles
Fig. 6. Welding cone and blades
After the cone is brewed, a blade is put on the pipe at a distance of 50 mm from the edge of the pipe and is carefully boiled from two sides. Do not forget to make two holes at the end of the drill stem. (see fig. 6)
Piling
As noted above, the industry does not produce special devices, therefore, devices for twisting screw piles with their own hands were invented and implemented by craftsmen, the most common:
- Manual spin.
- With the help of a "meat grinder".
- Using a winch.
Let's consider each of them in more detail.
Manual spin
Fig. 7. Manual piling
The name of the method speaks for itself: the screw piles are twisted with their own hands. Several long metal rods are taken (preferably from reinforcement) and inserted into the holes made in the pipe or in special clamps that are fixed to the pipe.
The process of twisting takes place by transmitting the rotational movement of people who walk in a circle, screwing a drill into the ground. How is the process
can be seen in fig. 7.
It’s good when you need to install several piles, and if there are several dozen of them or they are located near buildings, then you can use the “meat grinder” device.
Screwing in with a "meat grinder"
Fig 8. Reducer "Meat grinder"
Most recently, the industry launched a gearbox to facilitate the loosening of car wheel nuts. The device consists of a planetary gear and a screw, which is located exactly in the middle. The gearbox has a manual drive similar to a handle from a meat grinder, hence its name.
After the reducer was supplemented with adapters for the shaft drive, a device was obtained with the help of which screwing the screw piles with a meat grinder became much more efficient.
The gearbox is the only consumable in this design. The approximate cost of the gearbox is 1.5 thousand rubles. You will also have to order or purchase a set of adapters for the drill stem drive. The rotation of the device is made from a drill (preferably a perforator) with a capacity of at least 2 kilowatts with a speed of 700 - 900 rpm. in minutes
The fixture is mounted on top of the rod. The rod is held upright by a long metal lever attached to the device body.
Control over the vertical position on the level, which is fixed on the rod. (see fig. 8)
Using a winch.
Figure 9. Installing piles using a car winch.
In this case, the installation for twisting screw piles is not made from a "meat grinder", but from a car winch. The main difficulty is to secure the winch drum to the drill stem. In this case, adapters are also used that are specially made for the winch shaft and drive. It is only about an electric winch. (see fig. 9)
Instead of output
Finally, here is another example of the work that was widely described in this article, a pleasant viewing!
The foundation on the basis of screw piles is considered one of the most affordable in terms of financial costs and technical implementation. The installation method is so simple that it can be done without the help of professionals. However, depending on the scale of the project and the conditions for its implementation, auxiliary equipment may be required. Her choice is determined by the specific technology of mounting the supporting equipment. For example, in the question of how to install a small-sized screw pile, complex equipment may not be used at all, since two or three people will perform twisting with improvised devices. However, in the case of large rods, special technical means cannot be dispensed with.
In what cases is the pile foundation used?
According to the mechanical load-bearing abilities, this method of building the foundation of the house loses to more traditional methods of forming a monolithic and strip foundations. Therefore, first of all, single-storey, prefabricated and other objects that do not involve heavy loads are erected on a platform with point-like structural holding elements. For example, frame houses on screw piles, which are characterized by durability and reliability. Often built and objects for technical purposes: baths, hangars, utility rooms, senniki, etc.
The nature of the local soil also influences the choice of technology. The same classic foundations with a monolithic structure are undesirable to use on such surfaces. However, metal rods neutralize the loads associated with the dynamic processes of the soil layer, which makes them an attractive solution for such operating conditions. The modest cost is also an additional attractive factor in the choice of screw piles for the foundation. Prices with installation averaged 1,500-2,000 thousand rubles. for 1 pc. Moreover, as a rule, ordering material with installation work from the same supplier reduces the cost of the rods by 100-200 rubles.
Screw pile design
Typical elements are hollow pipes, on one side of which there is a head, and on the other, a pointed tip with a threaded blade. The part, which is designed for immersion in the ground, has an anti-corrosion coating, due to which the durability of the structure can reach 40-50 years. As for the functional tip, it can be made in different ways. The main distinguishing feature is the number of turns, on which the force exerted on the rod will depend. Least of all the power costs are the elements with a small area of \u200b\u200bthe cutter, but how to install a screw pile, provided with many turns? Special equipment usually works with such models. The machine captures the ground part of the rod and spins it into the ground. On the one hand, this approach complicates the installation process and makes construction more expensive, but on the other hand, the more turns, the stronger the bearing base, that is, at all costs, the user will receive an optimal foundation design in quality.
Calculation of screw piles
Despite the initial choice of this type of foundation for objects with minimal loads, this does not mean that the number of rods and the configuration of their placement can be any or universal for all cases. These parameters depend on the specific indicators of the planned load. The total weight consists of the mass of walls, flooring, partitions, roofing, equipment, etc.
Calculation of screw piles provides for the inclusion of a safety factor: to the combined loads of individual elements is added about 10-15% of the safety endurance of the structure. Further, the ability to cope with the loads of one rod is taken into account. A typical model can take on the order of 2000 kg. Initially, the calculated mass of the house is divided by this figure and the result will show what the optimal number of piles will be. For example, for a small house weighing 20,000 kg, 10 load-bearing elements will be required. You can add another rod to cover the safety factor. As for the placement configuration, it will depend on the area of \u200b\u200bthe house, as a rule, an indentation scheme of 2 m is taken between installation points with the mandatory capture of the corners of the structure.
Preparing for work
After the purchase of piles, a thorough examination of their appearance is necessary. Particular attention is paid to the reliability of fastening the blades to the main part. If necessary, the structure is additionally welded with the addition of a melt increasing strength. But how to install a screw pile, if foreign functional elements are present in the functional part? Firstly, even at the stage of finalizing the underground region, the area of \u200b\u200bdeviations of the same melt from the main surface of the rod should be minimized by mechanical refinement with a grinding and polishing tool with large grain. Secondly, the twisting process itself in this case should be adjusted. The operation should be performed at low speed, constantly monitoring the geometry of the introduction of piles.
Hand screwdriving
Most often, a double-lever system is used, which allows you to completely dispense with special equipment, but at the same time provide sufficient force to immerse the rod. Another thing is that this twisting mechanism can only be used in relation to small or medium screw piles for the foundation. Do-it-yourself installation in this case is implemented as follows:
- In the area of \u200b\u200bthe head, ears are welded on which elements of the direction of effort will be fixed in the future.
- Metal beams (levers) are laid in the created holes and are held from opposite sides by two workers.
- Directly at the point of twisting becomes a controlling operator with an electronic level.
- Lever control workers begin to move with a leverage until the target immersion point is reached.
- The operator with the level throughout the process controls the vertical rotation.
The double-lever mechanism with a head grip is the simplest device for screwing screw piles, but it has certain disadvantages. First of all, you need free space around the dive point. In addition, in the event of a deviation from the intended input line, there is a risk of a rod deformation or an error in the arrangement of the bearing points of the foundation.
Electromechanical screwdriving technology
This option is suitable in cases where there is no special equipment or partners. The force is applied using the multiplier. It is a gearbox with optimized planetary gear. The device is mounted on the working equipment of a high-power drill, after which it is installed on a supporting platform fixed near the screw pile. Installation technology is carried out by rotating the gearbox head. Fast working torque is converted to slow but steady torsion with a large range of applied force.
Screwing up piles with special equipment
In professional construction, mobile power tools using electric traction or ICE engines are used. They can be used in everyday life. Another thing is that this rarely makes sense, since such a technique focuses on large-format rods, the width of the blades of which can exceed 60 cm. However, small-format elements are not excluded from the target material for such machines.
How to install a screw pile using a mobile installation? The equipment is brought to the installation point at a distance of 1-2 m. The working body is integrated with the pile head, after which a strictly vertical direction of force is established and the twisting process is started.
Subsequent operations of the pile foundation
After installing the rods, they are trimmed and concreted by the site. As for the first operation, it is associated with the alignment of the positions of the piles in height. This is necessary so that in the future it is possible to obtain an even base on screw piles without the need for corrective additions, then concreting is performed. This is a standard concrete pouring procedure for the foundation base, but it should be borne in mind that the screed obtained is not related to the supporting platform of the building.
Pros and Cons of Technology
Actually, the installation technique is the strength of this method of arranging the foundation. An ordinary private trader can also cope with this task by calling two or three partners for help. The specific technique for performing the operation depends on which screw piles are used for the foundation. Do-it-yourself installation of small rods can very well be done using the double-lever method, which practically does not require costs, but involves some risks in terms of quality of the result.
The disadvantages of using piles include restrictions on use on solid soils and the inability to build two-story and simply large private houses on such a base.
Conclusion
The technology was chosen by many owners of suburban households because of its affordability. It makes it possible with small investments to create a reliable foundation for various functional buildings, cottages, etc. Nevertheless, much will depend on the type of screw piles for the foundation itself. Prices with installation for thin models designed for the construction of a bathhouse or utility room can fit in 1300 rubles. For 700-800 rubles. a pile will be available, and at 500-600 rubles. Direct installation will cost. For full-length material, these figures can increase by 20-30%. To this, it is worth adding small expenses for additional accessories, for example, heads cost 200-300 rubles, and their installation costs from 50 to 100 rubles. average.
Screw piles are used in the construction of pile foundations - one of the most common types of foundations, used mainly on marshy or sandy soil. The pile itself is a pipe with thick walls and a tip made in the form of a helical blade. Using this tip, the pile is screwed into the soil. A head is welded to the second end, on which the future building will be fixed.
The length and diameter of screw piles can be different and depend not only on the weight of the structure, but also on the depth of the foundation.
The content of the article: |
Design Features
The strength of the pile foundation is achieved due to the fact that the blade, stopping rotation, reliably fixes the pile in the soil and prevents it from being pushed out.
Screw piles
Simplicity of installation allows you to do without heavy lifting equipment and specialist assistance during installation. But it is worth remembering that the strength of the structure depends both on the observance of the installation technology and on the quality of the piles. The latter, in turn, is affected primarily by the shape of the blade.
Note! Experienced builders know that with a good tip, the blade should be somewhat asymmetric, so that entering the ground occurs as smoothly as possible. If, when screwing in, they appearsince the difficulties are not related to the features of the soil, in the future the most unexpected consequences may arise - up to the destruction of the foundation.
Advantages of Screw Piles
- When screwing in, the soil is compacted and, accordingly, its bearing capacity increases, which is especially important in marshy areas.
- After dismantling the old building, piles can be reused.
- The special design of the screw foundations makes them immune to frost heaving.
- For the construction does not require any adjustment of the terrain. As a result, the time of land work is significantly reduced.
- The construction of a pile foundation is 70% cheaper than a slab or strip.
- Piles can be installed with your own hands, without the involvement of special equipment.
- Installation of the foundation takes only two days, moreover, regardless of the weather or season. Construction of the house can begin immediately after installation.
Note! Screw piles cannot be screwed into rock formations only. This is perhaps the only limitation.
DIY screw piles
First, note that any pile consists of three main elements:
- bearing base (pipes ø8.5 cm and more);
- blades welded on a sharp tip;
- head for fastening the harness.
Of course, such a design can be done independently. To do this, follow a simple instruction.
Step 1. For the manufacture of piles, a metal pipe of the appropriate diameter will be required. The tip itself can be monolithic or made as follows: the end of the pipe is cut along the piece into sections of the required size, after which they are welded into a cone, and the welds are straightened.
Step 2. The screw is made from a used disk. There is another option - cut a new screw from sheet steel 6 mm thick according to a pre-prepared template.
![](https://i2.wp.com/chudoogorod.ru/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/kak-vkrutit-vintovye-svai-samostoyatelno-5.jpg)
The outer diameter of the screw depends on the characteristics of the soil - the deeper the screw is screwed in, the smaller it is.
Step 3. The screw head is clamped in a vice and stretched, after which it is welded to the pile and painted (or treated with an anti-corrosion agent).
Step 4. You will also need the head necessary for attaching the channels.
Note! The width of the blade must exceed the outer diameter of the pipe by at least 3 cm!
Settlement
To do this, you need to invite a surveyor who will analyze the soil and draw a written conclusion about its bearing capacity. It will be quite expensive, but if you plan to build a house for permanent residence, you will have to spend money.
If a it comes about a small private house, then an approximate calculation of piles can be made without the help of specialists. You will have to consider a lot of factors, such as:
- weight of roof and building structures;
- weight of thermal and waterproofing, roofing;
- attic floor weight and so on.
Note! As an example, we take a log 6x6 m in size, made of logs ø20 cm. The average weight of such a house, taking into account all the loads, will be approximately 50,000 kg.
Calculating the number of screw piles for such a house is quite simple. You need to go to the manufacturer’s website (provided that factory piles are used) and see the bearing load for which specific products are designed. For a medium-sized pile with a blade diameter of 30 cm, this load is approximately 3,500 kg. It turns out that for a house with a weight of 5 tons, 14 pieces are required. If the number of piles is inconvenient from a structural point of view, then it can be increased, but only to a greater extent.
Now a few words about the height of the piles. Their underground part is screwed below the level of soil freezing, while the elevated part is selected based on the relief features (on average it is 0.5 m).
How to screw in screw piles yourself?
The installation process always begins with the preparation of everything you need. In this case, you will need:
- heads 25x25 cm;
- water level;
- roulette;
- small stakes for marking;
- magnetic level;
- shovel;
- marker (required white color);
- a pair of levers (two-meter pipes to be worn on scrap iron);
- tank for the preparation of concrete mortar;
- bulgarian;
- cement;
- anticorrosion coating;
- water;
- sand;
- diesel generator (if electricity has not yet been supplied);
- welding machine;
- assistants (at least three people).
Mounting technology
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Step 1. First, the perimeter is marked. Based on geological and topographic data, a drawing is made, in which the exact number of piles will be indicated. The products must be evenly distributed around the perimeter, while the distance between them should not exceed 3 m. If it is large, then the base of the house will not gain the required load-bearing capacity and, therefore, will begin to sag the strapping beam.
Sample installation in soft clay, peat or water ground
a² + b ² \u003d s²
If we imagine that the diagonal divides the perimeter into two right-angled triangles, then a and b are the legs of each of the two figures, and c is the hypotenuse (diagonal).
After measuring the diagonals at the four corners, small pegs are installed.
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Step 3. The construction of the pile field begins with the screwing of the corner piles - they will be a kind of landmarks for marking. Before screwing in, a small pit is excavated with a depth of 50-70 cm in a previously marked location. As already mentioned, each pile should go deeper below the level of soil freezing - so it will not be squeezed out under the influence of frost heaving. Moreover, you need to constantly check the horizontality of piles using a plumb line or level.
Note! A large bearing capacity can only be achieved by abutting into a powerful soil layer, therefore the pile is screwed to the stop. While it scrolls, it needs to be deepened. Only when the pile is completely stopped, is it considered to be qualitatively screwed.
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The screwing procedure itself looks like this: a lever is installed in the technical hole - a crowbar or a steel pipe of the corresponding diameter, then two more pipes are put on the lever. A magnetic level is attached to the pile to control verticality, while the angle of inclination should be no more than 2ᵒ. If this is not done, then the load will be distributed unevenly and the pile itself, therefore, will be deformed.
Step 4. All other piles are screwed in according to the previous marking.
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Step 6. After trimming, the piles are concreted - this will protect their inner surface from corrosion. For the preparation of the solution, cement of the M-150 brand is used.
Step 7. The final stage of work is the welding of the tips. They are put on piles, welded and carefully cleaned seam. Then an anti-corrosion agent is applied.
Bindings are fixed to the heads for tying the future home.
Below are the design features of piles and practical installation tips.
- For the manufacture of the tip, it is better to use steel of the "twentieth" or "twenty-fifth" grade.
- All welds must be coated with a corrosion protection agent.
- The larger the screw, the greater the difficulty in manufacturing the blade (an extremely wide disc is extremely difficult to straighten).
- When screwing in piles with two blades, both need to be deepened below the freezing line of the soil. If this is not done, then the soil, subject to frost heaving, will begin to act on the upper blade (the one that has remained above the freezing level) and sooner or later destroy it.
- If the pile for one reason or another has gone to the side, then it is better to cut it off and screw a new one next to it. It is undesirable to continue deepening, since the pile will sag during operation.
- When concreting piles, the mortar must completely fill the pipe. This should be given special attention.
conclusions
Having dealt with all the nuances of the installation, tightening screw piles will be quite simple. You just need to invite a few friends, wait for a suitable sunny day and build a reliable and solid foundation.
Construction has always been and remains a responsible matter. The durability of the design depends on the quality of work. An important part of any building is the foundation. In modern construction, screw piles are often used. This technology helps to significantly reduce financial costs and construction time.
Screw piles are screwed into the ground using special equipment, but few people know that it is possible to do it yourself. The article describes in detail how to install piles manually. But before considering the installation process, let's learn more about this modern technology.
Application
Screw piles are used as supports in difficult soil: uneven terrain, swampy or frozen soils. Initially, the technology came from military craft, where you need to quickly build and disassemble special-purpose objects. Now this method is actively used in civil engineering.
They are used for the construction of the following structures:
- frame and modular buildings, low-rise buildings;
- light constructions, fences, billboards;
- supports for high voltage lines and pipelines;
- bridges, moorings.
Installation is carried out by hydraulic mechanism or manually. Piles are screwed into the ground like a self-tapping screw. If the soil is very frozen, a leader well is made. The correct bearing capacity depends on the correct installation of the supports.
Advantages and disadvantages of a screw foundation
- erected faster than a concrete foundation;
- used in swampy, unstable and icy soils;
- ready for full load after tightening;
- can be installed at any time of the year;
- no terrain leveling required;
- are cheaper than a concrete foundation.
disadvantages
- limited service life;
- impossible to apply on stony ground;
- it’s hard to make good corrosion protection.
This is hard work, therefore, small diameter piles are used because they are easier to screw in. Manually twisting the supports in order to save money or when it is impossible to do it by machine. The manual method allows you to build small buildings, for example, a bathhouse, a gazebo or a fence. For work, simple devices and several assistants are required.
Possible obstacles
Manual installation is complicated if there is a lot of debris or stones in the ground. Make sure that it does not contain large objects: crushed stone, iron, bricks, etc. Small fragments will not hurt, but large stones will lead to a deviation of the axis of the support or bent blades.
Sometimes concrete blocks or slabs lie in the ground, which can not be removed without seriously digging the site. This problem can stop the entire installation process or make significant adjustments to the layout of the foundation.
Try to find a site on which there is no thicket within a radius of 20 m. The root system, especially large trees, is well developed. Even the rotten stump located nearby will significantly complicate the screwing of piles.
For manual screwing of piles, it is necessary to use long levers. If there is a building, fence or pillar next to the planned building, they will interfere with the installation of supports.
Preparatory work
- Installation of screw supports begins with the search and inspection of the construction site. Carefully examine the ground. The choice of piles of a certain diameter depends on its condition. Too dry or clay soil it is difficult to screw large supports.
- After choosing the right piles, count how many pieces you need for work. The distance between them during installation depends on their number.
- In order for screw piles to serve properly for decades, they perform anti-corrosion treatment. Apply several layers of protective coating.
There are several processing options:
- primer for metal - standard coating;
- bituminous mastic - protects the surface of the pile from contact with moisture;
- cold galvanizing - zinc, interacting with the metal surface of the pile, creates a weak electric current, which prevents the appearance of corrosion;
- cold galvanizing and bituminous mastic - combined processing;
- cold galvanizing, bituminous mastic and polymer film - the first two layers of protection are covered with heat-shrink film, this provides maximum protection.
Tools for mounting screw piles
- Shovel - to level the screwing points.
- Magnetic level - helps to control the position of the pile.
- Drill - should be smaller in diameter than screw piles.
- Roulette - necessary for taking measurements.
- Hydro level - used to set horizontal marks.
- Scrap and two pipes with a length of 2 m - from which levers will turn out.
- Hammer - needed to hammer a peg.
- Grinder - for cutting piles.
- Thin rope - for marking the foundation.
- Knife, gloves, pencil.
Foundation marking
Accuracy and accuracy in calculations are required. For work you will need a rope and pegs. If the foundation is rectangular, first determine the angular support points. Hammer the pegs and connect them with a rope. Try to make the shape of the rectangle even. On each side, define equidistant points for the rest of the piles. After all the tags are placed, you can begin to install the supports.
Screw Pile Installation Technique
Install the supports first in the corners. To do this, drill guide holes. The depth should be equal to 1/3 of the length of the pile, and the size is less than the diameter of the pile. Starting the installation process, try to control the evenness of the vertical position of the support. The magnetic level will help you.
Piles are screwed in using levers, in our case this is ordinary scrap. When twisting becomes tight levers are lengthened by additional pipes. This process should take place evenly and on command, so as not to displace the support.
If the pile stopped turning, this means that you have reached a layer of soil whose density is sufficient to support the weight of the structure. In this case, do not continue screwing. After the corner piles are installed, connect them with a rope from below and above. This will help to expose the remaining supports evenly - vertically and vertically.
When the foundation is ready around the perimeter, put the labels inside. To do this, the columns of the parallel sides are connected with a rope. In places of crossing, it is necessary to drill holes for the installation of piles of the internal foundation.
The manual method does not allow the installation to run smoothly. Even if you screw in smoothly and slowly, the support will gradually go sideways. Therefore, periodically it is necessary to check the degree of deviation by the magnetic level. If the displacement is significant, then move the pile to a level state and make several turns.
Displacement is affected by stones stored in the ground. In this case, aligning the supports is difficult. There are two solutions: first, roll the pile deeper than the stone and loosen it so that it can be placed evenly and make several turns. Second, pull out the support, use a drill to go through a difficult area of \u200b\u200bsoil, and then continue installation.
Pruning
Not all piles can be screwed to the desired level. Therefore, they are shortened by a grinder, leveling in height. It is recommended that you cut below the lever insert hole. It is convenient to draw tags using the hydraulic level - a long, thin hose filled with water and working on the principle of communicating vessels.
Concreting
After trimming, screw piles are poured with a mixture of concrete and sand. The solution should not be too thick or liquid. This procedure makes the supports stronger and more resistant to stress. Some builders add reinforcement to the pipe for added rigidity.
Concrete protects the inner surface from oxygen and moisture and extends the life of the foundation. If the installation of piles takes place in the cold season, winter additives are added to the solution. They will make concrete resistant to low temperatures.
When the solution has dried, the pipe is sealed with heads for subsequent strapping. Welds are treated with an anti-corrosion agent.
Screw piles are a practical technology for the construction of any structures. Inexpensive cost and fast installation speed, made this type of foundation popular. Screw pile technology is now available for everyone. It can be used independently or use the services of construction companies.
Video: do-it-yourself screw pile driving