Helical Piers vs Chemical Soil Stabilization for Foundations 

Every year, unstable soil causes billions of dollars in damage to buildings and construction projects.  Two solutions to provide a more stable foundation are helical piers and chemical soil stabilization.

Many companies here in central Texas offer soil stabilization services to support concrete slab foundations.  This entails injecting chemicals into your soil to decrease the swelling and shrinking of soil, predominantly expansive clay, by reducing its water absorption capacity.  Chemical soil stabilization can be an effective and quick way to limit foundation upheaval.  However, even when done correctly, it has limitations.  Some additives will leach out of the clay, leading it to gradually return to its more expansive state.  Additionally, varying soil composition means that companies cannot guarantee that chemical soil injection will prevent future foundation upheaval.  While stabilization through soil injection can help to create a more solid foundation upon which to build, it cannot be relied upon to be a permanent and guaranteed solution.  

Many companies also promote their soil stabilization services as being environmentally friendly but do not rely on long-term independent environmental impact studies to verify their claims.  This should be considered before using any chemical stabilizer.

Another solution to build a long lasting and secure foundation are helical piers.  These are essentially large screws that are hydraulically rotated into the ground and upon which a foundation can be built.  They are used with challenging soils, such as expansive clay, because they transfer the weight of a building’s foundation to more stable ground below the level of seasonal moisture variation.  This eliminates the detrimental effects of the swelling and shrinking of clay soil.  Helical piers are a permanent, fast and reliable way to build a foundation because they are driven into increasingly deeper and more structurally stable ground until a predetermined installation torque is reached.  This ensures the pier will provide the required load capacity regardless of varying soil composition.

Helical piers are also an ecologically friendly foundation option and a way to decrease the carbon footprint of a construction due to the fact that they require no concrete and are minimally disruptive to the environment since they require no excavation and do not produce extra waste.  

Helical Piers vs Concrete Footings for Foundations

Helical Piers vs Concrete Footings for Foundations

Traditionally, many houses have been built on concrete footings.  These foundations can be quite stable and long lasting when installed correctly and in the right conditions.  They can be cheaper than other forms of foundations and there are many companies specializing in their installation.   However, there are some key disadvantages to this type of foundation. Concrete footings can be prone to settling due to unstable soils such as the expansive clay we have here in central Texas.  Their installation is also weather dependent, labor intensive and time consuming.  Additionally, they create more waste and are not ecologically friendly, as they utilize large quantities of concrete, which in all stages of its production is said to cause 4-8% of the world’s CO2.  

Helical piers offer solutions to the problems of concrete footings.  Helical piers offer stable and permanent foundations that can be installed and built upon in one day.  They can be installed in any weather and do not require time to cure.  Perhaps, the biggest advantage of helical piers is that their installation creates no waste and requires no concrete, thus, making them less destructive to our environment.