Industry survey of state of practice for helical piles and tiebacks

Abstract

Abstract The last 25 years have seen exponential growth in the use of helical piles and tiebacks. Helical piles and tiebacks are now considered a standard of practice in the deep foundation industry. With the dramatic growth of this technology and the proliferation of available technical information, a synthesis paper on the current state of the practice was considered a valuable addition to the literature as a way to quantify and summarize the current state-of-practice. Based on the increased interest and global applications of helical foundations, in 2013 the Helical Piles and Tiebacks Committee (HPTC) commissioned a state-of-practice survey of current practices in the use, design and installation of helical piles and tiebacks. The major goals of the survey were to understand the current status of applications of helical piles and tiebacks, their design and construction, quantify perceived needs and to identify future trends. The results for the present survey are very encouraging and have clearly demonstrated that there is a cadre of engineers and manufacturers dedicated to continued improvement and understanding of helical foundation systems. Continued work and education of design engineers, architects, government agencies and owners will ensure continued success and progress.