Specifying the correct ground screws and helical screw piles for your project foundations

Testing screw pile foundations to project specifications

At RADIX, we follow a rigorous process to conduct surveys and screw pile testing in accordance with EN 1997-1 (EC7) standards.

Utilising our range of industry-leading testing equipment, we can install and determine the load-bearing capacities of our comprehensive range of screw piles of various diameters and lengths specific to your project’s requirements and engineers’ specifications.

With capabilities to record compression values exceeding 150kN and tensile forces of 120kN per screw pile, we can either test to achieve the required loadings specified by your engineers or test to failure if the loadings are not yet known.

Once we understand the requirements of your project and anticipated loadings on its foundations, we will organise a programme of works to install and test a series of screw piles at your site and to the depths required to reach load-bearing strata.

During the testing process, deflection on the ground screw or extendable screw pile is carefully monitored and recorded, with pressure applied incrementally into the system to simulate loads right up to the engineer’s required specified load or through to the point of failure.

All recorded values are delivered within a comprehensive report outlining the findings of our survey and testing, including specifying the screw pile foundation solution and their loadings to safely secure your project.

With head offices based in Essex and Dundee, and installation partners across the country, our screw piling engineers support projects across all corners of the UK.

Contact our team to discuss how RADIX can advance your next project.

What type of testing is required for various projects

Testing is critical for understanding the load-bearing capacities of screw pile foundations in the various ground conditions that might be encountered across a site, especially where the ground is soft or silty, chalky, or where additional forces might be experienced such as from wind.

Buildings and structures of significant scale and weight, such as housing, holiday lodges, battery storage units, bridges, etc., should be supported by an engineer to correctly specify the groundworks and required loading values to support your project.

Structures with large surface areas, such as ground-mounted solar arrays, event staging or art installations, require tensile testing to measure the uplift forces that will impact the structure, especially in open and wind-exposed locations.

Invest in the equipment to conduct site surveys and screw pile testing

At RADIX, as well as delivering our testing and installation services across the UK, we also manufacture, stock and supply the range of industry-leading equipment we deploy.

Our compression, tensile and horizontal testing kits with digital plunge indicators enable the most accurate recording of data to determine the correct specification of ground screws and extendable screw piles for your projects.