“Wetlands” can involve many conditions. It could involve a lake, river, or swamp. It could be a soft wetland that has standing water at certain times of the year. Perhaps it is a site with a high water table, which makes the soil soft and compressible. Often times these are organic sites, like mud or loam.
What if you want to build on these sites? It’s possible? Will helical pillars help? The answer is yes.
But the first question is not the foundations but the permits. State and local rules often control your options. Grandpa’s rules, existing buildings on the site, and other factors can affect the results. The use of the structure can also influence the permissions. Generally, time-consuming processes and engineering are implicit in the objectives.
If the options are open, propellers are a very viable option.
So what could the project be? A farmhouse, permanent home, storage building, garage, or even boat garage may be your idea. Yes, propellers have potential for all of these. But in such bad conditions, how can they be effective?
The first thing to know is that there is almost certainly well-behaved soil there. The problem is, it could be 10, 20, 40, or more feet below the surface. This is fine because the propellers can be turned deep into the “bad things” to get to the “good things”. Even at the bottom of the lake which is organic, the propellers can extend through the loose stratum. Clearly, a hole in the ground would be helpful in predicting depths, but it doesn’t change how deep you will go.
Its structure must be designed for the placement and loading of columns. Based on that information, helicals can be designed and installed. The top of the spiral can have a custom cap to fit what you need, such as concrete beams, precast concrete beams, wooden beams, or steel. Top bracket designs can vary widely.
Two great advantages, among many, include the absence of vibrations during installation. Nearby neighbors have nothing to worry about. Additionally, small equipment or even handheld equipment can be used to install augers. This gives you great flexibility. They could even be installed in icy areas in winter which, in some situations, solve some access problems.
The design of the dock itself is very important. An extended spread of very soft soils would require a design that could include any of: excessive specification for a stiffer column shaft, tubular grout elements, use of rods to strengthen the grout, X-beam reinforcing spring shafts above ground level Floor or use of side pillars resist lateral movement. Clearly, a quality contractor and engineer are very important.
For construction on a desirable wetland site, the propellers will be the key component to make it work.