Excavator at Construction Site

Helical Screw Piling

Ancora Foundations

Lightweight • Spoil-Free • Cost-Effective

What Is Helical Screw Piling?

Helical screw piles are steel foundation anchors with one or more helical plates welded to the shaft. They are rotated into the ground using compact handheld or portable hydraulic equipment, creating an instantly load-bearing foundation without excavation or concrete curing. This makes helical screw piles one of the cleanest, fastest, and most environmentally friendly foundation solutions available for small to medium-scale structures.

Why Helical Screw Piles Are a Preferred Solution

✔ Ideal for Light to Medium Loads
Helical piles are perfectly suited for:

  • Garden rooms & modular buildings
  • Small extensions
  • Decking & raised platforms
  • Domestic foundations
  • Temporary structures

Their efficiency and reliability make them the preferred choice for light-duty foundations where traditional piling is unnecessary or costly.

✔ Installed Using Handheld or Portable Equipment
Unlike traditional piling rigs, helical piles can be installed using handheld torque drivers and portable hydraulic kits. This allows installation in areas with extremely limited access, such as rear gardens, narrow pathways, and internal spaces.

✔ Completely Spoil-Free Installation
Because helical piles cut into the ground rather than excavate, they produce no spoil, no mess, and no disposal costs.

✔ A Fast & Cost-Effective Foundation Method
Helical screw piles deliver savings at every stage:

  • No excavation or muck away
  • No concrete curing delays
  • Minimal access preparation
  • Faster programme delivery

Technical Benefits

  • Immediate structural loading once installed
  • Low vibration, protecting nearby structures
  • Excellent tension (uplift) resistance
  • Minimal ground disturbance
  • Repeatable and certifiable torque readings ensuring correct installation
  • Suitable for most soft to firm soils
Handheld Equipment

Portable hydraulic kits allow installation in areas with extremely limited access such as rear gardens.

Spoil-Free

Produces no spoil, no mess, and no disposal costs, making it popular for clean residential sites.

Why Clients Choose Ancora: Quality-focused, fast turnaround, fully compliant, and commercially efficient.

Services FAQ

For sites with limited access or low headroom (like basements or rear gardens), we use SFA (Segmental Flight Auger), Grundomat, or Helical piling. These methods utilise compact, handheld, or modular equipment that avoids the need for large rigs.

We use ODEX piling for challenging strata. This method cases the hole simultaneously while drilling, preventing bore collapse in loose soil and allowing us to penetrate through boulders, fill, or rock obstructions securely.

Yes. Beyond piling, our Reinforced Concrete (RC) teams construct piled rafts, ground beams, and retaining walls. This ‘one-stop’ approach ensures seamless integration, faster delivery, and clearer accountability for your project.

Absolutely. We specialise in vibration-free and low-noise techniques (such as CFA, SFA, and Helical piling) that protect adjacent structures and minimise disruption to neighbours, fully compliant with environmental standards.

Yes. We design and install Contiguous and Secant piled walls to retain earth and exclude water for basement excavations. These are engineered to withstand high lateral loads and integrate with the final structure.

We operate with strict adherence to Eurocode 7, BS EN standards, and NHBC requirements. We provide full design warranties, collateral warranties, and comprehensive Quality Assurance (QA) logs for every pile installed.
get a free quote