Are Helical or Push Piers or Concrete Piers Better?

When the foundation of your St. Cloud home is experiencing structural issues, there are multiple ways you can go about getting it supported. One of the most common repair methods for foundation settling is concrete piers. Their popularity has little to do with their efficiency and everything to do with their price tag. Concrete piers are a lot cheaper to produce and install, but they are not as superior as helical or push piers. The reasons helical or push piers work better than concrete piers are due to the longevity of the material and their ability to be installed deep underground.

Concrete piers are supposed to be poured below the frost line so that it isn’t affected by the freeze-thaw effect. However, they cannot be made too far down in case they suffer from skin friction, which is a negative pressure exerted onto the structure by the soil. Because they can’t reach competent soil depths, they are more likely to crumble under the weight of the house. Helical and push piers have a slim design, so they don’t suffer from skin friction. They can be installed much further down than concrete piers and provide better support.

The part of the concrete pier that is above the frost line is still affected by freeze-thaw. As the ice creates micro-tears on this part of the pier, the concrete deteriorates and has trouble supporting the foundation as well as it used to. It eventually crumbles under the pressure from the house and the skin friction, causing your foundation to settle once more. Helical and push piers are made of solid, galvanized steel, so they aren’t affected by freeze-thaw. While concrete piers are likely to buckle, helical and push piers are a permanent solution to your settling foundation problems.