We recently installed a boardwalk in a National Recreation Area in western Kentucky. Our team met and overcame a few challenges with the boardwalk design as we installed it. Let’s look at the situation this area presented and how we approached the project.

A National Recreation Area is a piece of land near a large reservoir that includes important natural and cultural features, according to the Department of the Interior. These areas offer visitors the opportunity to participate in watersports and water-based activities such as swimming, fishing, and kayaking.

The National Recreation Area we worked with in western Kentucky needed a boardwalk to help visitors travel from the land to the water safely and easily. However, the boardwalk’s installation location was near a nature walkway. This walkway showcases the area’s local flora and fauna. We had to disturb the terrain as little as possible with the boardwalk’s design and installation.

We installed CHANCE helical piles with boardwalk brackets into the marshy silt soil. Our boardwalk design created an effective path from the land to the water without interfering with the natural terrain. Our installation created a scenic walkway that blended with the landscape around it.

The National Recreation Area now has a safe, effective boardwalk that visitors can use. The helical piles stabilize the boardwalk in the silt, and the boardwalk brackets make it walkable. It blends with the natural landscape and doesn’t harm the terrain or the local flora and fauna.

Which types of helical piles does Intech Anchoring work with?

We work with two main types of CHANCE helical piles: helical pulldown micropiles and Drivecast friction piles.

How do helical pulldown micropiles (HPMs) work? What benefits do they provide?

Helical pulldown micropiles (HPMs) create grout columns around the shafts of standard helical pile foundation systems. HPMs have high levels of corrosion resistance. They also don’t displace any soil when crews install them. Crews can install them quickly, at a rate of 40 to 50 piles per day. These piles work well in deep foundation projects with limited access or weak soil beneath them. They also work well in new construction and bridge-building projects. Overall, HPMs are cost-effective, long-lasting foundation components.

How do Drivecast friction piles work? What advantages and benefits do they offer?

Unlike HPMs, Drivecast friction piles do displace soil during their installation process. They displace the soil to embed permanent cement grout shafts in the ground. Crews can install Drivecast piles anywhere with small, non-specialized equipment. Each Drivecast pile is fully grouted, and all of these piles have high corrosion resistance. They work well in aggressive soils and areas with high water tables. These piles fit best with construction projects that involve sewer lines, heavy highways, pipelines, new construction, and commercial and industrial buildings. Use Drivecast fiction piles when you need to install versatile but permanent piles in your foundation.

Intech has supplied and installed helical piles for over 20 years. When you partner with us for your construction project, you gain access to the following benefits:

• Our online product catalog with quick quote request capabilities
• Our engineering team’s services, including preliminary designs and technical product support
• Installation equipment sales and rental services
• Large product inventories ready to ship from our St. Louis and Detroit locations

These are just a few of the benefits you receive when you partner with Intech Anchoring. Work with us to install the right CHANCE helical piles for your construction project.

If your construction project needs helical piles for its foundation, reach out to Intech Anchoring Systems today. We can assess your project’s needs and help you choose between helical pulldown micropiles and Drivecast friction piles. Let us put our expertise to work for your business so you can complete your project and focus on your business’s core functions. Whether you’re building a new outdoor boardwalk or a new commercial building, our helical pile service offerings help you build the right foundation for your structure. We’re here to help you create a solid base for the rest of your project.