Helical Piles as Foundation Reinforcement for an Existing Beach Pavilion-PPT Presentation

PPT Presentation

Pdf Summary

The presentation describes the use of helical piles to reinforce the Fairfield Beach Pavilion in Fairfield, Connecticut. After Hurricane Sandy, the pavilion was repaired using timber piles, concrete grade beams, and approximately 5,000 cubic yards of fill. The fill was contaminated, and the grade beams were later found to violate FEMA elevation requirements. Corrective work required removing the fill and modifying the foundation while maintaining compliance with flood standards.<br /><br />The site presented construction challenges, including limited headroom, phased work, removal of existing grade beams, and variable subsurface conditions. Borings identified loose-to-dense fill and sand, shallow organic deposits, and denser sand and gravel below. The design called for helical piles capable of carrying at least 20 kips axially, meeting lateral-load and deflection limits, and extending beyond the influence of the existing timber piles. Corrosion protection and buckling through the organic soils were also considered.<br /><br />A 12-foot test pile performed successfully under compression loading, reaching 56 kips. During production, piles encountered denser soils than anticipated: installation torque targets were often reached at shallow depths, while equipment limits prevented some piles from reaching the specified tip elevation. The project team reviewed the issue and reduced the required tip elevation, with shorter piles assessed individually.<br /><br />In total, 452 helical piles were installed, covering approximately 11,500 feet of pile length. Installation took 39 days and about 2,000 labor-hours.

Keywords

helical piles

Fairfield Beach Pavilion

Connecticut

foundation reinforcement

Hurricane Sandy repair

FEMA elevation requirements

contaminated fill removal

construction challenges

soil conditions

pile installation