The Innovation of a New Pile System to Reduce Environmental Impacts: The Prefabricated Con-crete Screw Pile-Paper

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The paper presents the Prefabricated Concrete Screw Pile (PCSC), a displacement pile developed as a lower-impact alternative to conventional piling. Made from precast concrete, it has a continuous external thread and hollow core. A specially designed drive rod transfers installation torque along the pile, while mechanical joints connect segments on site.<br /><br />The system combines precast production’s quality control with quiet, vibration-free installation. As a full-displacement pile, it produces no spoil and avoids soil excavation—an advantage in contaminated ground. Its hollow core may also support future geothermal applications. The design uses about 57% less concrete than a solid pile of comparable diameter. In a fictional project comparison, PCSC reduced estimated emissions by 30% relative to bored cast-in-situ piles; steel components limited the overall carbon savings.<br /><br />Development addressed challenges in manufacturing the complex threaded shape, transmitting torque without damaging the pile, and creating efficient, safe connections. Scaled model testing and full-scale installation and load tests showed competent bearing behaviour. Two full-scale tests indicated substantial shaft resistance, and excavation after testing confirmed that the pile and its concrete threads remained intact.<br /><br />Further work is planned to refine production and installation, build a broader performance database, and explore additional applications. The authors also emphasize the need for suitable ground investigation and ongoing monitoring of installation data to manage variable ground conditions.<br /><br />Despite its environmental and technical promise, PCSC faces commercial hurdles, including high initial investment, limited early production volumes, and competition from established piling systems. The paper argues that collaboration among manufacturers, engineers, consultants, clients, and researchers is important to improve the product and accelerate adoption of sustainable ground-engineering solutions.

Keywords

prefabricated concrete screw pile

PCSC

displacement pile

precast concrete

sustainable piling

low-impact foundation

hollow core

vibration-free installation

shaft resistance

carbon emissions reduction