Adaptable Helical Pile Foundation for a Colorado Medical Facility

A new two-story medical office building in Durango, Colorado, required a reliable foundation solution capable of supporting substantial structural loads while addressing soft upper soils, a restricted site footprint and a time-sensitive construction schedule.

The project team selected 182 hot-dip galvanized MAGNUM® Helical Piles, each 6 inches in diameter and approximately 30 feet long. Helical piles allowed crews to work with smaller installation equipment and reduced mobilization requirements, helping the project team maintain production within the limited site footprint.

Helical Piles for Challenging Soil Conditions

Soft upper soils created another foundation challenge. These soils offered limited skin-friction capacity for alternative foundation systems that depend heavily on shaft resistance. MAGNUM® Helical Piles developed capacity through their helices as they advanced through the weaker upper soils toward competent claystone, allowing them to achieve the required capacity sooner.

The helical pile foundation system provided compression capacities of up to 100,000 pounds and tension capacities of up to 50,000 pounds.

Adaptable Connections for Multiple Foundation Configurations

The foundation design included MAGNUM® MHC1300 Bolted Plate Caps at compression-only locations. Where additional uplift resistance was required, hooked rebar was welded directly to the plate caps.

These rebar cap connections allowed the helical pile system to integrate with column foundations, shear walls and grade beams while accommodating varying compression and tension requirements. The rebar caps also allowed for smaller concrete pile caps and less concrete, helping reduce concrete quantities while maintaining the required structural connection.

Additional Lateral Load Support

The project also incorporated battered helical piles where increased lateral resistance was required. Installing select piles at an angle allowed the foundation system to address horizontal forces while remaining compatible with the surrounding concrete foundation elements.

This approach allowed the project team to address compression, tension and lateral loads with one adaptable helical pile system.

An Efficient Foundation Solution

By combining smaller installation equipment, reduced mobilization, short installation times and adaptable pile connections, MAGNUM® Helical Piles provided an effective solution for the project’s access, schedule and soil challenges.

Hot-dip galvanizing added corrosion protection, while bolted plate caps, rebar connections and battered piles allowed the foundation system to meet the varied structural requirements of the Colorado medical facility with a consistent installation approach.