Helical Piles and Tiebacks
This committee includes manufacturers, engineers, academics, suppliers and experienced contractors which constitute a forum for advancing the applications, understanding and use of helical pile and tieback foundation elements.
Committee Chair
Matthew Conte, CPC
Conte Company
matthew@contecompany.com
Matthew Conte is a third-generation owner of Conte Company in Norwalk, Connecticut. He has spent his life in the construction industry, including many years of pile installation experience throughout New England performing geotechnical work for various types of applications and soil conditions. Conte earned his B.S. at the Syracuse University College of Engineering and Computer Science and is a Certified Professional Constructor (CPC). Conte is a former president of the Guild of Professional Helical Pile Installers and chair of the DFI Helical Piles and Tiebacks Committee. He has created multiple patents for the deep foundation industry and has published case studies and lectured on the use and innovations of helical pile products.
Initiatives
Helical Pile Design Training Course
Based on DFI’s Helical Design Guide, this course covers design recommendations, installation and specifications of helical elements.
Current Initiative in progress.
Research
Development of Design Recommendations for Helical Pile Anchorages Subjected to Cyclic Load Reversals
- Effects of Detailing on the Behavior of Helical Pile-to-Foundation Connections
- Helical Pile-to-Pile Cap Connections Subjected to Uplift Forces: Improving Future Practice
- Design Recommendations for Helical Pile Anchorages Subjected to Cyclic Load Reversals
- Improving Helical Pile-to-Foundation Connections
Industry Outreach
- Young Professionals – educating the next generations of design professionals about helical deep foundation products. Reach out to a committee member or a DFI representative today to get plugged in to our current young professional or student activity.
- Contractors – As we inform the deep foundation industry on the benefits of the use of helical products, one of the most important partners in this effort are the trade contractors who use the products every day. Our committee is constantly seeking new ways get our contractors involved. For more information on how to join our committee reach out to a committee member or DFI today.
Specifications
Series of guideline specifications for helical foundation and earth retention projects
Compression Applications – provides practical guidance and model specification language for helical pile foundations acting in compression for new foundation construction, foundation repair, and existing foundation augmentation.
Tension – Provides practical guidance and model performance specification language for helical anchors in earth retention and shoring, transmission tower guy tiedowns, and buoyancy/uplift protection applications.
Helical Soil Nails – in progress
Fundamentals
Helical Design Guide – This short, easy-to-follow guide for preliminary design and selection of helical piles and anchors, covering applications, terminology, advantages and limitations, geotechnical and structural design methods, corrosion protection, load testing, quality control and assurance, and references.
University PowerPoint – This narrated PowerPoint presentation provides engineering students, young professionals, and future design professionals an overall introduction to helical products used for foundation and earth retention applications.
AC358 – International Code Council-ES formed an ad-hoc committee of manufacturers, suppliers, end users and specifiers to create acceptance criteria for helical deep foundation products. This document governs the testing and reporting of acceptable helical foundation products.
International Building Code Chapter 18 – Helical piles are addressed as deep foundation option in the IBC section 1810.